The End of us

The Beginning

CHAPTER 1

          "America… Land of the free… Or so it was two years ago… " I muttered to myself as I wove the TV remote through my fingers. The F.E.M.A (fee- mah) camp stationed farther down south still showed normal signs of activity; as it had done for months since The declaration of Marshall law. My scouting  shift was nearing end, and it was almost time for me to head back home. An hour had already past since the 3:00pm check-in time and she hadn't radioed in to me yet. "Damn she does this too often for it to be accidental… Sometimes I think she enjoys making me worry." I muttered as I gritted my teeth, but that didn't suppress my frustration as I had tried countless other times. I had already flung the remote across the room; sending it propelling towards the fishbowl, as it smashed against it with a pulsing shatter. The glass flung in every direction as the water burst to the ground, sending the fish to their deaths as their impact upon the floor killed them in the very instant. "Well they never did anything anyways. They just swam around; sending little bubbles to the surface of their pee water." Five minutes had past after I cleaned up the mess, and Scar still hadn't contacted me. "This isn't like her… I should check in." I thought as I reached for the walkie talkie in my belt loop; holding down the transmit button. 
          "Hey Scar, whats going on,  I'm wor…" she cut me off.
          "Ash." She mumbled barely audible. 
          "What is it??? " My tone was more serious this time. 
           "Turn on the TV. You need to see this..."
          "Yeah, got it." 
          I walked back into the living room and snatched a fold up chair up from the side by the door standing it up facing my old flat screen, and switched it on to the only channel that broadcast. This channel consists of a broadcast that goes in constant repeat over and over; sometimes airing controlled updates of the different events and orders of the NEW ORDER, (the power that overthrew our government from the inside over the course of decades. Their bloodthirsty siege caused the collapse of the dollar; therefore leading the American people into great poverty, death and suffering; leading us in with their emergency centers, or FEMA facilities on the day of the Declaration Marshall Law two years ago). The reception really sucks, because of the fact that I am rerouting one of the network lines running underneath the streets originating from the handful of NET towers scattered throughout the different Atlanta districts. My head spun as I stared at the screen in bewilderment. The headlines read; *Those found throughout the city without clearance will be relocated to the nearest Emergency center, or executed on site…* "God help us all… "
          "Hey Scar, I'm coming. Its no longer safe for me here. To be so close to their base down south."   "I'll get rid of my trace here, but don't worry, I'll make it look accidental." I was already gathering my gear and lining the walls with gasoline. 
          "Ok, but how are you planning on doing that? *she breaks in coughs*.
          "You'll see when I do it." 
          "Yeah that really helps..." she remarked sarcastically. "And one more thing; stay off the streets."Hidden in her sarcasm, I could sense her concern. Almost as if she was scared.
          "Hey Scar don't worry. I'll be there in ten minutes." I was dropping the lighter on the gas trail and climbing the staircase of the old apartment building up through the metal door. 

                                    CHAPTER 2

          The sky was darkening, and the steady breeze showed promise to heavy rain. Dark heavy clouds loomed down upon the city preparing to send down its rath. "Looks like I better hurry if i dont wanna get caught by this weather." I muttered under my breath as I vaulted a pipe. The rooftops weren't all that bad with only a few gaps here and there, buts its nothing compared to downtown… 
          I had cleared the last gap, and climbed the fire escape up to the window of our hideout. The window was a heavy glass frame painted black to hide the light from inside, keeping us unseen. When I reached for the latch, it was locked from inside. "Hm she left it locked again." I thought; reaching into the flower pot full of old dirt and withered weeds removing the key hidden underneath. 
          The place wasn't much at first when we found it, but we had no choice but to settle down here and fortify it. It used to be an computer repair and service company but it all went down along with the rest of the businesses after ML Day. Scarlet and I had discovered this building two years ago a few weeks after things went south; before our parents and siblings were taken from their homes and forced into those damned F.E.M.A death camps the night of ML Day. The two of us had been spared from being captured because we had been up on the roof finishing our school assignments that were the due the next day, but would never be turned in the following morning. We saw the disorienting lights of the armored Domestic Protection Force trucks and heard the shrill screams of scared families, and even a gunshot as the soldiers combed through the apartment complex loading the residents; along with our parents into the Dpf buses and then speeding off to the camps. 
          That night still huants us to this day... Scarlet had been unresponsive to me the first two days and she wouldn't eat until I snapped her out of it. We have always stuck together and we've been through high and low, but we always pull through.  
          
                                    CHAPTER 3