To Live Her Life

Re-grouped and ready to move forward in the initial plan, Youri along with innumerable amounts of people set out to cross the border back into Saudi Arabia. The plan was to try and strike a smaller-sized camp then in time move back onto the biggest one on the other side of the country. After ten days in camp, Youri had been growing increasingly restless. He wanted to leave; to do something besides being cooped up all day in a tent or being “bitched” at by his brother about Océane and his idiocy of becoming close to her.

So when he was told about moving out, he was on his feet without so much as a second thought. He wanted to at least semi forget about the young woman invading his every thought since being picked up over a week ago. He jumped to his feet and grabbed his stuff, ripping back the rough, dirtied fabric covering the opening to his temporary barrack.

Have you ever had one of those feelings that despite being happy, in the back of your mind you can’t help but think something isn’t right; it just doesn’t feel like it is right somehow? Something is about to go wrong even? Well… That was how Youri felt as he walked at a lazy pace from the campsite to the grated hillside separating the two side-by-side countries.

~

Najib, Océane’s older brother left her four days ago. Although it wasn’t before he accused her doing something she never had. Everything had blown up for her. She lay down on a pile of blankets with her arm slung over her stomach as she tried to sleep. She hadn’t been doing much of just that, since the argument if you can even consider it that.

Not that she had the opportunity but she was trying to come up with some form of truth towards her not abandoning her country. Else wise the consequences would be death or her ousted considering she had become a “traitor.” But she hadn’t become a traitor…

She was stuck

“Oshie?” Aleia’s sweet soft voice cooed as she stood leaning over Océane’s body, in her face really closely. Océane opened her eyes to see the huge smiling girl’s cute face in her own. “جائع؟” (Hungry?) Océane nodded and sat up before getting to her feet and grabbing the little girl’s hand. She bent over to grab her scarf and walked silently towards where Ibrahim was playing with the sand in the far corner of the tent.

“ابراهيم” (Ibrahim?) He looked up with a smile and sparkling, happy eyes. ‘At least someone is happy.’ She thought to herself. “هل أنت جائع؟” (Are you hungry?) She asked and he nodded rapidly before stumbling to his feet, laughing some as the sand fell off of his lap. “وتأتي بعد ذلك.” (Come on then.) Océane let go of Aleia’s hand to wrap the scarf around her head, easily since she had spent year perfecting the quickest and most efficient way to do so.

Hand in hand, they made their way out of the shade of the tent and out into the blaring sun towards the makeshift kitchen so that she could get them something to eat.
Despite many of the men leaving to the east days prior, Najib included, there were still men in the camp. Not all of them had left, they couldn’t. So Océane had to keep her head down as she walked, Ibrahim in front of her leading the way despite not understanding where to go. His little arm was raised up as Océane held his hand over his head, ushering him forward.

Arabic men rushed past her, clothed in heavy cloth with guns in their hands. She was jostled around as she stood idly a moment just staring, watching, wondering what was going on.

She had no clue what so ever but she saw them jump into wagons and rush out of the camp some 2000 + feet away from her.

~
Youri paused upon hearing his last name being shouted from behind him somewhere. And just like that, chaos erupted. A blast occurred to his left, blowing a huge crater into the sandy ground while also sending it flying all around them, spilling dust and debris into the air just to crash back down. He never found out who was calling his name however he did fall to the ground harshly, covering his neck wear his helmet didn’t quite meet the fabric of his collar.

His eyes darted to and fro as gunfire was unleashed along with yelling barely audible voices shouting orders.

Youri, on his knees brought his gun up and cocked it taking aim at the vast land in front of him now; using the sight as a binocular he squinted and looked at the horizon. What he saw made him do a double take.

He froze, his arms shaking too much to even aim straight to take a single shot. Despite the perfect aim, one shot and you’re out thing, not applying here since it was most likely going to take multiple he realized the toughness of the situation.

They were outnumbered.

Severely.

He ducked, lying on the dusty ground momentarily before hearing directions to take cover.

‘Why hadn’t we done that before?’ He hissed lowly in voice while standing up and running to the nearest rift in the valley for cover. It was only a ditch but anything would be helpful at that point.

All around him he heard pain ridden cries, knowing if he didn’t get to the valley, he would be the next. As a large blast erupted next to him, he flew up and to the side in the air, debris following him. He couldn’t hear his own scream or comprehend what was happening around him.

His mind went dark with unconsciousness as he lay covered in a layer of dirt, blood leaking from his wounds.

His last thought was whether he was dead… or not.