Crying

Chapter One

Contains very mild language and tobacco use.

Chapter One

'Bloody hell, Lyle! You signed up for the frikin war!'

'I never signed up, Benjii,' I snap, now more agitated than ever. 'I already told you. I never did.'

'Oh yeah?' Benjii snickers. 'Did your mummikins do it then?'

'Shut up man!' I kiss my teeth. It was true, I didn't sign up for it. It's compulsory for over 16 year olds. But Benjii thinks I'm 15.

In 2100, we have a war going on. World war IIII. We had a massive one a couple of years back, where I was too young to fight, so I was evacuated. It was hard, only 1 of my other siblings were evacuated, it was too much money. We are so poor it is unbelievable. Americana took all our money, belongings and love, and now we live in the remains of a block of flats that got bombed in WWIII. 

Americana is not America. It is a vile, racist and sexist gathering of people from all around the world that just so happen to be situated in America. But their population spread like wild fire, and they invaded 27 states of America. The largest one remaining is Texasia, which is where many people retreat to when their homes have been burnt down in other states.

'There goes another one,' sighs mum as I walk into the room. Her eyes are red from crying and her face is wet and sticky. 'Calforangeles. It's terrible.' The tv crackles and hisses as the horrific scenes on the news fade to black. 'Stupid bloody tv!' Mum gets up and kicks the buzzing screen with her foot.

'Stop mum!' Kittie gets up from the sofa and pulls her back.

'Leave her,' I sigh. A wave of sadness rushes over me as I sit down in the armchair. I lift up the floorboard and take out a packet of cigarettes. I give them to mum. 'It'll calm you down,' I say. She takes them with a shaking hand.

'I'm sorry Lyle...' She takes one out carefully and searches around in her pocket for a lighter.

'Mum, you really shouldn't smoke!' Kittie puts a hand on the box.

'Leave her,' I say through gritted teeth. 'Two of her sons are going to war and are probably going to die. Let her have a bloody cigarette.'

'Stop talking like I'm not here!' Mum exclaims. 'Now get me a lighter!' I take one out of my pocket gingerly and pass it to her. Kittie gasps.

'You smoke!?'

'No. Yes. Sometimes. Get over it!' The look on her face is so comical it makes me laugh. 'Get over it Kittie. Make the most of it while I'm here.' I say it jokily, but when I think of never seeing Mum or Kittie or Harry or Kes again...

Mum lights the cigarette and exhales a long line of smoke. She wheezes sharply. She starts coughing and coughing until Kittie bangs her on the back and she takes a deep breath.

'It's unhealthy, Mum!' Kittie says.

'Argh!' she says and chucks it on the floor. 'Sod it!'

I pick it up and have a drag before throwing it out of the window. A homeless man totters by, picks it up and walks away.

Lucky sod, I think.

I walk up to me and Kes's room where my brown rucksack is waiting. I take out my uniform and put it on. I button up the jacket and straighten the badges. Then I look at myself in the mirror.

You're not so lucky are you? I think. You're not a lucky sod.

I smell food so I go downstairs. A minuscule blob of something identifiable lies before me on a cracked plate.

'Well aren't you my little soldier?' says mum like I'm 5 again. 'Let me have a look.'

I stand up abruptly. She looks up and down.

'Beautiful...' she says. 'My beautiful boy...'

I sit back down again.

'I'll miss you Lyle. But will you make a promise for me?'

I nod my head. She sighs.

'Don't die.'