Chapter 9:
"The people have not stirred." Enjolras said to his comrades looking around the streets of Paris as the light from the morning hit them.
"Yet, we will not abandon those who still live in fear," Courfeyrac told them, he knew there was little hope left for them.
Enjolras lowered himself to his companions, "The people have not heard, yet we will not abandon those who cannot hear. Let us not waste lives. Let all who wish to go from here!"
Josephine hated to admit it but she wished Grantaire would speak up so he could live on. There was a uncertain silence in the air, until Gavroche sang from the top of the barricade, "Do you hear the people sing?"
Courfeyrac joined in with the little boy, "Singing the songs of angry men,"
And soon the mood of the students lifted as they all sang together, "It is the music of the people who will not be slaves again. When the beating of your hearts echoes the beating of the drums. There is a life about to start, when tomorrow comes."
Feuilly walked to Enjolras a serious look on his face, "Ammunition's short!"
Marius turned to them, "I will go into the streets. There are bodies all around, ammunition to be had."
Enjolras shook his head and the old man from before spoke to him, "Let me go, he's no more than a boy. I am old. I have nothing to fear."
Josephine saw Gavorche beginning to climb over the barricade. "I volunteer!" He called.
Josephine jumped to her feet and made her way to the end of the barricade, "Gavroche! Come down!" She cried in a panic.
Courfeyrac ran to stand next to her,
"Come back, Gavroche! Don't you dare!" He pleaded to the boy.
But, Gavroche had already moved down the other side of the barricade. "Look at me, I'm almost there!" Gavroche chuckled out, "Little people know when little people fight, we may look easy pickings. But, we've got some bite!"
"Gavroche!" Josephine screamed in bloody murder as she ran up the barricade.
"Someone get her down!" Enjolras pleaded desperately.
Grantaire ran to Josephine and picked her up dragging her down. She kicked and screamed in his arms. "No! No! That's my little brother! Gavroche!" She cried tears poured out of her eyes.
"So never kick a dog when he's just a pup-" As Gavorche moved closer a shot rang out threatening him to go back where he came.
"N-No," Josephine couldn't watch the scene before her.
"We'll fight like twenty armies, and we won't give up!" More shots were fired passed him, "So you'd better run for cover, when the pup grows-" one last shot, Josephine fell to the ground as she watched her brothers body drop lifelessly.
No more words, no more songs would be heard from him again.
She held her shaking arm out to Courfeyrac, who held Gavroche's body in his arms. Who laid the small boy in his sisters arms, she held onto him for dear life, pleading with God to somehow someway bring back her little brother.
Grantaire knelt down to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Josephine now felt alone, she had no one but Grantaire, her family was gone and her heart ached with so much grief.
"You at the barricade! Listen to this!" The army sent out a warning to them, "The people of Paris sleep in their beds! You have no chance, no chance at all! Why throw your lives away?"
Enjolras gazed around his small group, "Let us die facing our foes! Make them bleed while we can."
Josephine looked, through her tears, at each one of their friends. They knew it would end today. Yet, all of them stayed brave. "Make'em pay through the nose!" She spat violently threw her gritted teeth still holding her lifeless brother.
"Make'em pay for every man!" Courfeyrac said.
Enjolras nodded to them all, "Let others rise to our place, until the earth is free!"
"Cannons!" The soldiers brought out their cannons reading for them to be fired.
The students prepared themselves for the impact of the cannons, "Fire!"
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The cannonballs came barreling into the barricade sending the students and debris back.
Josephine landed on her side she was in excruciating pain. She slowly rolled herself over and found Grantaire a little ways away from her a trickle of blood on his brow from being hit with the debris.
She slowly moved her body to lay next to him. "G-Grantaire?"
