The fetching sun rays peeped into the room through the diaphanous drape as it swayed delicately by the light air. Awareness transfixed its site from the sound of alarm airing the arrival of dawn.

I stirred, and for a moment my eyes roamed through the empty closure. When I finally rouse, my heart sank. On this date, exactly 5 years ago, everything that ever mattered to me had been ripped away. Yet the sorrow just refused to be parted with and continued to haunt me.

A single tear made its way down my cheek as the setback rolled in.

***

Birds in flocks, fled the scene as my howling voice invaded the calmness. The sun kept raising, pushing the shadow on each solid form around me further as if it was running away. I grasped my Alfie, refusing to let go as two women carried him further away from me.

"No, let go of him!" I screamed.

Everything was slowly turning hazy as tears flooded my eyes. Still, I searched for a sign of anything that could help me. But this time it was only us amidst the loneliness borne by the woods.

As I was pulled away forcefully by another set of arm, I clutched harder. My screams continued to flare up, begging these women in uniforms to pity me. Despite my plea, none of them mustered a single word, only gesturing to each other probably of mutual understanding.

"Look at him! He's alive. You," -- I turned my head to the woman who shot him -- "You saw him. He's walking, he's like you and me--"

With a look of no remorse she interrupted, "I saw nothing."

Shock, angry, and even more despair pushed into me. Knowing that talking sense was useless, I muted. But when her grip on my arm tightened, my struggle added. I refused to give in.

Yanking me hard, she resumed, "And you too, you see nothing if you know what's good for you!"

I know only one meaning to those words; a threat.

The idea of their heinous scheme made me hysterical. I turned violent and hit the woman's face with my elbow. As the outcome, I suddenly felt a sharp prick on my shoulder. Gradually, my energy depleted and my sight turned even cloudy. I tried as hard as I could to hold on to Alfie, but eventually my world crumbled.

Everything fell apart, everything turned dark.

***

The raspy sound of metal door opening howled me back to reality. I briskly wiped my tears when a woman in grey stepped in.

"You are pardon. You will have your freedom today," she said.

She was the warden of this place, where they kept me in from the outside world for the last 4 years to pay for my 'offence'.

In my case, I was sentenced because of attacking an officer in duty. Of course HEROIN and whoever was involved kept all the other information shrouded.

Before this prison, I woke up strapped on a bed inside a disclosed room under HEROIN. It was a place called a 'rehabilitation centre'. I endured a whole year of torture on their attempt to convince me I imagined everything about pod men; about Alfie. They tried to break me.

Even after countless times' waves of electricity run through my head from their contraption, I couldn't forget him. Never. So I ended up playing along, pledging my belief on everything they say.

I got up with a smile, earning a soft nod from the warden. I was eager to leave this jail, this cage, or whatever this neat but depressing place was behind. I followed her and we walked past the empty halls, the doors of rooms placed apart that enclosed everyone with fault --although, nobody would ever know for what-- that I only once or twice set gaze on. The fact that we weren't allowed to socialize among us would be the reason to non-acquaintance.

After granted a change of clothes and my belongings returned to me --that was the backpack my mom had given me the very last time I saw her-- I was escorted to the grand exit. Each step nearing my freedom made my heart beating faster. This was it.

When the door unbolted, the heavy sun greeted me instantly. I turned around to face the warden, out of everything, she had been very kind.

"Goodbye Beatrice, I hope we meet again," I said to her.

"Yes, but I hope not here," she chuckled. Looking around slightly, she handed a small folded paper to me. "Here, it should help you start anew."

After I bent down to look at the paper now on my palm, I heard the sound of the door closing. When I looked up, she was gone.

I put the paper into my bag and swivelled around to be welcomed by the autumn scene. Vast yellow and orange leaves that had fallen on the ground looked like brick pathways. Lights flickered as I walked past the motion sensor street lamps. Aside from the beauty, the unfamiliarity too had engulfed me.

My feet continued its venture until I reached a highway. I held out my arm to hitch a ride every time a car passed by, but none of them stopped for me. Probably they knew where I just came from, and fear hindered them from the deed.

In the end, I walked along the side of the road, in hopes I would eventually get to a municipality. It was until dusk, a series of exhaustion and my feet ready to give up on me when suddenly a car stopped at the opposite of the road.

A sweet looking woman, probably in her 40ies, stepped out of the car. "Sweetie, what are you doing outside this late? Come here," she shouted as she waved at me to cross the road.

I ran straight, not even bothering to look to my left and right as the road was lightly occupied.

Between catching up my breath, I gave her the sweetest and happiest smile I could muster. "Thank you, I just..." I trailed off momentarily and contemplated what to tell her. I was afraid if she knew the truth, she might change her mind on helping me.

"I just needed a ride home," I uttered. I couldn't lie, she looked so nice that my heart told me to just avoid the issue.

"My goodness, you look like you just walk the whole day. Hop in," she said with a genuine look of concern.

I climbed into the passenger seat and the air conditioner inside instantly pampered me.

Once she sat in and strapped herself with the seat belt, the conversation continued. "So where is your home sweetie?"

I could only think of one place, the barn where I was supposed to go. I unzipped my bag and took out the map, only showing the side where the barn was on. "Here, do you know this place? Or if you don't, could you please just drop me off the nearest town? I'm really sorry for the trouble."

She looked at the map for a minute or two. Theflashshed of recognition signed in her face before she spoke again. "Oh, I knew this place. Lucky you, it's just on the way where I'm heading."

I silently thanked God for granting me this little fortune. I wanted to hug the woman but I was soaked with sweat and I probably smelled bad too. "Thank you so much," I expressed.

"It's no big deal sweetie," she said while beaming at me.

At the sight of her kindness, I was reminded of my mother. Beatrice told me that everyone in the confinement was allowed to have visitors. Howbeit, no one ever visited me, and after years of none; I was pushed to believe that I had lost her.

My tears started to pool but I took a deep breath and held it in. I didn't want to cry in front of the kind woman.

She turned on the engine and started the drive. After the car settled on the highway, she spoke again. "You shouldn't go out this late alone, it's dangerous. Didn't you hear it in the news?"

In truth, I was spent and I was at the brink of dozing off. But to return the gratitude, I fought the incoming sleep and attended the chit chat. "I must have missed it. What is it about? An escaped prisoner?"

"That I don't worry," she said with a laugh. Then her face turned serious. "There is a killer pod..."

"A what?"

To be continued...

***

Thank you for reading, I hope you like this chapter.