A Prisoner Of War

Chapter Three : General Sterling

Hugo Sterling.

The name itself used to incite a wave of fear back at home. People used to be downright terrified of him. The slightly fearless ones used to gather around and curse him discreetly for starting the war. People said that he would torture his traitors in the most horrible of ways. Not physically, mentally. Physical wounds can heal and get better gradually, but playing with the mind of a person leaves a much more permanent effect. General Sterling made sure his victims were completely damaged, beyond repair. He was the General (read : dictator) of the Offence, and forget the Offence, even the Defence (that is, our country) was scared of him. I remember once when I was small, I had asked an old man in the toffee shop who General Sterling was - that was around the time the rumours of his cruelty had been floating around - and the man had turned pale and started sweating, his knees turning to jelly.

That is exactly how I feel now, walking in handcuffs through the sterile white corridor, flanked by soldiers. Hunter glances nervously at me every once in a while. I am led into a white capsule - like lift. The soldier on my right presses the button for the First floor above ground, and the doors close with a snap. The doors finally open to reveal a long white corridor with soldiers stationed at regular intervals, glaring at me with steely eyes.

I am finally led to a closed steel door, which has a card slot on the outside. Hunter takes out a card from his army jacket and swipes it into the slot. The machine beeps and a female voice robotically says, "Hunter Cunningham. Age :  Fifteen.  Access granted." 

The metal doors slide open, revealing a  room with a single table in the middle. Blinding white lights are stationed above the table. The steel walls are a dark grey and so is the floor.  

"Sit."

I had been so engrossed in scrutinizing the room that I hadn't noticed the grey-haired man in the middle of the room, looking at some maps on the table. His hard and weathered face and steely blue eyes now regard me with scrutiny.

I gulp. It is then that I notice a metal chair stationed a few feet away from the creepy table. It's attached to the ground. Sterling motions for me to sit down. I do, and all of a sudden two metal cuffs click around my wrists and ankles, binding me firmly to the seat. I almost cry out in fear, but one look from General and my brain is clouded in misery.

No wonder this man is called the devil incarnate. 

Suddenly, I see a map of the Defence , my country, pinned up beside another map of the Offence, on a wall behind Sterling. A red line traces a path from the Headquarters of the Offence through a lake on the border and to the town square of the Defence. Sterling follows my gaze and when he sees me looking at the map, he immediately shifts so that I can't see it. He slams the table in front of him. He then gets up and paces around the room, a sheaf of papers in his hand.

"Jacqueline Forester. Age : Fifteen. Yes or no?" 

I don't know how to answer, so I keep my mouth shut. It's then that he loses his temper.

"ANSWER ME!" he roars."Are you, or are you not her?"

"Y-Yes." I manage to say.

"What was the name of your father?"

I am slightly confused. What would Sterling have to do with my father? But I answer anyway.

"Um, James Forester, sir."

When I had said my father's name, something had changed in Sterling's eyes, a flicker of....recognition? Maybe. But now, all I can sense is controlled fury. I can see the rage in his eyes, but his face is devoid of any emotion. He taps his watch, and, through the intercom, tells the soldiers to come and take me away. The door opens again, and Hunter comes in, flanked by the very same two guards.

__

As the guards take me away, I cannot help but wonder what exactly Sterling was planning. A picture of the maps with the red line keeps floating in my mind. Maybe the red lines traced a path of some sort.

There had been rumours that Sterling was planning an attack any day. What if this is the route of attack?

Before I know it, I am already at the door to my cell. Without a word, the soldiers open the door and shove me in, locking the door behind them. Alexandra suddenly perks up, her face one of curiosity.

"What happened?"

She sits and listens as I narrate my story.

When I finish, her eyes are wide and she is as pale as a sheet.

"This is not good."

_

End of Chapter Three.

'Sup, everyone?

So, today is officially the last day of the Winter break. School starts tomorrow, and the rest of today will be spent in preparing for school.

Hopefully I will be able to update soon. Keyword : Hopefully.

So, Vote, Comment , Follow, you know the drill. See ya!

-T.J.