(From Ashes to Hope) Chapter 31
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“What about that kid?” Jackie asked. “Why was he captured too?” Her gaze,
although unseen in the darkness, was directed towards the young beggar, filled
with curiosity.
“Maybe because they were targeting me,” I replied, pondering for a moment.”
He helped me and got caught in the crossfire.”
Guilt gnawed at my heart. If it weren’t for me, the young beggar wouldn’t be
in this perilous situation.
Silence descended upon us, broken only by the sound of our heavy breathing
We all knew that if we couldn’t escape or get rescued within the next couple
of days, we would most likely be sold across the border.
The thought of that horrific fate sent a chilling fear through us, gripping our
hearts like an invisible hand.
Refusing to just sit and wait for our doom, I scanned the pitch–black
warehouse, like a caged beast searching for even the slightest crack of
vulnerability.
Despite the near–impenetrable darkness, I strained my eyes, hoping to find
a glimmer of hope in some hidden corner.
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< (From Ashes to Hope…
Suddenly, I felt a faint breeze against the wall behind me.
It was as gentle as a feather, yet it felt oddly out of place in the deathly.
silence of the warehouse.
My heart leaped with a spark of hope, as if a light had suddenly appeared in
the darkness. I quickly turned around.
I stared at the wall, scrutinizing every detail, trying to locate the source of the
breeze.
But the light was too dim. All I saw was a blur of darkness.
I reached out with both hands, carefully feeling along the wall. After a while,
my fingertips touched something unusual. To my delight, the bricks were loose.
Overwhelmed with excitement, I shared my discovery with the others.
Their eyes lit up instantly, a glimmer of hope flickering in their gaze. They
gathered around, eagerly helping me pry the dirt from the cracks between the
bricks.
Unfortunately, we could only remove a few bricks. The rest of the wall was
reinforced with concrete.
The hard concrete was like an impenetrable barrier, blocking our path to
freedom.
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It seemed that there was a small hole in the wall that had been haphazardly
bricked up.
The guards probably knew that adults couldn’t squeeze through such a small
opening, so they weren’t concerned about us digging it out.
They never imagined that even this tiny ray of hope would be enough for us
Their words irked me.“I trust him,” I said firmly. “He saved me before, he’s a good kid.”
< «From Ashes to Hope…
The two girls whispered among themselves for a moment before agreeing to
Emma was still worried. “We can’t call the police directly,” she said.“That
photo studio is operating so openly, there might be corrupt cops involved. If the
traffickers find out we called the police, they’ll move us, and no one will be able
to save us.”
I thought about her words for a moment.“I know a police officer, Officer Lee,
I think he’s trustworthy, and I remember his phone number,” I said.
“The boy can’t speak,” I continued.“We need to write the message and have
him send it when he finds a signal. That way, he won’t make any noise and alert
the guards.”
Emma and Jackie discussed it and agreed. After all, none of them could fit
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