Chapter Sixteen: Sacrifice

Night had fallen over the camp, and the bitter cold crept into the weary bodies of the refugees. Abboud and Abbas sat huddled in the corner of their tattered tent, whispering about the escape plan they had long waited for. Their escape from this hell was the only hope left. They had decided that tonight would be their chance—either freedom or death.

Abboud (his voice hoarse): "Tonight, Abbas. There’s no room for hesitation. If we don’t leave now, we’ll be stuck here forever."

Abbas (his eyes filled with fear): "But what if we fail? What if they catch us?"

Abboud (with firm resolve): "Don’t think about that now. We either live a new life or die slowly here. We have nothing left to lose."

As midnight approached, and the guards’ shifts lightened, they decided to move. They slipped through the shadows, avoiding the floodlights and the bullying guards. Abbas’s heart raced as he cautiously took each step, but Abboud was beside him, offering strength and pushing him forward.

But fate was not kind. Just as they neared the camp’s fence, a loud whistle pierced the night.

Guard’s voice (shouting): "Escapees! Stop them!"

In an instant of chaos, one of the guards lunged at Abbas, knocking him to the ground forcefully.

Abbas (groaning in pain): "Abboud... Abboud, help me!"

Abboud, who had just made it past the fence, turned back and saw Abbas being beaten. Without a second thought, he ran back to his friend, leaping onto the guard, trying to save him.

Abboud (his voice filled with rage): "Let him go! Let us go!"

But the guard was stronger, landing several blows to Abboud’s face. Abboud didn’t care about the pain; all he wanted was to protect Abbas. Amid the struggle, Abboud looked down at Abbas, who was writhing under the weight of the guard.

Abboud (through gasps of pain as he took more hits): "Run, Abbas! Run now!"

Abbas (with hesitation, his eyes filling with tears): "I can’t leave you, Abboud!"

Abboud (screaming through the agony): "Go, my friend! Don’t think about me... Run and start your new life!"

Abbas hesitated for a moment, torn apart by indecision. How could he leave Abboud behind? But when their eyes met, he saw the strength and determination in Abboud’s gaze. He realized Abboud was giving him a chance at life.

Abbas (his voice choking with tears): "Abboud... I swear I’ll come back for you, I swear!"

Abboud (with a weary smile despite the pain): "Just run... Don’t let this chance slip away. Run!"

Despite the agony in his heart, Abbas began to run. Tears streamed down his face as he sprinted toward freedom, leaving behind his friend who was enduring a brutal beating. He could hear Abboud’s cries fading with each step he took further away.

Abbas (shouting in a trembling voice): "Abboooud!"

But Abboud was still taking the blows, and through the pain, he shouted with every ounce of strength he had left:

Abboud (his voice ragged): "Run, Abbas... Run, live for both of us... Run!"

The moment of separation was heart-wrenching. Every step Abbas took felt like a knife twisting in his heart, but he knew that Abboud had sacrificed himself for him. As he ran through the darkness, his voice trembled as he whispered:

Abbas (between sobs): "I’ll never forget you, Abboud. I swear I’ll never forget you."

As Abboud lay on the ground, enduring the relentless beatings from the guards, he felt the unbearable pain, but he was at peace. He had saved his friend. Abbas was now on his way to freedom, to a new life, and that was all that mattered.

Abboud (in a faint whisper as tears mixed with the blood on his face): "Live for both of us, Abbas... live."

The guards finally left Abboud unconscious on the ground, but in his heart, he knew his sacrifice had not been in vain.