Life As We Knew It

Chapter One: Unjust Arrests

I remember that day well. The day they came for us. The day the earth's rotation shifted. The day my world changed. That day is engraved in my brain. That day...
"Esme, darling. I'm leaving." my mother says from the kitchen. I hop out of my bed and stuff my feet into my boots before running down the hallway and into her waiting arms.
"Do you have your purse and your id?" I ask her.
"Yes." she says, releasing me from her arms. I kiss her cheek and watch her walk out into the cold weather.
An hour later, I step out of the same door and find my two best friends, Rosalie and Alice, waiting for me.
"Hey, Es." Rosalie says, linking her arm through mine, her other arm having already been claimed Alice's.
"Hey Essie." Alice says in a shaky tone, her eyes glued to the sidewalk.
"Hey Rose and Alice." I say back with a smile.
"Where's Jasper?" I ask, looking at Alice. This question earns a sob from the petite pixie's mouth. Rosalie's arm unhooks from hers and wraps around her small frame.
"He was drafted." Rose whispers to me. I gasp.
Our country has emerged itself into a war of some sort. New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned. The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes. There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back. And neither do those who are drafted.
Rose would know.
Not too long ago, Emmett was drafted along with my brother, Edward. That was five years ago and I haven't heard from him since then.
"Has anyone heard anything about Bella?" I ask as we pass the gas station across the street.
"No. Should we check the board again?" Alice asks in a sad tone.
"No. We check every day. I don't think she is coming back." Rose says, pulling us away from the gas station.
Bella was a girl who sat by my brother in our biology class. She was quiet and not very popular but I think my brother was friends with her.
Anyways, she disappeared a while back and there are rumors going around that her parents and she were arrested for violating one of the articles.
And what happens to prisoners of war, you may ask?
Well, there are rumors about that too. That girls get beaten and raped by the soldiers. There are also rumors about solitary confinement. But again, those are just rumors. But every day in Biology, I stare at the lab table that used to be occupied by them and is now vacant. The scene never fails to send chills through my bones. This day was no different.
By the time I got home, my mother had dinner on the table and was sitting in her chair, reading a magazine.
"Mother, you know reading those are against the moral statutes." I say, trying to clean up all of the items laying around our house that are illegal to own.
"I know. But you're not going to tell, are you?" she asks me like she always does when I comment on stuff like this.
"I just might." I say, smirking at her. Just as I clear away all of the restricted items, including the magazine in her hands, the doorbell rings. I freeze in my tracks and stare at it ominously.
It's past curfew. There shouldn't be anyone out and about at this hour.
The doorbell rings again and my mom seems to come out of her trance and she gets up to answer the door. My heart pounds in my chest as I think about what could be beyond those doors.
Before I can stress too much about it, the door swings open and my worst nightmare unfolds before my eyes. A man with jet black hair stands before us in a navy blue moral militia uniform. The American flag was painted on his breast pocket and just about that were the initials FBR. Federal Bureau of Reformation.  The name on the golden plate read General Samuel. He pulls a paper out of his coat and begins to read from it.
"Susan Elizabeth Platt?" he asks.
"Yes?" my mother answers.
"I need to see your ID." he says.
"Is there a problem, sir?" she asks, trying to step in front of me to block me from their view.
"Just get your ID ma'am." he says, becoming irritated by her lack of obedience. I look over my mom's shoulder and past the soldier in my doorway to catch a glimpse of the dark blue van. There was another soldier in the driver's seat and one standing by the door with his hands behind his back.
"Susan Platt, you are under arrest for violation of the Moral Statutes, Section 2, Article 5, Part A revised, pertaining to children conceived out of wedlock." he says, slapping a paper on the front of our door with the word CONDEMNED written in big red letters. He grabs my mother by her arms and begins to march her outside.
"Arrest?" me mother asks, still trying to process it all. I grab the officer by the forearm, trying to pull him off of my mother. He let's go of her momentarily to shove me to the side. My body hits the cold damp grass and I watch as the officer standing outside of the van begins to march right toward me.
"Get off of my property! You can't do this to us, we are people, not animals! We are old enough to remember-"
"Mother." I say, silencing her, knowing she is only making it worse. "Officer, please. There must be a mistake." I say, watching as the man walks closer to me.
"No mistake ma'am. They've been through your records." he says, grabbing me by my wrists. He yanks me up from the ground and I immediately pull away.
He smirks as I do this and yanks me closer to him, my breath leaving my lungs as my body slams into his. His hand snaked around my waist, pulling me even closer, making my skin crawl. This whole situation happening in a dream like state.
And then I saw him.
His golden hair matches his golden eyes and he seems to glide toward us as supposed to walking. His skin is pale as snow but beautiful.
His golden plate read Cullen.
"Cullen, remember why you're here. Get back in the van!" Sam shouts. Carlisle's face reads indecisiveness.
I take this opportunity to yank against the man's hold, breaking free. I run to my mother and wrap my arms around her shoulders. The man grabs my shoulders and pulls me away from her.
"No! Stop! Mother!" I cry out, reaching back to hit and scratch everything in reach. I mostly get uniform but on my last swing, my nails grazed the thin skin on his neck and he swore loudly.
"Gah! Damnit!" he shouts, pushing me away. I turn just in time to see him grab his gun from its holster and aim it at me.
"Stop!" I hear my mother shout over the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I raise my arms up and squeeze my eyes shut, bracing myself for death.
Suddenly, I am shoved to the ground and my eyes snap open to see who was brave enough to do such a thing. I look up and see the beautiful soldier standing in front of the man, staring down the barrel of the gun.
"Cullen, your CO will hear about this!" Sam shouts. The other man cocks back the gun with a click.
"Don't hurt him!" I squeak out, not knowing why I feel so compelled to protect this soldier.
"You don't want to do that, Jacob." Cullen says.
"Stand down Cullen!" Sam shouts angrily. He shoves my mother into the van and I jump up, tangling my hands in Cullen's uniform.
"Please! This is a mistake!" I tell him. Jacob grabs my arms and yanks them behind my back. By now, my willpower has diminished as I realize that no matter what I say, they will not release us from imprisonment. I allow Jacob to drag me toward the van.
"No! Let them go!" I hear Alice shout. I look over and see her running from her house to mine with Rosalie following behind.
"Back off, pixie!" Sam shouts, taking out his baton. Rosalie grabs Alice's shoulders and pulls her back, keeping her restrained.
"Cullen, handle this. Jacob, I need more help with this one." Sam says, fumbling with my mother who keeps trying to get out.
"Officer please. Let's just stop and chat about what is going on." she pleads.
"She doesn't even have her shoes on!" I shout, tears streaming down my face. Jacob releases me and his warm, clammy hands are replaced with ice cold ones.
"Don't fight me, Esme." he whispers into my ear, sending chills down my spine.
"Please." I whimper as he gently picks me up and sets me in the van.
"Please!" I say louder and the door slams shut in my face.

Huge thanks to ThePediatricSurgeon  I couldn't do any of this without you! I hope you like the book! It's different but hopefully a good read.
XOXO