The Survivors, The Warriors, The Lovers

 

Four Years Ago---

July 4, 2195

 

The morning of Independence Day dawned bright and early. I lay in my bed, barely awake, and listened to the sounds of the robin outside my window as she fed her babies. I smiled and slowly sat up. I looked out through my curtain and watched the mama bird. Robins were my favorite birds. Their song is so beautiful to listen to. I love waking up every morning listening to them.

I tossed my covers onto the wooden floor of my room and walked to my closet. I randomly grabbed a set of clothes and hurried to the spare bathroom. I quickly bathed and dried off. I wiped the fog from the mirror and frowned at my reflection.

The girl in the mirror didn't look fourteen. She looked like a miniature adult. Her black hair was cut to frame her face in a pixyish bob. Her eyes were bright grey, with dabs of hazel. Her neck was long and graceful. Her bosom was fully developed. Her skin was slightly aged from all the time she spent outside under the sun.

This girl was me.

My mother and father want me to do something big in my life, something important that people will remember me by. Mom wants me to one day run for Congress; but I doubt that will happen. And Dad wants me to follow in his footsteps and become a historian. I hate history. What I want is to join the United States Air Force after I graduate High School. I haven't exactly told my parents yet. They would freak or something.

I could see it now. Mom would start hyperventilating, most likely would end up fainting and Dad would say, "War is no place for a young woman like yourself to be."

Apparently Dad is stuck in the 1800s.

However, my older brother Daniel knows about my desire to join the Air Force. He encourages it actually. Danny is in the Marine Corps and believes that everyone-man or woman-should defend their country for a set amount of time. He loves that I want to go into the Air Force.

I sighed slowly and began to dress. I grinned slightly at what I chose to wear today. I think I might just match the fireworks in the sky. I walked out of the bathroom in bright acid green jeans, a black, purple and green plaid flannel button down shirt and a neon orange beanie. On my feet were knee high, black leather, four-inch spiked heel boots. In my ears were three earrings each: one was a mismatched pair of studs, the second one on the left was a gold hoop and the second on the right was a Medieval coin on a short wire, and the third on each ear was a dangly one with two feathers and three chains each. The feathers were venom blue, neon pink and magenta

 

I threw my pajamas in the dirt laundry and skipped to breakfast. Danny, who was home on leave, choked on his coffee when he saw me. Ellen, my elder sister, laughed and pulled me into a hug. Mom and Dad gaped in horror.

"Oh," Mom said in a startled voice. "Don't you look----colorful, dear?"

"Does it look alright?" I questioned, turning around slowly, my boots making a soft clicking noise on the floor. "Is it too much?"

"Not at all, dear," she replied. She seemed to finally be over her initial shock. "You look great, honey!" She kissed my forehead and motioned me to sit at the dining table. I sat down and filled my plate with all sorts of breakfast items. Ya know, like pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and an assortment of fruit. I ate slowly, the way Mom taught me to eat.

A package wrapped in brown paper was suddenly placed onto the table in front of me. I looked up at Danny, who set the package there.

"Happy birthday, Katrina," he smiled. I grinned happily and set my fork down to open the package.