That was hard man, to leave kids that we knew; guys I'd thrown paper airplanes to and girls I'd chased around the play ground. Of course there was Mili, there was always Mili. Leaving was hard man but tell me something that wasn't. Point out one person to me who's had an easy ride through the entire war. Our individual sufferings may vary but as a collective we've lost so much, more so than any society before us and hopefully more than any that may follow. [Stares out the window above my head.]
So what happened when you escaped?
[Gives a slight smile and returns his gaze to me] We left as soon as it was light enough. The seven of us said our goodbyes to those who would remain and departed in a swift silence. All that lay before us was unknown and we would face it head on.
The first task was to get to the parking lot and we didn't even know if we could do that. As we turned our backs though, I could feel the eyes of everyone we were leaving behind watching from makeshift barricades. I promised myself that they would be safe there, that their choice was already made. I had to tell myself she would be okay and I just had to keep moving forward. Had to get home. But God, they must have been prayin' somethin' hard as we walked away from them because what happened was a flat out miracle.
Arkansas was smack dab in the middle of the white hot zone but we got out alive and unscathed. Just picked off the few that came out after us and we were home free, so to speak.
Of the seven who'd decided to face the outside, only two of us had actually driven that day so we split. Jackson and the two Anderson girls climbed into my used Chevy and the three guys followed us in their beat up Honda Civic. I drove and the older of the two sisters, Brianna, toyed with the radio. It was freaky, nothing but static. I mean Eureka Springs wasn't really a small town; there was always somethin' to listen to. The dead airwaves were our first indication that this was bigger than anything we could've imagined trapped in that school all those weeks. Eventually, she turned it off but the silence wasn't any better. Though none of us would say it, our thoughts were of home and what we might find when we got there.