"My name is Alex."

My heart stopped as I took in his words and I forced my eyes to open. The lights burned, but I squinted through the discomfort to stare up at the man who stood before me.

"Alex? Where's Oskar?" I asked. If Alex was my new guard Oskar should still be around. The old guard always introduced me to the new one. Alex stared down at me with his intense brown eyes, but said nothing. There was a questioning sadness about them that was all too familiar.

Like a brick wall, my memory hit me. The doctor's chair, the alarm, Oskar's final words, and the gun he left behind. Alex was the dark eyed soldier that had rescued me from the underground facility. He had stopped me from ending my own life. But why? What did he want from me?

Looking around, I found myself in a tent that held several cots. Military symbols were painted on the sides of it. The exit was easy to spot, but the flap was sealed. With it closed I wouldn't be able to make it out of the tent before the soldier caught up to me.

A familiar female voice called from outside the tent and Alex responded. "Don't worry she's a friend," he said, as if that would somehow comfort me.

The woman came into the tent with a tray of food in hand. I recognized her from the helicopter, she had been the pilot who argued with Alex. Watching the two of them, I kept an eye on the exit. The flap was open. I would likely only have one chance to escape so I had to time it perfectly.

I slowly slipped the blanket off of me as Alex walked to the woman. When he took the tray of food from her, I knew I had to move. Springing from the bed I darted past the woman and out the tent's flap. Alex cursed in English as I was blinded by the morning light.

Cursing the doctor for my light sensitivity I ran. With my eyes squinted it was hard to tell where I was headed, not that I had the slightest clue as to where I was to begin with. All I knew was that I had to get away. I wanted to be free. I couldn't go back to living my life as a captive, as an experiment.

Determined to gain my freedom or die trying, I weaved through a series of tents. They were all laid out in perfect rows. Soldiers were scattered about among them and I avoided them as best as I could. They stared at me as I passed by them.

Alex called out from behind me. He wanted me to stop, but I could see trees past the last row of tents. I would get my freedom. Running full speed I ignored Alex's shouts. His voice faded into the background as I focused on my destination.

When my feet hit the damp grass of the tree line I was breathing heavily, but I didn't stop. I needed to find cover in the trees. In my moment of pause Alex's body collided into mine. He tackled me to the ground and I writhed beneath him.

"Calm down. I don't want to hurt you," he said as I flailed my arms, desperate to be free.

"Get off of me," I screamed, hoping to deter him, but my screaming had no effect.

I wrestled the soldier with every bit of energy I had, but he was stronger. He managed to pin me face down on the ground and twisted my arms behind my back. Even though I knew he had me, I still refused to give up.

Wriggling in the grass I didn't care that I was wet, that the cool air gave me goose flesh, that all I had on was a thin pair of underwear. I just wanted to be free. My wrists burned from his grip and my heart raced. I couldn't give up. I had to keep trying.

"Please stop. You're only hurting yourself," Alex said. "I'm trying to help you."

Tears fell from my eyes. There was no way out. "I just want to be free."

"It's going to be okay," Alex said as my resistance fled. "We're going to take you some place safe, where those people will never be able to get to you."

I cried freely and he released my hands. Pulling me into a hug, he held me tightly to him. His grip was firm and I knew there was no escaping him, so I gave in. Melting into his embrace, my chest ached from the pain of my existence. From being trapped and tortured for so many years, from seeing Oskar kill himself, from knowing that I would never truly be free.