At Angong’s house, Benson was woken by the sounds of bullets and explosions. He remembered his father’s advice to run and hide and fled into the night. He was found by a man named Kuany accompanied by his own son, who knew Benson’s father and promised to take care of Benson. Together, they joined a large group of Dinka who were all fleeing their respective villages.

The group came across an encampment of soldiers from the SPLA (Sudanese People’s Liberation Army) and were advised to get to a refugee camp in Ethiopia where they would be safe. Benson walked with the group for days, with exhaustion and loneliness slowly creeping up on him.

Benjamin’s village was attacked while he was herding goats. Hiding in the bushes, he watched gunmen destroy his home. Afterward, Benjamin managed to find his cousins Lino and Emmanuel. Once darkness fell, the elders advised the boys that it was not safe for them to stay there, and the boys joined the adults to walk in search of shelter. After a couple of days, the group arrived at a town called Tonj, where Benjamin found Benson, his cousin.