The World Anew

Chapter 5 - Burning horizons

~Five years later~

Me and Alyssa had been going out for about four years by this point. I finally worked up the guts to ask her out, and we were both happy too. I never saw her smile so big when I asked her out, her face just lit up!

"Hey there cute guy!" She said tossing a bag to me

"Why hello dear, what's in the bag?

"Dinner that I labored over an oven to make." She said sarcastically

"Haha really?"

"Just a sandwich and chips. You like the classic right?" She asked

"Duhh!" I said

As we ate our dinner on watch, we heard a large explosion. One that we had never here'd before. The entire place shuck, and I could see the effect go on for miles. Over the wall we could see what appeared to be sunrise, but the there were more loud explosions. All around the walls were lit in a bright lite the blinded us all, making things unbearably hot.

"What the hell?" Yelled Alyssa

We all stood there wondering what could possible be going on. And as the lite slowly faded we could see large mushroom clouds. Then we knew what had happened.

"Oh god!" Alyssa cried out

Once every thing had settled the intercoms came on.

"All those who oppose the empire will burn in flames! Surrender now and you will be forgiven!" The propagandist said in an bullying tone

Almost as soon as he had said that, crowds were starting to form in protest. They were sick and tired of living in such dumps and working there asses off. They wanted change.

For weeks they scorched any thing on the other side of the wall, clouds spewing towards the sky could be seen for miles. And the intense light looked as if the sky was set afire.

"That's it!" Alyssa said as she stormed off to the war room

"I want to go in undercover into the empire!" She demanded

"What? No!" I said in frantic "you go, then I go too!"

"Fine! But you won't have any support you know" Hyperus said with a sigh

"Yes!" We both said

The next day we set out, we didn't know what to expect once we got to the border, but I was sure we would think of somthing.

A few hours later we had finally arrived to the borders. only civilians were let through, both sides had bunkers and trenches all around the entrance to each side of the now fractioned empire. Each ready to open fire on the other side for a wrong move.

"We need to find a way over, I'm sure they know we're rebels." Alyssa said softly

"Ya, sure" I said surveying the area

As I continued to look I found a small breach in there security, a sewage pipe that lead from a building over into the empire. It was perfect and yet such a disaster, Alyssa didn't like the idea of stepping in others fecal matter very much and I had to hear an ear full the entire time.

"What the hell Alex! you did this on purpose didn't you?" she said sounding very pissed

"Yes, only for you dear" I said sarcastically

As an hour or two passed, we finally reached reached our way into the Empire. It was cold and dark down there, rats were scurrying past our feet and Alyssa flipped out!

"Oh god what was that!"

"That's a rat Alyssa"

"Oh shut the hell up Alex!"

We found a ladder and decided that it was time to surface.

"Ok Alyssa, ill go first to make sure it's clear."

"Fine"

As I poked my head out a tank passed over my head, luckily it didn't see me.

"Ok Alyssa lets move!"

I helped her out and we found a crowd to blend in with. there were cameras every where, and every corner had heavily armed solders. They dark armor they dress them self in adds to the depressing site, and as usually ash falls from the sky and litter the ground in a grey film.

Transport trucks were every where, and solders were scattering every were. mandatory house searches and executions were the life of these solders, no remorse or guilt.

"Jesus! it's gotten worse!" Alyssa said

"Jesus won't save us!" a weak looking man said, his clothes were torn and tattered.

"I'm sorry?" I said

"God has abandoned us, Jesus won't help us! there's no hope for us." he said as if chanting

"God or Jesus had nothing to do with this, just a power mad tyrant trying for world domination!" Alyssa said sympathetically

"No dear, you don't understand! this is hell! the devils personnel playground! sorrow burdens the children, and death reaps the rest! starvation kills the infants and elders while the empire steals the baby's to brain wash them. Hail the empire! Hail the overseer! LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE!" he said in a frenzy

Guards were looking by now wondering what the old man was ranting about

"Shhh keep it down!" I said

When I looked back at him I could see he had started crying, tears cleared away a trail of pale skin.

"Please! take me and my family back with you!" he begged almost pushing me over. He had clinched my shirt and had a frantic look on his face

"I can help you! you don't blend in! let me help you for the salvation of my family!" he begged looking for mercy in my eyes

"Ok, but we must do something first. meet us here in a day, two at most!" Alyssa said tears running down her face

She looked over at me with this desperate look on her face

"We have to help them." she said

"Ok" that was all I could say, the look on her face, the state of the poor man, all of it made my heart ache and hurt

"That's fine" he said wilding away his face

"Follow me, you both will be spotted from a mile away."

We followed him into a run down metal shack, as we entered we could smell a sickening smell. the smell of burning corps. a little boy and girl were curled up into a corner and a wife sat crying holding something in her arm

"Oh god no! please don't tell me..."

"Yes damn it! she's dead!" she said showing the body of an infant baby

I looked away, again feeling this ache in my heart, then a rush of fury hit me.

"How the hell can the empire just do this! how can they be such cold bastards!"

The man said nothing not did nothing. but simply walked to a corner and scoped some ash and dirt and smeared it on our faces.

"There! you look like one of us now!" He said it as if proud of his work but yet at the same time he spoke as a man with no hope and nothing left to live for.

We told him we would be back for him and left for our mission.