Chapter 1 - Stolen Hope

David-Baya crouched near the edge of their makeshift shelter; his knees pressed into the damp dirt floor. He saw his father, Jean-Kiba, sitting just outside through a small hole in the patched plastic wall. The dawn light painted the sky a soft gray, and the morning mist clung to the air. Jean-Kiba sat hunched forward, his face buried in his hands. His shoulders shook slightly.

David blinked in disbelief. His father was weeping. In all his twelve years, David had never seen him cry. Not even two years ago, when their village in the Kasai region of DR Congo was burning and chaos engulfed everything they had ever known. Jean-Kiba had been strong then, carrying David's little brother on his back and urging his family to run faster. But now, in the fragile quiet of the Nakival Refugee Settlement where they had found safety, he seemed to have crumbled.

The boy’s breath caught in his chest. Something must be wrong. He looked around the dim interior of the shelter. ...