Refinement: A War of Europe

Chapter One: East: The Choosing

Anya~ East (Russia)                         

I walked down the familiar shadowed street and felt a tug deep within myself. I was hungry. It had been a few days since my last meal. Here, in Russia, we were suffering greatly. I stopped, my eyes grew wide as cold fingers crept up my arm.

An old woman squeezed me as she walked around me. "Better watch your back, Girl. People here do anything for what they want."

I nodded without saying a word. Once the hand retracted I started walking again. I put my hand over my mouth to protect me from all the sickness.

As I turned a street there was a young woman huddled by a dying fire, and beside her a coughing boy. He tapped her on the shoulder, "Sissy? Will I be better soon?"

She wrapped her arms around him, "Of course Benjy. Don't worry." Her eyes were glistening with tears. She looked up at me desperately. I couldn't stand it. People were dying here. All thanks to West Europe. As I ran to a broken down dress shop I saw men dumping bodies into a pit. I saw crying families and I saw orphaned teenagers. I blinked my eyes a few times to get rid of my tears before I walked through the glass door. 

"Lecyna?", I whispered as I walked inside.

"Anya? I was getting worried! How is it?"

"It doesn't look any better. I got a peek at a newspaper from a week ago." I frowned.

Lecyna slumped down and laid her head on her hands. "Yeah?"

"We are getting recruits. For a war against the West." I sat down beside her.

Lecyna bit down on her color drained lip. Her eyes were bloodshot, but still a lovely brown. Her light red hair was freshly washed. She must have gone down to the lake this morning. Overall Lecyna was a very pretty girl. If only we didn't live in such a trashy part of the world. As for me, I never could tell what I looked like. All the mirrors were shattered. So the only thing about my appearance that I knew was of my curly brown hair and white skin.

She suddenly said, "So, they're coming for us. Aren't they?" Her voice was strained and she set her head on her hands.

"Yeah. I guess so, but they need us for the war too." I grimaced.

Lecyna sighed. "I just... I don't understand, Anya. We weren't meant for war. We wouldn't be any help to them either. We would just be a couple of extra dead bodies to litter the ground."

"We weren't meant for suffering either, Lecyna. I think I would rather die while fighting for prosperity than die watching people die in the street." I yawned. "But, anyways, we just need to keep strong. We will make it. We have done so for a couple years."

She smiled. "I guess so. Four to be exact." Lecyna pulled her hair over her right shoulder. "Now, they will be here soon. You should go get some rest. I will take care of it all today."

"Alright. I guess I need some anyways. But... be careful Lecyna. Okay?"

She smiled and shrugged. "I can't do much more than my best."

I smiled as I walked up to the second level of the store, but it didn't last. Not after I remembered exactly what was going to go on downstairs. I squeezed my eyes shut to forget and when I opened them I did my best to ignore. I pulled a medium sized chest from the door and walked into the fabric storage room where we slept. I laid down on the hard wood floor and covered up with a sheet of fleece that had been left before the place was evacuated. I laid my head on my boney arm and shut my eyes. Within moments I had fallen asleep.

~

*BANG*

I shot upright. My mind was on one thing only, Lecyna. I stumbled over to the door. It took me a few tries to open it because of how sweaty my hands were. I ran as fast as I could down the creaking stairs.