I am Hope
By Liz Haigh


The boy asked too many questions. He didn’t trust or respect me. If he knew even half the truth he would have been stunned into silence. But back then he knew nothing, none of them did. When he looked at me, all he saw was a teenage girl, about the same age as him who had got lucky when the danger had come and led the six of us here.

“What are we doing here? You promised to bring us to safety. How can we be safe in some dark derelict church?”

I did not answer him. He responded by asking more questions.

“Who are you anyway? You’re very young to be in the Special Forces.”

Young! He would be really shocked if he knew how old I really was. More questions followed.

“If you are Special Forces, why haven’t you taken us to the United Forces Base? It is only a mile down the road from here. That’s where most people try to escape to when trouble comes.”

“My orders were to keep you safe,” I replied, though this is not strictly true. This boy, Travis doesn’t feature in my instructions at all. I’m not sure why I bought him and the other two boys who are with us for that matter. It is the girls I need to protect, one of them in particular. More questions follow from Travis.

“Surely we would be safer at the Base? How can you possibly keep us safe here? It is only a matter of time until they find us.” At this comment one of the girls began to cry.

“Be quiet” I told her, my words coming out sharper than I intended them too. I pulled Travis over to one side. I took his hand and I pressed his palm on to the side of one of the stone columns which is supporting the great church roof.

“Feel that. There is a power in there can’t you feel it? This stone is thousands of years old. How old is the United Forces Army Base?”

“What are you talking about?” He asked.

“When was the base built? Was it built in your lifetime?”

“Err, yes it was built when I was little - about ten years ago”. He replied. He was much less sure of himself now.

“Is it built in stone?” I asked

“How is this relevant?”

“Answer my question!” I demanded.

Finally he confessed. “No, it is concrete - but I’m sure it is reinforced.”

“So, it is only ten years old, reinforced concrete. Where as this church has been on this site for more than three thousand years. Tell me, in just a hundred years from now which would you expect will still be here? The church or the United Forces Base?”

I am no longer pressing his palm hard against the stone pillar but he still keeps it there. For the briefest moment I suspect he is starting to tap into its power.

“I guess it’s the Church,” he replied.

‘Good answer,’ I said. I started to walk away but he grabbed my hand and pulled me back to him.

“Who are you?” His question unnerves me. He looks into my eyes and I feel like he is looking deep inside me. I am new to the human body form. It is taking some getting used to. I don’t want you to think I am not used to feelings and emotions. But the feelings I have within this body, the feeling of touch, the sharp sense of smell and the visions I can see with my own eyes, they are all very powerful experiences. Before I came to earth I assumed humans were very primitive beings, now I am not so sure.

Travis still had hold of my arm. “Who are you?” He asked again. I so wanted to tell him everything but he was not ready to hear it all yet. So I told him the only thing he was ready to hear.

“I am Hope.”


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Liz Haigh lives in Cheshire in the UK. She works at a university library which is her dream job because she loves books. Her work has appeared in, Linnet’s Wings, Apollo's Lyre, Eclectic Flash, The Legendary, Foundling Review, Blink, Delivered, WEIRDYEAR and other places..