By Gina Hartley

"The stones and rocks scuff against my feet as I run. I’m not sure where I’m running to at the moment but all I know is that I have to get away from this place, and fast! I can feel the cuts and bruises from the stones as I approach a muddy embankment.  A drizzle of sweat runs down my spine as my lungs gasp for air. It is fear, not will, that keeps my legs going. A deep breath and I’m running through sticky, slimy mud. It grips at my feet like Velcro as it slows me down considerably. At this point, I can only muster one coherent thought- They’re coming. And I can’t let them catch me, I just can’t. As I reach the end of the mud I hear the yelling, they must have just discovered they’re missing a prisoner. I don’t even want to imagine what will happen to the guards on duty but this buys me at least a half hour of running. As I reach the clearing, I realise I’ll be in the open for about 200m. My lungs ache and I’ve got a stitch in the left hand side of my stomach but my legs are still co-operating. I take off and brace myself for the cries of the army after me,

“There she is the little brat!”

“Come back here before I blow your brains out!”

And I hear gunshots. Soon the sky is filled with smoke as metal whizzes around me. I can barely see where the bullets are making an impact but I know if I don’t keep moving, I’m next. 50m to go and I’m safe in the trees, my legs feel like they’re about to give way and soon I’m not running but so much as trying to stop myself from crashing through the clearing. 10m to go, “BOOM!" A tree on my right explodes. "BOOM!" I’m concealed in the trees. I scale a tree and begin to climb, my legs slipping as the pins and needles start to intensify. As I reach the top I collapse onto a branch and breathe a sigh of relief. Up here, the foliage is so thick that I’m easily concealed in the branches, if only my legs would stop shaking. I hear the rumbling of footsteps on the ground beneath me and hold my breath. Will they notice me? Will they even think to look up? Or do they believe I’m still out there running? Either way, I maintain my position for a good 10 mins even after the rumbling grows more and more distant. As my breathing starts to show signs of consistency, I lean back against the trunk of the tree and for the first time in 6 months, I allow myself to smile. I did it. I actually managed to do it. And now I’m free, I could go anywhere I want to go, do anything I want to do! The possibilities stretch out endlessly in front of me as fear is replaced by my giddiness. I stare down at my feet, which are now completely covered in mud and grime and goodness knows what else. I wonder what owning shoes would be like. In my opinion, they seem very uncomfortable and I’ve managed to live 11 years without them, so I know they aren’t necessary. But I can’t help imagining one day owning even the simplest pair. I make the decision to start walking at once. After all, who knows when they’ll be back? I jump down from the tree and I’m on my way again, toward adventures, places, and shoes I can only dream about."