I got some feedback from some people who read my story and they said they had a lot of questions about it. I didn't explain it as well as I wanted to. So I apologize. I hope this can make up for it. :)
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Everything was burning. It was so hot and my eyes stung. It felt like I was bleeding... badly. I felt dizzy... so dizzy...
I woke up 2 days later in a white room with medical stuff in it. Almost every inch of my body was covered in thick white cloth. I couldn't move my arms or legs. It was even a strugle to breathe...
I vaguely remembered the fire. Niki and I were playing tag... no, hide and go seek. I was it... but, when I ran after Niki, the house.. it burst into flame and I... I can't remember...
A nurse came into the room and treated my wounds. I was burned badly, she said, by a huge branch that had fallen from the pine tree... pine tree?
Shortly after I was put into the hospital, I was leaving. My wounds had healed at unbelievable rates, so they said I could go... to my new home. I wondered where Niki was right now. Maybe, he was in the hospital too?
Oddly enough, Niki was in the same car I was getting into. We were both off to a foster care home, since my mother died. When the nurse told me that my mother hadn't made it, I was truly upset, yet I didn't cry. I didn't have the will to cry, or a reason to.
I was five when my mother died. I was aware what the adults were talking about. She'd burned in the fire and wasted away. I understood that. But, I couldn't let that get in the way of me growing up. I had to be strong for her.
Niki and I spent six years in that foster home. We hated it. We were cut out from the other kids. Everyone thought we were freaks, Niki and I didn't know why. Physically we looked like two regular boys. Physically.
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Day of escape; June 3 2004
"Niki, get up!" I whispered to the top bunk.
It was 2 am and everyone else in the foster home was asleep except for me. Niki and I planned to get out of here and I picked tonight. He agreed as soon as I suggested something that resembled an escape.
"'Kay, 'kay. I'm up." He answered back in a hushed voice.
"We're getting out of here. You ready?" I asked in a whisper.
"Yeah, let's go." Niki was trembling but he said he'd get by.
Niki and I changed into our day clothes and opened the window in the hallway next to the boys large sleeping room. We slowly slid out the window, nimble as cats, then we broke into a run. We finally reached the fence the care takers had built to keep us in. It was large, black, and made of iron. It was six feet tall. I didn't think it was a problem.
"Think we can hop this?" I questioned, still whispering. It was really muggy and foggy out, and I was sweating like a hog.
"Yeah. I think so..." He said still kind of nervous. I thought about ways to get over the fence for a couple minutes then something came to mind. There were trees all around us. We were practically in a pine forest.
"Hey, Niki, let's climb those trees and drop over the fence. You can climb a tree right?" I asked hoping with all my being that he'd say yes. I mean it's not like I thought Niki was weak or anything. Naw, he was pretty tough. That's why me and him get along so well.
"'Course I can climb a tree." He said waving his hand dramatically. Always the funny one.
"Awesome. Let's get outta here." I said, then we kuckle bumped and ran over to the tree nearest to the fence.
We scaled the fence in no time, but as soon as Niki's feet hit the ground on the other side of the fence. We heard dogs and saw lights. They'd found out.
I was still in the tree, so I immediatly jumped where I was. My left hand got nicked by one of the pikes on the fence, other than that I was fine.
"Run, run! We gotta find a spot to hide!" I yelled, not caring if they didn't hear us now. I ran as fast as I could. My heart was pounding like a race horse's and my breath came out in strained huffs. Niki was also breathing hard and panting too.
We ran non stop, in a stright line, just away, we didn't know where we were going.
20 minutes past.
40 minutes past.
An hour past.
We were still running, panting like dogs, our legs numb, and our sight clouded. But, I saw something in the corner of my eye. It looked like a huge canopy of leaves.
"Niki..." I coughed, my mouth dry. "Over there. Come on." I managed to say before tumbling, leaning on Niki. Thankfully, Niki got us to the leaves. Finally, we're out of that place.
"It's been too long, my friend." I said, closing my eyes, taking in as much clean air as possible.
"Tell me about it." Niki responded casually.
I felt like dancing, like screaming, singing, jumping, twirling, hopping, rolling, and everything else. But, instead, I laid down and slept. And slept.. and slept.. and slept..
_________________________________________________
Everything was burning. It was so hot and my eyes stung. It felt like I was bleeding... badly. I felt dizzy... so dizzy...
I woke up 2 days later in a white room with medical stuff in it. Almost every inch of my body was covered in thick white cloth. I couldn't move my arms or legs. It was even a strugle to breathe...
I vaguely remembered the fire. Niki and I were playing tag... no, hide and go seek. I was it... but, when I ran after Niki, the house.. it burst into flame and I... I can't remember...
A nurse came into the room and treated my wounds. I was burned badly, she said, by a huge branch that had fallen from the pine tree... pine tree?
Shortly after I was put into the hospital, I was leaving. My wounds had healed at unbelievable rates, so they said I could go... to my new home. I wondered where Niki was right now. Maybe, he was in the hospital too?
Oddly enough, Niki was in the same car I was getting into. We were both off to a foster care home, since my mother died. When the nurse told me that my mother hadn't made it, I was truly upset, yet I didn't cry. I didn't have the will to cry, or a reason to.
I was five when my mother died. I was aware what the adults were talking about. She'd burned in the fire and wasted away. I understood that. But, I couldn't let that get in the way of me growing up. I had to be strong for her.
Niki and I spent six years in that foster home. We hated it. We were cut out from the other kids. Everyone thought we were freaks, Niki and I didn't know why. Physically we looked like two regular boys. Physically.
________________________________________________
Day of escape; June 3 2004
"Niki, get up!" I whispered to the top bunk.
It was 2 am and everyone else in the foster home was asleep except for me. Niki and I planned to get out of here and I picked tonight. He agreed as soon as I suggested something that resembled an escape.
"'Kay, 'kay. I'm up." He answered back in a hushed voice.
"We're getting out of here. You ready?" I asked in a whisper.
"Yeah, let's go." Niki was trembling but he said he'd get by.
Niki and I changed into our day clothes and opened the window in the hallway next to the boys large sleeping room. We slowly slid out the window, nimble as cats, then we broke into a run. We finally reached the fence the care takers had built to keep us in. It was large, black, and made of iron. It was six feet tall. I didn't think it was a problem.
"Think we can hop this?" I questioned, still whispering. It was really muggy and foggy out, and I was sweating like a hog.
"Yeah. I think so..." He said still kind of nervous. I thought about ways to get over the fence for a couple minutes then something came to mind. There were trees all around us. We were practically in a pine forest.
"Hey, Niki, let's climb those trees and drop over the fence. You can climb a tree right?" I asked hoping with all my being that he'd say yes. I mean it's not like I thought Niki was weak or anything. Naw, he was pretty tough. That's why me and him get along so well.
"'Course I can climb a tree." He said waving his hand dramatically. Always the funny one.
"Awesome. Let's get outta here." I said, then we kuckle bumped and ran over to the tree nearest to the fence.
We scaled the fence in no time, but as soon as Niki's feet hit the ground on the other side of the fence. We heard dogs and saw lights. They'd found out.
I was still in the tree, so I immediatly jumped where I was. My left hand got nicked by one of the pikes on the fence, other than that I was fine.
"Run, run! We gotta find a spot to hide!" I yelled, not caring if they didn't hear us now. I ran as fast as I could. My heart was pounding like a race horse's and my breath came out in strained huffs. Niki was also breathing hard and panting too.
We ran non stop, in a stright line, just away, we didn't know where we were going.
20 minutes past.
40 minutes past.
An hour past.
We were still running, panting like dogs, our legs numb, and our sight clouded. But, I saw something in the corner of my eye. It looked like a huge canopy of leaves.
"Niki..." I coughed, my mouth dry. "Over there. Come on." I managed to say before tumbling, leaning on Niki. Thankfully, Niki got us to the leaves. Finally, we're out of that place.
"It's been too long, my friend." I said, closing my eyes, taking in as much clean air as possible.
"Tell me about it." Niki responded casually.
I felt like dancing, like screaming, singing, jumping, twirling, hopping, rolling, and everything else. But, instead, I laid down and slept. And slept.. and slept.. and slept..