Hiding in Death's Shadow

"There was commotion everywhere. People were getting dressed or looking for things. The atmosphere was unreal, unbelievable. I know they all felt the same as I. A rope was tightening around everyone's neck--the end has come. It is like seeing the angel of death manifest in the form of a policeman. No one among us spoke. Except for the rustle of everyone getting ready to go, it was quiet. We were living a nightmare. It could not be real, but it was and yet I refused to believe it. Somehow, at least in me, there was a spark of hope. I pretended to look for things, all the while my mind raced through the possibilities, the ideas of escape, running away, or somehow just disappearing. I was desperate because my immediate chances were poor. I couldn't see myself leaving this house with the rest of the group. One thought ran over and over in my mind, " I must get out of this mess.