INVICTA: Homebound

Wish Upon A Star

Dark smokey clouds rolled in across the sky like a giant black hole, killing all the light that once lit the poppy fields and flowered forests. Jack lay with his arms behind his head, facing the sky. Charlie was still trying to find a comfortable spot to sit down on, though she had no avail and stood instead, her hands on her hips. Her black combat boots sunk into the grass beneath her. Her black ripped jeans matched with her white crop top made her look like a half-drawn cartoon character. Her brown her tied back in a bun, though still falling down behind her neck was thick and wavy.

Jack was wearing his usual white shoes, black shorts and his white long sleeve t-shirt. His hair was long and black, though still wavy, curving away from the bridge of his nose to the sides of his head. His hair was highlighted with blonde tips.

The sky roared with the passing of several drones flying overhead, soaring in perfect synchrony and shape. At least fifteen of them were passing by and seemed to be heading to the Tyro district.

"Good luck, am I right?" Charlie said to Jack, still lying down in peace. "They're gonna need it," Jack said. Charlie placed her matching black jacket on the floor and sat beside Jack.
"Do you ever wonder what it would be like if we made it out?" she asked. "Honestly, no. No point in getting my hopes up if we can never make it out," Jack said with a hopeless look on his face.

"I've thought about it," Charlie murmured. "I think we could live a much better life," she added, lying down closer to Jack. "Oh yeah?" Jack laughed. "How are you gonna get out?" he asked Charlie as he sat himself upright. "I don't know, i'll do what them teens did," she replied. Jack was in shock, "What! You know they didn't make it across?" he said, his voice raising.

A second phase of drones flew above them, heading the same direction as the ones before them.

"I know! But they almost made it." she clapped back at Jack. "Yeah, keyword being almost. You'd get a centimetre further than them and you'd be killed!" Jack said. Charlie didn't speak, she just put her head in her hands and sighed softly.

The first droplets of rain came from the black clouds, "Come on," Jack said, pushing himself to a standing position. He held his hand out for Charlie, and she held his arm and pulled herself to her feet.

The small cutout in the old wooden fence was just big enough for the two teens to fit through. Jack climbed through first, throwing himself to a small forest just behind their district. Charlie glanced back, she and Jack used to come the park all the time as kids, it's how they met.

A bright Friday afternoon, Charlie had just arrived at the park and bolted for the slides. An endless indoor maze of colourful tubes and obstacles. She leaped and hopped through the rope mesh before climbing the plastic rock climbing wall. She heaved herself up and lay down to catch her breath. And there he was.

Jack was peering over Charlie with a star-struck look on his face. She didn't even say anything and knew they were gonna be friends.

Ten years later and now she's running away from the very place she met him, leaving it all behind along with the memories. She knew this would be the last time she saw the park, so she soaked it all in one last time.

"Charlie! Come on!" Jack yelled through the fence. Charlie turned to the fence and hopped through with ease. They were now at the 'fun' part as Jack called it. The two lined up along side each other. One foot in front of the other and their heads bowed down. "Three, two," Jack counted down, but paused.

"One!"

The two threw themselves into a race, a race to see who could make it home first. Jack leaped and jumped from rock to rock, side stepping all the loose branches and the ruthless vines. He ran across the grass and mud faster than a car, blazing past the great oaks leaving nothing but muddy footprints.

Jack was unforgiving as he ran, not giving Charlie a chance, he looked around as he ran, Charlie was no where to be seen. Jack arrived to the house, grabbing the nailed on wood planks along the wall and hurdled himself up with ease before throwing himself off the metal roof onto a smaller wooden balcony.

"Took your time," Charlie said as she leaned in the door way behind Jack. "What!" he yelled. "How?" he added, still yelling. Charlie laughed and smiled at him, taking a closer step toward him. "You're just too slow," she whispered into Jacks ear. He shrugged and laughed off the loss.

The two teens leaned on the dark wood railing, admiring what was left of a sun-set. The silence was deafening, louder than the sound of the drones that came buzzing back to the teen's district. Jack sighed and looked to Charlie.

"Look, I won't stop you if you want to run away. But I won't let you go without saying something. It's crazy and you know I'm right," Jack said holding Charlie's hand in his. A small tear formed in her eye. "I know it's crazy, but I can't stay here forever," she cried softly. "I get that." Jack said quietly.

Charlie laid her head down on Jack's shoulder and asked, "If I asked you to come with me, would you?"