1 Chapter One

Day 1 Lost in the forest

She didn't know how many hours she walks alone in this creepy place, She lost in the forest, she was isolated from her group, they were headed here in Simpkins to be a volunteer to help the sick and homeless children. A place where the war was never been over; Simpkins where the ordinary people are separated from the people who has more wealth and power, It's a place where are all divided from the life status, education and money. People living downtown needs help and caring coming from people who has a big heart.

She continued to walk and didn't know where she take her feet her heart was breathing fast she was totally drained, she needs a glass of water to refresh, her stomach was empty and need some food to feed. She didn't know when was her last meal?

She keeps moving and hoping she sees a sign of a little town or maybe a way to go back in the city she don't have any idea at all. She sit and rest her feet for a while, suddenly she feel afraid, what if the terrorist people will see her or a wild animal that eat human body? Her body starts to shiver and cried. She was even more frightened because the whole forest was covered with darkness. She stood from her seat and quickly stepped on her feet for a while, suddenly she heard a car engine and voices of a group of men, chattering and laughing. She runs fast, maybe this is the help she was praying for a hope that will take away from his creepy called a forest.

A little hope was come into her heart, she finally sees a truck coming and the voice of a group of men is coming nearer from where she was standing. She could already see the highway and the vehicles.

She stands in the middle of the highway and waving her hand.

"Help... Help... Please help me....... She shouted out. (breathing heavily)

She could hardly stand long, her body shivering.

A man coming into her, he had a gun slung on his shoulder, wearing a fatigue uniform she then smiled that she knows she is in good hands, before her vision was fading.

"Salamat.... Maraming Salamat... (Speaking in her own dialect).

Ma'am.... get up.... Open your eyes. These are the words she heard from a man who is wearing a fatigue uniform. She wants to open her eyes, but she lost consciousness. She then suddenly fell into the man's arms.

Day 2 Meeting of the Strangers

She slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She was laying on the bed and something was attached to her arms, she then moved and trying to say some words. She sees two men standing near at the door, they are wearing a fatigue uniform and a gun slung on their shoulder.

"Nasaan ako"? ( speaking in her own dialect)

The two man notices her, suddenly stop talking and approached her.

"Ma'am, how are you feeling"? Asked by a man with a blonde hair. "Are you okay?"

"Nasaan ako"? (speaking again in her own dialect)

"What she said"? asked another men wearing a cap.

"Ma'am, do you speak English?" asked again by a man with a blonde hair.

She froze and stared at the two men, she has now recognized because of the patches attached to their uniforms. They are soldiers, the Arland soldiers.

"Ma'am, are you okay"? Do you understand me? asked again by a man with a blonde hair.

She is just starring the two men wearing a fatigue uniform. No more words coming from her, she was rattling and surprise that all of the sudden she was now with the Arland Soldiers.

One soldier wearing a cap went on the table next to her bed and approached the phone and dialed.

"Sergeant she is awake" just a single message delivered to his superior and then he dropped the phone call.

The two soldiers keep talking to her, trying to approach her, but she was totally rattled she wanted to ask for some food but no words coming out of her lips. After a half hour the door open, A man come to her room, he is also wearing a fatigue uniform. The two soldiers gave a salute to the young officer, she now can figure out that this man is more superior to them, she guesses he is the man who being called a while ago.

"Any details you get from her"? He asked his two men.

"No, Sir, I think that she can't understand English. Answered by one soldier who wearing a cap.

She just chuckles and started to laugh. Seriously, they figured out she can't understand what are they talking about.

The man they called Sir coming close to her. He snipes and cross his arms before he started to ask some question to her.

"How you feel Ma'am"?

She is just looking at his face and to the uniform where his name was printed - HERRERA

" Maybe that was his last name", she asked to herself.

The young officer moves close to her and at the moment she noticed that he was seated on her bed.

"Get off in my bed, " she said bluntly.

"Ohh.... sorry.

" So Ma'am, you know how to speak English? Asked again by the officer named Herrera printed in his army uniform.

She doesn't answer. She looked around again and thinking.

Her stomach sounded like thunder that she almost made her feel hungry for almost a day without eating, her feel a bit a little shy because she was sure that it was heard by them.

"I am hungry.... Do you have some food? It's almost a day I haven't eaten anything". Her eyes were pleading with the three soldiers in this room.

"Alright then..."

The young officer asks the two soldiers to get some food for her.

She is now alone with the officer named Herrera, she still quite and observing the officer on what he was doing, he gets some paper and a pen then he writes something on there. She wonders that maybe he writes down all the questions he wanted to ask for her.

A moment later, the two soldiers arrived, they bring foods as she requested from them.

She grabs the food, she doesn't care anymore if what she would look like what is important now is to fill her empty stomach.

After she has eaten, she wanted to take a shower, she asks a favor and the officer allow her to clean up herself.

"Can I get my bag, my personal things and my phone are there".

"Oh, this will not be too hard anymore, I thought you can't speak English." the officer smile bluntly.

"Of course I do". She sounded so calm and kind, she don't want to shoot them if she says something not good.

"But I need my bag before I take a shower, Can I get my bag Sir?

"Well, but we need to check it first".

"Seriously? Her face gets red and feel shyness they shouldn't do that, those are her personal belongings. Do they need to do that?

" Oh... this is unbelievable". She said to herself and remains quiet.

After an hour of waiting a Soldier with a blonde hair come into the room with her bag she grabs instantly and start checking if all her things are still in there.

But her phone is missing, she looks again on a pocket of her bag pack maybe it was placed on there, but she can't still find her phone, she was thinking that maybe it was misplaced by her or it was left on the forest.

" Have you seen my phone"? I need that, I need to contact my friends.. "

" Sorry ma'am, but we need to check your phone first, then we will give it to you once it was checked.

"Not again... She breathes heavily.

She just nodded and glance at the window glass, she thinks about now her friends where they are at this moment. She would not insist on going through the small town of this place, she would not have separated from them, as they travelled to the town she enjoyed walking until she realize that she was lost and she did not know how to return to town.

There is nothing she could do for now is just to stare at the soldiers and she looks outside of this room. She was just keep thinking and trying to figure out what will happen next to her living with the strangers.

Day 3 The Interrogation

She was wearing a yellow dress and her hair ponytails, She put lipstick and powder and sprayed her perfume. She is now ready to face the commander and the guy who named HERRERA for the interrogation, maybe they suspected that she is the one of the allies of their enemy the Sans serif and the Simpkins people. She opens the door of her room and got surprise, the two soldiers waiting her outside, it approached her and handcuffed her two hands, she wanted to get lost about what was done to her but whatever she did she could do nothing but follow.

She will go to the commander's office and escorted by the two officers for some question, she doesn't need to be afraid she has just been here to be a volunteer to help the sick and homeless children, She wasn't here for anything else.

After a moment, she now sits in the commander's office with the soldier named HERRERA, She does not know how she feels because every time the young officer looks at her she bows her head and feels ashamed. Maybe because the way he looks at her and his sexy lips and a broader shoulder that makes her thrilled.

The commander starts to ask some question that makes her rattle, not just because she was afraid of just because she was being accused as one of the intelligent agent that been sent by the Sans serif. She needs justice. All what of the things that accused to her is not true. She was just a volunteer headed here in Simpkins to help and there is nothing else.

"Do I look a terrorist? She answered bluntly.

" I told you I was lost and isolated from my group, I don't know how to get back in a town". Well, I should be thankful.... you saved me from that dim forest.. She says with all her courage and looking for an eye of the Sergeant. Again she felt uneasy everytime she looks at the eyes of the young officer, she turned her gaze to the commander to avoid the looks of the Sergeant.

But why you are accusing me that I am one of the allies of your enemy?

"No, we're not we just verified your identity, will it be possible that your identification are faked. We will just take care of everything.

" I need my phone, I need to contact my friends... I should not be here...

"Okay... dial it now. Sergeant Herrera unlocked the handcuffs he gives her phone and allow her to talk to their friends.

She hurried to pick up her phone and immediately dialed the number of one of her friends.

But the line gets busy and disconnected. She dialed it again, but it always gets disconnected. She just sat down and feeling helpless, there is nothing she could do right now she is hoping that she will get away from this camp, in the Arland Soldiers camp.

How now she can find her friends? Where she can ask for help? The Arland Soldiers, but they don't believe her.

Day 4 A Prisoner?

She is now like a very important person, she always escorted by the soldiers and Sergeant Herrera all eyes are on her, she's like a precious gem that should be guarded twenty four hours of the day. She can't do things that she wanted, every single detail should be reported. The way she speaks, moves and everything. She headed here in Simpkins together with her friends to be a volunteer and helps the people especially the children.

Although it's a bit annoying, she is happy because of showing concern for her, she served her a good meal, but yet, guarded a whole day and she is not allowed to talk with anyone else. Her life would be a little bit bored in this camp, she now thinks about on how she will escape from this prisoner camp.

It's around 9:00 in the evening she was still awake, thinking so much of what will happen next to her in the next day. She was now guarded by the soldiers thinking that she must be the one of the intelligence unit sent by the terrorist.

She got up in her bed and decided to go outside to get some fresh air. She just wishes that the door was not locked, she tried to open it and surprisingly it was not locked. She walks along the hallway of the camp. This is how it looks like the military camp? All are so busy, military trucks are come and go they are all moving fast, it seems that every hour is so important to them. She sees the military craft too and loaded with firearms.

She feels cold and trying to hug herself. A voice coming from her back.

"It's a nice evening, Ma'am"

She was surprised, it was Mr. SERGEANT who was at her back and she don't even noticed how long he was standing there.

She was feeling ashamed again, looking at with the officer he was looking manly in his army uniform with a killer smile, she feels that she will suddenly faint. She just wears a sleepy dress so it's not too good to talk with him at this moment.

Sergeant Herrera gets closer to her, but she steep away feeling ashamed from the sleep dress she wears, the officer notices it.

"You should not be afraid of me, I won't hurt you".

She just smiled and talk again in her own language. "Lumayo - layo ka sa akin at baka matuluyan na akong mahulog sa iyo.

" What you say"? With the curiosity in his face.

"Nothing". I should go back to my room, I said.

"Okey then, sleep well. I think I need to accompany you going back to your room... Is that okay?

She just smiles, she was thinking what's inside the mind of the Sergeant? Maybe he thinks that she will gets escape.

The Sergeant escorted her going back to her room, she feels a bit ashamed it's not good to see her like this way, she never thinks about that she was now in military camp, she should not wear this kind of dress.

Her heart pounding because of the happy feeling she feels right now, talking with the Sergeant is one of the best happen now in a whole day. She gets to smile every time she thinks that they suspected that she is a Sans Serif terrorist. She thinks about now if she wants to be like their prisoner for the whole life. But, it will never happen she needs to get out of here. A military camp that sees like a hell for her.

Day 5 A plan to Escape

She got awake from the noise coming outside, she quickly gets up from her bed and peek out the window of her room. Just like last night all were busy the military truck are come and go, a military Aircraft engine totally rattles her. Soldiers are forming online being attended to the order given by their officer and it was Sergeant Herrera, who are in charge, maybe they are their men in his battalion.

She quickly thinks and packs all of her things and change her dress in a shirt and jeans, this is the time to get escape everyone are busy, she is sure that no one will notice her all that she needs to do is to get a ride on a military truck she is sure it will go on their way near the city and it will be easy for her to find her friends.

She went in the bathroom of this room, there was a window through which she could pass, She first threw her bag and she let herself to be out. She fell to the ground as she jumped out of the bathroom window. She forced herself to stand even though her hip hurt and immediately slung his bag over her shoulder. She is too careful so that she will not be noticed and get caught by the soldiers. She walked quickly towards the military truck she had to ride there without anyone noticing.

She is grateful that no one noticed her, just a few steps away and she is able to ride in a military truck.

"Maraming Salamat po" (softly whisper in her own language)

She was about to get into the truck when she heard a familiar voice from behind. She froze a minute and turned around.

"What a wonderful morning, Ma'am"? What are you doing here? Trying to escape huh!!!

"Oh.. I'm just... Just... She was speechless

" Just what huh"?

"Oh, I just wanted to try to ride on the truck"... She grinds and smiled to the Sergeant.

"hmmm...really?

He turned around and back to her checking the bag slung on her shoulder.

Well, then... If you are planning to escape I am sorry for you, ma'am, just because I will make sure that you won't be able to take a single step to let you go out to this camp. Okay?

She moves closer to the Sergeant and grasp his hands, her eyes is pleading.

"Please, Sir, let me escape I need to go with my friends they need me.. I was lost in the forest and I am here to be the one of the volunteers. Please... tears swelled up in her eyes.

The Sergeant just chuckled and smiled at her.

" Do you think that you can get me in your little drama"?

She moves a bit closer to the Sergeant and suddenly she just kissed him on the cheek that surprised the Sergeant.

"Ohh, sorry... It's a prize from me just let me escape",. She pleaded with the Sergeant.

Sergeant Herrera just laughs loud. He picked her up which surprised Chyrill, she did nothing but shout and beat the Sergeant.

"Put me down"... She shouted continuously and started to speak in her language.

"Sinabi ng ibaba mo ako" with anger in her voice.

Oh ho ho ho... speaking again in your native language huh?...

All the soldiers there were just laughing and shook their heads. Funniest scene? Or maybe they are just happy because there is a woman they are having fun with. The Sergeant carried her back to her room and even though he wanted to escape, she could not make his arms are too strong.

He put her down when they got into her room. She shouted with so much anger to the Sergeant.

"You stay here hard headed lady", or don't let me do things not good to you Ma'am, just be good!!!

She suddenly slaps the Sergeant that surprise her too. She closed the door of the room and she was terrified because she might believe that it had done her harm.

She locks the door and cried. She don't even know how long she will be stuck in this camp or if she will can go back alive. Sergeant Herrera, just shook his head at what was done to him and smiled, something for that woman that makes him so interested.

"All eyes on her, don't let her get out of that room, and give her something to eat." He ordered to the one of his men.

A moment after the door open one of the soldier has a tray of food for her and leaves it on the table near to her bed. She was trying to talk to him, but he doesn't answer, she plead and asking a help but it seems she was never been heard. The soldier leaves the room without saying anything and quickly close the door. She slammed the door and shouted. Pleading to let her out from this room. But no one is listening, the two soldiers guarded her just smiled and shook their head, they know that she will be getting tired and she will be stopped.

An hour has passed, she got tired and feels her stomach is empty. She looked at the food tray that was laid on the table, she starts to eat and think a lot of how she will be getting out of this camp. Maybe she needs to be kind to the Sergeant for her to gain his trust.

"Tama... tama... Kailangan kunin ko ang loob niya para ma tiwala siya sa akin. (Speaking in her language)

She now, decided that she will ask his forgiveness for what she have done a while ago.

Late afternoon when someone gets into her room it was Sergeant Herrera that surprised her a lot her heart beats fast from the moment she saw him. She feels that there is electricity, running into her body from the moment he gets close to her. The Sergeant held her arms and took her out from the room. She was afraid that something will do to her because of what she have done to him a while ago.