I laid silent as my world continued to crumble around me. Flames of all colors and hues lashed out at my pale skin as i tried to scrape my way between the cars, packed like sardines on the thin road. No one was going anywhere, though. Another explosion hit home at some big shot corporation and it soon came crashing down onto the surrounding bystanders. Poor them. But there is no reason to waste time to feel sorry, and for people you don't really care about? With my mind preoccupied on trying to slip through the streets, I was awoken from my thought when my fragile body was slammed into the side of a tattered building. At once i knew it had to be a Flashbang or a stun grenade since others on the street had been blown back and were now stumbling around like blind mice trying to find their way. I hit the ground as soon as i came to my scenes and just in time by the sound of it. Bullets came swirling into the crowd and i struggled to grip onto my only cover. A human corpse. People were dropping like flies as the enemy continued their onslaught. We civilians were not really seen as a threat, just as worthless dogs in their way. Now I'm not stupid, and i know well and good there was bound to be a patrol behind them that was picking off stranglers that has survived their first attack. Like me. It took me a moment to realize one of the shooters had snagged the palm of my left hand, so i ripped off the shirt of a victim and wrapped it around my mangled hand. I stood and began to run after the shooters. They had a good 10 minuet head start on me, so I jogged steadily through the now empty rubble. Then I stopped to gaze at the pillaged building at the edge of Valley Way and Cemetery Drive. After a pause to remember the fallen heroes none of these people knew about, I slipped unnoticed into the shadowed building and my eyes hadn't even had enough time to adjust to the light before I was scooped up into my partner’s arms. She then released me and I was able to take a deep breathe and I felt like I was waking up. Ash and dust was all I could taste, and I wipe my brow. I had not come to see I was shivering and my body convulsing every now and then. "Finch, you okay?” Whytt, our team’s leader, asked and bent down to pick me up. I was the smallest and youngest in the group, only 12 years of age and about 4'7", compared to the giants in my team, like Whytt, I just seem almost doll like. I looked around at my own team and felt a pang of guilt for leaving in the dead of night to go patrol for any danger. Found it. I was carried and laid on the couch gently by my leader and then was blinded a moment when they clicked on a light. Really it wasn’t bright, but I had just been able to adjust to the dimness in the room that for a second I was blinded. Then I saw my team begin to fall in. Winnow, the only other girl in the group, was one that I was able to see first, her tall dark frame standing over me and her being the only one with long black hair falling down over her shoulders. The next I was able to make out was Otto; his tall dark outline was blunt against the light. He was also the tallest and an easy to place. Libra and Indigo stood a little off to the side. The sturdy statue of Indigo came lumbering towards me to fix me with a stern look and I grinned when Libra smacked him in his ear. Whytt smirked and patted my back as Winnow patched me up. “Well? What happened birdy?” He asked and smiled when I hit him weakly. He chuckled and patted my head and I snickered in distaste. I said nothing though, since he was not really expecting and answer. I looked up as Winnow laid my mangled hand on my leg and I pushed myself up. She then went to Whytt and sat next to him, leaning against the wall. The ignored the high risk of it caving in and Winnow curled up against the leader-boy. I rolled my eyes and looked at Otto as he dropped down on the couch next to me. It created and groaned, but then fell silent. “Hey Finch.” He said quietly, though it sounded more like a growl. He laid a dark hand on my chocolate brown hair and tugged at the bright red bandana the held the dark, dirty strands. See because it can be kind of a hassle to get a shower while the entire city is up in flames. Another explosion shook the building to its foundation and we knew they were making their last rounds before returning to Leonis, formally known as Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Chile and Uruguay. They had traveled far north to reach San Antonio, Texas, but it was obvious they were acting on orders from some of the other Spectral countries. Spectrals being the ‘improved’ version of communism from the 1900s, but it has had over 800 years to evolve into this crap, so they thought a new name was necessary. 2752 is the year I believe, last I checked it was April 26th, but as of now I have no idea the date anymore. The world is in complete turmoil now. No kids have attended school in years now, or at least not since the 7th world war started up when I was in third grade, almost 4 years ago to be exact. A million and one things have happened in the past hundred years. The last 2 world wars have devastated not just America but the entire globe. The Soviet Union, as it was once referred to rejoined, but it took over a few smaller Asian countries and has laid claim to a good chunk of China in exchange for soldiers and protection from the Democratic countries of Europe, North America, India and the remaining Latin American countries still in control of their own governments. Now that the Spectals had a foothold in Mexico, they had a clear path to America and soon Canada. We had discussed out plans over the scraps that night, but I did not voice any complaints. I drew my dagger and a map, slamming it into the yellowing paper as the others looked over my shoulder to see my plans for future attack and defense against the oncoming Spectals. Without a word I left to go to bed. Crawling up under a paper thin blanket, I was lured into a light sleep, since Indigo had the first watch. Darkness engulfed my mind, and I was swallowed by my own subconscious.
When I awoke, the sun chased the moon away – through the thick layer of dust and debris that coated my world. Our small building still held up, though the supports were worn thin we had no other place to reside. The only way it had made it this far was because it was so small and disgusting that even the Spectrals didn’t think it was inhabitable. And in a way – it wasn’t. Six people had been stuffed into the 2 story building, and we weren’t going anywhere any time soon. The second floor had been burned years before we had inhabited it, and whatever wood that had survived the wrath of the flames suffered from age. Rotted and scorched, not to mention it was impossible to make it up the rusted latter that was at the moment being scrapped. I shuffled towards Whytt and Otto, who were attempting to detach some of the steel pegs in silence. Sadly, that isn’t how rusted metal rolls. It let out a shriek in protest, and immediately the world stood still. No one even dared to breath, for our entire existence was balanced on the silence that stretched like a rubber band, yearning to be broken bit we all knew better. Reality remained at a standstill for the next hour or so, I don’t really know – time is just a number now and not one I’m good at. After Whytt gave the thumbs up, we all took a moment to breathe in the filthy air and returned to our normal activities. For me it was working with Winnow to scavenge for usable parts in the second floor. Me, since I weighed a full 90 pounds, and Winnow, because she was so skinny she might as well have weighed the same as me. Winnow had knotted her hands together, a unsaid gesture for me to begin work. I put one of my dirty boots into the hand-cradle and was flung upward. Clawing to get a good hold, I dragged myself up through the broken hole in the ceiling and onto the burned and rotting floorboards. They were too far gone to bother creaking, so I clumsily glided across the floor of grime till I reached the other side. My hands searched for purchase on the scorched brick wall, and nimble fingers searched for a loose brick or iron rod – anything that could have been used to somehow better our life. Maybe a flat stone to try and heat our rations, or a few poles to lift our one hay mattress off the ground and away from the ants. All that was a bit much, but I did in fact find a few bent up spoons, a loose brick, and the knocked up remains of a sink. I easily disassembled the stainless steel sink head, and poked my head down to find Winnow. She had been waiting by the beige wall, one eye still in a dream. At my knock, she hurried over and accepted all the trinkets that I had to offer. Whytt soon joined her, wrapping a pale arm around her shoulders while Winnows loose brown curls tickled him. A small kiss was shared before our leader decided to relieve her of her burden, and then left Winnow to retrieve me while he busied himself with Otto and their repairs. Indigo and Libra were working on rationing the food that remained – mostly just salted meats, a few jars of fruit preserves, and some cans of god knows what. They saw their kid ‘sister’ - also known as me – and waved me over. Both were in a state of anxiety, and just my small glimpse of our stores told me why. Our meat was small in size and quantity, and we were down to our last two jars of fruit preserves, and our last few cans were beaten and dented. Putting a finger to my lips, I turned on my heels and strode towards Whytt and Otto, who were working in a grim silence, and then I spotted Winnow - who was on him like white on rice. I reached over and dragged the blonde after me, and he dared not struggle nor call out. Finally, once we had made it to the opposite corner, I allowed the 6 foot something man to straighten himself up. A look of two parts confusion, one part anxiety lingered behind his beautiful blue eyes. It hurts sometimes - he was far too beautiful, far too brilliant, far too perfect to be tucked away at this hole in the wall – straining to keep a group of kids alive, attempting to invade the greatest empire since Britain nine hundred years ago, and still have time to please his bride to be. Now, before you start coming to conclusions remember this: I’m 12. If you want a love story, well….stop wanting a love story. Anyways back to the story. Whytt didn’t need to be told, he had known and it was obvious in the way he tried to wave it away. I swaggered to the hole in the wall – literally, not the figure of speech – and peered around. I saw no one within the miles of rubble, and it was a bittersweet moment. We had survived. Just savor that: I had just survived the end of the world. Well, my world. I turned back, and motioned for them to speak since by the look of it, we were safe. Whytt let out a sigh, and Otto now waddled towards our growing group, and of course Winnow wedged herself between Indigo and wriggled against her sweetheart’s body. Nasty children, I meant she tried to side hug him. Don’t ask – she was an odd one. I stepped away, and sat against the wall, listening to them throw their stupid ideas back and forth. At one point Whytt pealed himself away from his fiancé and gently asked for my opinion. In no mood for him or any of them for that matter, I waved away the hushed repetition. Finch this, Finch that, when will they learn I can’t help them? Finally the group reached a majority decision. Tonight we feast. Tomorrow we starve.
