I leaned against the chain-link fence, my fingers gripped the rusty metal. I stared up at the stars, hoping they would lead me out of this concrete hell. The lights from the guard stations casted ghostly shadows on the cement as the October wind surrounded my emaciated body. I could hear distant city noises crying my name, the cars rushing, mothers calling their children to bed, the homeless alley cats digging through garbage cans for scraps of leftover meals; they all begged me to join them. It had been two months since I had last seen the city for myself, or at least about that long, I lost count of the days. I can remember my last night in the city like it was yesterday, my family and I had just sat down to eat dinner, the smell of homemade chicken, corn, and mashed potatoes spread throughout the house. We had sat around the table, all four of us blessing the meal we had been given. The thunderous banging on the door startled all of us. I never believed any of the whispered rumors until I opened the door, facing everything I had always feared. The large men pushed me out of the way intruding our home and making their way towards my husband and sons. They took them first. The dark men grabbing their wrists, twisting their arms behind their backs, and forcing them out the door would be the last memory I would ever have of them. My sons' screams still echoed in my head, I could still hear the pain in their shrieks as they tried to free themselves from the arms of the guards. Their watery eyes begged me to free them from the tight grips, but I was powerless, weak, and that would be their last memory of me, the way they would remember me… weak.



I turned around and headed back to the towering brick building. I had heard from one of the younger women that it used to house the old trains before it was remodeled into this holding facility or hell as I considered it. I opened the thick metal doors that led to the residence hall. I pushed through thickening crowds of women from every generation. Some laid uncomfortably on their cots, eyes wide open as they stared at the distant white ceilings, living only in their memories, many of the younger ones sat in circles and whispered stories of princes and princesses, while others lay cold and lifeless wherever they pleased, their skin sinking behind their ribs like treacherous valleys that even the greatest hikers feared. I found my cot and laid back and tried as hard as I could to get comfortable. Every time I closed my eyes, images of my husband and sons repeated through my mind. I pictured all of us in the bright city again and wished everything could go back to times of perfect harmony. I knew the only way I could get back to the city was to get past the chain-link fence and make it to the road on my own without getting caught by the guards. I decided that night was my only option.
I stood up from my cot and made my way back through the crowds of women towards the windowless metal doors. A cold rush of air pushed itself through the doors as I pulled them open. I crossed my arms and tried to cover as much skin as I could with my thin shirt as I walked towards the fourteen-foot-high fencing. I could feel the beady eyes of the guards staring me down, watching my every movement, predicting my actions. I hoped those feelings were all in my imagination, or I would never make it back to the city. I found what looked like a hole someone had dug with the same plans of escape that I had. I pulled the fence up in hopes of widening the hole so my shoulders would fit through; it worked. I felt the relief of pain the fences had held in for so long. I was finally free, and I was not weak. I could feel the shadows shift in the north-west guard tower, I glanced at the grey brick, they were yelling, whistles were blowing, and my mind was racing. I sprinted towards the forest and the city that lied just behind. I forced my ninty pound body to its limits. I could hear the sirens panicking behind me. My feet moved faster than the wind that carried me. I could see a dim yellow light through the trees. City lights. I could hear the children dreaming. I could hear tires on concrete. I could feel the moons satisfied gleams. Months of painful memories were behind me. I could feel the city. Pure excitement. I pushed myself harder as I recreated the city in my head. The thundering pop from behind me stopped me in my tracks. My skin began to weigh me down. I heard the guards voices call out to me. I felt the pain pulse through my veins. My chest began to hurt as I thought of my family and the bond we had created, a bond not even the strongest chain-linked fence could separate.
I had reached the city. The roads were lit by the golden street lights. I stared up at the moon as it called me home. The warm smell of chicken, corn, and mashed potatoes surrounded me as I made my way towards the doors and joined my family back at the round oak table for dinner.