Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Althea lays on her bed with her hands folded behind her head. The storm is so loud she doesn’t even try to sleep, instead she stays awake and imagines a life that she guiltily entertains. The perfect paradise, her family would sail to America and she could go to a college, earn her degree in engineering and have a good paying job.
Instead, her family barely scratched by with the money they got from her dad’s railroad job. Her mom couldn’t find anywhere to work because she never graduated high-school. Althea sighs and closes her eyes, maybe a miracle would happen? Maybe whatever God was out there would have compassion on her family? She always wondered if there were a God, but never got a solid answer. There had to be someone though, right?
Outside her room she heard a loud bang, but thought it was probably one of her brothers poking around the pantry for a midnight snack. She continued to just lay there in a somewhat peaceful state. She began to finally doze off until she heard...
Bang! Bang! Bang!
She jumped out of bed and opened her door a crack, she could see her dad and men with sailor uniforms? That took her for a spin because sailors didn’t usually visit people around here in Russia. I mean sure, she lived in Anapa, which is right beside the Black Sea, but this just didn’t add up. Suddenly a sailor struck her father in the face. Althea screams, “Papa!! PAPA!”
Her father is on the floor, motionless, “NO!! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!!” She turns her attention to the sailor that struck her father, he simply turns her way and points at her. Two other men come and take her by the arms and hoist her up, she swings her limbs trying to get their hands off her, but they are too strong.
“LET GO OF ME!!!” Althea tries to yell, but her brothers were being held back by six other sailors. Three for both of them, her brothers were strong, but couldn’t take on three of these sailors. She continues to struggle, but it’s no use, she goes where they go.
Her brothers are yelling up a storm and Althea suddenly has a horrible thought, “DON’T HURT THEM!! I’ll go wherever you want, but leave my brothers alive, please!!” The sailors turn their attention back to her and the biggest one nods his head. The three sailors let go of her brothers, but a second after they let go, the sailor holding Althea, positions a gun at her head.
No words were needed, her brothers cried for her, and promised the sailors’ deaths, but they couldn’t do anything without risking their sister’s life. Her oldest brother, Devon, opens his mouth to speak, “We’ll see each other again, dear Al!” Althea starts to cry, “I love you both! Stay strong!” After her last words, she can no longer speak, her voice had gone hoarse from screaming and crying.
