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Chapter Eight

        "August?". Mom said briefly. I avoided eye-contact with her, kept my head low the whole minute we stood there. She pulled me in for a warming hug, "please, don't let us go". I felt warm tears streaming down my mug.

        "You'll be okay, August". She cried herself over my shoulder, "take care of Monnie for me...she's a charm".

        "I don't wanna go-please...don't make us go, please". I begged and begged - we had to go. Monnie looked at me concerned, she had no idea what was going on.

       "You have food, clothes, cloth,and blankets all in you're luggage, now promise me you'll watch over Monnie?". Mom sniffled. I nodded slightly, "I-I promise, I'll do as much as I can f-for her, mom".

       She smiled, gently stroking the right bottom of my mug, "I know you can, August". Dad handed me, and Monnie's luggage, his eyes glowed watery, and red, "it was nice of you to be my daughter - you still are, August, I don't want you to go, but it's for you're safety", he hugged me stabled, patting my back gently. Safety? What is really going on? I'm becoming more and more confused. Can't my parents just tell me what's going on? I guess they don't want us to break down more.

     "Down the road, you'll see a narrow trail in the lush grass meadow, you go through that forest, stay put there, last week I built a safe pit, you two will stay in there, got that?". Dad whispered to me. I nodded to agree with him, my tears dried up on my mug, leaving nothing but a headache and a blank stare. "Now go, I love you both so much". Dad smiled, as I grabbed onto Monnie's palm gently, walking down the driveway, pulling a red stabled weagon with our luggage in it. Monnie glanced back at both of our parents, "are we going on a sleepover, August?".

     "Yeah...". I said tiredly. She smiled back at the road, pointing ahead to Oggy approaching us with a grin. 

     "Where you two heading?". She asked.

     "A sleepover!". Monnie giggled up at both of us.

      "A sleepover, eh? My grandmother told me I had to leave - about time". Oggy smiled, neighbouring next to me.

      "You're not going on a sleepover, aren't ya?". Oggy whispered over to me - so that Monnie couldn't hear, "nope...". I took a quick glimpse at her.

      "I wonder why?". She squinted up at the sun, blocking the light with her hand.

        The trail was so narrow that we walked in a single file - it was sort of the game; following-the-leader. Monnie was on the verge of falling asleep soon enough. I moved her in front of me as we roamed through the meadow, so I can keep an close eye on her. I peeked back to Oggy following us, she grinned over at me softly - I giggled, leaping over a branched log, heading furthermore into the forest. 

         Once we arrived near the risky trench, I swiftly assembled our luggage, feeding both of Monnie and Oggy the food we had packed away; two loaves of bread, bits of white cheese, a package of wheat crackers, and two jugs of water. Wow - our parents must know we don't eat much at home. Oggy chewed down the bread, "aren't you gonna eat something, August?". She asked with a mouthful, "it was a long walk".

       I shivered from the freezing cold, swaying through the soundless trees upon us, I shook my head, "n-no I'll be alright...I'm not that hungry right now". I said firmly.

       A few hours went by in a instant it seemed like, Monnie was sound asleep in the darkened pit, covered in a few wool blankets - the warmth was her safety. Me and Oggy rested beside the pit, we had a small campfire going on in front of our views. The soundless forest was now light-less, the sun went down. the unaware of faint crept in on us, nearly took out the small campfire. "What do you think's going on?". Oggy asked me unexpectedly.

    "I'd tell you if I knew myself, Oggy". I said, laying over my right hip, sensing the icy crisp breeze strike my mug.

    "Why did we have to leave just like that?". She cried, staring up at the sky's stars. I thought back to when me and my father had a secretive talk about me, Monnie, and the town. 'Just some men causing a riot in another land". Along with me and Oggy back at the hillside near the South. 'A nuclear war - now I know,  it's a fight between - global'.

    "Men!". I stated, entirely dazing up at the night spruce trees swaying back-and-fro.

   "What?".

   "There's men...my dad told me they're approaching us soon, a war is gonna break out".

     Oggy gave me a blank stare, "you actually believe that?". She referred.

    "Well who doesn't?". I stared back at her with a concerned expression, turning myself over, and forced myself to sleep uncertain; 'Should I believe myself?' It swirled though my mind's thought repeatedly.

      In daylight, the sound around me was muted. I opened my glossy eyes, drained out of my misery. Oggy and Monnie were gone - I became alarmed, quickly getting up from the grass. "Monnie, Oggy?". I plunged into the pit, glancing around. Monnie was nowhere? Same with Oggy?. I dashed back out of the pit, stumbling over my skirt. Nearly knocking my skull against the tree. Immediately - I got undressed out of the long skirt, and brown blouse, into a brown & black plaid shirt, along with dark denim coffee jeans. It's much easier for me to be freely in my father's clothing much more than my mother's.

      From a near distance, I caught Monnie's scream, I sprinted through the trees, advancing both of Monnie and Oggy chasing another through the condensed meadows, laughing to another. I was relieved that they were out of danger, just by watching them, they were both happier than ever. "Come on, August". Oggy giggled, swirling herself in the windy warm breeze, holding onto Monnie's palm. Monnie smiled brightly, coming to a complete hault, she slanted her head toward the West, and pointed out, "who's that?".

       I turned my collar toward the West direction, a small army of young men dressed in navy blue uniforms, along with heavy defenses in their arms, and with firm expressions. "Who are they?". Oggy asked me worried, backing away behind me, and Monnie. I held her pudgy hand, moving her close behind me.

       The young men approached us face-to-face, an elderly man around in his late fourties leaped off a white spotted horse, "who we got here?". He grinned at me cold. I stared at him with hot-temper rising in my eyes, It was like one of those times when a bigger mammal would pick on a smaller mammal for - nothing! I knew something was going to turn out ugly - it was either themselves or between both of us. The man spit at the ground, clearing his throat, and speaking into a small black - well it looked like a tape-recorder to me. "I got two savage wandering boys, and a little girl here, command come in". The man glanced back at us. Savage wandering boys? We're girls - the only females in the meadows that were surrounded. Was this the end for us? If it were, I hope entirely that we go up to the heaven's, and be clear from all of this misery we've been through in our lives.