https://youtu.be/XJFIrKWIslo

Elena awoke early in the morning, unable to sleep because of her arm. Everyone seemed to still be asleep, but she had a feeling Andreas would be up. She noticed the old lady had disappeared. Elena figured she was probably tending to her farm. Elena went to the bathroom to freshen up and stepped out of the room quietly, trying not to make the door creak. She stepped outside, taking her shoes off and feeling the soft, cool grass under her feet. She saw Andreas staring over the fence at the cows. He was always an early riser. He had his legs crossed and stood with a contemplative look, arms casually resting on the rusty fence. Elena made her way over to him.

"Good morning," Elena smiled at him.

Andreas snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the beautiful green scarf around her head that complimented her eyes.

"Good morning," He smiled wide. "How's your arm?"

He looked at the newly wound bandage around it.

"It's better," Elena said, looking at the cows chewing the grass under the pale, morning sun.

Andreas looked at the way Elena's compassionate, hazel eyes sparkled in the sunlight. They held so much confidence in them. She was radiating. She was so beautiful to him in her selfless personality and who she had become. Elena caught him staring and frowned.

"What is it?" She asked. "Is there something on my face?"

Andreas immediately turned three shades redder and looked away.

"No. You...Look nice," He nervously said.

This statement made Elena sheepishly smile and blush too. Andreas reached into his pocket and Elena saw a small gadget.

"Is that an iPod?" Elena asked, seeing Andreas pull it out of his pocket. "I see you've upgraded your MP3 player."

Andreas laughed.

"I sure have. You know I can't go anywhere without my music."

"I know," Elena said, smiling. "What songs do you have on here?"

Andreas was happy she had asked. He tapped into the device and Arabesque No.1 by Debussy started to play. Elena smiled as she heard the classical music feeding her soul and closed her eyes. It was the same song Andreas had played the night they sat on the hill, sharing each other's company. She remembered how she had told him everything and he had intently listened to every word. It was so peaceful and magical that it made her feel lightweight; like she should float up into the air and forget all her worries. Their intimate moments were rare, but when they happened, Elena felt as if she was on top of the world. How odd it was that they were refugees, but still felt like the happiest people in the moment. Andreas wanted to brush the hair out of her face. He wanted to bring her into a long hug. He wanted to hold her hand and say so much - the things he was too afraid to say years ago.

All of a sudden, the barn door swung open and Elena opened her eyes. It was Latif's grandmother. She smiled when she saw them both and held a basket of eggs in her left hand. She greeted them and then went inside the home.

Andreas smiled at Elena and reached out to grab her hand.

"Salaam!" Zakir's voice suddenly declared as he opened the house door and appeared.

He walked over to them, looking ready for the day. "Ah, what a beautiful farm."

Andreas pulled away. Zakir took a deep breath and leaned over the white fence beside Andreas and Elena. The three of them stared out into the open green field and watched the black and white cows munch on the grass. The breeze blew through Elena's hair and for a moment, they weren't running for their lives.

"You know that cow right there, Elena?" Zakir said to her and pointed. "Looks just like Andreas, doesn't it?"

Elena chuckled while Andreas playfully rolled his eyes at Zakir.

"He's always doing this to me, Elena," Andreas leaned over to her. "Don't listen to him. Besides, the one next to it is just as lazy as Zakir."

Zakir and Andreas raised eyebrows at each other and then burst into laughter.

"Alright, c'mon you two," Zakir said. "We should probably go inside and help Nana."

It was these moments that left Elena with an enormous sense of gratitude. Despite everything happening around them, they could still find moments - make moments - that they would never forget. Andreas playfully slapped Zakir on the back and led him back inside while Elena followed.

Latif was in the kitchen getting breakfast ready with his grandmother. A sleepy Aziza sat on the sofa while she fed Amal some mashed-up bananas. Her curly hair was all tangled and created a messy blob on her head. Her grey eyes were still begging for sleep. She looked at Elena and gave her a small smile.

She greeted the old lady who was busy making something called fatteh which Elena had come to enjoy. Latif and his grandmother had many mouths to feed, so all the adults helped in the kitchen. Elena peered into the room where the girls were sleeping. Fatima, Zainab, and Mariam curled up beside each other in the bed, peacefully sleeping. Ruheena and Iesha were on the other bed. Ruheena had her arms wrapped around the little girl like a mother. Elena also checked the room where the boys slept. She chuckled to herself when she saw Faizan and Faisal spread out on a bed and poor Amir curled up in a ball in between them. Adam and Mustafa slept on the other one, their backs facing each other. Elena felt tears coming into her eyes when she thought about what all these children had been through. She blinked them back quickly.

When all of the kids had woken, they sat on the carpet in the living room watching cartoons. Iesha immediately ran up to Elena and hugged her.

"I had a nightmare," She said in her sweet, high-pitched voice, as Elena took her into her lap.

"What happened?" Elena asked as she sat down on a chair in the kitchen with Iesha.

"I fell down into a well and I was calling for somebody to help me, but no one came," The girl sadly narrated and pouted her lips.

"It was just a nightmare," Elena said, hugging her.

Iesha trembled in Elena's hands, probably traumatized from the week's events.

"I'll always be there to pull you out of a well," Elena comforted her by brushing her blonde hair with her hands. "In fact, I'd never let you fall into it in the first place. Never."

The girl smiled and was grateful for Elena's answer. She hugged her and happily hopped off of her to continue watching cartoons on the small, old-fashioned TV in the living room. Latif's grandmother cheerfully distributed breakfast to the children. Some hungrily ate it while others didn't quite have the appetite and only took a few bites. Aziza tried to encourage them to eat well.

"We should get going after breakfast," Zakir said. "That way we'll reach our destination in time."

"Thank you Zakir and Andreas for accompanying us. I don't know where we'd be without you guys," Aziza said appreciatively.

"And naani," Aziza smiled at the old lady. "Thank you for letting us stay here."

The old lady smiled through her leathery skin.

"I think you all should stay here longer," The old lady insisted, wiping flour on her apron. "It's safe here."

"No," Aziza said. "We've already given you enough trouble. We're going to another location where the kids will be safest. The longer we stay, the worse the situation will get."

https://youtu.be/FuwiiMokuO4

After a quick breakfast, everyone piled into the van again and rode off onto the highway. On the way there, they were stopped by another group of protesters blocking the road. Latif honked at the crowd but they remained in place. They needed to find another way around. Latif backed out of the street as people reluctantly parted for him. Elena saw three young girls holding a banner saying "We want freedom for all" in Arabic. They proudly grinned and hollered as they held up their sign, their magenta scarves floating in the wind. On another board was the face of President Bashar Al Assad with a big red X painted across his face. Many banners had his face on them in a mocking gesture. 100s of people chanted and protested. Elena found their passion to be palpable and realized she did not know anything about the drought or political crisis happening in this country.

"This city has no power or running water," Aziza said, pointing to another sign. "Because they are demonstrating opposition to Assad, he's taking away their human rights."

Aziza shook her head in anger.

"Look at them," She said. "All these innocent people having to fight for their basic rights."

Elena looked out the window of the van to see another group of men shouting at the top of their lungs. One could hear the sheer agony and pain in everyone's voices. More people marched out of the buildings and it was so packed, that people were brushing against their vehicles.

"Can we join?" Faizan excitedly asked, oblivious to what was going on.

"Yeah, it looks fun!" Faisal chimed in. "Please."

Andreas chuckled and was about to say something when they all heard screaming from behind. A loud thud against the rear windshield sounded like someone running accidentally bumped into the car. But then there was more screaming.

"What's going on?" Iesha asked, tightening her grasp around Elena's hand.

Andreas, who was in the very back, looked through the back window and saw a building ablaze. Then, he saw a tank rolling into the town. Zakir, who was in the car behind them, was already getting out and signaling to them to do the same.

"We need to get out of the car!" Andreas said urgently, his eyes widening in panic. "They're setting fire to these buildings."

"We're going to run?!" Aziza asked, bewildered.

"There's no way we can get through with the car," Andreas hurriedly said.

Latif unlocked the doors and everyone scrambled out. Aziza held Amal close to her and Ruheena held onto Adam's hand who looked unfazed by the situation. Zakir led the way as they all followed the crowd. They had no idea where they were headed. Elena tried to scoop Iesha into her lap but winced when her arm seethed with pain. She didn't care though. She tried again and ignored the sharp pain in her arm as she ran with the little girl. Andreas immediately picked Amir up as they bolted behind the others. Mariam, Zainab, and Fatima were running in between them, frequently looking back at Elena with concerned expressions. More shouting was heard as another building caught fire. Elena heard glass break as shop windows were pierced with bullets.

Some protesters started fighting with the police officers. Elena didn't have time to absorb her surroundings as she sprinted, but she could discern what was happening when she heard gunshots and fire crackling near them. Her heart seemed to be beating out of her chest. At any point, someone could shoot any one of them and it would all be over.

She panicked when she lost sight of Andreas in the packed crowd in front of her. For a moment, Elena felt like everything was fading and all she could hear was her shallow breathing. Her eyes darted from one person to another looking for Andreas. He was nowhere in sight. Elena kept running, hoping she would meet them all up ahead. A group of people suddenly pushed past her and Elena fell to the ground with Iesha. She scraped her injured arm and she winced in pain. Iesha let out a scream. She felt two arms immediately pull her up. It was Latif. He nodded at her and ushered for her to follow. He picked Iesha up and ran as fast as he could. They ended up in a narrow alleyway with a couple of other people. They squeezed inside the tight space and found an opening in the shop beside them. The hole was made by a bullet piercing the glass panels several times. They went inside and remained there for a while, frequently exchanging worried glances especially when the shouts escalated. A couple of other protestors inside looked at them as if they were crazy.

Elena got up, not being able to sit in place and when she turned the corner, she cupped her hand to her mouth. There was an old man who had been shot. He was the shopkeeper. He was lifeless. She felt like she would faint. The stench, the shouts, the gunshots, and the whirring of the tanks was too much to bear. Where were the others? Were they safe? Were they still running?

"Latif, we have to find the others!" Elena declared.

"Not yet," Latif said, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration. "Let's wait a couple of minutes."

Elena pursed her lips.

"But, what if it's too late?!" Elena asked, panicking.

She felt as if there was no air. Her face was paler than it had ever been.

"They will be fine," Latif calmly assured her, his voice a bit shaky.

But, she could see beads of sweat rolling down his temples. He smiled at Iesha who had huddled up into a ball and all the colour had drained from her youthful face.

Eventually, the sounds faded meaning the coast was clear.

"Let's go," Latif said, getting up. "They're probably hiding in another alleyway. Maybe Zakir will come around with the car."

Elena wanted to believe him. How could he be so optimistic in a situation like this? He swung Iesha into his lap and Elena followed him out of the alley. Optimism was a futile ideology to believe here, Elena thought. When they stepped out, it was a horrific scene. Dead bodies were strewn across the street and the smell of burning and blood penetrated the air.

"Don't look down, Iesha," Elena said through her shaky breath. "Don't look down."

Iesha did. But the little girl was silent in her terror. The bodies could've been them. Elena felt her stomach flip upside down. Any one of them could've been Andreas or Aziza or the other kids. No, no, they're fine. Her breathing quickened as she followed Latif who was trying to put a brave face on for Iesha. Elena heard gunshots in the distance. Latif started running so Elena did too. They turned the corner into another street and found the children huddled together in the broken building. There was no Aziza or Andreas. Elena was relieved to see the children intact and let out a deep breath.

"They went to look for Zakir," Mustafa said through wide, petrified eyes. "They left me in charge."

Elena hugged the children and was relieved they were unharmed. The sun was dimming and the inside of the building was dark. She began counting the children. Her heart stopped beating momentarily.

"Where's Amir?" Elena asked, frantically darting her eyes around. "Amir, where are you?!"

The children looked around.

"He was right here a couple of seconds ago!" Ruheena shouted over the commotion.

"Amir!" Elena yelled again, looking out into the narrow alleyway.

She stepped out.

"I'll be right back, Latif!" Elena said.

Before he could object, Elena headed out onto the bloody street. She made sure to not look down at the bodies and quickly looked around.

"Amir!" She shouted.

An old woman from the other side of the street gave her a blank stare. There was dried blood smeared on the right side of her face.

"Amir!" Elena called again, carefully stepping over the bodies.

She ran into the next street where there were more protesters. Elena could hear a tank. The sound of it disgusted and horrified her. She kept sprinting forward and as the voices got louder, she realized she was going into the midst of war. She pushed through the thickening crowd and elbowed her way through.

"Amir!" Elena screamed this time. "Amir!!"

She was violently pushed to the ground again and almost trampled. Her forehead hit the cement, immediately becoming sticky with warm blood. Her hands stung from where they had scraped the cement. And before she could get up, her vision gave out and everything faded.