The Firing

Chapter One

Prologue

    “Mother, I don’t like it,” the girl whispered in her mother’s ear.

    “Honey, it doesn’t matter what you think, all that matters are that your father and I have somewhere to work so that we can give you a place to live and food on the table.  I don’t like it all that much either, but you are going to have to deal with the fact that this is how things are.”

    “Polina, it’s time to go,” the girl’s father said, peeking his head into the room.

    “I’ll see you soon.  I love you.  We’ll be back soon, I promise,” her mother smiled, hoping her four year old daughter didn’t notice the worry in her voice, and kissed her on the forehead.

    “Mother, please don’t go!” The girl cried out as her mother left her room.

Chapter One

    “Mother, it’s time for your medication,” Emera Collins whispered to her mother, trying to wake her up softly.

    “Already?” she asked groggily.

    “Afraid so,” Emera replied, giving her mother a smile and spooning the medicine into her mouth.

    “Where have you been getting this, honey?  And with what money?”  She had been wondering that for a few weeks, but had just gained the courage to ask.

    “That doesn’t matter, mother.  All that matters is that I got it, and you can have it,” she smiled.  Emera had been hoping that that question wouldn’t come up.  She couldn’t let her mother know that she had been stealing the medicine from the market.  Emera knew her mother wouldn’t let her do that anymore and that she would slowly slip away from the world.

    “I hope you aren’t up to any trouble.”

    “Of course not!  I’ve never done a bad thing in my life,” she laughed.

    Her mother giggled.  “Oh, no, you’re just a perfect little angel.  Just like your father, I’m sure.”

    Emera smiled weakly.  “I’m sure.”

    Boom.  Boom.  Boom.

    Emera’s eyes widened.  “No.”

    “Oh my.  Emera, you know the plan.  Just run and get to your hiding place as quickly as possible.  Remember, the plan?”

    Emera nodded her head, her eyes tearing up.

    “No, don’t start crying, that won’t help anything,” she took Emera’s face in her hands, “I know that this is hard, but it was bound to happen eventually, and you knew that.  We’ve been preparing for today for a very long time and you know what to do.  You’re ready for this.  I know you are.  You’re going to be okay, just make sure you follow the plan, alright?”  Emera nodded solemnly.  “It’s time.  Run!”

    Quickly, Emera slipped out of the back door, being careful to avoid any roaming dignitaries.  The Firing was happening, and she had to escape.  She ran into the woods behind her house, and watched the village light on fire.  Everything was over.  People were dying right then, right in front of her eyes.  Mother was going to die, and there wasn’t anything that she could do to stop it.

    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a red dignitary uniform, and ran further into the forest.  She had practiced the route to her hiding place so many times, she knew the way like the back of her hand.  Soon, she found the rotten log that she was to hide under.  She rolled it over, and climbed down the hole that she had dug years ago.  There were footholds that she had carved out into the side of the hole.  When she was halfway down, she rolled the large, hollow log over the hole.  Sitting at the bottom was a week’s worth of water and imperishable food.