Based on my year nine work on child soldiers; i have re written an extract from my original story

1. Jamara Royle
You neverknowhowmuchyou misssomethinguntilit'sgone. School,family,friends;Iremember
the day it wasall takenaway fromme. The daytheytook me wasthe daymy innocence leftme.My
memorieshauntmysoul asI lay here takingbreathsof myallegedfreedom;the brightlightsfrom
the hospital roomburnmy eyesasI try to openthem.AmI reallyfree though?Ican't run free like a
lioninthe jungle;Ican't sore like abirdhighin the sky.InsteadIlay here,half dead,paincascading
throughmy body. The strong smell of some sortof sanitizer invadedmynose asthe doctorstook
my temperature andbloodpressure.Theyloomedoverme;dressedinbluescrubsandwhite masks,
theywatchedmystrainedmovement.One of the doctorspulledoutaneedle;the lightemphasising
itssharpness.Itwas like atinypinchwhenitpenetratedmyskin;Iwatchedwithdull eyesasall the
liquidwaspushedintomyarm.My eyessuddenlyfeltheavyandmyheadwasswayingslightly;
consciousnessdrainedfromme astheyoperated.
Before thishappened,Iwasa carefree childrunningandplayingwhilemymotherworkedandmy
fatherwaspresumablyat war. I remembergoingtoschool,meetingmyfriendsandlearningsubjects
such as Maths and English.Ihatedschool at the time butnow I wishedIwasback there insteadof a
recoveryward.Whenitgot dark my motherusedtotake me and mysiblingsinsowe don't get
takeninthe night.War betweenthe DrugLordsand the Police wasa continuousissue throughmy
neighbourhood.Gunshotsor explosionswouldwake me frommyslumber;the screamsthat
followedpiercedmyears,creatingunimaginableimagesinmymind.Iusedtowondereverynightif
my fatherwasstill alive andif Iwouldeversee himagain.The lasttime Isaw himwas five yearsago
on Christmas;he leftthatdayand nevercame back. I mournedfora while butthatgot me nowhere;
so I got overitand lookedoutformy motherincase she got hurt or sick.I spentmydays doinga
paperroundto get moneyforfood.We were starving;myskinwas pressedtightagainstmyribsas if
theywere tryingtoescape. Little didIknow the worst wasyetto come.
The day everychilddreadsbecame myreality; mytwelfthbirthday. The dayachildturnstwelve is
the day theygettaken. I walkedintothe mainroomof our little shack; the smell of burningcandles
dancedaroundmy nose.
'Surprise'myfamilyshouted.A warmfeelingspreadacrossmychestbut soonfadedassadness
rottedmy guts.I blewout my candlesandwavedgoodbye tomyfamilyasI walkedtoschool. Imet
up withmyfriendsMario, Chicoand Mariel alongthe way;as we reachedschool groundswe played
for a while before the bell rang.The echoof the bell sentshiversdownmyspine.We tooksinglefile
formationaswe wentinside andtooour seats.We sat in silence listeningtoourteacherMr Romano
ramble on.Back thenI was boredbutnow I realize the importance.Suddenlythe soundsof screams
filledthe airasthe LRA stormedintothe classroom.Theyhadguns.We all coweredintothe corner
of the roomas theymovedtowardsus.The headteacherwalkedinwithagun and firedthe guninto
the ceiling;makingusall scream.The LRA backedoff as the headteacherweavedbetweenthemto
getin frontof us.Theytook theirmasksoff;mybrainregisteredeveryface,everyfeature,right
downto the dry bloodstainedscarsthat markedthemas evil. Irecognisedthe facesof manywho
had beentakenthe previousyear;theirinnocence nolongerthere. Icame across a familiarface asI
lookedthem;itwasmy dad.My eyeswateredaspain physically spreadthroughmyveins; he smiled
at me as if everythingwasokaybutall Icould show himwasdisappointment.
"The followingstudentswill leave with these men;Chico,Mario,Mariel,Roberto,LeilaandPablo"
my name had beensaidbutI didn'tfeel hurtorangry or sad; I feltbetrayed.Myfriends,the others

2. Jamara Royle
and I walkedtowardsthem;theydraggedusbyour hairout to theirtruck.Theychuckedus inthe
back showingusnomercy.
The journeywas longand tiring;bythe time we reachedour destinationIcouldn'tfellmyleftleg.As
the truck came to a stop,I noticedas youngas me maybe youngergatheringaroundus;some were
injuredotherwere scaredbutmanylookedbloodthirsty. Astheytookus outthe truckmy dad
approachedme.
"I'm gladyou're here"He whispered.
"Don't talkto me you traitor"I growledbefore joiningthe otherchildren. A man ledusthroughtwo
giantdoors thatleadintoa barnwithbedsinit. The smell of urine andvomitwere predominantin
the room.
"Here are yourbeds.In thisroomyou maytalk,sleepandgetchanged"The man said. I presumedhe
was the leaderaseveryone elseseemstotake ordersfromhim. He had angry bloodshoteyesthat
restedabove abony crookednose;he wore the scar that spreadacross hisface as a trophy.I'll
alwaysrememberhisface asit'sthe face that drove fearintothe heartsof many;it's the face that
lastto be seenbefore hisvictimsdie.He made usline upina row beside eachbedandwalkedin
betweenthe tworows.Twomen behindhimgave usuniformsastheywalkedupthe aisle.They
walkedoutas we got changed.A minute latertheyreturnedwithblindfoldsandputthe overour
eyes. Theyledusto a place that reekedof gunfire andironfromblood.Afteraminute orso of
walkingtheystoppedusandkickedussowe wentdownto our knees.Theystartedtokickus and
punchus; I've neverfeltsuchpain.I feltbloodtrickle downmylip;itwaswarmagainstmy coldskin.
We all waitedforsomeone tobe killedbutnothinghappened.A guntappedthe backof myheadas
the man holdingittoldme to standup. I got upnervously;mylegstrembledasItriedto walk.My
bodyfilledwithpain witheachstepItook.Theyhandedme something;bythe shape andform I
knewitwas a gun.My palmsbecame sweatyasI helditlooselyinmyhands;Irested myfingeron
the triggergently,waitingformynextorder.
"Spill dablood!Spill daBlood"They chanted.Ipresumedtheywantedme toshoot.Igulpedand
pulledthe trigger.The powerof the gunshotback intomy shoulderasI triedto stayup. The feeling
of the weaponinmyhand feltalmostright;Ifeltalmostgodlike asIfiredit.Ifeltstrong like Iwas
invincible.Itookmyblindfoldoff withagrinbut itson faded.My mindwentnumbandmy stomach
feltsick.Ihad killedaman;a real life person.Icollapsedtothe groundas the otherall cheered;what
have I done?I watchedinhorror as the otherchildrenhadtodo the same thingwithfreshvictims;
as the bodiesdroppedyoucouldsee the mouldybloodstainsfrompreviousvictims. Andyetthis
wasn'tthe worstthingto happentome duringmytime here;thiswasjustthe beginningof mynew
life inthiscruel nightmare of reality.