June 2, 2185
"You promise the baby won't make a noise?"
A woman dressed in all black clothing held her newborn baby tightly in her arms and the hand of her three year old child.
"They'll be good" She nodded quickly and gave a pleading smile.
The rebel member stepped aside and motioned for the woman to step in the log cabin.
Inside, other rebel members gathered near a fire, planning an escape and retaliation against the government.
It had been eight days since the beginning of The Taking. Government soldiers broke into homes under the command of Aeonian's new leader, Ada Goodman. She was a tall stern woman whose cold deep voice could shake and command a room.
Many considered her a lucky individual who played her cards right to end up in her position. Others considered her late husband's death a big help.
George Goodman was found dead in his home about a year prior to The Taking. His cause of death was never released. His wife, Ada , began taking charge of his spot in the government as a lawmaker with her past as a lawyer. She gave up her career to be a stay at home mom, but their only child, a daughter, died from complications during the birth. The couple never spoke of the child or the pregnancy afterwards. When George died, Ada began slowly but steadily rising in power.
Promising stability and security for the people, she secured many votes, but forcibly had to take office from the monarchy.
The Royals were for nothing but show as many said. Lawmaking was generally put in the hands of other individuals apart of the government while King Fredrick and his wife, Queen Matilda , were too occupied with trying to produce an heir for the kingdom's throne. They had been married for 20 years now, and the people were beginning to grow worried as not one child was born out of their marriage. Many people in their royal court whispered of the queen's miscarriages, which often led to King Fredrick removing them from power. They were so busy with their own affairs, they were blindsided by Ada's growing popularity.
On January 3, 2185, Hundreds of soldiers and common people marched at the palace. Royal guards and advisors turned on the Royals, leaving them defenseless. They were captured and Ada seized power as Aeonian's new leader, receiving approving cheers from the country.
King Fredrick and Queen Matilda were ridiculed and mentally tormented in prison until Ada finally decided what to do with them.
It is often ignored when taught in Aeonian to avoid anyone talking ill of Ada, but the king and queen were executed. Some even say Queen Matilda may've been pregnant.
Ada justified The Taking as a way of ensuring the children in Aeonian would grow up to be productive and respectable members of society unlike the former king and queen. She came to the conclusion that this could only be secured if the children were raised under trusted advisors. Parents simply couldn't be trusted to do the job. Consequently, in the middle of the night, hundreds of soldiers forcibly entered people's homes and took children ranging from 0-to 17.
Parents screamed for their children as they were dragged away. Children sobbed and cried, scared of the whole situation.
Of course, The Taking didn't apply to respected soldiers and government officials as Ada trusted them to raise their children to fit into her society.
A woman and her husband heard of the danger throughout the neighborhood that night, and her husband used himself a distraction, getting killed in the process.
Their children, just 3 years old and 20 days old, were about halfway in the woods by then with their mother who had ran as fast as she could.
There she found a camp filled with rebels who had heard of the event and were planning an attack for retaliation.
"Come sit down Miss"
A rebel took the woman by the arms and guided her towards a couch near the crackling fire.
The newborn baby fussed in her arms as she begin shushing her. Her three year old daughter sat next to her and laid on her shoulder attempting to fall asleep.
"How did you guys escape?" Another rebel walked in with a hot cup of tea for the woman and sat it on a table in front of her.
The woman sniffed recalling the act of bravery of her husband.
"I bet he rests easy, knowing his family was able to get away safely" They all nodded as the woman cried quietly.The next morning the woman was awakened with terror as soldiers from the government intruded. The rebels held them off for as they could but weren't a match for their government's advanced weaponry.
The woman, a mother first, knew her fate then in there. A rebel rushed into her room and tried urging her out a window, but the chances of them getting away were slim.
He then turned his attention towards the closet in the room. It wasn't 100% reliable, but it was the only chance she had. She grabbed her daughters and crouched behind piles of clothing.
Gunshots confining ringing out and tension increased as the children began to cry from fear.
The woman finally made her decision. She kissed her crying daughters and shushed them for as long as she could.
Then, she left the closet sealing the door shut and walked out of the room screaming, laying down her life for her children's freedom.About two hours had gone by since the soldiers of the government attacked the rebel camp. The children had fallen asleep, but woke up hungry and afraid.
The soldiers had killed as many rebels as they could and took some of them prisoner. By a miracle, the children weren't discovered.
The three year old refused to move out of fear as her baby sister continued to fuss. A sudden creak in the floor frightened her as she closed her eyes hoping it would all be over.
It was if their parents heard their cry for help as a woman dressed in a simple dress with a white apron opened the closet door.
She was the wife of one of the rebels and had found her way back to the cabin. Her own children just eight and twelve were taken by the government.
Her motherly instincts overcame her as she took both children into her arms.
There all three of them cried in silence.
YOU ARE READING
The Taking
AdventureAfter the overthrowing of its monarchy, authoritarian rule is established in the nation, Aeonian, in the year 2185. Deemed "The Taking" by citizens, the event lasted for 45 days and consisted of children being forcibly taken from their parents and p...