Ceschia 2

Stefano Ceschia
Professor Emmet Callahan
English
18 January 2016
Short Story - Freedoom
Sancho awoke to the sound of a rooster's call. He sighed and got up. Immediately he
groaned in pain, remembering the whip's gashes on his back and laying back on his makeshift
bed. Sancho was barely 17 years old, but his body had gone through so much he looked much
older. As a child, he was dragged away from his family and was exploited by drug cartel Los
Santos. A decade later, and nothing had changed, Sancho remained trapped in a deep hole of
misery. After gathering enough strength he got up from the wooden crates he called his bed.
Sancho slowly walked outside, trying to make the least noise to avoid another beating. Once
outside, he went to his small oasis in the desert. It was the only place in such a dark world where
he could feel free and happy. Sancho slowly climbed all the way to the top of the barn. He didn't
want to make the slightest sound or reopen his wounds from the harsh climb to the top. Finally
he got to the top. It was about 5:00 AM and the sun was rising. Sancho laid back comfortably
and looked at the mountains. It was his routine, everyday he would wake up and watch the sun
rise. The sun represented hope for Sancho. It rose from behind the mountains, behind the fence.
From such a high point, Sancho could see the famous land known as the US. It was a land known
for freedom and opportunities. But there was one problem. Between him and his dream, stood a
barrier, a menacing, wicked iron monster. It coiled all the way through the arid desert and went
as far as the eye can see. Sancho dreamt of the US and the land after the mountains, but it was
impossible to cross. The giant iron serpent that separated the countries was more than two meters

Ceschia 2
tall, it was dug deep into the ground and to make matters worse it was protected by electricity.
Dreaming is free Sancho thought as he slowly descended with the sky regaining its normal
varied palette. Dawn was over and Sancho knew it meant work time. A day at Los Santos was
unbearable. There was barely any food for the workers, just enough to keep them alive and the
workload was inhumane. From planting and packaging, Sancho worked 20 hours a day. If caught
slacking or in disagreement, he faced the whip. The workers were controlled by fear. Besides his
special spot, Sancho's life had another rare spark. This time it was a person though. Her name
was Angelica and she was one of the young women that worked in the laundry. Sancho and
Angelica knew each other from a very young age. They came from the same village and both had
their parents killed. Sancho had always taken care of her, but as she grew up things changed and
they fell in love. Angelica was Sancho's purpose, his motivation. Sancho kept going only because
of the illusion of one day crossing the fence with her into the land of the free. Young girls like
her were abused by the drug lords and guards. Sancho couldn't stand it. Unfortunately, Angelica
was sick. She suffered from asthma and it kept on getting worse and worse from the chemicals
she had to deal with. Time was running out for her, and such exposure would soon end up killing
her. Because of her condition, Sancho began planning their escape. Each meal, Sancho would
save half of it for their stash. If they managed to cross the fence, they had to survive the desert.
Water and food were scarce and despite being warm during day, at night temperatures dropped
below freezing. As for Angelica, she stole whatever fabrics she could and with a wooden splinter
started knitting clothes. Without realizing it, the couple's dream starting becoming a reality. All
was going smoothly when Sancho was caught stealing water. He knew his consequences and
feared for his death. The guards at the compound were savage and merciless. That same day,
Sancho was whipped publicly. The young man could feel his back ripping apart as they violently

Ceschia 2
lashed the whip at him. He was about to break, about to give up, but thought about the sun he
saw every morning, the sun over the mountains, and his own shiny star, Angelica. Sancho closed
his eyes and hoped. He hoped for his freedom, for his success, for his love, for his life. Sancho
forgot about the pain and prayed. When the whipping ended the guards carried him over to the
Pit. The Pit was a hole in the desert where punishments took place. Offenders were thrown there
for three days without food and water. Sancho remained unconscious for an entire day. When he
finally woke up he could feel the smell of rotting flesh, his own rotting flesh. Flies buzzed
around him and landed on his wounded back. As he turned to see the extent of his injuries he saw
a greenish substance forming on his purple gashes. Sancho was pale. He barely had any blood
and was fading away with each passing hour. Once again, he conjured the images of hope and
managed to stay alive. That night he couldn't sleep. The idea of his possible death overwhelmed
and the sound of maggots in his back didn't let him sleep. Later that night, Sancho heard a call. It
was an unearthly, soothing voice. At first, he thought it was a dream. But as his eyes focused and
he regained his senses, Sancho realized it was Angelica. Sancho could barely talk and she wasn't
supposed to be outside so quickly she tossed him a loaf of bread and a plastic water bag. Sancho
devoured the bread and drank every last drop. As he looked up to groan thanks, Angelica was
gone. He thanked God and hoped that she could sneak in back safely. The next morning, it was
time. His punishment was over and Sancho could go back to work. Despite his serious injuries,
Sancho was forced to continue working. Somehow he managed, but his injury was infected and
it was spreading through his whole body. Sancho's skin was now a greenish yellow color. The
wounds were closing but they were full of maggots and pus. One day, as he secretly visited
Angelica he asked her to pour chlorine on his back. It would hurt and possibly damage his skin
but it would cleanse the wounds. Reluctantly, Angelica accepted. Sancho bit on a his shirt to

Ceschia 2
contain the urge to scream. Angelica poured it and the substance sizzled on the infected gashes.
Sancho could hear his skin burning but slammed his jaw and eyes shut to avoid the piercing
wave of sound that was rushing to come out. It felt as if liquid fire was being poured on him. As
Sancho got up and headed back to work, Angelica gagged. She turned around and her mouth
spurred vomit like a volcano erupts lava. The greenish mushy substance made a mess. Angelica
was as pale as a white paper and clearly looked disturbed. Sancho concluded she was ill and that
they needed to get out of the compound as soon as they could. The couple agreed to wait a
couple of days as Sancho regained his strengths. Later that week, the time had come. Sancho and
Angelica quietly left at night and met at the Pit. They walked for about and hour and finally
made it to the fence. Despite their love and their hope at a life together, the pair hadn't been
exactly honest to each other. So as Angelica asked, "Now what?", Sancho burst into tears. He
hadn't told Angelica the plan. The plan was to redirect the current of the electric fence so that it
could be cut and therefore crossed. The bad news were that there was nothing to redirect the
current into but Sancho. He had known it from the beginning but knew that if he toldAngelica
from the beginning she wouldn't allow it. After he confessed, it was Angelica's turn. Angelica
told Sancho that the vomit was not her asthma, or an illness. It was her pregnancy and yes, it was
his son. The couple embraced in a hug and burst into tears. It was now or never. They kissed for
one last time and Sancho told her to look around. He burst the electric box open with a rock and
disconnected the cables. He said one last goodbye and against Angelica's will grasped the cables
hard with both of his hands. Angelica turned away and wailed. The whole fence burst alight with
electricity. It faded fast and Angelica began cutting. The sound and light had alerted the guards
and they were on their way. She could hear dogs barking and gunshots. Angelica finished cutting
and sprinted with the supplies on her back. She was going to make it she thought, for Sancho and

Ceschia 2
Sanchito in her belly. Angelica sprinted as long as she could. Her sandals broke down and she
continued barefoot until the gunshots and barks were no longer audible. When she couldn't hear
them anymore she collapsed into he ground. She sobbed violently and looked up to a light. It was
the sun, the sun rising, but this time she saw it from she the land of the free, free of the doom