Red Dawn

Chapter 2: Saying Goodbye

The kids were hiding up in the mountains. They were scared, not knowing what was happening down in town.

"But our families. What about them?" Rudy said. "We gotta stay up here and hide awhile. To stay safe" Matthew said to Rudy. They couldn't go back in town, not with all the chaos. Jack was putting twigs in a nearby fire to keep it lit. Rudy sighed. "I just wanna go home. If I hide, they'll never find me."

"This is bullshit you know" Megan spouted. "How long do you think we can survive up here on olives and Rice Krispies?" "What else can we do Megan?" Aard said to her. They only had two options. Stay in the mountains, or go back into town.

"As Calumet Student Body President, I say that we give ourselves up" Megan suggested. "I agree. We can't stay-" "Sit down Rudy" Jack said to him. "You're not going anywhere. It's too dangerous to go into town." "I say we vote on it" Megan fired back at him. "No" Jack repeated. "This isn't the big game, Mr. Quarterback. He can go wherever he wants" Megan said, getting angry now. Jack stood up, walking near Megan.

"No" he said for a third time. "You're such an asshole Jack, you know that?" Megan said to him, almost shouting. Jack had enough of her. "You wanna go so bad!?" He said, grabbing a duffel bag and giving it to her, turning her around and pushing her off. "There, take your shit and go!" Then Jack looked at the others. "That goes for the rest of you. This is your chance so get walking. It is World War III down there. People are being beat, taken away from their families, and being killed" Jack kneeled down close to the fire.

"But Jack, what about your family? Huh?" Rudy said. Jack sighed. "I don't know. But I do know something. I'm alive. And I'm staying here. That's what they'd want for me, and that's what your families would want for you. Not to be gunned down on the side of a street. You think your so smart, man. But you're just a bunch of scared kids" Jack said. "What do you think you are?" Megan asked. Jack looked to the ground. "Alone, I guess" He turned around to face the view, away from the others.

Danny came up behind him. "No, you're not." Jack turned to him, and Danny opened his arms up. The two brothers hugged each other. Matthew then came over. "I'm with you too." Jack nodded, looking over at Aard, Rudy, and Megan. They were stuck on deciding what to do. "Are you staying, or going?" Jack asked. They didn't say anything, wanting to stay. "Alright. But if you stay, you do exactly as I say, when I say. Okay?" Jack told the three. They all nodded. "Come on over and get warm" Jack said. They all came over. Jack and Megan hugged each other. "I'm sorry" she told him. "Me too Meg" Jack said, pulling away.

They all huddled up.

"Now listen. Me and Danny have been coming up to these mountains with our dad all of our lives. We can hunt, fish, we can stay up here a long long time" Jack said. "How long Jack?" Aard asked. Then planes flew by them.

"Until we don't here that no more" Jack replied.

October

Jack, Danny, and Matthew were out hunting. They managing to shoot down a deer, and headed over to its corps.

Jack pulled out a knife and started cutting in around the chest. "What are you doing?" Matthew asked. "This is your first time isn't it?" Jack asked. Matthew nodded in response. Jack poured some of the deers blood into a small cup. "You gotta drink if it's your first. We did" Danny said to him. "What's it taste like?" Matthew asked curiously. "It's not too bad. It's kinda salty, like a steak, or when you get a nose bleed" Danny replied. "You got to Matty, it's the spirit of the deer" Jack said, handing Matthew the cup.