Tyme

I

It had become less of a war and more like a desperate struggle for survival; all who got in the frenzied man’s way were doomed to fatal injury, no matter friend or foe. Yet none seemed to be able to touch the girl, whether of right mind or not.

Death filled the air around Tyme, stained the ground she stood on, lingered in the scent of gunpowder and rotten flesh. In the form of spectacular explosions, mists of noxious gasses, stray bullets, desperate stabs or strangles, people fell around her, their blood soaking the ground and dying those close to them in the same scarlet color as themselves. It was savage, this massacre that ripped children from mothers, tore the elderly from their homes, gave the five-year-old a gun, gave the sick a reason to die. And all for what?

The true reason behind this war, a war that stretched the entirety of the world, had long been forgotten by the countless soldiers. But the girl, who stood, unmoving, on the red earth, remembered. Tyme remembered each nation that now battled longed for control over the human race, control that promised eternal peace in a variety of differing opinions. She remembered how the glint of longing for precious resources could be seen in each leader’s eye as they spoke in front of their priceless country, handing out empty promises. And she remembered each nation taking up arms wildly, every citizen blind to their own oblivion, every leader’s smile never reaching the eyes.

In less than three days, the war had become a free-for-all.

This fight, no, this bloodbath, was on its hundredth day.

A loud bang shook the world beneath her feet, and the girl struggled to keep her balance, looking around wildly for the source with her one eye. The left eye was tucked snugly beneath a black silk patch, the right a blue that seemed to be taken from the lit sky itself. Another explosion, this time closer to Tyme, brought everyone in a mile radius to their knees, the aftershock sending a large wave of dust crashing down upon them. Coughing, the girl rose again, rubbing grime from her eye. Who was it, sending these bombs?

She barely had her feet under her when she was sent flying by another blast, landing hard on her back. These strikes were strategic, too organized to be a terrified soldier. Who was it, then?

“Attention, swine.” A voice, magnified by a helicopter's speakers, boomed across the battlefield. Those in close proximity suffered excruciating pain; Tyme was no exception. “I will be your new leader, President Demarcus Sotelo. As of right now, you have three hours to go to your families and submit to me. If you fail to obey…”

A large explosion pinned the girl to the ground for a moment, sending a crimson rain showering down on those nearby.

Panic.

It was the immediate response from the masses, and as a wave, they ran. The girl, who hadn’t had enough time to get up, suffered below the heavy boots, protecting her head as best she could. For what seemed like hours, she allowed her body to serve as a carpet, closing her eye against the dust, blood, and pain. Then, suddenly, she was pulled to her feet, arm pulled over someone’s shoulder. Opening her eye, she smiled at them, allowing them to drag her with the crowd.

“I was looking for you.” She mumbled, limping along.

“Of course you were, Tyme. That’s why you were being used as a welcome mat.”

“Ok, maybe I got a little sidetracked, but the important thing is that we’re alive, right?” The girl looked away from the boy who now aided her, glancing up toward the sky. “Sotelo, huh? It’s almost out of our hands, now.”

“Yeah, we’re all boned. Well, you’re not, but the human race is. Sotelo is the last person we want to win this war. And yet, we played right into his hands, didn’t we? Well, at least the soldiers did. He let this massacre last so long so he could dig out the strong. Guess we fall in that category, huh?” The boy pulled her away from the throng of people and into one of the houses. The family still resided there, their blood painting the walls a sticky sanguine. The boy paused, staring. Tyme lowered her eye.