The sun rose on a quiet Saturday morning. You are awoken abruptly by the light shining in from the window. You roll out of bed and walk down into the kitchen. There you find your spouse and son comfortably sitting and eating their breakfast. Your daughter must still be sleeping in.
“Hello honey, what do you want for breakfast?”
[[Eggs|Breakfast]]
[[Cereal|Breakfast]]
[[Just coffee|Breakfast]]
“Alright, I’ll get that ready for you.”
You sit down and begin to read the newspaper on the table. It seems dissenting opinions against the government have grown louder amongst the people, and riots have broken out in cities all along the countryside. You don’t remember hearing anything about this around town, so you close the paper and forget about it. You turn to your son.
“Hey, what do you have planned for today?”
“Nothing much, maybe going out to see some friends, unless you want to go see a movie later?”
[[Yes|Movies]]
[[No|No movies]]
“Cool! I’ll go see what’s playing today.”
Your son runs off to check the showtimes on the computer.
“Here’s your breakfast dear.”
You sit back and enjoy the early morning breeze coming in through the window. It should be a lovely day.
An explosion sounds out from down the street
[[What is that?|Outbreak]]
“Aww too bad. Well, I’ll go and call my friends and see if they want to meet up. Your son quickly rushes off to call his friends.
“Here’s your breakfast dear.”
You sit back and enjoy the early morning breeze coming in through the window. It should be a lovely day.
An explosion sounds out from down the street
[[What is that?|Outbreak]]
Suddenly, gunshots ring out from all around the city, and explosions can be heard coming from far and near. You rush to the door and look outside to see a police car burning at the end of the street, with people chanting and cheering around it. Some of these people are armed.
You run back inside.
[[Check son|Check son]]
[[Check daughter|Check daughter]]
[[Check spouse|Check spouse]]
You rush to your son and find him hiding under the table, shaking.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“No, but what are those sounds?”
You decide not to explain and pull him out from under the table and rush him to the kitchen.
Your spouse and daughter are there waiting.
“What’s going on out there?”
“I’m not sure, but we should get out of here. Grab whatever you can and pack it in the [[car|Getaway]].”
Check daughter
You run upstairs and open your daughters bedroom door. She’s just waking up.
You pick her up and rush back downstairs to the kitchen.
Your spouse and son are there waiting.
“What’s going on out there?”
“I’m not sure, but we should get out of here. Grab whatever you can and pack it in the [[car|Getaway]].”
You run to the kitchen and see your spouse franticly looking out the window.
“Was that an explosion? And are those gunshots?”
“It seems so. Get the kids.”
Your daughter is coming down the stairs in a drowsy state, while your son has made his way back to the kitchen.
“What’s going on out there?”
“I’m not sure, but we should get out of here. Grab whatever you can and pack it in the [[car|Getaway]].”
You pack whatever you can fit into the car and hurry your family inside.
In the distance you see fires and flashes coming from everywhere in the city. Down the street, the crowd has begun moving from house to house and dragging people from their homes. Fearing the same could happen to you and your family, you pull out of the driveway and drive away, leaving your house behind.
As you leave the city, you see neighbourhoods, just like yours, on fire, office buildings being looted, and soldiers exchanging fire with armed militia. This was your city, this was your country. And this is what it has been reduced to.
You keep driving...and [[don’t look back again|On the road]].
All along the road you see other families fleeing the city with as much as they can carry. You see cars on fire and others abandoned. You keep going for what seems like miles.
A week passes.
Finally, after scavenging some fuel from abandoned cars, you finally run out. As you curse your misfortune, you consider waiting to see if anyone will [[come by and help]].
You have been travelling for weeks now, you end up in the middle of nowhere, far from any city or inhabited area. There are tall barbed wire fences surrounding the camp you are attempting to enter. The guards would arbitrarily open and close the camp to incoming refugees, volunteers or visitors.
You approach the guarded gate.
You ask for permission to enter the camp.
[[The guard refuses]]
You
[[A: Persuade guard by showing identification with reasoning of visiting relatives]]
[[B: Sit by the fence and just wait]]
The 20-something year old guard who was empowered by his rifle, would not budge. He would not let you into the camp no matter what explaination you give him.
Not long later, you notice luxuary sedans driving towards the camp. The tinted windows rolled down to reveal wealthy donors. The guards let them through. But you and other refugees with nothing but a backpack were [[refused entry]].
Not soon after, you notice luxuary sedans driving towards the camp. The tinted windows rolled down to reveal wealthy donors. The guards let them through. But you and other refugees with nothing but a backpack were [[refused entry]].
You notice along side you is a man leaning against a fence next to you, with his daughter seated between the two of you. She was probably only about 7 years old. She asked for water, but there was no water. The father told her to be strong.
Being young, she asked again not long after. The father said no again. And repeatedly she asked for water, until the father went up to the guard to ask for some water. Instead of answering, the guard beat him with the butt of [[his rifle]].
The man's wife begged the guard to stop and let him go. You could hear her say to the man that they should just go home.
[[“Better to die by bombs and snipers, but with dignity, than here.”]]
As you waited, luxury foreign cars came by the camp and easily entered. You overheard that this foreign wealthy donor thought that his donation could buy him a wife because refugee women were apparently desparate these days.
Some of the young girls waiting told you that these men would "marry" young girls, not pay a dowry, only to divorce her [[a week later]].
You’ve been through worse than this on the way to camp. The food isn’t bad, and the people are sympathetic. You’ve made some friends here. You can all unite for the same cause: freedom, and the ability to make your own lives again.
But still, you feel like you must move on. You have heard about the difficulties of living in Zaatari, and you are glad that you and your family are not there.
The conditions at this camp, which are growing worse as more and more people arrive, and your own restlessness and sense of being trapped seem to push you forward.
You gather with your family one morning, and a few others, preparing your things to leave camp. You pack what little you have, and take enough food for a few weeks from the camp. That and some basic clothing and sanitation items are all you can carry. You realize you have it better than others, who have small children, or family with medical needs to help.
You leave the camp before sunrise, you don’t know what time it is, and make your way towards the distant mountains, which you know to be a northern border.
[[Continue|lc1]]
After walking a long distance, you can no longer see the camp on the horizon. You look at the other members of your group, and your family, and they seem weary. One young family, a man, his wife and their young boy, decided to leave the group to go east, as they have some family across the nearest border.
Everyone else is continuing towards the mountains. You see some people walking towards the group, you don’t think they have spotted you yet. The group turns to you for guidance, as they know that you and your family have come the farthest of them.
What will you do?
[[Approach the people and ask them what they are doing here|lcdeath1]]
[[Take cover, and hope that they pass without noticing you|lc2]]
You approach the other group, but as you get closer you notice that they have large guns. They start screaming at you in a language you don’t understand, but you think that they are telling you to stop.
You look at your family, and they look worried. When you turn back around, the group has their guns pointed in your direction. You realize that they are militants, and they will take you and your family prisoner. You have no choice but to accept your fate, and hope that you will be rescued or released safely.
[[The End|thankyou]]
This story is adapted from the real life of refugees.
We hope that you have learned from this experience, not just about the struggles that refugees must face everyday, but that they are people like you, with hopes, dreams, and families. They leave their homeland behind as it has fallen, so that they can continue to lead their own lives of freedom. Wouldn’t you do the same?
If you are interested in learning more about current refugee issues around the world, visit the <a href="http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/welcome/
">Government of Canada</a>’s new website dedicated to providing both support for refugees in Canada, and information about how citizens can help. To read further about people’s stories, struggles, and journeys, please go to <a href="http://www.worldvision.org/news-stories-videos/syria-war-refugee-crisis">WorldVision.org</a>, or the <a href="http://www.unhcr.ca/">UNHRC.org</a> which both support the interests and funding of at risk people throughout the world. Thank you for reading.
You take action quickly and tell everyone to hide. It turns out to be a good thing, as you notice that they have large guns, and they don’t wear any familiar uniform. You motion for your family and friends to remain silent.
You wait several minutes until they pass, and several more just to be sure. When you can no longer see the men, you motion for everyone to come out of hiding. You glance back at your hiding place, a small but dense clump of foliage, and are thankful that you were not spotted. You wearily continue, knowing that you must stay strong for your family if you are to make it together.
[[Continue|lc3]]
You have now walked for almost a week, and you are finally approaching the mountains. The terrain is harsh, and you have to carry your youngest child over the rocks. You reassure her that it will get easier soon, once you make it to your destination.
Everyone is tired, but they are excited about the prospect of making it to the other side of the mountains, where they know that there are boats and other routes to other countries.
You hear a call for help a few meters away, and you realize that one of your friends is clinging to the edge of the cliff. At the same time, you hear another call for help, our of sight but still fairly close by.
What will you do?
[[Help your friend get up|lcpath2.1]]
[[Investigate the unseen call for help|lc4]]
You help your friend up, and run quickly to the source of the other call. But you are too late. Horrified, you look down a steep ravine to see your spouse’s backpack. You start to tear up, but you see your children, and you know that you must carry on, for them. You tell them that their other parent has gone away, to find a safe place, because you know that they are now too young to handle this news, and especially at this time.
[[Continue|lcpath2.2]]
You and your children make it down to the other side of the mountain, where there is a small harbour. You notice several other groups of people talking with sailors, and reason that they are searching for a new home as well.
You start up a conversation with one of the several ship captains. He is an older man, who seems tough, confident, and reasonable. He demands only a quarter of what your group has, which seems quite fair. He shows you his boat, which is a large 10-meter vessel which resembles a tugboat. You shake hands, and tell him that you are going to explore your options, and you will consider his deal.
You meet with another captain, a clear smuggler, who seems friendly enough, but also cunning, and sure to be a little bit more illegal. He asks even less than the first man, but when he shows you his boat you can understand why. No more than a large dingy, you wonder if it can hold everyone in your group. The captain assures you that he has made the trip dozens of times, and the weather this day seems to be excellent.
After talking with both captains, you know you have an important decision to make. You talk with the rest of your group, but they trust in you to make the right call.
Who will you choose?
[[The smuggler captain|lcpath2death]]
[[The older captain|lcpath2.3]]
You and your group, and your children board the smuggler’s small boat. You believe that he would be the more capable sailor, and he will do what it takes to get you safely across.
Once you get out further into the open sea, the waves become higher and higher. You start to fear for your safety. The smuggler initially reassures you, but even he seems worried. You spot shore, and believe that you might just make it, but one giant waves knocks you out of the boat and into the water. You desperately try to swim, but eventually you lose consciousness…
[[The End|thankyou]]
You and your group boards the boat of the older captain, and make your way out to sea. The captain alerts you to some strong waves, but he assures you that the boat can handle the rough seas with relative ease.
Although it isn’t smooth sailing, you comfort your children, sure that you will make it to shore and to your new home.
You finally arrive, on beaches of almost white sand, and with large buildings nearby. There are many people enjoying themselves on the beach, and you know that you have arrived in a new land. You kiss the ground, hug your children, and share looks of relief with the rest of your group, as you make your way together towards a new life.
---
[[Thank you for reading|lcpathend]]
Although you have made it to a new land, your journey is far from over. Refugees face uncertainty even when they arrive in new countries, including difficulty finding jobs, housing, and the services that they need to thrive in their new environment.
The hardships faced on the road to freedom may set them apart from most, but in reality refugees are just like anyone.
[[The End|thankyou]]
You run quickly to the unseen call for help. You know that the situation with your friend is not so dire, and he will surely be able to get up with the help of others in your group.
As you are running, you notice the familiar hair of your spouse, just sticking up from above the edge of a ravine. You get close enough to grab their hands, and you pull them up back onto flat ground.
Both relieved, you embrace in nervous silence, before discussing the plans for continuing on to the other side of the mountain.
Making your way back to the group, you and your spouse help everyone decide that the group should go along the coast. Although it would take longer, you think that it should be much safer than going by sea. You might have to cross a few countries, but luckily you can understand some of the regional dialects well enough to talk to some locals if you need help. You gather your things, and your children, and head east towards the coast.
[[Continue|lc5]]
It has now been several weeks, and it seems that you underestimated how long it would take. You are all tired and hungry, and your children are complaining of sore feet and empty stomachs.
You see a small rural town in the distance, and knowing that this is an area that is relatively free of violence, you lead your group towards the settlement.
The people in the town look at you as you walk by, but some smile, and even seem happy that someone new has made their way here. You greet a young man in your choppy regional dialect. It’s not your first language, but he responds politely and enthusiastically.
He motions to a patch of grass between two buildings, where he says that you and your group can set up camp. You oblige, and he helps you, and provides some extra blankets.
[[Continue|lc6]]
You discuss with your spouse and the rest of your group, and talk about the issue with food. The people in this town are nice, but you don’t want to take advantage of their hospitality. One of the men in your group suggests that you should steal some food. He says that he and his sister noticed that they often leave bags of produce next to the market, and no one watches them. He admits that he normally wouldn’t do something like this, but he thinks that it may be necessary if you are to make it out of the town quickly.
You spouse thinks that you should just ask for enough food to carry. You note that both plans are reasonable, considering the circumstances.
What will you do?
[[Steal a bag of food from the market|lcpath3.1]]
[[Ask for some food|lc7]]
You and one of the younger girls go to the market late in the afternoon. You are acting as the lookout, while she quickly moves in to take the bag of food. You are in luck, and this time it seems that they have left two bags unprotected. You keep close watch as the girl grabs both bags and makes her way along the shadows of buildings to where you are hiding.
The plan was a success. You take the food and head quickly back to the rest of the group, who has now packed up and is ready to go back on the road. Looking at the food, you think that it could be enough to last until you make it to another town.
[[Continue|lcpath3death]]
After a few more days on the road, you realize that your assumptions were wrong. You are running out of food.
In the middle of nowhere, you are afraid that you and your family could starve. It is already becoming a struggle to feed everyone, and a few of your friends have left on their own to find other towns and more food. You hope that they will return.
Days pass. Your last few meals are in front of you. You take what you feel like you can, and then give the rest of the food to your spouse and children, telling them to survive as long as they can…
[[The End->thankyou]]
You go back to the first friendly person that you met, and ask him if it would be possible for the town to give you and your group enough food to make it the countries that are supporting people from your homeland. He looks at you, and then laughs. He says that he had wondered when you would ask, with such a hungry looking bunch.
He takes you to a store, which looks quite modern for this small town, and gives you everything you can carry. He advises you to take as many nuts as possible, as they are light and contain lots of energy.
You thank him, and make it back to your group’s temporary camp, where you prepare to begin moving forward again.
[[Continue|lc8]]
You and your family and friends leave the town early the next morning. You leave a crudely written thank you note on the door of the store, addressed to the young man who had helped you.
Back on the road, you journey for several more days. Your daughter gets ill, but you and your wife are able to take care of her, thankfully aided by some tea that you were given back in the town. Your daughter recovers, and all is looking well. Just as you are approaching the border of the next country, you see humanitarian aid workers. Rejoicing, your group approaches them, ready to await processing, which you know only takes another few days, so that you can finally find your new place of peace.
[[Thank you for reading|lcpathend]]
You are finally allowed entry into the camp. The guards strip you and your family of your belongings. They search through your backpacks and remove all items that could be used as a weapon, and all food items you managed to bring along. You are only allowed to eat what they provide, and you feared that what they provide is less than what you brought.
As you enter the camp, one of the first things you see is a young girl being fitted into a bright coloured dress by her older sisters and mother. You hear that she is to marry a suitor several years older than her. Her mother told her that she would grow to love him. You knew that this was her ticket out of refugee camp.
The familes of these girls were not benefiting from these marital practices. It was simply a way to provice security from the incidents of sexual harassment, and rape that were common in the camps.
You approach:
[[The family of the young girl to talk]]
[[A family who was trading food rations for their only good clothing]]
As you and your family moved throughout the camp in search of space in a tent, you notice that that families like yours were everywhere. The exhausted, tired, hurt, and sick children crying to their parents because of thirst and hunger, crying because of the uncomfortable muddy floors in the tents that served as beds, crying because they were cold.
You couldn't do anything. You could only hope that your family [[gets out soon|Leaving camp]].
The family of this young girl invited you and your family into their tent. They offered you tea made from contaminated water, the only available water at the camp. You realized that your family is from the same villiage. You shared your refugee experiences with them. They told you that they have been escaping for a year now. They showed you a can of expired can of luncheon meat was given to them as food ration for the week. One can of expired meat for [[a family of six]].
The family trading food rations for pieces of their only remaining good clothing welcomed you and your family into their tents to talk. They told you about the jacket that they were trading, it appears that it belongs to the father of this family. He was trading away warmth for food to feed his children.
They offered you tea made from contaminated water, the only available water at the camp. You realized that your family is from the same villiage. You shared your refugee experiences with them. They told you that they have been escaping for a year now. They showed you the can of expired can of luncheon meat that was given to them as food ration for the week. One can of expired meat for [[their family of six|a family of six]].
The more time passes, the more you become worried for your family’s well-being. You must decide on what to do, for you only have a limited amount of time to survive before dying or getting caught.
[[Walk towards the camp]]
[[Make shelter to rest in till morning]]
[[Keep waiting]]
You and your family decide to keep walking in hopes of reaching the camp, but before you continue, you must decide on what supplies to bring and what to leave behind.
[[Bring Water]]
[[Bring food]]
[[Extra Clothing/blankets]]
You and your family set up in a forest for shelter to rest for the night, pulling out every blanket that you have brought with you. When night falls, you gather with your family in the car under the blankets you have brought. You and your family take shifts to be on lookout in case of any danger. In the morning you and your family wake, you awaken the children. With a brand new day, you must decide on what to do next.
[[Walk towards the camp]]
[[Keep waiting]]
You and your family wait by the car patiently, hoping someone to assist you. after two hour waiting, you see a car in the distance, you try to focus in on it to see if they are apart of the militia. But on the other hand it may be another family heading in the direction of the refugee camp. You tell your family to hide in the car and wait till you say they can come out. You must decide on whether they could be helpful or are the military.
[[Wave them down]]
[[Hide in the nearby forest]]
You bring what water you have [[brought]]
You bring what food you have [[brought]]
You bring what little clothing you have [[brought]]
You and your family begin walking, carrying your supplies in hand, keeping close to the road. Further along the way, you see a man near the road, looking like he is close to death. Your kids want to help him, but your wife thinks he could be dangerous.
[[Give him some of your supplies]]
[[Ignore him and walk away]]
You walk towards him, giving one of the supplies that you have brought with you. “Thank you,” says the weak stranger, promising he will repay you someday. You wish him luck as you continue to walk until after another hour you finally [[reach the camp|In camp]].
You quickly cross to the other side of the road and keep going. As you pass him, you hear his weak cries for help, and whisper to your family to ignore him. You continue walking till you finally [[reach the camp|In camp]].
You wave them down, and as the car approaches, you feel your heart race. The car finally reaches you, and you ask them where they are heading. You sigh with relief as it turns out to be another refugee family heading towards the camp. They have limited room in their car, So you get in, with your children sitting on your lap as you make your way towards the [[camp|In camp]].
You join your family in the bushes and wait for the vehicle to pass by. After it passes, you get out of the bushes, but still there is limited time.
[[Walk towards the camp]]
[[Make shelter to rest in till morning]]
<center><b><font size="12">Road of the Refugee</font>
<font size="3">Made for ENGL294 Games Studies
Made by Etienne L., Steve M., Chris T., Onie T.</font>
[[Begin your journey|1]] </center></b>