It was 5 o'clock in the evening, but nothing came to the town about saving us. I had been try to go to the Rich Man's house, but no one opened the door. Why does he lied to me like this?
I also gave up on my hope and turned back to Tan's side. Now I was with him and we were discussing what to do in the middle of the street. He was still arguing that we should go without saying anything to anyone. I was advocating for us to flee to the forest together after informing all of the people. "If we would be crowded, they can find us, their purpose is not just to colonize. They want to reduce the population and use the resources for themselves." I knew he was right about what he said.
Maybe I should be as reckless as he was and take my family away before the trouble come.
I buckled on one of the mossy sidewalks and gave myself time to relax. After a little while, Tan sat next to me. I was tryin to think clearly, leaving everyone in town while knowing what was going to happend to them... Making decision on this wasn't easy.
We sat there for a while without speaking, then the sound of a car engine made the dead streets groan.
"Did they come? The truck and van!" I said, screaming to drown out the engine noise. "The van has arrived, the man wasn't lying!" Tan wasn't as excited as I was, on the contrary, he was pulling me to bend back to where I was sitting, wanted me to be quiet. "If I know a little about cars, it is neither the sound of the tractor nor the van engine.'' I turned to him while pressing my teeth tightly. "Don't be silly, Tan! What else could it be?" I asked. Instead of verbal statement, he answered my question with his gaze.
The ringing engine sound was not for to save us, it was here to kill us.
After what we realized, he held my hand and we started to run as fast as we can. Minutes later, I was tired of constantly inhaling the smell of the musty street. I dropped his hand in my palm and said, "Wait," pantingly to Tan, who was leading the way. I was gasping as I put my hands on my knees. After my warning, Tan stood where he was for a while and turned his face to me. He said, "If you're fine, let's go." His sentence was clear. I nodded in approval and continued to running. Tan had started running after me, but after a short moment he was ahead of me.
Seeing him like this, doing so hard for my family... This was making me feel comfortable and safe. He could have left without telling me when he found out about the invaders, or when I said I would not go without the peasants. But he chose to stay here with me. Whatever would happen to us, it was going happen when we are together. It was as if he was trying to fill the loneliness of my father and my brothers who left me with so many things in this life. I had known him for a very short time, but when he acted like that it felt longer.
When we came in front of the door of the home, I opened the wooden door hardly without waiting. I didn't care anymore that things about this house were damaged. If we keep staying here a little longer, there wouldn't be a family to live in. Tan followed me when I walked in.
As if my mother was waiting for this moment, she was looking at me with the bag she prepared in one arm and Evren standing on the other. The bitter expression on her face revealed how miserable we were. I held the hand of the Gece that came to me in haste. Even though Tan never knew Kayra, he even took hold of his hand as if he was a family member. "Let's go," said Tan's velvety voice.
My mother walked out of the house. She was unresponsive, then when Tan left, I shut the door and left as they did. We were walking towards to the forest. I suddenly stopped my steps and looked back. I was officially leaving this village where I lived for 5 years. Which I have experienced all my disasters and pains in here. Once again, I felt like saying goodbye to my father and brothers.
Turning back my eyes in front of me, I speeded up my steps this time. Regardless, we should have left this village. I had no intention of losing the rest of my family. For a moment, I imagined Evren and Gece dead. This consideration seemed so real that I felt my eyes are filling. I dried my eyes quickly without anyone noticing.
We continued to move forward under Tan's leadership. When I saw our steps meet the earthen floor, I was felt like sprinkled with water.
Now all we had to do was cross the forest. Earlier, I heard a rumor in the village called "Guard State". Maybe we would try to go there when the day came, but our current goal was to get away from the village and spend the night in a secluded corner of the forest.
There was an awkward silence around...
Unfortunately this silence did not last long. Radio voices coming from behind us signaled that we were in danger. A brief glance passed between Tan and me. ''Let's be quiet and keep moving forward without stepping on leaves or branches. A little far, we'll hide behind a tree and wait for them to go. Don't worry.''
Of course, if we find a tree big enough to hide behind six people.
No matter how calm Tan tried to appear, I could see his scared and tensed expression on his face. However, instead of commenting on this, I kept walking. Even Evren seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation, he wasn't whining like babies normally do. Gece and Kayra were mature enough that their peers would not show. Though Tan seemed silent, he was clear from every way, he was thoughtful, and I could have sworn that I heard the sound of wheels turning inside his head. As we went deeper into the forest, our field of vision narrowed and the forest became darker. It was almost impossible to see ahead of us. I started to put my steps not by seeing but by feeling. Unexpectedly, as if to reveal our place, the forest that had covered us up until now, appeared a big stone in front of my mother, causing her to stagger. Thus, one of the hanging branches of the trees rubbed against the head of Evren. He should be hurted, he was doing the last thing to do right now, Evren was crying in screams. I could do nothing but fall prey to this picture. I was able to whisper "No...", the desperation in my voice even surprised me.
Not too long, I heard the radio sound as if it was with me.
When the white lantern light, hovering over the trunks of mossy trees, stopped in the middle of my face as if it had finally found its target, I squinted in that direction. I was trying to see the soldier standing in front of me when I raised one of my hand and shadowed my eye area. The unmarked soldier, consisting of the silhouette, informed the others on the radio, so the light intensity from us increased. It was more impossible for me to see around now.
"You can't be stupid enough to think that you can escape from the Planned Organization Suicide Team!"
I thought, they were going to kill us.
They are going to kill us so bad.