The Third War

Chapter Three: Zoe

       I stared at the glow in the dark stars until I fell asleep. I was woken by a loud knocking on the door. I propped up on one elbow and listened; the clock said it was 3:00. I thought I'd imagined it so I was about to lay back down when I heard the knocking again but louder, and harder.

I saw Kris was asleep. I decided not to wake her up; sleep came hard for her since, well the war. I crawl out of bed and open the door Mom is stumbling out of bed,

"Go back to bed Zoe,"

I look at her and hear voices down stairs,

"No!"

I walk past but she grabs my arm.

"Let me go!!" I screamed.

She picked me up and put me in my room. She slammed the door and I heard the lock click. Kris who had woken up looked at me and asked sleepily,

"What's going on!?"

We heard the door swing open and hit the wall. My mom yelled,

"WHAT!? NO!!"

Kris jumped out of bed and ran over and tried to break down the door. I started kicking the door too but gave up and slid down putting my ear to the door. I heard deep voices talking and I motioned to Kris to slide down and listen with me.

She didn't slide down but she put her ear to the door. Mom started yelling and we heard a thud. Kris immediately started kicking the door again and I got up and helped her.

"Kick the doorknob!"

I was getting very worried. Kris nodded and kicked there. The door swung open and we tumbled out. Mom was coming up the stairs,

"WHAT. HAPPENED!?" Kris demanded.

Mom flinched, "We'll talk about it the morning."

Kris pushed me past me," No, we'll talk about it now!"

Mom went and closed her door. I could see she was hurt so when Kristy went to open the door I grabbed her wrist and dragged her back to our room. Kris went and sat in the corner. She stared at floor and rocked back and forth. I climbed in and tried to sleep. So many things were going through my head. Were they the Enemy? Have the taken over? Or was that our side telling us to leave our homes? Or the most terrifying to me, did they need more soldiers?

I drifted off to sleep but it was a mistake. I dreamed a bomb was coming, but there was no alarm. I saw the bomb land in our backyard. Instead of fire blood exploded, I screamed but no sound came. I looked frantically but I couldn't find anyone I started digging through the rubble and saw my keyboard, I picked it up and under was Kris.

I dropped the keyboard and stared at her. She was covered in dirt, blood, and gore. I cried out but no one heard. I screamed for Mom and Dad. I was crying when I felt a bony hand on my shoulder, I turned and saw a skeleton. I scrambled away and saw two others; a tall man and a little baby, Gabe. I choked, they started coming toward me,

"You could've saved us, you failed us!"

They started chanting that and I was crying and screaming,

"I'M SORRY!"

I stumbled backward and "Kris" grabbed my leg and I fell. I screamed and woke up. I was sweating but freezing. I shivered and saw Kris was still awake in the same position as when I fell asleep. I couldn't sleep again, I just couldn't. I drew my legs up to my chest, wrapped my arms around them, and rested my chin on my knees.

~8:00~

I started as I heard Gabe's little screams, he probably had just had a nightmare. I was terrified, what exactly had happened last night to dad? I loved him so much and was he gone for good? My stomach did a flip...He can't be gone...I need him. Dad was a huge part of my life, he taught me music how to play a song in your head when I'm scared. Heck, because of him my middle name is Melody.

Without him I wouldn't have gotten through my hard school experience. Okay, let me say this here. People do not like me. No one I'm a freak who taps on the table and hums when she's scared which, mind you, is all the time. I have terrible nightmares and I'm pale as a ghost. I also don't like talking to people and when I have to I only mumble.

I get all this from my mother. She's a bit odd too but that's okay with me. Kris and Dad are loud and outgoing and I like them for it. Only time would tell what Gabe would turn out to be. I went in his room and saw he had just dropped his blanket. Gabe loves his blanket. It's dark blue with yellow stars, if it gets away from him you better make sure he gets right back. I gave it to him and he fell back asleep,

Well that's a bit more quiet time for the rest of us.

Just then Kris started banging on mom's door,

Or not...