Taylor
My leg rests on a barrel of honey, the other on a sack of rice, my elbow balanced on a box of plums.
I grab the box and pull myself up on to the top; a sharp nail head digs into my belly, my hand clasps at the wound. It wasn’t much but it stung, my gray t-shirt turned a brilliant red, the hair that fell from my braid, was full of dust.
The place I am in is a warehouse; the tall ceilings stretched high above my head. From the ground, I had seen a sack of sugar on the top shelf, and I needed to get it.
My hand gripped the side of the plum crate, I stood up, feeling comfortable on my feet, and I started to walk.
I stepped from top to top, my large black army boots clunked on the wood. Every time I placed my foot a little to hard, I flinched, the noise echoed off the walls.
Now all I had to do was climb, I dropped a small bag of barley on the wood.
The tall shelf towered over my head, its height had to be 25 feet above my head, and at least 40 feet off the ground.
I placed both hands on the thick metal, I pull up.
My arms cried, they burned they complained, they begged me to let go, and fall all the way down.
I had a brake whenever I came upon another shelf, when I got to the bag I pulled myself on top, I slipped a small empty sack from my belt I yanked a knife from my pocket.
I was about to make a cut in the bag when I herd the doors on the far side of the where house creak…
I peeked over the side of the shelf, a tall figure with a red shirt and black pants slipped in through the door.
It wasn’t dressed in a worker uniform, so I didn’t worry too much.
I slowly put the small sack under the corner of the sugar, I slit a hole, and the stuff fell into the sack.
I watched the person out of the corner of the corner of my eye; I couldn’t tell what they were doing.
When my sack was full I pulled it away from the cut, I wrapped a tiny bit of twine around the hole.
Then wrapped another around the edge of my sugar.
You may be wondering why I am doing this…
Six months ago I was a big sister to little Felicia, our family is very large, I have two older brothers, and a younger brother. My parents, and now little baby Felicia.
So while my older brothers hunt, my mother takes care of house chores and the two younger ones, my father helps my brothers, with hunting, and other stuff around the farm.
We get rations, but they are meant for a family of four, we have asked for more.
But they said that we decided to have a big family, and we had to live with it.
I never liked stealing, if you can call it that.

I tied the sack to my belt, and stuck the knife back into my pocket. I scoot to the edge and pull on my gloves; I sling my leg over the edge.
Gracefully I slide down the edge.
When I step down onto the wood, I turn and standing there, was the man who I saw earlier, with a knife at my neck….
“What do you want?” I murmured
His blonde hair was spiked and the blade held to my neck had a pink handle, his belt had a gun hanging from it, along with twine and sacks, he was here for the same reason I was.
“Give me your sugar, I already have the barley”
I reached to my belt loop, instead of yanking the string to release the bag, my hand clenched over the butt of my little knife.
I pulled it out flipped it open, and brought it out in front of me, I stepped back.
“Lets just forget this ever happened” my mouth felt dry and my voice cracked.
He stepped forward and followed my moves.
“Give me the sugar now” his voice was deep.
“No” I slashed forward, I cut his right fist, the knife dropped to the ground.
I grabbed his hand and twisted, his body dropped, and I had the arm lock that I had been practicing for years.
I closed my blade and placed it in my back pocket, I yanked the barley from his belt.
I gave him one last twist, and he winced. I let his arm drop and started to walk away.
That was a big mistake; I felt the blade at the nape of my neck, a tiny point breaking the surface.
At that point I don’t think I was running the show anymore, I adrenaline.
“Leave me alone” I yelled and drove a swift back kick into his chest.
He stumbled back and I made my escape. I clomped across the plum containers; everything was weighing me down, the heavy army boots, the sugar, and the barley.
He was catching up with me; he was carrying nothing, giving him a great advantage
I slid down the bags of rice, my shoe hit the barrel of honey, and I was on the ground running full tilt for the door.
I felt my hair get yanked back, my arm reached back and I tried pulling his hand free.
I could feel each strand of hair ripping from my scalp, I struggled to pull away.
His hand wrapped around my neck, fear crept up my spine.
His cold hands wrapped around me neck, his fingernails digging into the skin.
“Give me the sugar and barley little girl.” He spat.
I shivered; I slid the bag from my belt and held it up.
His fingers released and he snatched the bags.
The second he let his hands free, I started to run again.
He didn’t pursue, I reached the door and slipped through the tiny opening.
On the other side was a man dressed in a uniform, I stood still as he surveyed me.
“You again!” he snagged my arm, if I wanted to I could take him out with one punch I could, but I didn’t.
“Are you here alone?” he asks pulling me toward the office.
Then there was the choice, I could tell him about the person, but that person may be in the same situation as me.
He could have a large family, or could just be reselling it.
But my hesitation gave it away “there is! Isn’t there?”
Now I couldn’t lie he would check anyway.
“I’m not alone” as he shoved me into the office he said on last thing.
“You’re not getting away with this so easily”
He closed the door and I herd his footsteps disappear.

It felt like forever until I herd his footsteps, while he was gone I played with a pencil and a pencil sharpener, I found small bottles of nail polish in a desk And I painted my nails three times.
I dusted the dirt out of my hair, I rinsed the blood from my shirt, and I walk around the small room with no windows.
The whole time I was wondering what would happen to me, and what would happen to my family without me.

The key clicked in the door.
“This way miss” the uniformed man said, opening the door.
He grabbed my wrist “I will come with you! Let go of my wrist!”
He pulled me along my fingers twisted over the top of his wrist, and I yanked them free.
He glared at me, but kept on walking, this would be my chance, I could get away, but then they would come after me and if I wasn’t there they may attack my family.
We entered a room with high ceilings; the floor was the color of grass, the walls tan with brown trim.
It was a pretty large room, and right in the middle was a chair, its wood was a dark brown almost black.
He led me to it and sat me down, he left me alone.
I could hear my stomach, it yelled at me it groaned; it had a mind of its own.
I was alone again, and I could not stop thinking about my family.
Then I decided that I needed to leave, I got to my feet.
There were two exits the one we had come thru, and another one I hadn’t seen until I was looking for it.
I took one step towards the door, my boots clunked the floor and I flinched.
God those things are loud.
My heart pound soft in my chest.

Its about time I tell you about me, my name is Taylor, I have lived off the coast of Maine most of my life, when I was younger I lived in southern Vermont.
Now we live on a small farm, we have lots of animals, goats, cows, sheep, chickens, ducks, and turkeys.
Then there are my pets, I have two dogs, ones name is Wiley and the other is named Scooter.
I have two cats Mickey, and Missy.
The dogs don’t get along with the two cats that well.

I take another step, I hear something, there is something there, and I know it, my gut clenched. My senses were on high alert, there was something wrong, something, I couldn’t tell exactly what.
I take another step, something is so wrong, something is going on.
The feeling was so bad, I stepped back one-step.
I looked around, I scanned the walls and the floors, I still couldn’t quit tell what was wrong.
There, I definitely herd a sound that time, there was definitely something?
The lock on the door clicked, one moment everything was completely still, the next everything was moving, people with guns were surrounding me.
I cowered back to the seat, my chest lurched.
I swear I almost passed out right there on the spot.
There were so many, everywhere I turned I could see up the barrel of a gun.
The men carrying them were dressed in dark green suits, there was one very large man, who started to talk “Taylor Freewill, its not a surprise to see you here, again.”
He looked at the other men, “watch my back” I herd a few clicks and snaps amongst the guns.
The leader dropped the barrel of his gun and slowly walked forward.
“So kid what should be your punishment this time?”
He got up to my face. His breath smelled awful, I couldn’t explain what it smelled like if I wanted to.
I didn’t say anything, I was fearing my life.
He grabbed my wrist, pulling my hands together behind my back he strapped the cuffs down, the tears started to trickle down my face.
He pushed me along one hand on my back, the other on my hands.
As we walked out of the second exit door, he pulled a blindfold from his pocket, he looked me straight in the eyes, and he wrapped it around my head, tying it tight.
He started pushing me along again.
I could tell when we got outside, I could hear the loud sound of a chopper and I could feel the wind.
He lifted me up into the chopper; another set of smaller hands grabbed my forearms.
“Here sit down.” A female voice, soft and quit.
I let her lead me to a seat, and I felt her buckle straps over my shoulders.
The hand cuffs dug into my wrists, they were behind me, trapped between the seat and me.
I felt the chopper ease onto the ground, and we were at our destination.
Someone grabbed my arm and pulled me up to my feet, I tripped on something that sounded metal, my knees slammed down on the solid floor.
The person roughly yanked me to my feet.
The door sketched open, the wind blew my hair, swirling it around my face.
With one last shove, the person pushed me out of the helicopter.
The blindfold was yanked free, along with the cuffs.
I could see around me, behind me the chopper lifted into the sky high above me.
The wind beat down on my body pushing me to my knees.
I watched the helicopter fly away over the trees,
I looked around; I was astonished, for what I saw was nothing I had ever seen before.
A tall waterfall dumped into a small pool, the cliffs reached high above.
The blue water rippled and bubbled, the large tress held birds, and other small animals.
The sun broke through the trees, casting its glow upon the leaves.
It was so amazing and beautiful,
I got to my feet, my legs shaky, and walked to the little pool of water.
I saw my reflection mirrored back at me; I looked up the high waterfall.
I turned in aw; I spun around looking at everything there was to see, the trees high above, and the boulders everywhere.
It was so amazing that I almost forgot what I was here for, the obvious punishment, there was a reason they ha sent me hear out of all places and it wasn’t to gape at the beauty.
There was a reason in its self.
I thought for a second, questions flew through my mind, why did they do this? Would they be back to get me? Or would I have to walk home? And if they were going to come back, when?
I started to think survival, I had two choices.
One would be to stay, and build a shelter, living off the water from the spring, and the natural plants.
The other would be to gather as much water as I could, and start walking.
I leaned on one of the boulders, I looked to the sky.

Once when I was ten, my father had plated a field of corn, it stretched for miles.
When my oldest brother, convinced me to play hide and seek in the corn, I thought it would be a fun game.
I ran through the corn, and then stopped near a little wooden post, I squatted down, and waited
And waited, and waited and waited.
He never came back, I sat there until the shadows covered my body and it got darker in the sky.
Then I started to panic, I got to my feet and ran. I didn’t remember what way I had came nor where I was going, I blindly dashed through the plants.
I called out his name “Ty!” I yelled “Ty! Ty!”
I could not hear him I could not see him.
I didn’t know what to do anymore so I sank to my knees; I curled up in a small ball and whimpered.
It was chilly and all I wanted to do was go to my bed and curl up in the folds of my quilt.
I slept out in the cornfield; no one came looking for me that night.
I felt alone,
In the morning I could hear my papa calling out into the corn, he yelled my name
“Taylor! Where are you?”
I whipped the tears from my cheeks, and I ran towered his voice.
I was so happy to see his smiling face; I ran to him and hugged his waist.
I said, “daddy I was lost, no one came to find me, I was scarred”
He lifted me with his strong arms and lifted me away to the house.



























I didn’t want to leave this place; I wanted to stay until they came to get me.
I had to wait, I couldn’t leave, and I wouldn’t leave,
As decided I sit down and wait, I know I will be hungry, I know I will be tired but at this second, I am nothing, not tired nor hungry, nor thirsty.
All afternoon I wait for darkness, I watch the birds play in the tree.

Paul
It seams like we wait forever for her, and it is forever, my parent’s wait for her at the front window, she is never gone that long, she never takes this much time.
I’m not sure what is worrying them, I wonder if it’s her being gone, or the fact that she isn’t coming back.
But all this scares me; I should have gone with her protected her from herself.
We wait, the shadows grow long, the sky grows dark, my littlest sister Felicia, is already I bed.
My parents have switched to sitting by the stove, they talk in whispered voices, I try keeping myself busy, by doing all I can to help, dishes, laundry, sweeping.
I watch out the window for some glimpse of her wild her wild red hair.
I do not see it, and I don’t think I will for a while.



Taylor
When the sky is almost dark, I search for food, my brothers had brought me hunting once or twice, and I use my experience to look for a small animal.
There was no sight of the small birds and squirrels that had been dancing up and down the tree limbs.
So instead I searched for some berries, maybe I could find some tasty ones.
But all I food were some winter berries, mint and sweet, they were not good for a meal

But it was all could find, so I had a few berries ad washed them down with some cold spring water.
After I was finished I lye down next to the water on the sandy little beach.
I watch the stars twinkle and sparkle, and with an empty tummy, I fall fast asleep.

It’s in the middle of the night that I wake, my heart is thrumming and I don’t know what’s going on, something woke me.
I prop my body up and look around; I struggle to see the moon hides behind a curtain of clouds,
All I hear now is the rush of water, the lap of water.
I settle back down on the sand, it was probably just the wind.
I stare back up at the sky wanting food; I never knew I would want it so much.
I never wanted it so much,
The dappled leaves above me flap lazily in the wind, I feel a drop fall on my face, the cool water feels nice, another drop fall on my leg, then I hear it, the whoosh of a downpour. I hear it come closer and closer, then instantly my body is drenched.
I roll on my side, I watch the water poor faster into the pool.
The water is rising a little, and now laps at my skin, I giggle, ‘cause it tickles.
It rises a slight bit more, it reaches my body, and it swirls under me.
It creeps up my ribs, it under my back and along my side,
I lye on my back in the water, I trace my finger through the water.
In rises more, it starts to lift me from the ground, my hair swirls around my shoulders, like fire my brother would say.
The water lifts me and brings me away from the beach, it so magical.
I float on my back i'm out to the middle and I float to the other side,
All at once I am being jerked away. I’m spinning fast through the water; I am careening down a tiny stream. I’m afraid I might hit a rock; I start to struggle against the current.
My arms are frantic they grab at weeds and ferns.
I’m trying to paddle away, my shoulder hits a large rock, I feel the skin being ripped away from the bone, and I feel the warm blood leak around my shoulder.
I am frantic to get away the water seems to rising more, my ears are covered.
I try to touch the bottom but I cant, its impossible.
I manage to hold on to a bit of a tree root, I am slapped against the bank; the current rips at my body, floating debris, cuts at my bare arms,
I pull my limp body on to the dry ground; I am exhausted in every possible way
I can’t see much, but what I can see is blurry.
My head pounds, a rhythm like an Indian drum.
I can see stars; the question is if they are real or not?
I fall asleep, and I don’t wake until the sun is high in the sky.
My eyes are crusty, and opening them is a challenge,
I lift myself up to a sitting position, around me is a completely different place, I didn’t think that I had floated that far, but sure enough, the trees and boulders and birds that had been there, had cleared to a flat sandy plane, the stream trickled at my side.
I turned my head slowly around in a circle, I could not see one thing, no trees, no rocks, no shrubs nor underbrush.
The slight wind blew sand into my wet face.
My long hair was coated in dust; I could feel the sand in my scalp.
I got to my feet, my stomach growled.
I started to run, I ran along the stream, heading with the current, I ran for only about a mile, I still could not see anything, the air was hot, to warm my body felt like it was shutting down, I could feel my heartbeat in my head.
I stopped running all together, I sank to my knees, I inched towered the stream, that now was no more then a trickle.
I slid into the water, I let it run over my body, the sand and dirt washed away from my clothing, it left my hair, spinning away down with the current.
My ears were covered in water, the coolness easing my throbbing head.
When I lift my head from the water, I hear something, something that wasn’t there before.
It sounded as if it might be an airplane?
My eyes graze the sky, they search the horizon, and I could not place where the sound is coming from.
I see a tiny silvery glint, but that couldn’t be it, could it?
Water drips from my hair, down my arms and back to the water.
The little glinting object moves closer, I can make out that it is a plane, ad it is also way to high to flag down.
But maybe if there is another lower plane that fly’s over I could try getting them to notice me.
I get out of the water, and I start to run again, while I run, I notice small lizards scurrying away from my stomping feet.
I had been running for 15 minutes or so when I see a bag on the ground, it looks like a bag of chips.
I run a little faster, when I come upon the bag it is not a bag of chips, but a bag of popcorn, I didn’t care though, I ripped the bag open with my teeth, I reached into the bag, it was expecting something different the what I felt.
There were seeds in the bag, small yellowish brown seeds, I take one out and pop it into my mouth.
Its not a bad taste, but I can’t eat it, it is as hard as gravel.
I turn the bag over so that the cooking directions are facing me,

Cocking instructions,
Place ½ cups popcorn seed into a medium sized pan, heat pan at medium for 10 minutes, popcorn should start popping after 7 minutes.
Add salt and butter as needed.

That seemed pretty simple, but I didn’t have a pan, nor a timer or a measuring cup.
But who would have known that popcorn came from a seed?
I didn’t know what to do, I had this object of food, and there was no way I could eat it.