Escape

They were getting closer every second. I could see the flashes from their torches through the thick jungle screen. It was the night of the new moon so there was no light other than their torches and the light of a billion stars overhead. Occasionally a torch flashed on the surface of the turgid river. Far away, from the other side of the hills, was the faint glow of a city.

Suddenly a torch beam flashed across my face. I shut my eyes and held my breath. They were very close now. I could smell their sweat. I waited for their hands to grab me and pull me out of my hiding place. How long did I wait – one minute, five minutes? Their voices moved away. I slowly opened my eyes, still expecting them to be there. I quietly breathed again. I watched them move further down the river, round the bend and out of sight.

I waited a minute or two then moved silently towards the river. I prayed that it wasn't too cold. I got to the water's edge and slid in without a sound. I began wading towards the far bank, towards the beckoning glow of that city far away. As I moved away from the bank the water began to get deeper and I could feel the gentle pushing of the current. A few more steps, then I had to swim. Swim without splashing. I couldn't afford to attract the guards to me.

I started to doggy paddle, keeping my hands and feet under the water. Slowly the current was carrying me downstream, nearer to the search party. I kept paddling for what seemed like hours, but it was probably only ten or fifteen minutes. Then I felt the soft mud of the riverbed beneath my feet again and I could wade the last few metres to the bank.

I reached the bank but couldn't get out – it was too high and there was nothing to get hold of. I felt my way along the bank, moving upstream to keep away from the guards. At last I found a place where the bank was low enough for me to grab some branches and drag my weary body out of the water. I crawled away from the river into some bushes where I lay and watched the searchers' torch beams coming back up river on the opposite bank.

After they had gone, and I had regained some of my strength, I set off walking towards that distant city glow. It was going to be a long walk.