Trapped within (Jess)

It’s a wonderful day outside. I’ve returned home to check on my animals. It’s my duty to make sure these animals survive until they are ready to be killed. I don’t think I could live with them being killed though, but I know that one day they will have to be. I first feed the pigs. That’s the easiest part because I just have to throw a bunch of feed in the troth, and they’ll eat it if they want to. It’s a mud hole in there. I love watching the pigs roll around in the muddy water to stay cool. I’ve had these three pigs since I was fifteen years old. I bought them when they were babies. I somehow managed to get enough money from Amos, my father to buy them. I inherited the rest. Amos passed them down to me. I’m not nearly as attached to them as I am my pigs.

I feed the animals every morning because it gives me something to do. I get to be alone away from my family. It’s a sweet relief. I don’t have to worry about them bothering me. It’s always been the best like that. I never figured out why Amos hates me, and I probably never will figure it out, but it won’t stop me from caring. I walk over to the cows and throw a bunch of hay at them. They are Amos’, so I don’t want to mess with them, but it is part of my responsibility to remain living at home. I don’t need to stay here. I can live on my own in the trees like I’ve done before, but I need to have the food. I wasn’t able to get my own food when I was away from home, well I was, but I didn’t want to be arrested for poaching. I don’t think being taken away for poaching would be the best. I would end up dead.

I grab the milk buckets I had already filled up, and I start walking towards the house when I notice peacekeepers are standing at the door. My eyes widen as my chin drops to the floor. My heart starts racing, and I start breathing really fast. I’m unable to think. I’m unable to move. I’m just frozen on the muddy grass that I was once walking through. Holy smokes! Why are they here? Please tell me Amos is getting arrested for being horrible to me. Please tell me that’s why they are here. My heart skips a beat when Amos appears on the porch. I can tell by looking at him that he’s extremely pissed off. My stomach does a backflip causing me to fill sick. My stomach dances around inside me threatening to send my breakfast tumbling onto the grass in front of me.

“There he is!” One of the peacekeepers points at me. My instincts kick in. I throw the buckets of cow milk and take off running as fast as I can. I can’t let them catch me. I don’t want them to catch me. I don’t want to be arrested. I haven’t done anything wrong. A slow sharp pain shoots through my left hand, and I realize what’s going on. The fight I was in is causing them to come after me. I nearly killed that guy, and he nearly killed me. He should have killed me. I shouldn’t have walked away from that alive. Adrenaline surges through my veins keeping me running. I know I probably shouldn’t be running from the peacekeepers, but I have no choice. I want to stay alive. I want to be home taking care of my pigs. I can’t let them catch me. I have to run for my life.

I run through the barn, and into the field that stands behind it. Frantically, my eyes scan over the field looking for a place to hide. My ears listen for the peacekeepers behind me. I allow my mind to take over leading me where I should go. My eyes fail to find anything, and based on the loud thuds of the footsteps behind me, more peacekeepers have arrived. I’m running out of time to get away. I’m running out of time. I need to think. I run my hands through my hair as my eyes continue to scan the area, but nothing is found. Come on think. Think Joel think. Get out of here. Do something smart for once. My footsteps of the peacekeepers get closer to me. I allow myself to turn and face them to see how many I am up against. When I realize I’m up against a whole army, I do the first thing my brain tells me to do. Run!

I double back around the other side of the barn back into the field Amos owns. He’s still sitting on the porch, but this time my mother is out there with him. I can see the tears running down her worn face. I can see the sorrow she has in the way she walks, and anger surges through me. How can she be sorry for me? How can she stay with him? Does she really love him? Does she hate me to love him? I stop and stare at them. My feet glued to the ground again as the anger burns through me like flames in a wildfire. I can feel the heat radiating throughout my body. I can feel the heat flowing from my face as my face turns a bright red as my cheeks becoming warm. My chin drops to the floor as my heat skips a beat. My eyes scan the area, and I realize I’ve stood still a moment too long.

I’m caught. The peacekeepers have caught me, and in all honesty I don’t care anymore. “Joel Hadley, you are being placed under arrest for assault. It will be in your best benefit to cooperate with us fully. Do you understand?” ?” I just stare at him in shock. The anger I feel towards my mother, and Amos pulses through my veins with each heartbeat blocking out the sounds of everything else. I can only stare unable to move, unable to do anything except stare. “Do you understand?” The peacekeeper asks again. I look at him and nod my head. I won’t talk to him. I don’t want anything to do with him. “Place your hands behind your back you little shit. I’ll teach you to run from me.”

I do as I’m told wanting to get away from my family. I don’t want to see them anymore. I don’t want to see my mother anymore, and I’m glad I’m being arrested, but I’m afraid. I have no idea where I’m going. I have no idea what to expect. I don’t know if I can live through wherever they are taking me. I don’t know how long I’ll be away. I’m sure my pigs will be dead by the time I get back; then, I will personally kill Amos. I will give them a reason to arrest me. I will make sure I probably won’t return to my home after that. The anger inside of me turns to sorrow chilling me to the bone as it surges through my veins. I feel like I’m a little kid again wanting my mother to pay attention to me, but she’s only pay attention to my siblings and Amos. A silent tear runs down my cheek.

I’m lead to a hovercraft. I can feel it taking off. I’ve never been on one of these before, and in a way it frightens me. The speed of it blows my mind away. This is the first time I’ve ever been transported in anything. Usually I walk everywhere I go, but I don’t mind being in this right now. The ride is in silence leaving me alone with my thoughts. Assault? I assaulted that one guy for his money. He has to be the one that turned me in. It can’t be anyone else but him. Anger starts surging through my veins again. Everything I see is red. I feel like I could spit fire. I feel like I could blow fire past my lips at these peacekeepers, but I just sit still. I don’t look at them. I find a place in the distance to stare at, a place to keep me from showing how I truly feel.

I’m led off the hovercraft to a facility. I see the iron bars surrounding it. My eyes widen as they take in what I’m seeing. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. Fear surges through my veins. My eyes widen, and my chin drops to the ground. My hands tremble behind me. My whole body is trembling in fear. My heart pounds frantically under my chest screaming at me to run away. My whole body begs me to run away. I start breathing faster causing myself to feel light headed. My ears start ringing extremely loud. I want to take my hands and clamp them over my ears, but I can’t they are tied behind my back. I can’t do anything right now. I can’t remember how to move my legs. I’m lost, and I have barely been here.

I’m led through the halls. The screams of the prisoners make me feel extremely uneasy about being here. The screams echo through the small halls. I want to run. My body is telling me to run, but I know deep inside of me running away wouldn’t work to well. It’s surrounded with peacekeepers. I have no way of making it out. I slowly take in my surroundings of what will be my new home for however long I am here. I want to go home. I want to be with my mother again. I want to see Amos’ face when I mess up. I want to live in the small room I sleep in. I want to be with the cows, the goats, and the pigs. I want to be with them all. I don’t want to be here. I don’t need to be here. I have places to go. I have things to do, but I’m trapped here without anyone.

A door is opened, and I’m shoved inside. I land hard on the ground. Pain shoots through my body as my face hits the ground first. I move my arms from behind me, and I have to chuckle a bit because I didn’t realize that my hands were untied. I was too busy wanting to run away that I didn’t realize I was already at the cell that will become my home. The door slams hard behind me, and I know there’s no way to get out. I can feel the anxiety building inside my chest. Butterflies dance around in my stomach making me feel like I could vomit. I slowly roll over onto my back and bring myself to my feet. My body protests with each move begging me to just stay on the ground forever. “Please give me a chance to explain! I will explain! I will say everything you need me too! Please!” It’s no use though because they are already gone.

Narration A28383
Thoughts 995555
Hearing 6666AA
Speech 7777BB
Other 6688EE