1221

Chapter 1: Taken Away

I sunk my toes deep into the sand and breathed in the salty air that sprayed off the blue ocean. I opened my arms wide to the sky to feel the warmth of the sun spread across my entire body as if to embrace me within it’s light.

I smiled for the first time in weeks as I watched Natalia, my little sister, laugh and run into the sea with her friends. The last couple weeks had been hard on her since we have moved across two states in order to find the 1221 headquarters. However now we were in Florida and so close to safety that I could almost taste it.

I took off my ripped shorts and my fayed shirt as I ran into the ocean to clean off the sweet and rim, which covered my tan, scared skin.Once I was fully emerged in the warm water I floated on my back looking up at the sky, which still had streaks of pink from the bombing that, took place two years before.

The memories came rushing back as I remembered the E.N.D, as we all called it, Earth’s National Doom, the day the earth ended but didn’t in the sense anyone thought it would.

I pulled my head under the water trying to drown the memories of what happened but all I could hear repeating in my head were the words of the mother, “Never let go of your sister’s hand.” My sister was now twelve and refused to hold my hand but I would always keep her safe. It was my job. Even after being ashamed of my parents and their involvement with the Extremists. I would never break my promise to my mother.

As I pulled my head up from under the water I looked back to the shore to see the rest of our traveling group. We were all members of 1221, the resistance. We all were united by tattoos of ours names that laced our arms. You only forgot your name if you were wiped.

I looked down at my arm at the block letters that spelled out my name, Maria Smith. This isn’t my true name but if the 1221 knew my name they would have me killed.

I smiled as I watched Christopher gather my sister in his arms and launch her out into the ocean. Chris was the same age as me; eighteen, and he had been my rock since I found this group of 1221. He cared about my sister and I more than I thought anyone could after the death of my parents. He was also set on making me become his girlfriend.

He noticed me staring at him and waved. I blushed and went under the water once again as an attempt to hide my glowing face from his line of vision. I knew it wasn’t possible to even attempt to have a relationship in situations such as these, but Chris was only of the only people here I trusted. Maybe that’s why my feelings for him grew stronger everyday without me having any willpower to stop it but I had to protect him from my sister’s and I true identity and in order to do that I couldn’t let him get close to me.

As I walked out of the ocean I looked at the rest of the 1221’s and smiled as I watched how excited they all were to be so close to safety. Off the coast of Florida was a place we once called, Sanibel Island. Now we call it Libertatem, freedom in Latin. It was going to be our safe heaven.

I watched Micheal the leader of our unit read maps deciding our next move. I had the most respect for him. He was well into his fities and was physcally stronger than most people in 1221. I heard a rumor that he was once a general in the army. However, that was not for sure since it is an unspoken rule to not speak about your past life. That is your life before the bombings.

All of a sudden I felt strong arms coil around my waist and pull me into something that resembled a brick wall. I looked up and saw Chris towering over me. He kissed my forehead making me turn a deeper hue of red.

“You’re beautiful when you blush” he whispered in my ear.

“Chris” I said a little breathless as I pushed him away. “I can’t do this right now.”

“Maria, soon we are going to be safe from all of this and you wont have to worry. Will you then let me love you?” he said staring deep into my eyes almost as though he was trying to touch my soul so that he could cradle in his strong hands.

“I don’t know Chris.” I said looking at my feet not able to look at him just so that I could see the sadness in his eyes.

“Just think about it please,” he begged me as he once again wrapped his arms around my waist. I owed my life to him since he was the one that found my sister and I a year ago huddled in a sewer trying to keep each other warm, but just because I own him doesn’t mean I could love him like he wanted me too.

“I’m sorry.” I said all I looked up at his forehead not making eye contact.

“God damn it Maria look at me please!” he said as he careful cupped my chin in his hand. Then he kissed me rough on the lips, making me lose my breath.

I was speechless. I just stood there with my arms glued to my sides. I started to say something along the lines of we would see once we are safe but a blood-curdling scream filled my ears before I could respond to the kiss.

“Run! The Blank-slates found us! Go save yourselves!” A woman screamed as she ran down the beach towards us.

The world started exploding around me as the sound of helicopters grew closer and closer. Sand started spraying up in places bullets hit from the automatic weapons that lined the doors of the copters.

I started running not in the direction away from my copters but to them. Where my sister was. I had to get to her. My legs started burning as I ran faster and faster over the hot sand.

“Natalia!” I screamed as I ran passing our unit whom was running past me in the other direction.

“Maria!” Chris shouted as he followed me down the beach.

“Maria!” another voice called out from all the confusion. It was so quiet so pure that it was the only thing I heard above all the shots.

“Natalia!” I screamed until I saw her standing on the beach frozen about ten feet away from me.

I ran to her as if my life and hers depended on it and in a sense it did.

I kept running until I felt a sharp pain on my leg that made me topple over and land face first on the sand. I looked down and saw blood started to pool around my leg. I had been shot but I needed to get to Natalia.

I struggled to pull myself up; limping as I slowly moved closer to her when I felt a strong-arm loop around my waist, supporting my weight, Chris was carrying me to her.

I limped to her with the help of Chris only stopping once I pulled her into my arms to embrace her.

“Maria you’re bleeding!” she screeched as she pointed down to my leg.

“I know. Just focus on my face not on my leg. We need to move!” I told her harshly.

The three of us turned and made our way down the beach but I was slowly falling behind bit by bit. It was then I knew what I needed to do.

I screamed to Chris, “take her, and keep her safe for me!” All he did was nod and shouted back, “Please come back to me!”I smiled a little and watch as he pulled Natalia up the shore as she screamed and fought him the whole way.

I stopped running and stood in the middle of the war zone putting my hands in the air hoping they would just kill me then. However this didn’t happen instead the shooting stopped and the last thing I saw was a gas bomb fall out of the helicopter before I blacked out from it. It was in that moment I didn’t know what was going to happen or where I was going to go but all I hoped was that my sister was safe and in the end that’s all that mattered.