The sound of another loud BOOM echoed through the air, shaking the ground beneath us. I winced, covering my ears. “I don’t like this game,” I whispered.
Emily wrapped her small arms around my shoulders, pulling me close. “Me neither. But we have to be brave, like superheroes! Superheroes never give up!”
I closed my eyes and imagined us as brave heroes, flying high above the chaos, safe from the bombs and the shouting. “Okay,” I said slowly, “let’s be superheroes.”
We scrambled to a nearby tree shrub and sat there in silence, holding each other tightly. The noise outside continued, but we created our own little world, one where the danger couldn’t reach us. In my mind, I could see us soaring through the clouds, away from the terror of war.
After what felt like an eternity, the sounds began to change. They were louder now, and I could hear voices calling out.
“We need to move, Ara!” Emily said urgently. “If they’re looking for us, we can’t stay here!”
“But where do we go? My chest hurts too!” I asked, my voice trembling. I didn’t want to leave our safe spot, but I knew she was right.
“We have to find a better hiding place,” she said, her eyes shining with determination. “Come with me!”
With her hand firmly in mine, Emily pulled me to my feet. I took a shaky breath and tried to ignore the pain in my chest as we crept toward the door. My heart raced with terror, pain and fear.
We went so far and as fast as our little legs could carry us and saw a strange building. We peeked outside. The hallway was dark, and shadows danced along the walls.
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“Looks clear,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
“Let’s go!” Emily said, taking a step forward.
We tiptoed down the hall, the air heavy with dust and tension. I could hear our heartbeats in my ears, matching the loud thuds of the explosions outside. Each step felt like a giant leap into the unknown.
Just as we reached the end of the hallway, another loud bang shook the house, and I stumbled, nearly losing my balance. “Hold on!” Emily shouted, grabbing my arm to steady me.
“Did you hear that?” I asked, fear creeping back into my voice. I thought I saw a flicker of movement in the shadows.
“Let’s just keep moving!” Emily urged, her grip tightening around my hand. “We can’t stop now.”
We slipped out the back door and into the rain-soaked yard. The world outside was a chaotic mess—clouds of dust hung in the air, and the distant sounds of sirens wailed like a puppy stuck in wire. I could see people running in all directions, their faces painted with fear and confusion.
I looked back at our house, the place that used to feel so safe and warm. It now felt like a ghost, empty and broken. “Where should we go?” I asked, my voice quivering.
Emily pointed toward a cluster of trees at the edge of our yard. “Over there! We can hide in the trees until it’s safe.”
I nodded, determination growing inside me. “Okay! Let’s be quick!”
We sprinted toward the trees, dodging puddles and debris as we went. My chest hurt with each breath, but I pushed through the pain. The trees loomed above us, their branches swaying gently in the wind, as if they were welcoming us to safety.
Once we reached the trees, we ducked behind a thick trunk, peering out to see what was happening around us. “We did it!” Emily exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Yeah, we’re safer for now,” I replied, trying to catch my breath.