The full moon lit the path as their lunar shadows danced along the cliff edge. Beneath their feet the earth crumbled but held their hurried steps.
“Quickly,” she whispered, but stayed facing front for fear of falling. “It’s not much further now.”
His little legs worked at double speed to keep up with her stride, and he was glad of the bright sky. He didn’t really like the dark and always begged for a small light beside his bed, to keep away the monsters and baddies. He clung to his wooden sword for protection. Assured that it would keep him safe, before this race against time began, he no longer doubted its power. After everything they had encountered, they were still here, fighting to survive and that HAD to be down to his magic sword. He smiled and gave it an extra squeeze.
She stopped abruptly and he crashed into her, teetering dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. She yanked him back with all her might and he felt his arm would rip away from his body. He stifled his yell, all too aware not to make a sound. Tears sprung into his eyes, and he wiped his face with his dirty sleeve. Her tight lips and angry eyes berated him, and she motioned him to squat.
Crouched close together, she peered over a sand dune, where voices and shouts echoed. She put her finger to her lips and nodded her head. He understood. He knew to shush because he was still swallowing back the tears from his sore shoulder. Sometimes he behaved older than his five years; that came with the darkness of their past.
She listened, picked out words, drank them in, hoping they had finally found the ones who would help them, feed them, protect them. It was all down to her judgement as to what side they were on, whether it was safe for them to be seen. She shook her head, bit her lip and leant in again, straining her ears, desperate for reassurance. He clutched his sword tight, mouthing a prayer he was once taught to say before eating dinner. It was the only prayer he could remember.
A vast wooden gate swung open from the sea defence wall, and a familiar figure appeared. Both children’s mouths dropped open; they sucked in their tears and let out silent wails. Observing the figure shout orders and command attention, was enough for them to realise that finally, they were safe. He watched his sister shrink back to being a child, as she pulled him down the steep dunes, and screamed, “Daddy!”
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