World of War ~ Chapter I

As she stumbled through the horror-struck streets avoiding the chaos of other people in the same situation as herself, Ori felt hot, salty tears stream down her filthy cheek and she was supported by only her parents??? grip. Her feet, bare and bruised had become numb hours before and the sound of the first blast still rang in her ears. Only five years into her life and she was forced into this cruel, dark world of peril.

In only four days her world had transformed before her eyes from a sanctuary away from the terrors of the war in the rest in the country into a war-zone. Her parents were covered in cuts and injuries head-to-toe and had to put their whole heart into supporting her. She had left all her remaining belongings back at her home and was lucky to escape when a bomb hit as they fled. Her grandmother was the unlucky one and Ori still remembered the shock on her face as they left her at the doorway.

She could hear explosions of land mines going off in every direction and the air was clouded with dust and debris. She could feel the broken wood beneath her feet as she regained the feeling in her toes and sharp pain sliced into her soles as needles of wood embedded themselves into her flesh. She limped to avoid causing more pain and when her mother noticed her flinching, she lifted her up and carried her close to her heart. The pain was there, but with Ori in her arms, she fought the acid flowing through her arms and forced herself to keep going.

As they approached the bomb shelter, Ori was placed back onto the ground to allow her to walk around before being cramped in a tiny shelter. The shelter was filthy, like the streets, but it was all that the people could rely on. Ori struggled over to a stack of grain sacks and sat herself upon them. They were quite hard and uncomfortable, but she didn???t complain, as her bed at home was no better. She rested her trembling legs on the sacks and tried to take her mind off of the situation at hand. Ori???s mind became a blur between dream and reality as she pictured her last birthday cake, a panda with candles streaming out like bamboo. She continued picturing herself blowing the exquisite candles out but instead of dimming, they blew up in her face. She awoke from this memory when she heard a land mine explode outside. She looked around the shelter but was confused to not see her parents??? faces anywhere. Ori jumped up and streamed to the exit of the bomb shelter.

Outside white dust clouded the air and sunlight beamed down dazzling her eyes. As the dust settled, she saw two bodies on the barely-recognisable pavement. She straddled over to them and felt her heart suffer the second her eyes interpreted the two people before her. He held them in her arms and refused to leave their bodies until they would get up and take her home; but Ori knew in her heart if she waited for that moment, she???d be here forever. A few of her parents??? friends had pursued Ori as she fled the shelter and took her in their arms. ???It???s okay my child, ??? they said, ???Athena and Marcolus are gone; but their spirit lives on within you.???
And they were right. After two years of hiding in underground networks to survive the world at war, Ori???s leg had healed and her determination had developed her to become more and more like her parents.