Lauran Davidson March 21, 2012 3rd hour
Dear Diary,
Day 1
My name is Nykito Ibeamaka. And today has been the worst day ever! I have just been captured by rebels and killed my best friend die. I am terrified out of my mind and so confused. Now that I have been captured I am being forced to become a child soldier. I have so much going through my mind right now, I am panicking! But I just got to keep my cool; one sudden move and I die. As so many thoughts race through my mind I start to think about why this had to happen to me. I know everything happens for a reason, but what does this have to do with anything? What did I do to deserve this? I have heard stories about child soldiers, but I never believed it. The way the people told it, it seemed like it just couldn’t be true, so cruel, so real. Around this day in time you can never tell what stories are true or made up. Sincerely, Nykito
Dear Diary,
Day 2
I am still in shock about how and why this happened. Me, my best friend, Ephraim, and some other kids from my old school were just hanging out, walking around until we heard some commotion. I see kids running, scared out of their minds, and women and mothers gathering children. Then I hear gunshots and see people drop to their knees, after seeing this I felt like all of me just died. I think back to the stories I heard then start to think that they were true. I panic, not knowing where to go or what to do I grab my best friend and run. We run into a group of people we thought were good soldiers, turns out they were rebels. They had another group of boys facing each other and put Ephraim and I on opposite sides. They gave the boys on my side guns and told us to shoot the people in front of us and if you don’t we would be shot dead too. When I heard this, my heart dropped, we all looked at each other like we heard him wrong. I take one last look at him and shoot; they pat my back, blindfold me, and take me to the training camp.
Sincerely, Confused
Dear Diary,
Day 4
I feel guilty about what I must become. So far they took the games we used to play as a child and turn them into killing sprees. Playing pin the bullet on the human, hide and seek by shooting the people you find, and Red Rover by running through town killing random people. I hate these games and everything that we do and I’m just ready to go home. But this is my home now so I just got to get used to it. But the best thing about it is that after we watch the trained kids kill, they give us drugs to cool down the pain. I never had drugs before, but the way it calms you down it’s amazing. Sincerely, Killer
Dear Diary,
Day 7
Every morning we must wake up by 6am on the dot, if not they come into the room where everyone is and whip the people that are still sleep and we must watch. By 6:05 am everyone must be awake and we have until 6:10 to get ready and eat, but if you miss breakfast your just out of luck. This training camp is the worst and all they do is torture, I want to leave but there’s no way out! I am about to go out of my mind! I am still getting used to these daily routines. But I mine as well just follow their rules because it’s not like I have anything to live for anyway or like I’m going to escape.
Sincerely, Worthless
Dear Diary,
4 Months Later
Ugh! Another day of ‘‘rehabilitation’’, more like prison, no way out and full of crazies. What am I here for anyway? I don’t have an issue like all these other people running around here. Every morning some woman dressed in all white comes in and says, ‘‘ Good morning, Nykito! ’’ Who the heck is Nykito? I tried telling her my real name, but she just ignores me. My first stay here the woman thought I was crazy because I woke up so early and got dressed fast, I mean I didn’t want to miss out on my breakfast. She told me she’ll take care of that and for me to take my time, there’s no need for any rush. When she said those words I almost cried because I feel like such a heavy burden has just been lifted off me. I’ve been doing this routine for so long why has it changed? What is this place? Is this my new home?
Sincerely, Nykito ?