Remember

Chapter Twenty-Five

Madie was on her feet in seconds, following her brother out of the room and onto the streets of the town. She was on a mission, one that was going to keep her little town intact for as long as possible. It was much harder running a town than she would have though, really, she wasn't the one who ran it. Her brother did all the work, he started the place after all.

When Madie was younger, she realized something, she had a voice and a mind and strong opinions. She was smart, much smarter than most people. She had dreams and ambitions. She saw things that most people didn't. Her mind was a big vortex full of swirling colors that poured out her mouth at the most random of times.

A leader, that's what she was destined to be. Not that she knew how to run a town but she could run people. She could convince anyone of anything. Madie was passionate and when she spoke, that's what people saw. That's what made them follow her. She knew her people would fight by her side to the death. They trusted her and that's what she was relying on now.

She needed to call a town meeting, bring everyone together. Unite them. They were a family, they were her family and they were going to fight to stay together. They had to if they wanted survival. The government didn't understand that, they wanted to control people rather than bring them all together. That's where they went wrong, where they will always go wrong.

Fixing a problem was no easy task, the government had taught her that much. What they didn't understand was the difference between a permanent fix and a temporary fix. As proven, their little mind control games and simulations were merely temporary. People are smarter than the government gives them credit for. They will always find a way to prosper, even if they don't quite understand what they are prospering for.

To survive, they needed unity. They needed to know what they were fighting for, fighting against. They needed a reason to stand and fight. People didn't do things just because they wanted to. People are selfish like that. They require persuasion and words strung together perfectly to create sentences that sparked something that was lost inside these people; their will.

Will is what keeps people going. It was drives them to fight for what they love and care for. It gives them the strength and passion to stand up for themselves instead of shrinking back when faced with a problem. Madie was that voice that sparked the fire inside these people. She didn't need manipulation powers or charmed speech to get people to fight. She just needed her words and people willing to trust her.

Her brother had built this community on trust but even he had made one of the greatest mistakes. The people feared him, they stayed here because they feared what would happen to them if they did not. Peyton could kill people with a look and he demonstrated that power to prove his strength. That's what the government did. Once people figured out the truth, the government through them into cages and told them that was the only way to survive. The sad part is people believed them.

The key isn't breaking spirits and forcing them to do something. It's building up their spirit. It's showing them that they are more than a slave to their powers. It's teaching them control over those powers instead of letting them live in fear of using them.

That's what Madie had to convince them of today. She had to bring forth those warriors she tried so hard to create and give them a reason to use their powers to fight for their lives. The government guards that inched closer to their camp every second weren't going to show mercy to the weak. They were going to kill each and every last one of them just to prove a point. They were going to rule by fear. Madie wasn't going to let them.

Her reunited friends stood behind her, up on the steps of her house as her people slowly trickled to hear what she had to say. There wasn't many people, so many had been lost to starvation and sickness. There hadn't been many to begin with. Not many people had been lucky enough to escape the government. Even less had been lucky enough to evade them completely.

She took a deep breath and looked at her people. Most were children that had been hidden away and had found their way here, too young to fight. The others had powers that proved no use to the government and had been fasted away. But the few that could put up a fight, those were the ones she was speaking to today.

"As many of you may already know, our town threatens to be exposed by the government." The statement caused a few gasps and mutters to echo around but it quickly died down. "You may try and blame the people behind me but they are not at fault. They did not know they were leading them toward us, we must protect them as if they had been here the whole time. We must come together like we did to build this community and fight for it. I know many of you do not believe your powers are helpful but I assure you everyone can play a part in protecting us. In protecting this family we have worked so hard to build." She paused, meeting the eyes of each one of her people.

"I need warriors, those of you who are brave enough to take on the Govies and be able to call yourself a protector of your people. I need guards, those willing to fall back and protect those who are not capable of fighting. To show compassion for those the government could not. We are better than them and we must prove it." People shouted in the crowd, agreeing with her statements. Madie couldn't help but smile, growing taller with her people's enthusiasm. "Lastly, I need anyone who can work with electricity. Rewire it, control it, jam it. I don't care. But these people are coming with radios and back up plans and if we don't get to them first we can expect more of them to come. Please. Step forward."

There was silence. Nobody stepped up to help. Nobody stepped up to fight. The people looked at each other, suddenly shrinking back and away from the fight. Madie waited in the silence and finally heard a voice behind her.

"I'm willing to fight." Kaden paused beside her, looking at the people around him. "I may not have been here since the beginning but I am willing to fight for what is right. The government doesn't know who they're dealing with, they think they're right to manipulate us and keep secrets from us but they're wrong. Who is going to help me show them that? Who is going to stand up and fight for what is right?"

People nodded and stepped forward. "Yeah, we gotta fight for what's right. They don't get to control us." A man in the back pushed to the front and others followed. "Me and my sons will fight." His boys nodded behind him and Madie beamed. The father turned around and yelled towards the crowd. "Madrea is right! We must fight for our people." They all yelled back in response.

"Those of you willing to fight please follow Commander Lorhan. She will give you further instructions." Madie nodded her head towards the commander who gladly took the father, his sons, and a few others who were willing to fight. She was beginning to believe they might actually win this.

Suddenly a murmur erupted in the crowd as a young boy stepped forward. "I-I think I can help you with the electricity..." The boy's voice trailed off as he glanced behind him and to his mother who held a very worried expression on her face. "I've accidentally caused a few things we thought didn't work t-to explode."

Madie smiled at the young boy and then looked to his mother. "I promise we will not let your son be put in any danger. Once the Govies are close enough we will have him hidden in a room where he will kill the communication back to the government headquarters." The mother nodded slowly and let her son go to stand by Kaden who held his hand and smiled at him.

The rest of the group was divided into those who could not fight and those willing to watch them and fight if anything were to happen. They were to be the last resort. Hopefully it wouldn't come to them.

"Thank you. Once Commander Lorhan is done briefing the warriors she will sort you into different posts. Take this time to prepare yourselves for what's to come. We will take on the Govies and we will show them that they don't get to control us." The group gave out their last shouts of agreement and went back to their homes. It was going to be a long day. At nightfall they would strike.