"What you find is not what you want to find, but what you find is what you need."
Emma's life so far has been a book of rules. Rules which will help her find the path which leads to the Grand Destination. Ever since she was a child, she has been pre...
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I heard the wooden door shut with a low thud sound. I watched through the window as the hunched figure of Aunt Jo walked towards the forest. She held a basket in her left hand and a stick in her right. Aunt Joanna was a short old lady and the only family I had left. She practically raised me into the woman I am. The word woman seems too mature. I might be twenty-one years old, but I still have the soul of an early teenager. Although she has tried her best to form me into a woman, I refused to acknowledge the fact and lived as childishly as possible. I believe that the actual age of a person is the age of their soul and not their body.
It was a fine morning which meant that it won't take her long to collect firewood. The sun shined so bright that everything was aglow. I glanced one more time towards the window to see her silhouette disappear further into the woods. I hoped that she stops for some flowers too. It usually takes her longer to pick flowers. As I crept through the back door I took a deep breath in as the fresh air cooled my face. It felt refreshing. Without wasting another minute, I walked on the stone path which leads to the lake, just behind the cottage.
Life in the forest is so wonderful. It's surprising how clearly you can see with closed eyes than with opened. I sat cross-legged facing the lake. Taking a deep breath, I relaxed all my muscles. Even with my eyes closed, I could see birds perched on branches of trees, singing melodiously. The wind blows swaying all the leaves with it. I felt calm until I started having a flashback.
A village made of tiny huts, people screaming and running in all directions. Men dressed in black robes, barbarically killing innocent men, women, and children. Someone's hand tightly pressed on my mouth. I look up to see my Aunt Joanna shushing me. We were hiding in a smaller hut, but we were not alone. There were two boys and a girl too. The girl and one of the boys were about my age. And the other boy was nearly ten years old. The girl was crying and hiccuping, while the little boy beside her was silent. His eyes were dilated and he never blinked. He was probably in shock.
But the ten-year-old was definitely scared. His eyes were fixed on the door. He knew death was just on the other end of it. All of a sudden my aunt got up and pulled me towards the section in the wall. It had a cloth hanging at the front and hid the space really well. We got in just in time. The door suddenly opened with a bang and I heard the girl scream loudly. One of the boys was crying in moans. A slashing sound was heard and the room was silent again.
One of the men spoke loud enough for us to hear. "Where is the Green's daughter? We have searched the village. She must have escaped. Come on! She must be nearby."
"What about the boy?"
"Bring him along."
The men left leaving a door ajar. My aunt peeped through the gap between the fabric and the wall. She grabbed my hand and pulled me out. I almost screamed at the sight. The girl and ten years old were lying lifeless on the ground. Blood was all over their bodies. I started crying and hugged my aunt's legs. She lifted me off the ground and pulled me toward her, carrying me on her side.
After that, we left the village and never looked back.
