A Moment In Time

From Amnar: 4765

The guards were coming up the stairs. Nenja could hear their boots treading heavily on the stone steps at the far end of the corridor. She pressed herself against the back wall of the nursery, the windowsill pressing into the nape of her neck, hoping to hear the sound of the Madam’s voice protecting her, but she could only hear one of the other assistants babbling away at the guards. She shut her eyes, the screaming crowd outside and the oncoming guards suddenly just a distant dream in the seclusion of her own mind.

Giddily, she found herself slowly standing up, leaning against the cold glass as she straightened. The guards were at the top of the stairs now and striding down the corridor, pushing the assistant out of the way. Nenja heard the first uncertain cry of one of the babies waking up as the men in the corridor shouted for her. Her legs quaking beneath her, she stared at the floor, her head spinning wildly. Without knowing what she was doing, she gritted her teeth and straightened herself to her full height, facing the door. Yellow light from the corridor spilled in on the cots in their neat little rows. A huge shape moved up and filled the gap, stopping in the doorway itself.

“Nenja?” a heavy gravely voice intoned.

Nenja pressed herself back against the wall, her hands trembling. “Yes,” she whispered.

“You have been accused of aiding and abetting Amnari in the capture of innocent children from this orphanage,” the guard growled. “Come with us. You are to be tried tonight.”

Out beyond the massive shape of the guard, Nenja could see the assistants bobbing up and down, chattering to each other. She took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, walking forward through the nursery towards the door. Finally, she stood before the guard, breathing slowly and steadily and looked up into his face, her jaw clenched.