The Young Fighters

CHAPTER 1

Jackson and his little friend, Elliot, loaded up the last of the hay squares onto what was once his father's truck and closed the trunk. With his keys in hand, Jackson popped them into the ignition and the two farmer boys were off to Parker Wojcik's farm where they'd help feed the cattle. The squares were placed inside in a nice and neat order before they were hauled off across a large desolate field of freshly cut grassland of yellow. At the age of thirteen, Jackson managed to drive his father's truck like he'd been driving it for years.

"Hey Jackson, when are you gonna let me drive?" Young Elliot asked,

"You're only six, little buddy. I'll teach you when you're ten." A smile came on Jackson's face after hearing such a question. He knew Elliot would one day ask and his answer was to be the teacher. Jackson never had an educator who taught him how to drive, everything he knew about driving came from some of the things has father taught him nearly a year ago before he and everyone over the age of eighteen had vanished. They've all been gone for a year now.

At first it seemed like a dream come true for the younger ones to live a life without rules and to do whatever they wanted yet; after the first they all started to feel lonely. By nightfall some of them would grow scared. Not from the dark, but from feelings of isolation. Who was going to be there to tuck them in at night? Who was going to be there to drive them to baseball practice? And who'll be there to have dinner ready? Everyone had to get along with each other and help their neighbors.

Love thy neighbor.

That's exactly what went on now that the children lived in a world where they were led by the ones they called "The Elders." The Elders weren't old wise men, but rather the top three oldest in the area. The oldest was Caden at age seventeen years and eight months old; very wise and an honest man to be leader. Behind him there was Leah, age seventeen and five months old, if she wasn't helping out the community, then she was at the local school teaching the children for three hours before letting them go to work on their chores. The last of The Elders was Evan, age seventeen and four months old, during the day, he's inside the same school that Leah teaches at, but he's not teaching, just cooking meals.

Georgetown wasn't a perfect utopia, but rather a place of peace and happiness where the children lived side by side without problems.

Once Jackson and Elliot found themselves on the edge of the field, Jackson would drive along the dirt path that took them onto the back road up to Parker's farm. Nothing much was to see on their side of town but more fields and houses that were empty at the moment due to the residents being either at school or working. Jackson and Elliot were doing their job as handy men at the moment. If any simple kind of job was needed to be done fast, it was up to them to get it done.

By the time Jackson pulled into the front driveway of Parker's farm he was greeted by Mila. Her job consisted of working alongside of her brother on their ranch with the help of the rest of their siblings including Scarlett and Isaac.

The two of them were greeted happily by Mila, dressed in her working clothes that were always dirty when she was working. The only time she was seen wearing clean clothes was during town meetings and church masses. Though she was two years younger than her brother, she became the mother figure for the family after the parents went away.

"We got the hay, now where's the pay?" Jackson joked,

"I'll pay you with a hot meal." Mila responded, "Do you have enough time to help me carry the feed inside or are you busy?"

"Me and Elliot got time." Jackson said as he and his little buddy got out of the truck and brought down the hood of the trunk. For Mila, carrying hay in the shape of a rectangle was almost a workout for her, same as Jackson. Elliot on the other hand was really small and sometime needed help lifting it up over his head and keeping it there before his arms gave out. Once inside the large haymow next to the barn, it was their job to keep it all in a nice neat stack that looked to them like a series of giant steps. On the pile was a small black and white farm cat whom Mila named Jasper. The little guy didn't do much but keep the mice out and it was up to Scarlett to clean up his prey after brining it inside their house.

"Hi, Jasper." Elliot would always greet the cat whenever he saw the Jasper inside the haymow relaxing. Every now and then they'd find Jasper and some of his friends cooped up there with him; but these were cats that Mila had never seen before, nor anyone else.

"So," Mila asked, "What you guys hungry for?"

"What?" replied Jackson,

"I told you I'd repay you with a lunch. So what are you and Elliot up for?"

"I was kidding." Jackson said with a smile, "Besides, there's still the town lunch at six. Are you and your family going?"

"You bet we are." Mila and her family would never miss it for the world. The town's lunch was the only time she got a good chance to relax with her siblings.

The community held an annual lunch for the whole area on the first Friday of the new month as a way to keep everyone close together. Events such as this one were held at the town fairgrounds. Once it began, they'd start off with games like baseball out by the triangle on the outer sections of square not too far from where they'd play kickball. A sandy spot was also present with some volleyball nets where teens occupied and became dominated by the local high school girls volleyball team. Scavenger hunts were prepped for children, ages four and five along the edge of the fairgrounds where they'd look for plastic Easter eggs.

Other activities they had were duck, duck, goose; dodge ball (using balls with soft and fuzzy styrofoam inside,) and face painting. There were no rides, but they could manage to have fun by swimming in the pool that was kept covered on weekdays and come the weekends it was jammed packed with children. When the stars came out they'd be huddled around camp fires eating s'mores and roasting weenies whilst telling scary ghost stories. A large sign that was once used as an advertisement for a local store was painted over with white paint and now served as a sort of outdoor movie theater where with the help of a projector from the school could be used to play movies while popcorn was made for the little ones. All this was done in one night once a month.

Best part was, it's Friday.