Tower and Town, November 2015

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A Journey To Freedom

In the darkness, far out to sea, the only sound I hear is that of the waves lapping against the flimsy dinghy. There must be one hundred of us jammed together like sandwiches, in a tiny boat, fit for maybe twenty at best. Even the children are silent, terrified to move, let alone make a sound. The smugglers surround us, the tin to our sardines. I sit perfectly still as instructed by my parents, squeezing my younger brother's hand on one side and my younger sister's on the other. My parents hold the babies, praying that they don't wake and scream for food. The air is freezing out here in the middle of the ocean, even though it is September. I gaze up at the stars contemplating the horrors I have witnessed - visions a child of thirteen should not have seen. But I must be strong, although I am secretly just as scared as my brother and sister. I have been told to look after them, and to be brave.

Our journey began many hours before, at dusk. I was excited yet apprehensive, having been told that we were going on a special holiday. However, our belongings were rather scarce and I soon worked out what was happening. A three hour bus journey took us to the northern tip of Egypt; many families were herded into a tiny boat. We paid a massive sum to some men who promised they would help us reach the freedom of Italy. We realised that the journey would be perilous - we would reach Italy in five or six days. But my parents' faces told a story of fear. I could sense their terror that we might not even survive the first night.

My thoughts are brought to an abrupt end. Whilst the dinghy had been bobbing along in the pitch darkness, the motion alters suddenly and the boat begins to lurch violently, up and down, side to side. The wind has picked up, and the silence of the open sea is broken by the cries of panic and despair. Life jackets had been limited so some of us shared them. I hold on tightly to my siblings. Then the dingy is overcome by the sheer force of the waves - it rolls to the left, and then we are all thrown screaming into the angry sea, like a deck of cards collapsing. I desperately try to hold on to my brother and sister, and we somehow manage to cling to some luggage to keep us afloat. For what seems like an eternity, I hold on, barely staying above the water...and then I see it. Am I dreaming? A faint light appears in the distance. My eyes begin to close.

Olivia McClean