Beyond Loaded Guns

(1) Once It Begun

(A/N; please positive comments only, i worked really hard on this story and i would like it acknowledged. Thanks, enjoy!)

You would think that after world war I and II, humans would have enough common sense, compassion and decency not to start another war. Well, thats what i thought, but i was horribly mistaken. In history class, i learned all about the World War I, and brutal things such as the holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide, and i never thought that our kind would be cruel and heartless enough to continue with the killing of innocent people. But unfortunately, humans can't handle conflict between countries as well as we all had hoped.

It all began a month ago, on freezing August Saturday, in Australia. My family, the Mantra's, were sitting on the big U shaped couch around the fire watching the news on the flat-screen above the mantelpiece.

"Your turn Evelyn" My younger sister had stated as we were playing monopoly.

I was nicknamed Eve, short for Evelyn, obviously. I was 17 (I still am), but still liked board games on rainy cold days. My sister and i went to the same high school called North High, in our town of Valleymont. I have dark brown hair and Ella has light blonde. We both dyed streaks into our hair, i got blonde streaks and she got brown, it was sort of to represent each other and our closeness.

Even though she is two years younger i feel like we are as close as twins. We had tiny fights about stupid things but we both bounce back quickly, It's hard for us to hold grudges because we are so close. We go to the same school because in Australia, high School Starts at Year 7.

My hobbies included archery, hunting, sports like badminton and volleyball, and especially hanging out with my sister. Ella's interests were writing, drawing and painting. She had an amazing talent for creative stuff like that she also loved DIY. We shared a room, it was pretty big and it had light lavender colored walls.

My side, which was the left, was covered in band posters like bring Me The Horizon, Linkin Park and Of Mice And Men. Ella's side was filled with quotes all over her walls and she had a mosquito net canopy above her bed. We had golden yellow fairy lights lining the opposite side of the room where that wall met the wall.

Our parents were so very different, but the saying "Opposites Attract" came into play. My dad was Stevie Mantra, he was hard but fair, he was very smart and loved to fix up machines and stuff in his shed. Mum was Jone Mantra, she was kind and sweet as a mother should be. She loved to cook and watch "The X-Files" with all of us.

So anyway, back to when it all fell apart;

We were all watching the news. Ella and I were half listening and half playing our board game. My dad gasped and turned the flat-screen volume up. Images of gunfire and explosions lit up the screen, with a serious voice over explaining;

"Warnings are now being cast all over the world as a potential war is threatening civilian life. We advised you to have an escape plan and to stock up on essentials for survival and plans for when war attacks are among us, Evacuation might be necessary"

Fear shivered through me. It sounded as though they were telling us we were all doomed if we stayed.

"Stevie, what should we do?" Mum asked what we were all thinking.

"Well, as they said we should stock up, on water, food, and maybe weapons" Dad suggested.

Mum nodded, letting it all sink in.

"So there is like, an actual war going on?" Ella questioned with a quiver of anxiety ion her voice.

"Well..... unfortunately yes dear" Mum answered her solemnly.