Code of Honor

I watched the skyline.

Once one the biggest cities in the state sat beautifully on the horizon. It had been the first thing I’d see every morning as I got out of bed and glanced out the window. It always had its own beauty to it. Now it had been replaced with black smoke billowing into the darkened sky. The remains of some buildings still stood high but I knew they’d be gone by morning. Crumbling to the ground following the rest of the city.

Slowly I looked away from the horizon. The sight here wasn’t much better. Most the houses were still standing. Some had their windows boarded over where some people had tried to stay. A few still looked normal, some had been leveled by fire or bombing. The ash still floated around my head, evidence of the spot fires that still surrounded us.

The stench of death and decay was still strong but after so long you forgot about it. It was better if you didn’t think about it. It was an inescapable part of life now. Everything was gone. Our homes, our families and friends. Our way of life up in smoke like everything else. It ended in a split second and it wasn’t changing anytime soon. This was the end.

“Grace.”

Slowly I turned around and pushed my unkempt dark hair behind my ear. My father was kneeling in the dirt amongst what remained of our home. Ours was one of the many to go up in flames. I seen the flicker of fear in his eyes but he held a strong facade. Mostly for me I think. His face and arm were burnt and still dripping blood slowly. I to was injured but thanks to him not as badly. A few burns, some scratches and bruises. But I was okay, I’d live. Compared to most I was a picture of health these days.

I walked over and dropped to the ground beside him. Something dug into my exposed left knee but I ignored it. We had lost everything but each other. What happened to the rest of our family I didn’t know and a part of me didn’t want to. If I didn’t know I could believe they died peacefully or they were alive somewhere. Maybe we’d be reunited one day...it was a long shot but hope was all we had left.

Slowly I started to shift through the rubble that had once been our home. We were looking for something, anything that would help us. When you have nothing the smallest thing can mean the world. Something to remind us to fight on or remind us of our family and one good life. Eventually my fingers encountered a thin chain. It didn’t belong in the mix of dirt, glass and rubble. I pulled it out slowly and dusted the dirt and mud off it before holding it in my open palm. My mother’s silver necklace. The one she always wore. I showed it silently to my father. He took it slowly in his calloused hands and stared at it. The grief on his face was undeniable but he hid it quickly before I could see. He turned slowly to place the thin chain around my neck.

“Keep it safe,” he whispered and I nodded.

It was then we heard footsteps coming from behind us. We both looked back quickly and my father’s shoulder squared defensively. There was no doubt in my mind these men were soldiers. Whose I couldn’t tell. Not that it mattered. No one could be trusted. They could be our soldiers but with the way everything was now they could be worse than our enemies.

Even if they were working for our up-turned government they could easily shoot us. I’d already seen some soldiers slaughter people so they wouldn’t have to live this life, so they couldn’t spread the disease they carried or because they were against the new ‘government’. If they were enemy soldiers they’d no doubt shoot us dead as an example, if we weren’t taken as slaves. Death was quickly becoming the best outcome for us.

We didn’t know who our enemies were anymore. When the war first broke out it was the same was always. Everyone took their sides with their usual allies, some chose to stay out of it. Propaganda littered the streets and radio stations. At first it was barely noticeable but soon every second add, every wall was promoting the war.Looking for more soldiers to replace those dying overseas.