Escape

It was dead quiet, like unnaturally quiet. 

Normally, it was all screams, or groans of pain, or the soldiers' loud voices as they got drunk, or the girls screaming while they were being abused.

But it was never this quiet.

"Lyra," I said quietly, trying to find my little sister.  

She was the only surviving family member I had left. The war has taken everybody away from me. 

When the war started four years ago, my father and elder brother were dragged away from our home to join the fight. 

I haven't laid eyes on them since. I didn't need anyone to tell me they were dead. 

My father and brother had no skill for the battlefield. 

There were mere omegas in a world that valued only the top dogs. Their lack of combat prowess left them vulnerable and unprepared, as they never deemed it necessary to learn how to fight. 

After my father and brother were taken to go fight in the war, my mother took my sister and I to a pack where she thought the war wouldn't reach. 

It turned out she was very, very wrong about that. 

Two months of our stay at the pack, the war got to us. 

I witnessed the horror as my mother was assaulted, before she was brutally killed right in front of me and my sister.

I tried to grab my sister and run, but I wasn't fast enough. 

We were captured along with every other girl in the pack. The women and men in the pack were slaughtered and they took just us girls. 

It's been four long years of torture. We were tortured physically, emotionally and sexually. 

Four years of being treated like animals. 

My sister was just eight, so I shielded her from the worst of it. 

When the soldiers came, I'd hide her in a small hole I dug where we slept, covered with my sleeping mat, so the soldiers couldn't find it. She was tiny so she fitted perfectly. 

With so many girls in the camp, the soldiers never noticed if one was missing. It was the only way I could protect her, keep her safe in this hell. 

But that doesn't mean we could escape.

When I first got to the camp, I was planning my escape. That was until I witnessed girls being killed like animals because they tried to escape.

We had eyes on us, watching, every hour of the day. 

We were kept in a big tent, and it was always guarded. Even if a girl manages to slip pass the front guards, there were more waiting ahead. 

I've managed to keep Lyra hidden till now because the guards never entered our tents. When the other soldiers were coming, they were usually loud, so I had time to hide Lyra before they got to our tents. 

"Lyra," I murmured, hoping for a response, but silence greeted me. 

"Lyra," I called out again as I searched her hiding place.

A wave of relief washed over me as I found her sleeping. 

I tiptoed around the sleeping girls and went to inspect why everywhere was so quiet. 

I got to the opening of the tent and peeped outside, and was puzzled when I didn't see the usual guards. 

This was really strange. They were always soldiers around, a constant reminder of our captivity. 

If some ventured out to the battlefield, there would still be some remaining at the camp. Perhaps those in recovery, or those overseeing the camp operations. 

But now, there was nobody. 

I walked out of the tent to inspect more. I walked around for a while, but still, there was nobody.

I didn't know if I should be relieved or scared.

"The camp is empty," a voice startled me from behind.

When you stay in this camp for long, you learn how to walk around without being heard. I used to sense others presence, but this girl's stealth surprised me. 

"Not a single person?" I inquired once my initial shock faded. 

"None," she replied, drawing closer, her face illuminated in the dim light. 

I recognized her. She was a protector. 

She was always looking out for most of the girls here. Shielding many of the girls and sometimes boldly standing up to the soldiers, enduring their wrath. I really admire her bravery and strong spirit. 

"Then this is our chance." I declared as I hurried to go get Lyra.

"What if it's a trap?" Her words halted my steps. 

"Why clear out the entire camp just to trap us?" I questioned. "They wouldn't relocate the wounded soldiers just to set a trap. " I reasoned as I continued walking. 

They wouldn't go to all that work just to trap us. And why do they need to trap us when we were already trapped? If they wanted to kill us, they would have done so without setting any stupid traps. 

I approached where Lyra was still sleeping and gently lifted her. 

I took the sack where I hid the little bread I stole. Some of them were already spoiled, but I could manage that. 

Some of the girls were already awake and were also gathering the little things they had to escape.

This was a rare opportunity. I would rather grab it and deal with the risk, than to just sit down here and wait to see if it was a trap.

I grabbed everything I had, it wasn't much, but it was enough, and moved.

Half of the girls decided to escape, the remaining stayed. 

I tied Lyra to my back with a cloth, so it would be easier for me if I had to run.

"Seraphina?" Lyra's tiny voice called out. 

"Yes, Lyra?" 

"Are we leaving?" She inquired. 

"Yes, Lyra. We are going far from this place." I murmured, but she still heard me.

"I love that, I haven't gone out and seen the sun in a long time." She said, I could hear the smile in her voice. And I just wanted to break down and cry. But I can't right now, I have to be strong for her. 

"You will see the sun again, Lyra." I whispered, trying to hold back my tears. "I would take you anywhere you want to go." 

"Then will you take me to that lake papa always took us to? " She asked, her voice filled with joy. 

"I will, Lyra. I will." I promised her, tears threatening to suffocate me, knowing deep down we could never return to that cherished place. 

We came out of the camp, and we still haven't come around a single soul. I was beginning to get scared, but I still continued walking. 

We had just entered the woods when a piercing scream shattered the silence.