Whistle over the waves. {BXB} [COMPLETED]

22. Madhav

"We are in this together. We have all done it. You can't just go telling on us." the shadow shouts as he and his friend pin the other boy to a tree.

"But look at him. He is crying. Won't he himself go and say it all out?" the boy protests.

I'm sitting but it hurts. Everything does,
I look at my legs, there are red lines of blood already drying.
I want to go home.
I feel hungry.
My stomach hurts.

I stand up somehow and walk to the big boys.
They're fighting among themselves.
I pull at the shadow's shirt. He doesn't listen.
I pull again.
He turns around and slaps me hard and I fall to the ground.

"Hey, go and watch over him for some time. Back to you, you are not telling anyone. You had your fun and now you want to be a saint? If you say anything..." he shouts at the boy who wants to speak.

The other one catches hold of me and drags me away.
He throws me to a tree.
He quickly looks at the shadow and then at me.
He has that look in his eyes.
Between his legs, it is hard again.

He pulls my hair and turns me over.
I close my eyes.

My life has been a long succession,
Of closed eye prayers,
Requesting to be taken from that turn in time and be flown to a distance.

Now it works,
After everything that has happened.
I'm flying,
Over my own choices and their outcomes,
Over my silent, foolish hopes.

I'm flying.
There's no stopping here.
This the only safe way,
This is the road.