Hey there, and welcome back to Animal Farm: The Novelization. I hope you liked the previous OC chapter, and there will be some more until the final part of the canon story shows up.
I know in real-life that it's pretty hard to stand up to dictators and tyrants, and it's not as easy as it is in fiction. But once people do start standing up for themselves and against tyranny, they can rouse people to fight for freedom. While the book Animal Farm leaves with the animals firmly under the control of the pigs, showing that they've gone full circle, I wanted to show what happened if animals started standing up to Napoleon.
Uploading Date: October 27, 2021
Enjoy!
Chapter 13: Escape From Animal Farm
Napoleon's sentencing for Sam was carried out immediately and brutally. Sam was taken to the shed where Jones had kept all the items he used for farming; it was also where Snowball had his windmill ideas drawn on the floor, but it had long since been wiped up. Once he was pushed inside, the door was locked, leaving him in the shed all by himself.
While in the shed, Sam hadn't had many visitors, since that was an unspoken rule. Some came to taunt him for disobeying Napoleon, saying that he was getting what he deserved; others offered sympathies - especially Jessie, Clover, and Muriel - yet could do no more. None were allowed to sneak him any food, or else they would be punished. There was light coming in from the only window during the day, but night left him completely in the dark.
On the second day after his punishment, Sam was lying down near the sunlight. It was fading from the setting sun, which would soon leave him in total darkness. He hadn't had much to do except pace around, sit, and lie down
"Sam? You doing okay in there?"
Sam opened one eye and lifted an ear. The voice wasn't female, and there was a hint of a bray in the tone.
"Benjamin?" he asked, getting up and padding to the door. "Is that you out there?"
"Yes," came the soft braying of the donkey. "Between working on the windmill and resting, I needed something to fill out the rest of my day...I guess visiting you would have to do. How are you, by the way?"
"Starving, for starters," replied Sam. "I'm guessing you don't have any food on you."
Benjamin's hooves pawed the ground outside. "No. Napoleon had ordered us to not sneak any food. I'm sorry if I can't do anything more than that."
Sam sighed and rested his head against the shed door. "I understand," he said. "What a mess this got turned into. At least Snowball wouldn't do anything like this."
"I wouldn't know about Snowball being any better," said Benjamin. "Now I have no affection for Snowball. As far as I'm concerned, he was an arrogant pig who was just as arrogant as the other pigs, fond of telling others what to do all the time. Maybe he would've taken us down a similar path had he stayed." His voice hardened when he said the next part. "But Napoleon, I hate even more. I've always been skeptical about him, but after he sold Boxer to the knackers..."
"Squealer said that the van was actually the doctor's," Sam recalled.
"I wouldn't believe everything the pigs say if I were you," said Benjamin. "They knew that they were giving Boxer to the glue factory, and they knew they were getting alcohol for that. They've had blood on their trotters before, and they still do."
Sam nodded. "I know. And I wasn't saying that I believed the pigs."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. There were several buzzing noises outside and the swish, swish sounds of Benjamin's tail swatting away the flies.
Finally, Sam broke the silence. "We've got to do something," he declared. "We can get out of here, run, and don't look back."
Benjamin snorted, half wistfully and half scornfully. "How can anyone leave this farm?" he asked. "Napoleon would have this entire place guarded at all times."
"Mollie left while she could, back when Snowball was in charge," said Sam. "She may have been vain and silly, but - "
"Exactly. She was vain and silly then, and she's still vain and silly now," said Benjamin unsympathetically. "Don't forget, Sam, that I'm friends with some of the pigeons here. They tell me all that's happened in Willingdon. She left us all just to have her sugar and ribbons."
"Maybe some of us can leave and get away," said Sam. "Then we can try and stir the animals here into rebelling against Napoleon."
But Benjamin's voice was very unbelieving. "Why should we even do that?"
"Because they're suffering under Napoleon," replied Sam. "I know you know that."
"Don't tell me I don't know," snapped Benjamin. "You think that I'm going to break my back rescuing animals too dumb to think for themselves from an evil pig? Muriel, Jessie, and you are fine; at least you all got enough brains between you. But the rest are too far gone to see what these pigs have done. Even poor Clover won't think of rebelling." He snorted and was starting to turn away. "There's no helping them, Sam. They've all made their beds, so they should sleep in them."
Sam couldn't be surprised that Benjamin would refuse to help anyone. That, he knew, was a part of his personality. If someone were stuck in a hole, for example, Benjamin would let them get themselves out. But he was dismayed at how, even when he acknowledged that things had gotten worse, he wouldn't do anything about it. In fact, some rather stinging words were right on the tip of his tongue.
Before Sam could stop himself, he said those words: "So you're saying that Boxer deserved it too. He didn't see what Napoleon was until he died."
There was a terrible silence when Sam had said those words. As soon as he had said them, he wanted to take them back. Then a furious braying sounded outside, and the door quaked horribly as Benjamin apparently lashed out at the door with his hind hooves. After the noise died down, Sam could hear the old donkey storm away, muttering angrily.
With Benjamin gone, Sam was once more alone in the near dark of the shed. He had nothing to do now that the light was fading from the window, so he curled up at the spot near the door and fell asleep.
...
A few more days passed after the conversation. The punishment for no food or water had passed, and Sam was finally given food and water. But it was always half a biscuit and one small bowl of water, not enough to fill his belly. So he made it a point to nibble at the biscuit and take one lap of water, to save up on them in case they decided to try and starve him again.
Jessie, Clover, and Muriel still came around to talk to him, but Benjamin had stopped coming over. Sam worried that the old donkey had taken his last words to him badly and had refused to visit, and he even felt bad for saying all that to him. Or perhaps he had died; Benjamin was said to be one of the oldest animals, after all.
But his wish to escape hadn't faded. No matter how much the pigs of Animal Farm would imprison him or starve him, he wouldn't give in. More than ever, he wanted to go out and find his original owners again. He wanted to leave this farm and this country forever and go back to America. It had been years since he had last walked on American soil.
Finally, Sam had an idea. He had an idea of how to flee from Animal Farm. When he saw the shadow of an animal from under the door, he pawed at the area until he got their attention.
"Can someone get Squealer for me?" he yapped. "I need to go."
"Go where?" It was the clucking of a hen. "To the windmill?"
"You know...go. Bad! I can't make a mess in this shed!"
The hen clucked again. "Well, why didn't you say so? Stay right there!"
A pitter-patter of feet told him that the hen had rushed off to get Squealer. Sam couldn't help but laugh a little at what she said before she left. He did have no choice but to stay right there since the shed was locked.
The lock on the door clicked so that it opened up halfway, and Squealer shoved his snout through the crack. There was a dog from the Animal Guard on each side of him. Sam felt the familiar dislike towards the sly pig tingle up his spine, but he couldn't give the game away.
"Comrade Sam," said the porker. "I believe that you needed something?"
"After some time in that shed, I've come to an understanding," Sam lied. "I now know that I was wrong to rebel against Animal Farm. Our leader, Comrade Napoleon, is always right. From now on, I will work harder on the windmill."
"That's the spirit, comrade!" cheered Squealer, skipping from side to side. It was becoming a bit harder to do with said pig slowly gaining weight. "I'm glad you finally learned from the error of your ways. We'll get you back to work right this instant!"
Sam knew that if he had a chance to leave, he was to make sure not to go back to the windmill. If he didn't, he would have to be stuck doing the same thing over and over, never thinking of escaping.
"Can I relieve myself in the woods?" he blurted out.
"The woods?" asked Squealer with a blink. "Whatever for?"
"Some animals do need peace when they go relieve themselves," said Sam. Now as he had been waiting for Squealer, part of him really did have to go this time.
Squealer pondered over the request and seemed to nod. "Good thinking. I would want privacy to do my business as well. I will escort you and bring some of the Animal Guard with us. Stay here while I report to our leader, Comrade Napoleon."
So Squealer quickly locked the shed back up and went back to the farmhouse to report to Napoleon. The guard dogs sat out front, guarding the shed and making sure he didn't try to escape. Pinscher was one of those dogs with them, giving Sam a stern growl.
"If you hadn't refused to be a part of the Animal Guard, what you did wouldn't have happened," he scolded. "And Bluebell would still be alive."
"If I had known that Napoleon was going to turn your puppies into killing machines, I'd have refused quicker," snapped Sam. "Why'd you have to listen to Napoleon in the first place? You could've taught your puppies to think for themselves for once."
"My allegiance is to Comrade Napoleon and Animal Farm. What he does is right," the Rottweiler snarled. "Now shut your mouth. We'll be heading out shortly."
Sam wanted to protest some more. He had been surprised to hear Pinscher blame him for Bluebell's death, during the Battle of the Windmill. Oh, how he wanted to continue telling Pinscher and his puppies that it was Napoleon who was doing all this. But he was going to be free from the shed, and he didn't want to squander the chance by talking.
A few minutes later, Sam heard the lock on the shed door click, and Squealer opened the door to let him out. He wagged his tail and breathed in the fresh farm air, as stale as it was becoming. Five dogs - including Pinscher - herded Sam on both sides and behind him, while Squealer marched at the front to make sure that he didn't escape. Together, all seven animals marched together toward the northwestern part of the farm, where the woods were at. They slipped through the fence and continued on their way to the trees on the other side.
The animals of the woods stayed out of the way as this patrol came into their territory, retreating deeper into the forest. As Sam would find out later, Napoleon had declared rabbits, deer, foxes, and other wild animals to be enemies of Animal Farm. To him, they would rather stay huddled in the forest than help their domesticated comrades fight the humans. And, of course, he believed that they were helping Snowball.
Sam was free to mark anywhere in the woods, but he needed to be watched at all times. Fortunately, the dogs were able to let him go and let him do his business, as they themselves had to mark trees as well and scattered to do so. Once he was alone with Squealer and had chosen a good ash tree, Sam lifted his leg and marked it.
"It is good that you have decided to put aside your selfishness," said Squealer when Sam was finished. "We cannot afford animals to turn against each other. We have to stay united."
Sam put his leg down, scowling at Squealer behind his back. But all he managed was, "Yeah, I was an idiot. I shouldn't have tried to rebel against the spirit of Animalism."
"Yes, you shouldn't have. You have been an idiot," said Squealer. He began wandering off and remarking to himself, "With the money we got for selling Boxer to the knacker along with the alcohol, we can make our own beer-brewing company."
With the porker's back to him, Sam began stalking closer as if he was stalking a rat or mouse. Squealer had admitted one of his crimes aloud. He inched closer and closer, preparing to strike.
"None of these ignorant animals understand," Squealer kept talking to himself aloud, "that they need us to decide what's best for them. Is this not simpler? Is this not their natural state? It's the unspoken truth of animals that they desire to be controlled. In the end, they will completely kneel - "
But Sam did not let Squealer finish his sentence. With a grunt, he shoved the porker with all his might down the ledge and down into a pit of mud. Squealer let out a squeal as he slid down the ledge, bumping and thudding along the way and hitting some berry bushes.
Sam looked down the pit where Squealer had fallen. He was mostly unharmed, though he was limping while struggling to haul himself out of the mud. Berry juice also stained his fat face, which was contorted with fury when he glared up at Sam.
"What...what on earth are you doing?! You could've killed me!" squealed the porker with rage. "You lied about having changed, didn't you? You tricked us into letting you out of your prison! Snowball must've passed on his dirty tricks to you!"
"Yeah...I did," said Sam, the fur along his back now rising and bristling. "Now I wish it was Snowball doing all this damage to Animal Farm. I'd side with him if I got the chance!"
For a few terrifying moments, neither of them spoke, just glaring. Sam backed away from the pit and was getting ready to run off and go who knew where.
"ANIMAL GUARD!" Squealer screamed from the pit. "KILL THIS TRAITOR! A full bushel of apples and Animal Hero, First Class to whoever brings him to justice! Long live Comrade Napoleon! Long live Animal Farm!"
Furious barking rang in the forest, making Sam's heart nearly freeze in terror, and he made a run for it. As he did, he looked behind him. Napoleon's dogs were on his tail like hounds on the hunt for a fox. He himself was like the fox running from the hunt, darting through the undergrowth.
He headed deeper into the forest and came upon swampy ground. Splashing through the mud, Sam crouched behind a bush and waited with bated breath for the dogs to run by. A tan-and-white female stopped to pause and sniff the air, her face scrunched up as she picked up his scent. With the sharp sight of an owl, she spotted Sam crouching near the bush and lunged at him, leaving the smaller dog to flee once again.
As he ran, Pinscher was now leading the charge with a feral snarl on his face. Sam ran harder until he reached the wall of a ravine, which was too tall for him or the others to jump over. The dogs were quickly gaining on him, and Sam looked around for a way to get out. He did notice an old log that acted as a bridge between the ravine ground and the ledge above, and he took the chance, running over and climbing up. The Animal Guard followed him, and Sam whisked his tail away from their jaws while the log creaked under the combined weight. He did get to jump away before the log fully collapsed.
Finally, Sam spotted a bunch of fallen logs in the middle of the path. This was doubt a place where humans were making lumber. He ran over to an unused log and dug into it quickly, rolling around in the mulch to disguise his scent. As he lay still, he heard the dogs barking as they got out of the ravine and drew near, some even jumping onto the log as they raced away and making the shelter shake.
"Catch him, catch him!" Squealer was ranting as he waddled after the barking dogs. "Kill him, kill him!"
Sam waited until the other dogs and Squealer were gone, but he couldn't stop panting. It was a good thing that the log had a very earthy smell, which disguised his scent as much as it could. He picked himself up and started crawling out from the log.
...and right in front of one of Napoleon's dogs. Tricolored Octavian glared at him and was ready to open his mouth to howl when other barking echoed from the meadow. To Sam's horror, he even heard Squealer's voice.
"Did you catch him, comrade?" the porker was calling, panting and heaving as he tried catching up with the bodyguards. "Did you kill him?"
Octavian looked back down at Sam, worry now in his eyes. At first, he looked unsure of what to do, but then his fellow dogs' barking made him decide. "I'll let you go this one time," he finally said. "I'll distract them all. You hurry and run the other way, through the meadow."
"Why are you helping me?" whispered Sam. "I'm an enemy of Animal Farm now."
"I remember you playing with us when we were puppies," answered Octavian. "You were kind to us, our mother, and Bluebell. So I'm returning the favor." He gave Sam a hard nudge before hissing, "Now you better get out of here or they'll find you!"
Sam flashed the bigger dog a thankful look and hurried away. He didn't want to stop and wait around to see what would happen. As he hurried towards the meadow, he heard Octavian let out a howl, like a Bloodhound finding a scent.
"Comrade!" Squealer was yelling. "Did you find him?"
"Yes, I did," Octavian barked. "I saw him running through the forest!"
"Then don't just stand there!" snapped Squealer. "Get him!"
Sam listened to the fading footsteps and hurried in the opposite direction. The forest was starting to give way to open meadows, with the grass tall enough to hide him from the Animal Guard. He slipped through the tall grass and let his nose guide him, sniffing the scent of asphalt on the other side.
Sam had just jumped out onto the road and was padding down it when a bigger dog jumped out in front of him from the bushes. It was Pinscher. The Rottweiler he had once looked up to as an uncle figure was now glaring daggers at him, saliva trickling from his snarling jaws.
He began to back away, but Pinscher was already running at him, barking. Sam was just turning around to flee, but he couldn't run fast enough. Pinscher had pounced and knocked him down, pinning him with his large paws and trying to bite him. With a grunt, Sam dug his hind paws into Pinscher's belly and tried his best to kick him away, but Pinscher was a heavier dog. It was when Pinscher briefly released him to bring his full weight down that Sam scrambled to his paws and made a run for it.
Pinscher was about to get up and go after him when he suddenly looked behind him, startled. What followed next was the loud honking of a car horn and a sickening thud. Sam closed his eyes when that was to happen, and when he opened them again, he felt a lump rise in his throat.
Pinscher was laying beside the road, not moving. Blood was smeared across the asphalt and dirt, ending where the bigger dog was currently at. He had been hit head-on, his heart and his lungs broken from the impact of the car. With concern, Sam padded over to the still form and tried nudging him awake, blood smearing his nose.
"PINSCHER!"
Sam's blood ran cold like a winter wind when he heard Octavian's voice. The tricolored dog was racing over towards them, shock and fear lighting his eyes. With a growl, he shoved Sam to the side and began licking Pinscher to try and rouse him. Realizing that he needed to go, Sam slipped away until he was out of sight.
"Pinscher!" barked Octavian as he finished licking Pinscher's wounds. He nudged his father's muzzle to rouse him, with no success, and he grew more frantic. "Pinscher...Father...you have to get up."
But the Rottweiler did not stir. Octavian tried nudging him with tears in his eyes before he seemed to realize that Pinscher was dead. The older dog's body just lay there, as unmoving as Boxer on that first day that his strength had failed him.
"Oh no...no, no, no!" Octavian whined. At this, he lifted his muzzle and let out a long mournful howl.
Sam had watched this from on top of a ledge, regret filling his heart. He was now free, but he felt no joy at the moment. This wasn't supposed to happen. He had not intended to get Pinscher killed, even if he was a member of Napoleon's Animal Guard. Almost no one deserved this kind of death.
It was too late for any reconciliation. Octavian had noticed Sam and glared up at him, a terrifying snarl forming on his muzzle and hatred in his eyes. He had spared this little dog, and for what? To witness him stab him in the back by getting Pinscher run over.
"SAM!" he howled. "You better keep running! If it's the last thing I do, I'll kill you for this!"
Sam slipped away, and just in time, Octavian's siblings and half-siblings caught up with him. They had noticed Pinscher's body and lifted their muzzles to the sky, howling for their father as well. His sisters broke from their programmed tough shells and sobbed for Pinscher. Beside them, their half-brother was more stoic as he cried, but the tears flowed all the same.
Octavian glared at where Sam had slipped away before heading back to his family. Catching the treacherous little dog would have to wait. They had to get Pinscher back to Animal Farm and mourn the loss of a beloved comrade.
To be continued...
