The Fear Between Us

Chapter 1

Chapter 1:The Revolution

Flashback

5 March 1917. Moscow, Russia. Beginning of Revolution.

I didn't understand it then. Why Pa was so afraid of the government. Why Ma wanted to leave Russia so badly. I don't think any of us understood it then, we never got the time to.

I woke up in a frenzy to Ma and Pa quietly talking about it one night, trying their best to stay quiet so that nobody could hear them, "We need to leave, Alexei. It's not safe anymore, look at it out there!"

"You think I don't know that, Natasha? I know that it's not safe but where will we go? America?"

Ma went quiet as she began to bite her nails, "What other choice do we have?" She eventually breaks the silence before it returns.

At first talk of America was a joke, I don't think they took it seriously enough to consider it. But as time went on, talk of America became more evident. A fantasy that turned into reality, and this is what Pa feared the most.

10 May 1917, Moscow, Russia.

"It's getting worse, Natasha. I don't know what we're going to do. There's talk about it at the factories, how they'll come for us next. Business is slow, and people are scared. Maybe America isn't so bad." Pa said one day coming home earlier than usual without realising that Jo and I were listening intensively. This was the first time that I ever heard Pa afraid.

28 August 1917, Moscow, Russia. Middle of Revolution.

I had just turned 15 when it started. When the troops started to raid the middle-class homes in our neighbourhood. They had this twisted ideology that whatever was ours would be theirs too. This was the moment when Ma and Pa started to take the talk of America more seriously. They sat Jo and me down one night in the kitchen as Pa closed all the curtains surrounding the kitchen, "We need to tell you kids something." Ma started while she crouched down in front of us, "Moscow isn't safe anymore. There is a revolution that is happening, a recession if you will. There are people out there who haven't had fresh bread in six months. We are considered lucky, but with this luck comes a price that must be paid. They will come for us and take everything we own; it has already started. We are not safe here; we have to leave."

"School says that the government is just trying to save us, is that not true?" Jo asks as Ma turns her face away from us, "No, baby. It's not."

"I don't understand..."

"You don't have to. You just need to know that America might be a better place to survive."

Even though I was young, I knew exactly why Ma was so adamant. America was never a guarantee. At the end of the day, we were still Russian, we were still unwanted.

Although sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't have been better to just stay. Would we have survived? Would they still be alive today? What happened to all the other families who couldn't leave?

By September, the richer homes were already being raided. Planes of technology that I had never seen before flew over our homes and started to boom any signs of rebellions. Ma was right. Fighting was a stupid idea. I lost so many friends; we were safer up here than down there even with the raids.

15 October 1917. Moscow, Russia.

Ma shook me up vicariously one night with the sounds of planes and booms going off like a clock chiming to the hour, "Tara! Tara, wake up! Go wake up Jo, we have to leave now!"

"Ma? Ma, what's going on?"

"Go get Jo! Now!" She shouts at me, not giving me an explanation or time to register the day. I scramble out of bed, grab my locket, and rush for Jo's room, "Jo! Jo, wake up!" I say as I shake her awake, "What's going on?"

"I don't know but we have to go!" I say still shaking her as she quickly throws the sheets off. We rush together towards the door as we see two armoured trucks pull up followed by some officers shouting, "Otkryt'!" Jo and I immediately turn around as we exit by the back door trying to run up the hill towards the forest, "Ma!" I cry for her as I see her waiting by a truck loading it with supplies while Pa loaded his gun, firing it at the officials behind us. Jo and I ran as fast we could towards them trying to ignore the commotion playing out around us, "Ostanavlivat'sya! Ostanavlivat'sya!" Were shouted by a few officers as they opened fire on us forcing Jo and me to duck down with Ma driving away as fast as she could. One of the armoured trucks turned around to follow us as the other stayed at the house and burned all our possessions. Ma had found a guy who was willing to us take to America on a plane. Jo and I had nothing but the clothing on our backs. Both of us bleeding slightly and full of bruises but none of us cared enough to look. Eventually, we reached the plane as Ma frantically pulled us out of the car and forced us on the plane as she shoved two bags into our hands. All I remember hearing was the shooting. Ma killed the guy who was waiting for us with the plane. I stared at her in shock not knowing what to do as Pa grabbed both my hands tightly saying, "Trust no one! We're on our own now." With that, we left the hanger filled with government officials screaming, "Predatel'!"