Breaking Barriers

The Notice That Ended Our World

Pinto Pengino:

The whole Octopod was tense, it felt like even the pods seemed to be a little more constricted than usual. But once Tweak poked her head into the kitchen, sweaty and her hair sticking out like branches on a tree, but looking relieved and happy, she smiled, the brightest smile I've ever seen her have that brightened up the whole room and everyone in it.

"They're gone!" She laughed in a happy shock as Dashi helped her into a chair.

"I'm alright Dashi," Tweak gently nudged her away. The Captain immediately got her cue.

"Octonauts, children, I think it's time we all went to bed. We've had a long night." He wrapped an arm around Peso, who's eyes were beginning to droop. Everyone was exhausted from worrying about the Puricians for nights that no one complained; even me when Kwazii took my flipper in his warm paws, led both Peso and me to bed, and tucked us in. I tried to keep my eyes open, but my fatigue soon overtook me, and I drifted off.
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Jane and I bolted down the street, shoes that were torn at the seams slapping the pavement. We were racing back to the Octopod since the Puricians had given everyone a curfew of 7 PM cos of bombings in the Midwest, and it was now 6:55. Tweak had said it was good news that the Puricians had given us the curfew, however annoying it was because, I remember she had told us all,

"It means they're scared. The fights the Brits and Germans are puttin' up in the Midwest's scaring the Puricians. It means they've got power. The war's gonna be over soon, mark my words." I had held on to her words even when all seemed hopeless. One day, I'd promised, one day the Germans and the British would push the Puricians out of America, and out of existence.

Despite the terrible situation Jane and I were in at the moment, I couldn't help but smile amid this darkness, until I felt myself being yanked by my flipper so hard my shoulder cracked into an alley so fast my head hit the rough wall behind me.

"What was that for, Saumensch?!" I was both annoyed and furious with her at the same time.

"The Purenkorps."She didn't have to explain. All my anger at her evaporated and was replaced by fear.

We sat in a panting, still silence for a few seconds, then I stuck my head out of the security of the alley.

"Your identity card!" the silhouette of a soldier bellowed at an Afghan Hound cowering under his shadow. Jane had followed me to the alley's end and her expression, a mix of anger and fear, struck me with blunt force. Fear was something so uncommon of her. If she was scared, then I had a reason to be scared too. But her fear was wiped off the second I looked back, and her expression became unreadable, and she pulled me back into the alleyway.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the soldier dragging the poor Afghan down the street. I could only hope we wouldn't share her fate.
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"OPEN UP!" We heard the call from the front door seconds after we got home, and our minds could only jump to the fastest conclusions it could. We had been caught.

Jane ushered me out of the Launch Bay before opening the door with the most innocent expression she could put on. I caught a wall of navy blue the second she opened the door. It was the Purenkorps. The man yelled something unintelligible from where I was and handed Jane an envelope. The three words, "CALL UP NOTICE." Stood out on blocky black letters and raised my pounding heart into my ears. By now, everyone had caught up to us, and the Captain rushed over and took the envelope from me. From the expression on his face, the unimaginable had become reality. We were going to be taken away from the Octopod to where, I'm not sure.