To the World - Preface

Liam finally takes his last look at home, and gets ready to leave that country once for all.

Run, Liam, run.

   These were the last words that Liam's parents told him before he left on his journey, to run, not to look back when he heard the police sirene, not to fear when he saw news of the election day, not to lose hope when feeling helpless or when he saw how many miles were still ahead for the border.

    Liam looked one last time at his home, took a deep breath, swing his backpack over his back, and ran. Ran until he couldn't see his city anymore. Ran while political posters flew around, vandalized. While people fighting for freedom protested against that tyranic dictatorship, while cops shoot kids who hadn't even reached 18 years of life yet, arrested and obligated them to work hard in the pits in abusive conditions of work. Liam knew that was the risk he took by trying to leave that country, but having a life like that, without any freedom or personal values, was worse than no life at all. 

     He had to fight for what he believed, not only believed, but needed. To have a life at all. His parents were heartbroken, but did everything to help him on his journey: a backpack full of food and love. Snacks, bottles of water, and a small photograph of him and his parents when he was just a kid. It was a hard decision. The hardest decision he ever took. So he took everything with him,  his dignity, values and family, as his mom said:

 "When you go, you'll be taking all of us with you"

   Liam knew that was truth, no one in his family was ever able to escape Petria, so, he'd be the first. It didn't matter how: Through the mountain, trucks, smugglers...what mattered was leaving. And no one would stop him.

Not even himself.

Author's Note

Preface