War Kids Read Free Page B

classroom and walk through the hall like a zombie. I carefully step around the bodies while looking at each face to see if it’s my brother. The soldiers killed a lot of kids with a single shot to the middle of the forehead.
    I finally make my way to the top of the stairway. Placing my hand over my mouth, I try to block out the blood-curdling smell in the air.
    None of the bodies is Ali’s, but a lot are friends… friends from my village, and children from my classes.
    At the bottom of the stairs, there are two hallways. One is the entrance to the school, and the second leads to the gym.
    I can see through the window that there are soldiers leaning against the door smoking. I clench my fists. They’re just standing there enjoying a fucking smoke after killing all the children like nothing has happened?! Those fucking bastards!
    Peeking through a window, I see female students and teachers all huddled together in the far corner of the gym. There are about thirty of them sobbing and hiding behind each other with their heads facing toward the floor.
    Across the gym, row upon row of boys are lined up, kneeling down with their hands behind their bowed heads.
    Soldiers are pacing back and forth. It won’t be long before they spot me if I’m not careful. I need to move and get a better look to see if I can find Ali. But what am I going to do if I see him? I stand no chance against all these soldiers.
    At the side of the gym is the coaches’ office. I’ve been in it a few times when the new soccer season started. I start to make my way over. This is a risky move because there is no way of telling whether there is anyone in there. But I have to find Ali.
    The office was only added on to the gym a few years ago, and still has the old gym fire door that not many people know is there. It’s my only choice.
    Slowly, I open the door.
    My heart thumps so loudly, I feel like it’s going to give me away. There’s no one in here, thank God.
    The office is small. There’s a shelf filled with medals and sports equipment. There’s the fire door with old paint buckets in front of it. I slowly move them under the shelf and out of the way in case I need to get out.
    I step silently behind the coach’s desk and creep over to the window. I don’t want to look, but I have to. I keep my head low so I can just see out, but they can’t see me. I quickly scan the room for the soldiers so I know where they are at all times.
    There are around twenty soldiers in the gym. I wonder how many more are outside. There are about the same number of boys kneeling on the ground in front of the soldiers.
    I scan the faces of the terrified boys, but I can’t find Ali. Where the hell is he? Then suddenly someone moves his head a fraction, and I see him… Ali ! My brother is alive, and he’s in there with them! I have always wanted to be like my big brother -- he is brave and kind, and he is friends with everyone. Now there he is, kneeling in front of the soldiers. How dare they make him kneel?!
    The top section of the window is open, and I can just make out the voices from the gym. “So, men, which of you wants to join us?”
    I know that voice – it’s the captain who was speaking to Heen in the bathroom. “You are no longer boys. You do not need your parents’ permission to join our brotherhood!” The captain’s forceful words echo through the gym and bounce off the walls. What is he talking about, ‘join our brotherhood’?
    The boys continue to kneel on the ground, and no one answers. “Who is with me?” The captain is getting angry.
    “Answer the captain when he speaks to you!” shouts a soldier as he kicks one of the boys in the back with his oversized boot. The boy crumples down to the ground, still with his hands behind his head as he lets out a whimper of pain.
    The captain walks over to him. “Stand up!”
    The boy jumps to his feet. He is the same height as the captain, and they stare at each other. Look away, look away , I