Start here, then credits, then project (this turned out longer than I expected lol) Also just in case; TRIGGER WARNING (Blood, gunf!re and de@th) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- I could feel the wind as it blew through my hair as I warily stepped back out into the real world. After almost a year, I had finally escaped from the four walls that had locked me in, with no-one for company other than the rat that lived in the corner. The freedom felt great. I approached the gates of the facility, hoping that this would work. Adjusting the stolen coat so that it covered my dusty clothing and pulling the brim of the hat down so my face was in shadow, I approached the soldiers standing at the gates. I kept my pace even, resisting the urge to bolt. I made it halfway through the gates before they even noticed me. "Ma'am!" I stopped and turned. "We have orders to not let anyone leave these premises." "Well, it's a good thing I am not just anyone then, isn't it?" I raised my chin, trying to seem important. "I'm sorry Ma'am, but we were uninformed that you were to be leaving today." "Who's your commanding officer?" "Uh, Captain Schooner." "Ahh, Schooner. I'm on quite good terms with him. Now, what will he say when he finds out that you wouldn't let me pass?" "We are just following orders ma'am." "I've got a very important meeting and I am already running late. If you're not careful I will see about getting you two demoted for rudeness towards your visitors. That wouldn't be any good for you now, would it?" I said, raising my voice. "I- I suppose not." "Good. Then I shall be on my way." This time when I walked out the gates no-one moved to stop me. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 minutes later… ------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Where the hell have you been?!" I practically yelled at Fletcher as I crossed the square to where he had come to meet me. "Keep it down. We don't want to draw unwanted attention." He caught my gaze with a look of concern on his face. I glared at him. "I was trapped in that place for nearly a whole blasted year." Everyday I had waited for him to show up, to get me out of that wretched place, but he never came. Instead, when the opportunity showed, I had to bust myself out. "If I had been able to, I would've gotten you out the second you were taken. It's been too risky though. With Irisa gone…" "What do you mean, gone?" "We were discovered a few months ago. They launched an attack, and we were caught unprepared. Most of us made it out alive, but some weren't so lucky." I frowned. "So what's our next move?" "We managed to get our people on the inside undetected. They've informed us that Sergeant Harper will be leaving for Turisin tomorrow afternoon. If they've taken our leader, we'll take theirs." "What happened to our diplomatic approach?" "Look around you. People are starving. The army is taking our food, leaving us to fend for ourselves. If we don't override them soon, we are all going to die." He was right, of course. Everyone I saw on the street seemed desperate, like they were only just hanging on. Soldiers patrolled the area, keeping us civilians in order. "What can I do to help?" "We smuggled some food out of their barracks. Not enough for everyone, just those who need it the most. I was handing it out when you called me." He indicated a basket of food behind him. Nothing fancy, just grains and breads, but when you're hungry, you'll eat just about anything. "I can take some around to the people." I offered "Just be careful and-" "Don't provoke the soldiers. I know, I'll be safe." "You better be. I don't want to lose you again." "Don't worry, you won't." -------------------------------------------------------------------------
I ducked out of sight as a pair of soldiers came past. I waited until they'd turned the corner before moving out onto the street. I made my way down the street, stopping at each household to deliver a small bag of wheat or loaf of bread. A young woman, only a few years older than me, had a small child in her arms. The child was wailing, despite the mother's attempts to calm their tears. I handed her the rations and turned to leave, when the woman called out to me. "Wait!" She hurried off into her house. I knew I had to get going, but yet I waited. She returned, with a scarf whose colour reminded me of the bluebells that used to line my garden back at home. The woman pushed the scarf into my arms. "For you." "Thank you." The wool was soft, one of the softest things I'd ever felt. I was wrapping it around my neck when I heard a gunshot from behind me. The blood seeped through the woman's shirt as she collapsed. I turned to find a pair of soldiers chuckling to themselves. "You monsters! What did she ever do to you?" I yelled at them. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. You are the ones who came here and ruined our lives.” “What was that?” “I said that you are a monster and that was completely wrong of you to end her life.” The first soldier turned to the other. “It's your turn this time.” They were going to shoot me too. I ducked behind a stack of wooden crates as the soldier went to take a shot, but it never came. Next thing I knew Fletcher was besides me, pulling me to my feet. I looked back and saw the soldiers getting back on their feet, dazed after being hit in the head with the metal pipe Fletcher was now carrying. He grabbed my hand and dragged me down the street. Our footsteps were loud on the paved road, breathing heavy as we ran to escape the soldiers who were now pursuing us. We turned a corner and ran into a street that was a dead end. "Fletcher! Over here!" A woman with long, brown hair bundled up on the top of her head waves them over from her door. We quickly turned into her doorway and she closed the door behind us. "Quickly, through to the back." She ushered us through her shop into a small room used for storage. "No doubt they'll check every shop and house in the whole street. This is the last time you'll be getting help from me, I can assure you that." She grumbled as she shifted the mat on the floor, revealing a trapdoor underneath. "Thanks a lot, Morwana." "Don't push it. In you get." We climbed down into the basement and she closed the door, swarming us in darkness. "What did you do?" Fletcher asked. "What part of 'don't provoke the soldiers' did you not understand?" His voice had a hard edge on it. "They killed her." She ran the scarf through her fingers. "She did nothing and they killed her anyway." "It happens. We can't save everyone." "But it's not right. We should be able to." "I know, but it’s simply not possible.” We fell silent as we heard footsteps above. Voices drifted down through the floorboards. We held our breath, praying that they wouldn't find us. The footsteps grew louder and then started to fade away. Relief washed over us as we realised they were moving on to search elsewhere. Morwana opened the trapdoor and we cautiously emerged from the darkness. "We need to get out of here," Fletcher whispered urgently. "It's not safe anymore." "Where can we go?" I asked, my voice trembling. "We can't keep running forever." "There's a small rebel camp a few miles from here," Morwana suggested. "It's risky, but they might be able to offer us some protection and help us figure out the next steps." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- With no other options available, we agreed to make our way to the rebel camp. We moved in the shadows, staying off the main roads and avoiding any possible encounters with soldiers. It felt like the whole world was against us, but we clung to the hope that the rebel camp would bring change. After what seemed like years, but was really only a couple of days, we finally reached the camp. We were greeted with caution at first, but when they recognized Fletcher, they welcomed us in with open arms. The camp was small but determined, a group of people who refused to let the oppressive regime control their lives. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Days turned into weeks, and we found ourselves becoming a part of the rebel camp. We trained, we strategized, and we fought back. Slowly, but surely, we began to make a difference. The rebel camp grew in numbers, attracting others who had also been oppressed and seeking freedom. In time, we managed to gather enough support to launch a coordinated resistance against the oppressive regime. The people rallied together, and on the day of the final battle, hope filled the air. "You really think this will work?" I asked Fletcher. "It will, I'm sure of it." Fletcher reassured me. "Just wait and see."
