Lost Bird

2

       Because she spent countless hours by herself, she was usually able to practice any physical skill she was interested in. She felt she had an affinity for certain combat disciplines, such as Krav Maga. It focused on full body attacks and how even someone tiny, like her, could hold her own against bigger opponents. She practiced as often as she could. In her tiny rooms or outside when she was able to get out.

      She taught herself different languages. The first one she had tried to master was Russian. For some reason it felt like home whenever she talked to herself in their mother tongue.

      James spent the first two weeks in her new home (aka hidden cellar) listening and learning the new patrol schedule of the guards. She hadn't heard from or seen Diane since they had left Poland. She knew that John had followed through with his plan to rid them of her.

James wasn't sure if she should be bothered or not. All she could think was that her punishments would be less frequent. Did that make her a bad person?

       It was pure luck that she came across the small window in the south west corner of the cellar.

One night, after one of her father's random punishments, she was looking for some kind of cloth or material to staunch the bleeding from the many shallow welts across her thighs. Her father had decided to strap her down to a pallet she had been using as her bed, and slash repeatedly at her legs with a long thin bamboo reed. His new favourite toy.

      She had spied a dark cloth sticking out from in between two cinder blocks high up in the corner. She pulled down on the material as hard as she could and toppled the blocks in the process of prying it loose. She had also exposed a small dirty window. She was so excited she almost forgot about her new wounds. Almost.

       She had finally managed to get high enough to look out. She had stood her pallet on its end and carefully climbed up to stand on it. Her breath hitched at the endless wilderness she could see out the small window. It took her a couple of days working at it, but she managed to get it open and slipped out in the early morning light. She was beyond giddy. She raced out into the endless green and marvelled at the height and width of the trees that surrounded her.

      After about an hour of just exploring, James decided to climb a tree to rest for a bit. She wanted to get a higher ground view of her new sanctuary. She was lost in the beauty of her surroundings when she heard heavy footsteps and multiple voices shouting in Russian. They sounded angry. James started getting nervous, she knew she was well hidden, but the thought of getting caught outside of the cellar terrified her.

      She looked down just as a young boy tore through the bush below her. He looked to be around her age, just much more filled in and quite a bit taller. Not that it took much, she knew she was considered quite small for her age. She also knew that was due to malnourishment. She held her breath as she tried to figure out what was going on.

      Three large boys, (almost men actually), burst through behind him. All panting heavily and glaring at the younger boy.

(All Russian Dialogue will be in italics)

"You think you can get away with ratting us out to your father?" The first one said angrily in Russian.

"I told him nothing. You three got caught because you're stupid and slow!" The younger boy said. James was impressed by his confidence. She would have been cowering and stuttering in front of the three much larger boys.

"Shut the fuck up Eugene! No one else knew about our plans. Just because your father is our boss doesn't mean you get a free pass!"