Shadows of Freedom

It was a sunny day in the small town of Villa Copenhagen. The air was calm, the weather perfect, and everything seemed to be in harmony. Yet, the people of the town weren't outside enjoying the warmth. They remained locked in their homes with doors tightly shut. The streets were deserted, and the atmosphere felt eerily wrong. There were no birds chirping, the trees stood still, and not a single person was seen walking. The windows were all shut tight as though something terrible was about to happen.

And indeed, something was.

Around 10:55 AM, the sky began to darken, and the wind picked up, as though a storm were brewing. But then, out of the shadows, emerged a figure. His name was Arin, and he wore a sign that read, “I shall be the sacrifice.” With only a small pocket knife tucked into his back pocket, he stepped forward into the unknown, fully aware that the odds were stacked against him.

A short time later, another man appeared. He was escorted by guards wearing handcuffs and led by several bodyguards. This man had conquered parts of Denmark, including Villa Copenhagen. Each month, one person was chosen to be sacrificed to a labor camp, and today, it was Arin’s turn. He knew his pocket knife wouldn't be of much use-attempting to defend himself would only lead to certain death.

Arin was swiftly knocked unconscious with a white gas and thrown into the trunk of a car. Hours later, he awoke as the car came to a halt. The trunk opened, revealing two masked men. They pulled him out, uncuffed him, and led him to a dimly lit room.

Inside, Arin saw prisoners pedaling bicycles connected to generators. A sign on the wall read, “1 kilowatt = 1 dollar.” The realization hit him: the bicycles were generating electricity, and the amount they produced determined how much money the prisoners could earn. However, the prices for food were extortionate, and failure to produce at least 500 watts of electricity per day would result in severe punishment- one no one wanted to face.

A guard handed Arin a piece of paper with a number and shoved him into the room. It wasn't as bad as Arin feared. At least it was better than a construction site or the front lines, where death was imminent. Maybe NATO forces would come to his rescue soon.

Arin glanced at the paper and saw that the number matched a bike in the room. He climbed on and began pedaling. Two hours and thirty-five minutes later, after grueling effort, he had generated 1 kilowatt of electricity and earned 1 dollar. Exhausted but relieved, he decided to rest for the day. As he looked around, he noticed some prisoners had already generated 3 kilowatts, and others had managed 7.

That night, the lights were turned off, and the only source of light came from the open doors. A guard entered holding a menu. The options were dismal: cheap, disgusting food or expensive, gourmet options. Arin’s eyes fell on an energy drink priced at 1 dollar. Considering how hard he had worked, it seemed like a worthy investment. He handed over all his money and eagerly accepted the drink.

Just as he was about to sip, a voice interrupted. "Oi, kid, over here." A man waved him over. "Come try some jerk turkey. We pooled our money together."

Intrigued, Arin went over and saw the turkey. The smell was irresistible, and the sight of it reminded him of home. He eagerly took a piece and sat down beside the man.

"What’s your name?" the man asked with a grin.

"Arin," he replied, still surprised to find someone from his town here. "What about you?"
"Name’s Jack. Nice to meet you, Arin. We’re all in this together, might as well make the best of it," Jack said.

Arin nodded and took a bite. It was as good as promised-a small comfort in the midst of the grim reality of the camp. As he ate, he noticed a flicker of hope amidst the misery. Jack and the others told him how some had been executed for training drills, but they had no choice but to keep going. There were no updates on the war, and no one could rely on NATO to save them anymore. Waiting for a rescue had become futile.

Then Arin remembered the pocket knife in his back pocket. Taking it out, he showed it to Jack and the others, and they realized this might be their only chance at escaping. They quickly devised a plan.

For the next few days, they pretended to follow the routine: pedaling, eating together, and talking casually. They used the breaks, when they were allowed outside, to gather materials. They managed to find some pieces of wood about a meter long and stashed them in their room. When they were forced back inside, they returned to the bikes, trying to stay under the radar.

On one of the days, they ordered a pack of cigarettes-an odd choice, but it came with something useful: blunt knives. They also ordered some delicious chicken to save their strength for the plan ahead.

Later that night, when they were alone, they used the matches from the cigarettes to heat the pocket knife. Then, using one of the sticks they’d gathered, they carefully sharpened it until it resembled a small bayonet. Time passed quickly, and by dawn, they had hidden their weapons.

The next day, Arin was filled with energy from the drink he'd bought. The energy drink seemed to work wonders-what used to take him over two and a half hours to generate 1 kilowatt now took him only one hour to surpass 3 kilowatts. He was energized, and Jack and the others encouraged him to calm down, but Arin felt unstoppable. By the end of the day, he had generated 7 kilowatts-more than anyone had ever achieved in a single day.

Jack, amazed, asked, "What was in that drink?"
Arin shrugged. "All I know is it was an energy drink."
“A strong one,” Jack mused, clearly impressed.

That night, when they were allowed outside again, they took stock of the knives in the kitchen. They saw plenty of them-blunt and not too useful unless they were sharpened. They realized they could sharpen them themselves, using the stones they had found earlier. One of the prisoners, a former weaponsmith, knew exactly how to do it.

Days turned into weeks. The routine remained the same: pedaling, eating chicken, sharpening sticks and knives, and sleeping. But the discovery of a news article one day shattered whatever hope they had left. It read: "As Denmark loses the war, NATO gives up on helping due to lack of information and readiness." This meant not only did they need to escape the prison, but they also had to flee the country-against an army armed with guns and growing desperation.

The urgency of their situation escalated. They had honed their plan to perfection. The knives were sharpened, the sticks prepared, and the timing had to be just right. Jack, the de facto leader of their group, devised a risky but calculated plan: they would use the chaos of the guard shift change to their advantage.

At the planned hour, the lights flickered-this was their signal. The guards, distracted and disorganized during the shift change, didn’t notice the prisoners slipping out. Arin and his companions, wearing disguises made from scraps of clothing, moved quietly toward the guards’ quarters. The first confrontation was swift but brutal. The element of surprise was on their side, and they swiftly overpowered the guards.

With the guards' uniforms now on, Arin, Jack, and the others made their way toward the outer gate. They knew the keys to the gate were in a small office near the exit. In a daring move, they broke into the office, located the keys, and rushed toward the heavily guarded gate.

Just as they were about to unlock it, an alarm blared-a fail-safe system triggered by their earlier commotion. The camp erupted into chaos, and the remaining guards began to mobilize. Time was running out.

With the alarm blaring, the group rushed through the gate and into the night. The area outside was heavily patrolled, and the landscape was rugged, but they had memorized every path. They used the knowledge they had gained from their time in the camp to navigate through the dense forest surrounding the prison.

After days of navigating through the forest and narrowly avoiding patrols, they stumbled upon a small, isolated village near the border. The villagers, though cautious, offered them refuge, food, and directions to a nearby crossing point.

Their final journey was perilous, but with the help of the villagers, they crossed the border into a neighboring country. Exhausted, but finally safe, Arin and his companions took a moment to reflect. They had escaped the labor camp and the war-torn country, but more than that, they had reclaimed their freedom.

In time, they were able to make contact with international organizations who provided shelter and support. Their daring escape was not only a triumph of survival, but also a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Though their past had been marred by suffering, their future now lay in their hands.

Their story became a symbol of hope-proof that even in the darkest times, freedom could still be found.