The Revolution

Chapter One

Chapter One

Charlotte

Married?  MARRIED?  Surely this is the kind of thing that mother should discuss with me first!?  I don't want to meet my 'future husband' tonight!  I just know that he will be a stuck up, snobby rich man who will be nothing like the man of my dreams.  Why can't mother understand that I want to marry for love, and not for status?  I know she's doing her best but really, this is unacceptable. 

"Miss Charlotte, stop looking so vacant"  nurse snapped.  As much as I hated her, I needed to hear her opinion.

"Do you agree with how my parents have decided my whole life?" I asked her bluntly.  Her face softened and she stopped brushing my hair.

"Don't tell your mother but... no, I don't.  I was forced into marriage when I was sixteen, and my husband was horrible.  He beat me and slept with other woman so no, I do not agree." she said quietly.  Well, I have new respect for nurse.  I didn't reply, I didn't know what to say.  Sensing the awkwardness, nurse continued to make me look half decent.

After a further hour of hair brushing, makeup applying and re-dressing, I was finally looking presentable - not that I wanted to be.  I hated my mother making me dress up for men I didn't know, in the hope that he'd like me.  It was like I was on sale, so embarrassing.  I can find my own man thank you very much.

Nurse smiled slightly at me as I walked out of my bedroom unwillingly...id love to know why she was suddenly being so nice to me, after eighteen years of being emotionless nurse she was being kind.  Mental note: treasure this moment. 

I teetered down the ancient corridors on the stupid high heels that mother insisted I wear.  With every step I took the feeling of dread intensified.  Something deep I side me was shouting out to turn and run, so I didn't have to deal with meeting my "future husband".  Was he here already?  The idea made me feel sick.  I just want to be free, to make my own decisions in life and not be told what to do.  Is that so much to ask for?  I don't want this life of luxury, I never asked for it.  Why should I have to do this, marry someone I don't even know.  It just isn't fair-

 An ear-splitting scream snapped me from my ranting, and froze me in my place.  My mother screamed again, this time it was more distressed and pure terror.  What on earth is going on?!  I rushed to the bottom of the stairway and tottered into the living room as quickly as I could, to find my mother collapsed by the window, staring up at the sky in fear.  My father stood beside her, attempting to support her and my two sisters  ..even   he looked scared.  I rushed to the window to see what everyone was looking at but god I wish I hadn't.  The sky didn't look like the sky anymore, it looked like it was on fire!  Red and yellow shards soared around above us, dancing on the orange clouds that warped into shapes you only see in one of Lewis Carroll's books.  Wisps of purple joined the strange array of colours that took over our sky...in a way, it was quite beautiful...once you got past the whole terror of the sky changing. 

And then it happened.

One minute, the sky was alive with colour, the next, there was nothing but a white light. A white light that engulfed everything - it tore out house apart in seconds, giving us but a few precious moments to run before we too were obliterated.  At some point in the desperate scramble for safety, my youngest sister, Louisa had wrapped herself around me, and my mother had taken my trembling hand.  She  led me and the terrified five year old, Along with Marnie, my ten year old sister who was clutching my  other hand, towards safety.  It was literally seconds after we ran out of the house that it tumbled down.  If we'd been a second slower, we too would be buried under the immense  pile of rubble.  How on earth could a light destroy our house?  I didn't get much time to mourn over our destroyed lives because mum was pulling at my elbow.

"Charlotte its not safe here we need to go." she insisted, her voice strained and in pain.  Despite this, she didn't shed a tear.  she was so strong.  Tears pricked my eyes but I was determined to stay strong like mother, especially with Marnie and Louisa here.

Father led us all, but I highly doubt even he knew where to go...nevertheless, we all followed him.  For hours we walked in a straight line (more or less), which made it seem like he had some idea of where we were headed, but I don't know how.  We've never hiked anywhere in out lives, we've just relied on being chauffeured around in our cars, but they were destroyed. 

Without warning, he stops, making mum bump into him and me to her. 

"Why have we- " I began to ask why we had stopped but father put his hand to my mouth, silencing me.  Why did I have to be quiet?  He pressed his finger to his lips, and I nodded, so he released me.  I knelt down beside a very drowsy Louisa and whispered that she HAD to be quiet.  Sleepily, she nodded.  I smiled and held her hand again, whilst father scanned the trees around us.  It was pretty dark now, so I do not know what he hopes to see.  I was just about to ask him again when I heard a twig snap loudly behind me.  I jumped in fright, finally understanding what he was so worried about...we were being followed.

"It might be nurse " mother whispered to father, but he shook his head. 

"They have been following us for a good twenty minutes, if it was nurse she would have stepped out by now.  Take the girls, and run.  I will buy you as much time as I can." He told her gently, but mother shook her head firmly. 

"I stay with you.  Charlotte will take them." She whispered.  Father looked at me and I nodded.  I put Louisa on my back, and grabbed Marnie's hand and took off, not daring to look behind me.  I could hear footsteps behind me, running, chasing.  I forced my legs to run faster, but they were already so tired.  Louisa screamed as a hand grabbed her, and tried peeling her off my back.  Overrun with adrenaline, I spun around and kicked the attacker.  I winced as my foot collided with his jaw, breaking it.  He released my sister and I ran even faster, despite having a sore ankle now.

After an hour of sprinting and jogging, I was satisfied that we'd outrun them, so I stopped.  Adrenaline subsided and I collapsed, taking my two sisters tumbling with me.  Thankfully I didn't crush either of them.  We crawled to a nearby tree and I pushed them up to some branches ... I figure branches will be safer than the forest floor.  Marnie went up first and helped pull Louisa up after, and when they were both safely in the tree, I attempted to climb...note to self: climbing a tree in a floor length ball gown, hard work.  After three attempts and three falls, I'd had enough.  I ripped away the lower half of my dress so I was left with a torn dress cut just above the knee: much more practical.  Well, if mother could see me know, she would have a heart attack. 

With my new dress, I climbed into the tree with ease, and within ten minutes, both Louisa and Marnie were snuggled up to me and fast asleep.  I however was not so lucky.  I couldn't sleep, not when I didn't know where my parents were.  For all I knew, they could be dead...at this thought, the tears I'd been holding back burst, and streamed down my face.  What was I supposed to do?  How could I look after two children?! I mean, I have no home, no parents... Nothing.  What do I do? 

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So that's chapter one :)  Hope you liked it, vote and comment if you did :)