17

SASHA For a moment, I don’t move. Time stops, and my surroundings plunge into an unnerving sea of silence. Then everything comes crashing down. Something of inhuman strength grabs my shoulder, pushes me forward, and shoves me down. My knees hit the snow-covered soil, and my chest follows, knocking the breath out of my lungs. At first, I think the explosion was so big that it blew me away and I’m currently dying. All my goals, hopes, and little-girl dreams start flashing before my eyes. However, the cold hits my bones and I taste it on my tongue. The savage grip is still on the back of my head, shoving me into the snow and forbidding me from moving an inch. The residual shock wave of the explosion buzzes in my ears. It’s impossible to make out my surroundings, but I can hear gunshots and a distorted “Go, go, go!” I try to lift my head, and the firm grip slowly loosens but doesn’t disappear. “Stay down.” The harsh command rises above the warped noise in my ears. I don’t have to look to k