How to Kill an Elite

DREG

A cobblestone street gleamed in the afternoon sun, people stood laughing and joking, discussing different trades for goods. A gentle breeze carried the smell of fresh sweets through the town, and Mama stands talking with Daddy about the harvest's money and about a set of little feet joining the home.

Smoke started rising in the air, a loud voice shouting to give up, and no one would get hurt. The street filled with people with strange markings on their faces, they looked mean. Mama was shouting for Jas and me to hide, but Jas didn't want to. Mama grabbed us and pushed us towards the big fountain in the heart of town.

She's scared, I've never seen Mama so scared. The funny people are shouting, the ground is shaking, and fire is everywhere. I call for Mama to slow down, but she doesn't hear me. She's too scared. Jas is scared, I'm scared. What do the funny people want? Why are they hurting people? We're almost at the fountain now, Mama is telling us to hide beneath it, we'll be safe there. I don't know what the red stuff on the ground is, but it smells bad.

Where's Daddy? I look around for him and I can't find him nowhere. I start to cry, I want Daddy. Jas turns around grabbing my hand, telling me it's okay to just keep running. So I do. I keep running. Mama is at the fountain, a man with a red star on his face is standing there, a sword in his hand. He tells Mama to come with him quietly.

Jas pulls me to the side near where yummy waterymeloons grow, we get down on our knees, watching the funny guy talk to Mama. She's shaking her head no; she doesn't want to go with the funny guy. I get up to tell him to leave Mama alone, and that he's not being nice. But Jas pulls me back down.

He has his finger on his lips. No, Mama wouldn't want us to talk to the funny man. We have to hide now. Gray smoke fills the air around us; it makes it hard for me the breathe. Jas says to put my shirt over my nose it'll help. Mama screams out, red stuff coming out of her tummy. The funny man's sword is red now. He shouts to someone to burn it down.

Everyone is screaming, fire is spreading, Mama isn't moving. I ask Jas why Mama won't move, but he doesn't say anything. He has water coming out of his eyes. I don't know what's wrong, Jassy never has water coming out of his eyes. Daddy. Daddy can help Mama. Jas just shakes his head, Daddy's not here. We have to leave now.

No, I don't want to leave. Jas doesn't listen, he grabs my arm and pulls me. He pulls me past Mama, I try to stop and wake her, but Jas won't let me. He pulls me past the fountain, there are other nice people with red stuff coming out of them, none of them move. We're near the gates now, we're not supposed to go near the gates.

I tell Jas this, but he ignores me. The funny people are standing near the gates, Jas pulls me to the side. I hear them talking about everyone being dead. Dead? I don't know what dead means. I ask Jas, but he just shakes his head telling me to be quiet. The smoke is worse, I can't breathe. I'm scared. I want Mama and Daddy.

"Narc, we got a problem."

I shake my head no, no problem.

"Narc, wake up, there's trouble."

Opening her eyes Narcissi growled, "What do you want?"

Jasper shook his head, "The alarm triggered, they're less than a hundred miles out."
Narcissi bolted up, "What? How did they figure it out?"

"I don't know, but now we've got only two options. We can either continue on this path and die, or we could make a run for it. Live to fight another day."

Narcissi shook her head, "We're close, I know we are. We can't just stop now. No one has ever been this close."

Jasper shook his head, "Narc, they're going to kill us. We don't have time to follow the plan. We won't be able to air live; we'll go down for nothing."

Narcissi shook her head, "No not for nothing, if we can take down just one of them, the world will know it can be done, our people will know that there's hope. Jas, we have to try. For everyone that's been lost, we have to try."

Jasper closed his eyes, "Narcissi, we could die. I asked you this once, but now I'm asking you again, are you prepared to lose your life for this?"

Tracing a line on his face Narcissi whispered, "I am, but the question is, will I be alone?"

Staring down into his little sister's face Jasper sighed, "Narc, you'll never be alone. Not as long as I'm alive. Let's do this."