War Zone

CHAPTER 2 ~ THE LETTER

"I'm tired I'm just going to go to bed" my parents nod at my word and I say goodnight to my family and head into my bedroom. I shut the door and lay on my bed, thinking about what's ahead. So many thoughts are swimming in my head. 'What will happen to my family? What if we die? What if everyone dies?' So many questions and thoughts are flowing everywhere. I can't take it anymore. I'm scared already and the war hasn't even started yet, who knows when it will. People are saying that they won't and that the upper half are just trying to scare us. But I don't think so. They have everything to start a war and we don't. So why wouldn't they. People have no idea what we're up against. After so many thoughts I drift of with many dreams haunting my sleep.

I wake up and look at my alarm clock 8am on a Saturday morning. Perfect. I seriously had to wake up now, I had the whole morning yet. Oh well I'm hungry anyways. I drag myself out of bed and put my slippers on I open my door and start walking down the hallway. I walk past my parents room and I can hear crying? I press my ear to the door and listen. "But they can't take her, she's too young" my mums voice pleas out. "But there's nothing we can do Rose" my dad replies back. "They want an army, and they're the government they can get what they want" I un press my ear from the wall and open their door. They look at me worriedly "mum what's wrong why are you crying" my dad looks at her and nods his head. "We got a letter from the government saying that to prepare for the war, they need to form an army." I don't know where this is going "so what's so and about that" I say "well the thing is Amber that we don't have an army. So the government wants to take the eldest child from every family and train them to fight in the war." I stand there, and then my jaw drops when I realise that I'm the eldest child. I will be fighting in the war, where I would more than likely die. "But in going to die" I start sobbing "they can't do that that's not fair they can't just take my life." My mum says "I know Amber but there's nothing we can do. They said that if you don't show up that they will find you and kill you and your family." I nod my head "I won't let that happen, I'll go but just know that I probably won't come back" they both shake they're head "you can't think like that though Amber. You will come back." I nod my head knowing inside that I won't. "When do I leave" my dad clears his throat. "Well they want you to start right away, so they want you by 5pm tonight." I gulp knowing that my family will literally hand me over to my death in less than 10 hours. But I have to stay strong, for them. "Ok so do I start packing things." "No they have everything at the compound" I don't know what to do so I start heading out of their room "I'm going to go eat breakfast."

I sit at the table and pour myself a bowl of cereal. As I eat I think about what this could make me become. A soldier who's not afraid of anything. This could change me so much. If I come home no one would probably recognise me anymore. Most of my friends are the eldest too, so I'll be in this with them. I put my bowl in the sink and go out to say a possible goodbye forever to my friends who aren't the eldest.

My best friend Zara who I have known for most of my life is the youngest. I knocked on her door and she took me up to her room. She said "what brings you here" I explained about the war and how they want the eldest children to fight. As I finish explaining that I might never see her again, she has tears forming in her eyes. "I'm going to miss you so much" I say. She starts crying and I hug her. "Please don't die, for me. I wouldn't be able to live without you." I say "I can't promise you that, but the only thing I can do is try." She smiles and I hug her again and head out the door. She waves and says "good luck" before I see her for possibly the last time.