Our World Of Stars And Fireflies

Chapter 1- Prisoner

Dr Karlson was a weapons forensic and scientific researcher. He had thick grey hair clasping his head, smoothed down by some sort of gel. His face bore resemblance to a man in his 30's, yet he was slightly older at the age of 48. He had dark, demeaning eyes set in the tone of constant disregard of pain. Now, however, he was the leader of the military, which also meant he was the leader of America. The American Government had been wiped out earlier in the War about 7 years ago. They had lead them, making idiotic decisions, trying to make peace with other countries before they got blown up by a 'rogue' bomb from one of their military's bases. Suspected spy intervention. For years Karlson had been their beloved military adviser, yet his opinion had always seemed, to Karlson, less than priority. If they had seen what Karlson was doing 10 years after the beginning of the war they would have bowed down on their knees and begged for his leadership. 

This is what Karlson had always thought. Karlson believed they had brought their own destruction by keeping to their peace treaties and supporting countries that soon betrayed them. Once Karlson had come into power, everything had changed for the better. At least he thought it had. In reality everything had only worsened. There was no America to rule. America was in pieces, small shanty towns built from old aircrafts and boats, children and families going hungry because there was nothing to eat. Everything was falling apart yet he still clutched at the chance America could fight their way out of this. He no longer had the people's support and they no longer wanted anything to do with him. But now everything will change.

SADIE CHARLESTON
AGE: 16
ENEMY: BRITISH AGENT
STATUS: CAPTURED

Karlson stood looking at the screen, a sick smile torn across his face. For over a month they had been trying to get hold of Sadie, who had been raiding military set ups and even the camps. She had been caught near the south coast camp where the north of Florida had once been. He had travelled there to find out if it were true, if she had truly been captured.
The helicopter landed with a gentle thud on the helipad as Dr Karlson climbed from the back seat into the open, swirling air. Swiftly, he marched into the cool air of the building away from the humidity of Florida's atmosphere, composing himself and smoothing out his coat and trousers. Angrily he swiped his greyed hair out of his dark eyes, and scowled, wrinkling his face. His bushy eyebrows dug into his forehead as he marched down the chilled hallway. Soldiers accompanied him into a room, where Sadie sat barely conscious, strapped into a chair. A soldier marched in and stood in front of Karlson.
The doctor nodded his head.
"Well done Michaells. I think that some sort of promotion is due." He stuck his pale hand out to the stiffened soldier.
"Thank you sir." The soldier did not take his hand. His voice was light but deep and soothing with a hint of forgotten feelings, buried by duty.
"You know Michaells, I think you would make a fine Captain. What do you say?" The smile lurked on his lips, never faltering.
Michaells flinched, like he had been stuck with one of those painful needles. Karlson didn't play around, he was a straight to the point man.
"Yessir." He saluted.
"Good man!" Karlson dropped his smile and nodded to the rest of the group to leave the chamber. Michaells stood for a moment. "You too Michaells." He nodded and left.
"Now then." He turned around, "Sadie Charleston. A thorn in my side, constantly evading capture, yet here you are now, in my walls, sitting in chains." his face turned into a nasty sneer as he growled the last few words out. Karlson usually kept his cool, but now that no one was there to see he let his ugly uncontrolled side of his personality out. "Where are they?" Sadie sat motionless in her chair, "I asked you a question Miss Charleston." there was a dead silence. With three quick movements the doctor charged across the room and planted his hands on the arms of the metal chair, "WHERE ARE THEY!?"
A small cracked voice whispered from Sadie "You...will never....get anything out of me." She tilted her head up and glared at him definitely.
"Oh pray tell, the drug has worn off." Once more he composed himself before turning his back to her. He feverishly glanced over his shoulder, his maddened expression made Sadie uncomfortable. 

"Tell me, do you ache? Do you feel pain? I can make it go away. You just need to tell me where they are. Where are your little friends hiding?" His sickening voice taunted her. A sharp pain overcame Sadie, spreading across her chest, spiking the back of her throat with the taste of blood. As she coughed and sputtered she thought she could see a sense of remorse in his face.
She spat at him. She had heard enough of his bravado, heard enough about him to know who he was.
"Go to hell Karlson." She spluttered blood in his direction, clenching her teeth at the mentioned pain.
He grimaced and turned towards her. There seemed something saddened in his expression, something almost human. But like a smear on glass, it was wiped away swiftly by a cold hardening in his eyes.
"Call it what you like. You're going to be here for a while."

1 week later

Michaells sat eating the small amount of food he had. Rations were getting less and less now but since he had been promoted he got a little more than the other men now. Not as much as some, but plenty to keep him alive. Just.
He was thinking. He liked to think, to spend time alone with his thoughts, pondering about the world. He was so young when the war started and his whole life had been wasted fighting for a lost cause. He wanted to quit, to forget the army, the war. Everything. He wanted to start all over again, prevent everything from happening and live his life the way he wanted to. Not be dragged into the war and forced to fight for some psychopath. Karlson. He was dangerous. If the world was a burning forest, then he was the madman adding gasoline to it. He wouldn't give up. No matter what.
"You look deep in thought, Tom." Thomas looked up. The stupid grin he always welcomed to his thoughts stared at him.
"Charlie. When did you slink up?"
Charlie Smith had been Thomas's friend since they were 12. In 6th grade, just like today, he had come up to Thomas whilst he was deep in thought and had given him that same grin. Thomas had thought he was strange to come up to him because Thomas was the loner in the class. Nobody ever came up to him. Being they way he was, he would end up not listening to anything they said. He was always the one kid in the corner who nobody paid attention to. Even the teachers ignored him. In a way, he preferred it like that. To be ignored and left alone. Until Charlie Smith, the new boy in 6th grade, came up to him that day and decided that Thomas was his friend. He had never been called Tom before, so it was strange this new boy called him that. It was strange the boy even knew his name, because the teacher hadn't called on him at all in class. Most of his own classmates, which he had been with for years, didn't know his name. Yet here he stood calling him by the shortened version of his name and actually acknowledging him.
Even years later, Charlie looked more or less the same, a bit slimmer, same dirty blonde hair he had had in 6th grade and that one wonky tooth. His face was slightly freckled around the nose and his eyebrows were thick and blonde too. His hair was neater than Thomas's but that was how he had always been. Charlie's eyes were green, more of a jade than the girl's bright piercing eyes. He stood quite tall, slightly taller than Thomas, with broadened shoulders and a defined jawline. In some ways they looked like brothers only that Thomas had more defined features than Charlie. Thomas's face was more slim, with the same defined jaw. He didn't have any freckles, instead he had dimples which sided his mouth when he smiled. This was one of the occasions that he did. Charlie smiled back at him.
"I thought you saw me, cause you were looking in my direction." Thomas shook his head, the grin still kept to his face. "Whatcha thinkin 'bout?" Charlie was great except for his knack to poke his nose in things.
"Just...where do you think I would be if I weren't here."
"Dead." Charlie's matter of fact tone matched his personality. Sarcastic.
"No. If the war never happened"
"Tommy Boy, I have no idea."
"Stop calling me that!" Charlie grinned and got up.
"No!"
Thomas sighed but still smiling looked at Charlie.
"Tom, you should stop worrying about what could've been and start living in the now. Not in that small brain of yours." Charlie knocked on Thomas's head. Thomas pushed him off.
"Sometimes my head is where I can feel sane. Feel safe." Charlie's face turned serious.
"Tom. As long as I'm with you, I will never let anything happen to you." he stared harshly at Thomas before turning away, his face resembling the roughness of stone. He looked back grinning. "Cheer up Tommy Boy. We only got a few more days scouting then its guard dog work for us."
He turned waving and walked away. Too late. Thomas had already seen the tears forming in his eyes.
"Why do you never just show me what you're feeling?" Thomas sighed.