I didn’t know what was going on, I could just hear my parents panicking in the front room. There was smoke every where. I jumped out of my bed. Searched for my sandals. I got out of bed and ran to Ahmed, the ground started shaking. It was so loud.  I fell to the floor with a loud thud, bashing my ankle against the bed. My father burst in to the room. Across my carpet covered floor, he rushed and helped me up. He put on Ahmeds only pair of sandals and took us out to our little shed in the garden where my mother was. Ahmed was crying; he was completely bewildered.

My mother was pleading, “We NEED to save the kids!”

I was asking what was happening but no one replied. We were staring out the shed window. All of a sudden, a troop of soldiers burst through our door and raided our house. One of the soldiers stood at the door blocking out the light which illuminated his body making him look almost angelic. But these soldiers were not. I couldn’t recognize them. Their faces were completely covered with cloth and they were carrying heavy artillery. They were shouting with such anger in their voices, I couldn’t make out what they were saying. My mother started yelling to my father, “Quickly! I don’t care about us.”

My father was frantic. “Ali, you have to take your brother and go.”

“Where to?” I hesitated.

“As far as possible.” He stuffed some money in my hand and ordered me to go.
My mother grabbed me. It was like she was staring into my soul. She snatched off and gave me the locket that my grandmother gave her. “No matter what, I will always be there with you both,” she said in a low voice.

Soldiers stormed through the back door and into the garden. “GO!” my father yelled, “GO NOW!” I didn’t know what to do. I was in shock. I just picked up Ahmed and ran out the back gate. I was running and running, carrying my little brother on my shoulders. I stumbled on a rock but I kept on going. I couldn’t disobey my father. From a distance, I heard my mother’s voice screaming and begging the soldiers not to hurt them. There was a piercing silence. I heard the echo of two-gun shots. I stopped and waited for a sign. Nothing. I felt a breaking feeling in my heart. I dropped to my knees. Tears streamed down my face. They were dead.

I turned round. Soldiers were shouting, “This way!” They were running towards us from all directions. I didn’t know what to do. I heard a voice in my head. It was my father. “RUN!” The word kept repeating itself in my head. I picked up Ahmed and ran. I could hear the crackling of burning wood. There was smoke all around me; my eyes were blistering. I could feel the heat attacking me from behind, enveloping every part of my body. Something had captured me. I didn’t know who or what it was. All I knew was, I couldn’t get away. I staggered forward. Where was Ahmed?