Uniquely Calming

The shepherd's boy sat beside the pond, exhausted. He was a little younger than me, around 11 or 12 maybe. His legs were drenched in blood from running all night, his left arm was lifeless as ever from being pierced by the arrow of scary men who raided our village the night before.

He looked at me with weary eyes and spoke in a hoarse voice giving away the pain he felt at such a young age. “Where is maa? I’m scared”, he said.

“She’ll be here when you wake up”, I promised. I knew he’ll die soon, he had already lost too much blood.

He gave a weak smile and slowly lay down beside the pond. I looked down at my tattered clothes and the blood-covered belly, I recalled the moment when the bald man with yellow teeth hit me with a hammer-like object straight on my chest and I was thrown off my feet and heard a faint cracking sound.

After that, I remember waking up at the sound of my father screaming at me. He forced the hand of the shepherd’s boy in my hand and pushed me towards the woods, telling me to run.

We had been running for what seemed like days when I saw this beautiful pond in the middle of nowhere.

I opened my eyes to bright light. Was it the sun? I had fallen asleep. Every bone in my body was screaming at me but I lifted my body as much as I could and there lay the shepherd’s boy, cold.

I didn’t feel anything for the boy. Or maybe I did, I was happy he was out of his misery.

I lay back again and stared at the water ahead. There were faint ripples in the pond caused by the slight wind that kept the heat at bay; the birds were chirping away happily with no comprehension of what these boys had gone through. There was sunlight falling on the water, making it glow. There were trees surrounding the pond, making it a heavenly sight.

My younger sister would have squealed with joy at this sight and played in the water all day. I felt a tear fall down; I knew this was the end but I didn’t feel scared at all. It felt like nature was soothing me by giving me a glimpse of heaven itself, it all felt uniquely calming.

I had no idea how long I stared at the sight before me but soon, the world seemed to say goodbye, the pain faded and the world became as dark as its future.