Revolutionary - Elaina H (each kindness read aloud txt) 📗

gun, ready to shoot, he noticed that the man wasn’t hold a stick with flame on the end. The man was simply holding the flame.

            He couldn’t believe his eyes. His fogged up mask must be messing with his eyesight. How was he supposed to defend himself if he couldn’t see? In a rash decision, Thompson tore his mask from his face and breathed in a lungful of air that didn’t seem much different from what he’d been breathing in the machine.

            Soldier Thompson began to shake severely, and he pulled the trigger. His shot went wide and missed the man completely; he heard a deep, throaty laugh erupt from the man before he threw the fire in his palm.

            Thompson dove out of the way as quickly as possible, and heard a light snicker from a quiet girl. His eyes followed the small form of what he assumed was a young girl as she pranced through the battle.

            When she got close enough and stumbled upon him she stopped, eyes wide. He raised his gun. Could he kill her? She was his age. Could he do it?

            The girl’s eyes narrowed and she raised a dagger from beneath her military jacket. She threw the first dagger at a form behind him, and he watched as fifteen year old Soldier Phillip was stabbed directly through the heart.

            There was no time to morn because almost instantly she threw another dagger at a second form to his right. Again, the girl threw her dagger, killing the man as his made a loud thud in his chest.

            Thompson closed my eyes waiting for the third dagger to make its mark in his heart like she’d done to the others, instead he cried out in pain as the dagger buried itself into his upper thigh. Thompson shouted, and opened his eyes. He stared after the girl as she removed the two daggers from the dead soldiers.

            Finally, she leaped over his prone form. He waited for the final blow, but she only quickly removed the dagger from his leg, gave him a brief nod, and darted back into the fog.

            Thompson crawled slowly towards a large boulder that he assumed would offer him some protection. He heard cries of pain and screams of despair for the next hour until it slowly stopped. Just when he thought it was all over, a loud piercing screech echoed across the open land.

             He threw his hands over his ears and closed his eyes tight. The pain in his thigh was becoming almost unbearable, but he held on. Suddenly, he heard a strange, unfamiliar voice in his head. It simply said these words “You don’t remember.”

            Thompson began to feel his memories of the battle leave him, he tried to catch. They couldn’t leave; he had to tell the Lieutenant about this. Surely others had seen it!

            Almost as quickly as it had appeared, the voice left. Fortunately for Soldier Thompson they hadn’t taken everything because he could never forget the girl.

2382 May 2: 1800 hours

            Derik couldn’t decide between the blue tie and the red tie for dinner. He must have stared at them for half an hour before a soldier came to his room and informed him that dinner was being served in ten minutes, and Lieutenant Veronica expected him there on time.

            He cussed under his breath and yanked the red tie from the hanger in the closet. It would have to do.

            Quickly, he tied it around his neck, and headed downstairs to the dining room. He imagined they talk strategy and war. What else did they ever talk about? Behind him he heard the steady footsteps of the soldiers who were assigned to be his guard. He wasn’t quite sure what he needed a guard for anyways. What could possibly attack them in these resilient steel walls?

            The soldiers standing in front of the grand dining room doors opened them with one swift motion allowing Derik to enter. “Good evening, Lieutenant,” he said with a grand gesture of grabbing her hand and placing a kiss on it.

            She frowned slightly, but that was usual for Veronica. She cleared her throat, “Thank you, but we have more important things to do that try and flatter your boss.”

            Her tone was crisp, and Derik grimaced. She’s been cold to him since the dinner with the General of the West, and he couldn’t stand it.

            “Have a seat, we have much to discuss. First, I’m addressing the fact that the General will most likely arrive at a time when we least expect it. You know how he just loves to do that. And don’t ask, do you really think he’ll come? Because he will. Second, there was a rebel attack in the West like we’d expected, and our men captured a rebel. None of them seem to remember much, only that they were badly beat. Forty-five of our men died and fifty were wounded. They delivered the man to be and it was then that I discovered,” she crinkled her nose and sighed heavily, “that he was a day from dying and I’d get absolutely nothing out of him.” Veronica paused, thinking for a moment. Derik took this small amount of time to speak.

            “Did you kill him? There’s no point in keeping him if he’s worthless. We’ll just have to wait for a better rebel. They can’t stay in hiding forever. Oh, by the way, I talked to Carlton,” a confused look passed over her face, “he’s our geography guy, maps out the land outside The Compound. He told me that the only place the rebels could possibly hide this well is underground. He’s requested permission to send out ten Land Rovers with four men each to search for a possible entrance.” Derik watched Veronica’s face as she thought out the request.

            She licked her lips, “What happens if all our men are lost? That’s forty men. We’ve almost exhausted our resources as far as soldiers go. None of the boys in the community are old enough yet. We’d limited the number of children families can have to two. We even began enlisting some girls, but they’re not as strong when it comes to combat. Most of the children in this Compound have become lazy with the easy going life-style we’ve provided. It’s getting on my nerves,” Veronica absent mindedly tapped her fingers on the table as she tried to think up a solution to her problem.

            “We could set two hours out of every school day towards combat training. Toughen the kids up. I agree, this colony had gotten lazy over the past couple years, but I think it’s going to take a little bit more than that to really get them going,” Derik said as he took a bite of the just delivered broccoli stalk (Animals were sparse after the radioactive material covered the earth. On normal evenings, dinner consisted of vegetables grown in water.).

            “That’s not a bad idea. The colonies population was increasing to quickly five years ago, but now there’s been so much of a decrease that I’m thinking abolishing the two kids per family law. It seem pointless with the problems were having now. Of course, it would still take fifteen year to get a soldier out of a child, and we need soldiers now!” her fist collided with table to emphasize her point. “This is my father’s doing. This stupid law, I can’t believe he thought this would be a good idea!”

            “Ah, ah, ah,” spoke a voice from the corner of the room, “don’t be too harsh on your father now. You couldn’t possibly understand the seriousness of the situation five years ago.” The General stepped through the doors of the dining room in his gold and silver military suit, and grim smile sat beneath his graying mustache.

            Veronica’s eyes went wide, but she quickly hid her shock. Like she had said, at a time when they least expected it. “Hello, General. Would you like something to eat?”

            “That would be quite nice, Lieutenant.” He sat down at the table and gestured for a servant to fetch him a meal and a glass of water.

            Derik cleared his throat, “You’ll have to excuse the basic meal, we didn’t know we’d be having company.”

            The General nodded, “Let’s get to the point. Tell me what happened with the child.”

            Veronica nodded slowly and swallowed hard, “There was a report from his sister that he had disappeared while playing outside. Soldiers helped the girl search for him, and that’s when they discovered the hole in the wall. There was evidence outside the hole that the child had in fact traveled outside the Compound. We sealed the hole immediately and sent the family an appropriate sum of money to cover the loss of their son.”

            The General cleared his throat, “If you want me to tell you that you did a good job you’re going to have to actually start doing a good job, Veronica!” She flinched, but steadier herself, “I don’t know if you think what you’re doing is a good idea, but it’s not. You need the support of the people to actually do anything. Do you understand that?” The General leaned forward across the table, inches away from Veronica’s face, “You have to make the people feel included. You can’t just be a hard ass all the time. You have to make them feel important, like they’re actually doing something! Are you listening to me?!” His eyes were wild, and during is loud lecture he’s managed to knock a glass of water over.

            Veronica licked her lips slowly, “I understand you clearly. I understand what you are saying. I…I…” She stopped talking and glanced over at Derik. “Will you please leave us, Derik? Tell Carlton to dispatch the Land Rovers, but only two men per car. We can’t spare anymore than that.”

            Derik, knowing he wasn’t wanted, left the dining hall feeling more confused and annoyed than he had before. He wasn’t quite sure what private matter Veronica had to discuss with The General of the North, but he was sure it wasn’t something Veronica wanted him to witness. But if he had to guess, he imagined that his brave and fearless Lieutenant was seconds away from asking for help.

            

Imprint

Text: Elaina H
Images: http://www.wallpaperpin.com/wallpaper/1285x787/flames-eyes-fire-red-eye-reflected-desktop-hd-wallpaper-2811.html
Editing: Elaina H
Translation: none
Publication Date: 09-21-2013

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
Dedicated to Lia because I love you.