Chapter 6:
'Todays the day,' Josephine thought with a heavy sigh, tears coming to her eyes. She wrapped a cloth tightly around her chest to press her breasts back giving her a more of a manly appearance. She pulled the trousers she stole from her father around her tiny waist, tieing the belt tight. Slipping the blouse over her head.
Josephine gripped her long brown hair and rolled it on the top of her head and placed a cap over it, she looked believable.
The brown haired woman walked out of her place seeing her sister, Eponine, who was also disguised.
"Are you ready?"
Josephine nodded slowly, 'Ready as I'll ever be' she thought to herself as her and her lovely sister made their way towards the funeral.
xx
Eponine and Josephine stood proud in the large field of people. A little ways away from Josephine was Grantaire, his expression was not as cheerful as the rest in fact, some would say it looked grim. Drums could be heard in the distance, a carriage drawing near.
Enjolras began to sing, "Do you hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men,"
Soon the crowd started, "It's the music of the people who will be slaves again." The police who escorted the carriage looked around the crowd, as they grew louder. "Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me. Beyond the barricade. Is there a world you long to see?"
The coffin on its carriage, came to the level of the students. Enjolras steps infront of the horses and waved the red flag. The horses stopped, "Then join the fight, that will face you the right to be free!" Enjolras yelled.
Josephine and the rest of the students surrounded the carriage. "Do you hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men? It is the music of the people who will not be slaves again! When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums. There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!"
The students climbed on top of the carriage, Josephine led the horses. "Will you give all you can give? So that our banner may advance!" Enjolras bellowed to the crowd.
"Some will fall and some will live. Will you stand up and take your chance?" Courfeyrac chanted.
Marius, Enjolras, and Courfeyrac said in unison, "The blood of the matyrs, will water the meadows."
Josephine smiled as she led the horses to where the barricades would arise. The people around her were so passionate they continued to sing the chorus. She turned off the main road, Gavorche's large elephant could be seen and in the distant you could see Gavorche and his friends following suit. She pulled the horses to a sudden stop as the Calvary showed up.
The muskets of the infantry poked through the broken down fence that surrounded the elephant. There was a prolonged silence between the infantry and the students. Josephine saw a soldier shaking nervously, he didn't want to be firing at these teenagers, young people. He accidentally pulled the trigger and shot an old woman.
The crowd went wild as the woman fell lifelessly to the ground. Grantaire and Courfeyrac ran to the soldier and plucked him out of his hole knocking him out cold.
Josephine eyes grew in terror, as the Calvary ahead began to fire warning shots in the air for the crowd to simmer down.
Enjolras looked around to his comrades, it has started. "To the barricade!" He screamed bravely. The students didn't have to be told twice, they ran to the café and on their way there the people of Pairs threw their things out.
Building the Barricade of Freedom.
They all were in a frenzy to quickly build the barricade before the soldiers came for them. And soon it was built high and strong, chairs on top of chairs. Tables on top of tables. Josephine handed Grantaire his rifle and kept one herself.
Enjolras stood amount the students looking as their true leader, "Here upon these stones. We will build our barricade. In the heart of the city, we claim as our own. Each man to his duty and don't be afraid."
Josephine saw a man in workers clothing helping build the barricade. He looked familiar, yet she knew he was not from the rebellion.
"Wait!" Enjolras called, "I will need a report, on the strength of the foe."
"I can find out the truth," the man said to Enjolras walking closer, "I know their ways, fought their wars." Enjolras nodded to him without a second thought. The older man slipped past the barricade, the small woman didn't have a good feeling about this man.
"See the people unite!" Josephine called to her companions.
"Pray your right!" Grantaire's voice echoed from on top of the barricade.
Enjolras climbed halfway up the center barricade, waving the red flag high. "Red, the blood of angry men! Black, the dark of ages past! Red, a world about to dawn! Black, the night that ends at last!"
