The Third War

Chapter Two: Kristy

The rest of us were already sitting down when Zoe came over. I was still fuming and I banged the table,

"It's not fair!"

Zoe jumped and knocked over her drank, oops. She's been a bit skittish lately, turning into our mom. It wasn't really fair to do that to her but I was still mad,

"I don't understand why I can't go fight in the war."

Zoe looked up from her drink she was trying to clean up,

"You know very well why Kris."

She calls me Kris, she claims two syllables takes too long in a world where time is precious.

"Just because I'm not eighteen doesn't mean I should have to sit around here and do nothing!"

I snapped back and Zoe winced. She started silently tapping the table like she was playing the piano; it's become a nervous habit of hers to play songs on and off the keyboard. I realized she didn't want me to go at all but Dad intervened. He always has to step in for Zoe when we fight because she's just not strong enough to yell back at me.

"Kristy, the age to go off to war, is eighteen," I am sixteen, Zoe is a year  younger at 15, "in two years if the war isn't over, God forbid, you can go."

I opened my mouth to respond but he quickly shut me off,

"But until then, you need to focus on your mother and Gabe."

He didn't have to say but the quick glance at Zoe sent the message, watch your sister especially. Zoe had become a little shut out, she really spoke and when she did it was hushed and fast as if she wanted to just get it over with. She only spoke loud or really even smiled if she was with my dad. She'd even stopped singing.

Zoe's favorite thing the world is music. She sings and plays countless instruments that I can't even name. Her favorite instrument by far is her voice next to Dad's and the piano but it's been hidden away. Right then Zoe was still pretending to clean up her spill when in reality she just wanted to avoid eye contact and getting thrown back in the conversation.

She'd really become frightened like our mother, I blamed my dad for it completely too though. He put too much pressure on her, he wanted her to protect the family when he couldn't but she just couldn't handle it.

"Cooking and cleaning don't stop wars!"

I slammed my knife into the table so it stood up straight and ran up the stairs two at a time. I heard a clatter of Zoe's utensils and footsteps coming up, I slammed the door but I knew Zoe would break it down if she thought I needed it. I got out a book.

I'm obsessed with reading, Zoe says, "Music makes the pain fade." But I beg to differ, books whisk you away to another world of wonder. Zoe knocked and when I didn't answer she walked in, I was to upset to read so I threw the book and it hit the wall almost hitting Zoe in the face, she jumped, "What was that about!?"

"It's not fair, everyone else gets to do stuff while we sit around here," I sighed and she sat on her bed.

"Kris, lots of people can't fight either, the injured, sick. You should be thankful your not crippled. You'll just have to wait."

"Well of course you're gonna say that you don't want to fight!"

That was a little harsh, she winced but continued, "No I don't, my skills are elsewhere."

"And where is that?"

Her eyes clouded over, she whispered so quietly I had to strain my eyes to hear, "If I knew, I wouldn't be here."