- Site Map >
- Community >
- Creative Corner >
- Writing - Story - The Underground- A short story
- Site Map >
- Community >
- Creative Corner >
- Writing - Story - The Underground- A short story
Replies: 0 (Who?), Viewed: 1554 times.
#1
15th Nov 2014 at 1:15 AM
Posts: 893
Thanks: 505 in 8 Posts
The Underground- A short story
I started writing this in August and finished on the 25th of last month. I even got to read it to my English class. At first, I didn't tell them who wrote it so there would be unbiased opinions. Yesterday, I did the big reveal and there were gasps all around! I was so happy.Anyways, here it is! WARNING- WALL OF TEXT AHEAD (~7K words) PROCEED WITH CAUTION
The Underground
A short story
A short story
Prologue
Shells were coming from almost every direction. The Resistance amped up their firepower, but my team seemed to do well. A grenade landed nearby and I was knocked to the ground.
“Johana!” one of my teammates shrieked. Before I could regain my hearing and part of my sight, I was dragged by my shoulders to a shady area of brush.
“Thank you,” I say weak from the explosion.
“Don’t get up,” a booming voice said, “stay where you are.”
“Who are you,” I asked, ready to pull out my knife.
“You know us, Johana.”
How did he know my name? The voice was new to me and I was unable to move my head to see his face. Before I could yell for help or reach for any weapons, a dusty, sweet-smelling rag was placed over my face and I was out in seconds.
I found myself drifting in and out of consciousness to hear the booming voice shout orders to his men and a few women. The next time I awoke, I was on a dark, fast-moving train. Was it night already? No, that can’t be. There aren’t many above-ground trains in Asium. My heart sank. I know exactly where I am. I’m too weak to move and I can’t talk. The booming voice ordered one of his men to put the sweet smelling rag over my face again. I think it was chloroform.
Sometime later, a gruff-looking woman violently shook me awake.
“What’s going on?!” I demanded, “Where am I?”
“In due time, Johana,” the booming voice said. I could finally see what he looked like. He was tall and broad-shouldered with menacing blue eyes. “Welcome to the Underground,” he said.
I can’t believe it. The Underground? The resistance? It was like I was in a dream, only the chloroform was beginning to wear off and my senses were sharpening by the second.
“I know this all seems strange to you,” the man with the booming voice said, “I know you’re thinking ‘What am I doing here? I love my totalitarian government!’ Well, that’s where I know you’re wrong.” The man reached inside a box that sat on a nearby table and pulled out a grainy photo of myself and one of my former comrades. “Do you know this man?” The man asked.
“Yes,” I answer, “That was a good friend of mine.” The picture was of me and Ronald Cremak sitting in one of the capitol’s anti-libertarian bistros.
The man set the picture down. “Well, you’ll be happy to know that this man was not Ronald Cremak. His name is Harvey Hubert and he works for us. He’s on assignment now and I doubt you’ll see much of him.” I was always led to believe Ronald, or rather Harvey, was killed in combat. He was nothing but an informant. A liar.
“What’s this got to do with me?” I asked.
“Well Ms. Ayers, you have quite the mouth on you. You told Harvey everything we need to know. Everything about the Ever-Watching Eye, your friends the totalitarians, the Capitol’s subways… everything.” The subways were the resistance’s number one target. It allows them to carefully infiltrate cities and take them over. Now that they have information on the Capitol’s subway, they might be able to take over all of Asium and begin spreading their Libertarian propaganda from coast to coast. I can’t let this happen.
“You monsters!” I shout, “The capitol will never allow this to happen! They’ll know I’m gone and they’ll search for me. They’ll tear Asium apart if they have to!”
“Everyone’s disposable,” the man said, “Don’t you see how fast your buddy Ronald was replaced? The Capitol will do anything they have to to fight us.”
“But…” I stammered. There was nothing else to say. The man with the booming voice and menacing eyes was right. There was nothing I could do.
“Well Johana,” The man said, “Since you were second banana to the Capitol themselves, have fun being leader of the Underground now. I feel you would know how to fight yourself the best.” Leader of the Resistance? How could I fight the people who protect Asium?
Chapter 1- Viva la Revolucion!
One month later…
“And you’re sure this will work?” the man with the booming voice, who introduced himself as simply Sebastian, asked.
“100% positive,” I replied, “Would I lead you astray?” Sebastian just grunted.
“So,” Violet Styles, Sebastian’s closest aide said, “The subways aren’t actually blocked, just guarded?”
“Yes- guarded by motion-detecting turrets. We can disarm them by standing back 50 feet so that it doesn’t see you and then shoot it.” Violet lit up. She’s the best shot in the entire South Central sect of the Resistance, which is fairly large.
“I’ll go gather some people and we can be on our way then!” Violet said excitedly. As she bounced off, Sebastian slowly walked over and stared at me straight in the eyes, sending a shiver down my spine. It was almost like he knew I was lying. A menacing smirk crept upon his face as he walked away to rouse the train conductor and prepare the others for the journey.
~*o*~
The old tracks rattled as the train chugged towards the Capitol. The Resistance’s base is located fifty miles south of the Capitol in the subway systems of Blair Hill, which is South Central Asium. It took a few minutes to reach the quarter-way point at Asium River Junction where we will cover the rest of the way on foot. The train car consisted of me, Violet, and two newer recruits Isaiah and Clarissa Norton, who were twins. Sebastian decided not to go because he had “other things” to attend to. We were armed only with guns and light armor because of the strategy we were to carry out once we reached the opening of the Capitol’s subways systems.
The train screeched to a halt. My heart pounded inside my chest as I shared a look with Violet.
“Onward!” she said.
Chapter 2- Backfire
We unloaded the train car and proceeded forward. It would be five miles until we reached the edge of the Capitol subway system and another five miles until we got to the turrets. That’s 40 miles by train and 10 miles by foot. We left at midday and it would be night once we reached our destination.
Since the trains in the Capitol didn’t run because they had nowhere to go, the tracks are clear. This would give us more time to trek the dark tunnels without having to hide from oncoming trains. Even though we had that perk, the guns were heavy and the air was thick and smelled of mold, making the long walk unbearable.
It was hard to keep track of time with the Government outlawing the use of watches for a reason I can’t remember right now. My team and I were silent, but it seems like Violet was energizing with every step. I suppose she really wants to take down “The Ever-Watching Eye”. I almost feel bad for what will inevitably happen to her.
After what seemed like forever, Violet excitedly whispered “Look! There they are.” Sure enough, 3 military-grade, 7 foot tall motion sensing turrets were sitting dormant. “Keep back,” Violet warned, “I got this.”
Violet slowly crouch-walked forward as I had instructed. The air was still and thick with my anxiety as Violet walked to the imaginary 50 feet mark. She aimed, squeezed the trigger… nothing. She checked the safety, tried again, still nothing. Violet stood up from crouching and turned around, but before she could say anything, all three turrets activated and began showering Violet with their hollow-point bullets, easily piercing her armor and spraying scarlet blood on the tunnel floor. I was mortified at the brutality of the turrets, but felt no remorse for leading her into the trap.
Chapter 3- Remorse
Violet’s body hit the ground with a thud. The other two in my group stood mouth agape, hands quivering. I seemed to be the only one not showing emotion. Shame, I whispered to myself. The newer recruit, Isaiah Norton, (whom I have no idea why he was brought along) raised his gun as if he were about to shoot the turrets in retaliation.
“Don’t,” I said, “The bullets will only ricochet and set off the turrets again.
“Well what are we going to do with her body?” Clarissa Norton, Isaiah’s sister, asked, “We can’t just leave her there.”
“Can and will,” I said, “It’s too dangerous.”
“How did you not know this would happen?” Isaiah furiously asked.
I just shrugged. “The Government changes up all the time. There’s no way of keeping track.” The two shot me equally dirty looks. “We have to get back to the train. The Capitol won't know the turrets went off and will be down here in a matter of seconds.” Reluctantly, Isaiah and Clarissa followed me through the dark tunnel back to the train car. I had actually lied. There’s no way of anyone knowing what went down at the turrets unless a Government patrol came to check on them and saw Violet’s bloodied, mutilated body. Even if they found her body, there’s no way of knowing she was part of the Resistance. All resistance members have either faked their death or “moved away” without leaving a trace of their existence. To the Government, Violet didn’t exist.
~*o*~
“Shame,” Sebastian said, not showing any signs of sadness or grief. When I brought the news of Violet’s death, he gave nothing but an agitated look. “She was such an asset,” He continued, “We’ll have to find some other means of getting into the capitol.”
When I got to my quarters for the night, a painful realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I just led someone to their death, I thought, what the heck is wrong with me? Then, for the first time since my brother was taken away by the Government for “insubordination”, I broke down and cried. I had nightmares that night. It could’ve been me who was killed by those turrets, but instead it was someone who probably didn’t deserve it. At some point in the night, Clarissa found her way into my bunk and stood over my bed, thinking I was asleep. After a while, she crossed her arms and shook her head slowly. “Shame,” she said.
Chapter 4- Three Week’s Terror
Violet’s death haunted me for three weeks following the event. I felt so responsible for it even though her gun jammed without my influence. In the first week, I realized something—I explicitly instructed not to make any sudden movements. Violet stood up quickly after her gun jammed, therefore setting off the turrets. There’s no way I could be held responsible for any of this. But then there’s Isaiah. I told him shooting the turrets will only make the bullets ricochet. In the same day, I said shooting them would disarm them. If I ever brought that up to anyone, they would see my faults and become suspicious, so I just distanced myself from others.
The second week, I thought I was in the clear, but when Sebastian came to me with having to announce Violet’s cause of death formally over the PA system with me being the leader and all, I just couldn’t do it.
“It’ll get around the grapevine eventually,” I told him. He didn’t like that at all. He gave me another suspicious spine-shivering look and went to do it himself. For the duration of the day, all eyes were one me. There were some eye rolls, curses, and accusing looks, which just made me more anxious that the week before. It felt like people were following me, watching my every move, waiting for me to slip up. I couldn’t sleep for days. When I did, my dreams were filled with Violet’s mangled body, blood-curdling screams, and Sebastian’s menacing eyes. But that wasn’t the worst.
On Saturday of week two, Clarissa and Isaiah sat down in front of me during lunch. They said nothing, but I know what they were thinking. We know what you did. We know why you did it. We’re not going to keep it to ourselves. I couldn’t be seen after that. I holed up in my bunk for days, no appetite, no desire to sleep and return to nightmares, no need for human contact. I was a recluse for four days, but then I realized something- this is what it feels like to be insane.
Chapter 5- Rebel Without a Cause
Things were somewhat normal after those 3 weeks. I still had lingering paranoia and anxiety, but the latest batch of new recruits almost returned me to normalcy. Since I am leader of the Resistance, which I have to remind myself of every day, I had to oversee the recruitment process. There was something off about the new batch of recruits. They looked a little lost, like they didn’t exactly know what they were doing there. Some of them looked around in awe, some in confusion and fear. I’m not exactly sure how Sebastian gets his recruits, but if it was at all like how he “retrieved” me in the middle of battle, they have every right to be scared.
There were 5 new files for the underlings. They were all under the age of 25 and only one of them was born in Asium- the rest were born elsewhere and came here when they were very young. There was one recruit- the one native to Asium- who really piqued my interest. She looked almost exactly like Violet with the exception of her grey eyes. Violet’s eyes were green. Her file was quite heavy. After some reading, I found out this recruit, Veva Wakefeild, was born in Asium, orphaned as a teen with her sister, and actually voluntarily joined the resistance unlike the others who were “brought” here.
That can’t be right. She must have some sort of ulterior motive. I don’t know if it was the lingering paranoia getting to me, but I pulled her aside from training to have a nice chat with her.
“So Veva,” I begin, “how do you like it here so far?”
She shrugged “It’s alright I guess.”
“So I read your file,” I say casually, “It said that you came here on your own accord.”
She nods. “I felt an obligation to.”
“Is that so?”
“Well, with my sister disappearing all those years ago, I figured the Government might have taken her since she left without a trace.”
“I see. So you want to get her back?”
“Yes. I’ve decided to join the intelligence side of things here. I feel so close to finding her, I can feel it.” There was a determined fire in her eyes, a fire I’m sure I’ve seen before.
“So your sister,” I continue, “What was her name?”
“Prudence… Her name is Prudence. She didn’t like that though; she preferred to be called Violet.”
I stop dead in my tracks and gulp hard. “Sh-She was your twin?”
“Is my twin,” she insisted.
“I… uh…” I stammered.
“She probably changed her last name, too. Wakefield was our orphanage and she hated it there.”
“Oh god…” I whisper. This can’t be happening. The memories were all flooding back at once. The anxiety, the nightmares, the paranoia, the self-hatred, the regret, the lies…
“What’s wrong?” Veva asked.
“Violet Styles,” I say, voice wavering, “is dead!”
Chapter 6- Gone
“Dead?” Veva asked. I simply nod. “No, that can’t be true,” she continued, “Violet can protect herself.” She frowned, a questioning look in her eyes. “How do you even know it was her?”
“Veva,” I plead, “she looked exactly like you—red hair, fair skin, even freckles…”
“No!” she cried, “She’s not dead! You’re lying!”
“Veva, please,” I say, “I was there! Everyone knows what happened.”
Veva straightened up, furious. “You killed her,” she said, eerily calm.
“What? No!”
“You did! Why would you show so much sadness and remorse if you didn’t feel guilty?”
“I-I…” I stammered, fighting for words. “You can ask anyone here, they’ll tell you the truth!” I spotted Isaiah and hurriedly beckoned him over. “Tell her what happened, Isaiah.” Reluctantly, Isaiah recounted the events of the day that will always haunt me. When he finished, Veva was on the verge of tears.
“So it’s really true,” she said, “Violet’s really gone.” Isaiah and I nod. Veva wiped away the forming tears and put a determined look on her face. “Well then,” she said hopefully, “I now have an even better reason to want to take the Government down.”
~*o*~
I silently curse as mess hall brand Secret Sauce (or rather, Mystery Sauce) spills on my pants. It was one week after I had to deliver the news to Veva about her sister’s departing, and every day after that, I felt happier and happier. It was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. The nightmares and anxiety finally stopped. The paranoia didn’t, but the Resistance is quite the shady place so I guess it’s normal.
“Johana,” Sebastian said, startling me away from my thoughts and mediocre food, “I heard about that Wakefield girl. She passed the training with flying colors.”
“You can fail training?” I ask.
“That’s unimportant,” Sebastian pressed, “I want you to take her under your wing. It might do you some good.”
“How so?”
“Well Johana, it’s no secret you are secretly still on the totalitarians’ side. Someone with such anti-Capitol agendas and fierce determination like Veva are going to straighten you right up.” Before I could say that I wasn’t on the Government’s side anymore, he briskly walked out of the mess hall. I wasn’t aware that I was showing my support for the Capitol, secret or otherwise, but none of that mattered now. I have a mission to carry out.
Chapter7- Battle Plan
The battle room was silent as Sebastian, his two assistants, Veva, and I entered and took our seats.
“So,” Sebastian said, “It’s been over a month since our last operation due to unforeseen circumstances.” He shot an accusing look at me and continued, “We need a new plan. Any takers?”
“This may seem odd,” Veva nervously began, “but I think we should make use of the above-ground trains.”
Sebastian’s first assistant, Clarissa, shook her head. “They’d see us coming from miles away!” Clarissa said, “Why do you think we use the subways? They’re basically undetectable.”
“No,” I chime in, “The subways still make tons of noise, which is why we didn’t just drive right into the Capitol—we go ¾ of the way and cover the rest by foot. The above-ground trains are used for cargo only, so we could disguise ourselves as this month’s shipment of whatever and go right into the heart of the Capitol.” Clarissa slunk into her chair and grumbled what I assume to be insults at Veva.
“While you’re right,” Sebastian said after some thinking, “What are we going to do when we get into the Capitol? We can’t just expect them to hand over their station willingly. This is the battle room, we need a battle plan.”
“I’ve been thinking,” Sebastian’s second assistant, Isaiah, said. “The Government doesn’t know what happened to Johana. We could use her as bait.”
“What?!” I exclaim.
“Sounds like a great idea,” Clarissa said, a sly look on her face. These two must have some sort of vendetta against me.
“He might be on to something,” Veva, oblivious to the siblings’ unaggressively aggressive nature towards me, “To them you’re just MIA, they’d be happy to have you back.”
“Yeah right,” I say, “They don’t miss me. They’ve probably already replaced me.”
“Nonsense,” Veva said, “You were staff sergeant!”
“You read my file?” I asked, annoyed.
“Well, yes, but only to know who I’d be working with.”
“Next to,” I say. She was quiet after that.
“I think it’s a fine plan,” Sebastian said, “Sneak in on a cargo train and use Johana as bait. Wonderful. We’ll work out the details later; this meeting is over.” Sebastian and his two assistants simultaneously got up and left, leaving me and Veva alone in the battle room.
“Sorry about reading your file,” She said.
“Whatever,” I say and storm off.
Chapter 8- At a Crossroad
I thought the anxiety would go away after the whole Violet thing was over, but I was wrong. I'm in a tight spot now-- I want to return to the Capitol where I belong, but I feel that I have a certain obligation to the Resistance now. Then again, if I go to the Capitol and carry out my plan, they’ll know it was me, label me as a traitor, and will be searching for me so they can persecute me. I can't even bail out of the plan. The others will know something is really up when their leader of all people doesn't want to carry out the plan that will lead them to victory. At least I have a week to think about it before the plan has to be carried out.
"You're not eating anything?" Veva said, snapping me out of my thoughts. The cafeteria was busy with the lunch rush and I was sitting at a lone table.
"No," I say, "Actually, I was just leaving."
"No, stay. We need to talk anyways."
"What’s there to talk about?" I ask, getting more and more agitated that Veva wouldn't let me be anxious in peace.
"Well, we do have a big operation coming up. This is our key to victory!"
I scoff. "If only it was that easy."
Veva cocked her head like a playful puppy. "What do you mean?"
"Never mind. What did you want anyways?"
"...To talk."
"About?"
"The plan. Were you listening before?"
"I was before but-- whatever. Yes, the plan in which you use an ex-Government soldier to bait the Government. That plan."
"I have the feeling you don't want to do this," Veva said, "I understand, but you can't back down now; we need you!"
"Things would be fine if I wasn't so torn."
"Torn?"
"Yes, torn. Now leave me alone so I can think."
Chapter 9- Help
"Sebastian wants to see you," my bunkmate, Clarissa, said.
"What?"
"I said Sebastian wants to see you."
"How do you know? You haven't left since I got here." after the day was pretty much over, I retreated to my room and saw that Clarissa was doing next to nothing. Either I was supposed to see Sebastian at a certain time or she was lying.
"You wouldn't want to keep him waiting." I simply rolled my eyes, rolled out of bed, and headed to Sebastian’s office. He practically lived in there, so I shouldn't miss him. The door was open so I stepped in to see Sebastian reading what looked to be a telegram.
"Read this," he said and set the paper down. It read:
"EMERGENCY AID CARGO TRAIN STOP CAPITOL IN TROUBLE STOP PERFECT FOR PLAN STOP." The telegram was sent from Asium Timepieces, a company that made wristwatches. Since the Government doesn't regulate private companies as well as they should, these kinds of fake companies slip through the cracks.
"What happened in the Capitol?" I asked.
"Blackout," he said, "It's been going on for three days now. The looting started after the first hour, so the Capitol is in need of some medical supplies, food, and water. I set up a 'delivery' to come straight into the Capitol. A subway will come from Asium Beach just south of here, pick us up, and take us to the midway point. From there, we’ll get on an above-ground train disguised as the emergency aid. We’ll refuse to give them supplies until they give us the station."
"Where do I come in all of this?" I ask.
"You'll be the negotiator."
"But--"
"Let me finish. The Government- they think you’re a POW at some Underground camp or whatever they think. They’ll be under the facade that we’ll trade the supplies- and you- for the station. Instead, we’ll just take it by force."
"Wow," I whisper, unable to say anything else.
"The 'cargo' comes in the day after tomorrow, so we'll need to assemble a team. And don't worry, Johana- this time, I'll be going."
Chapter 10- Pawn
“A team?” I ask, “We have all we need, me, you, Veva, and… Clarissa and Isaiah.” I hesitated on the twins. We may not get along, but I guess I have no choice since Sebastian takes his lap dogs everywhere.
“Have you ever played chess, Johana?” Sebastian asked, “You have your king and queen, your bishops, your knights, and your rooks. Although you may not know it, your pawns could be the only thing between you and the checkmate you’re vying for. Don’t forget that.”
I simply nod. “So, these pawns… What do they do?”
“Unlike the other pieces, excluding the king, the pawns can only attack up close. These will essentially be like the first waves of men at Normandy. Disposable, yet useful.” Normandy happened nearly 100 years ago. Asium was probably just a small village in Czechoslovakia back then. “So, Johana, you will be in charge of finding these ‘pawns’. Two from each station—“
“But… there’s at least 60 stations! That’s 120 people—“
“Johana, don’t cut me off. I was going to say two from each station in a 50 mile radius. That’s from here to the capitol, but in a circle.” He dragged out the word “circle” as if I was simple. “There’s maybe 13 stations within 50 miles, so only 26 people.” My face is hot with embarrassment. I do jump to conclusions often, don’t I? “Our telegram operator sleeps at odd hours, so you might have some luck at 3 AM.”
I nod again and head back to my bunk. I’m sure Clarissa would love to hear she’s part of our next operation. I would tell her, “Clarissa, we’re going to take the capitol station and we need your help!” and she would just drink it up. Forget that. I’ll tell her tomorrow, maybe catch her by surprise.
When I walk in my bunk, Clarissa is excitedly tiptoeing around as if she heard the greatest news ever. “Ready for tomorrow, bunkie?” she says, almost condescendingly.
Ugh.
Chapter 11- Arrival
What a night. That telegraph operator was some guy I’ve never met. Sebastian didn’t tell him that I was coming, so he was rude and ornery. After all that, I found it hard to sleep because of nerves. Now that it’s morning, I have no choice but to get out of bed and prepare for 26 troops from the other stations to come here sometime today.
Usually, it would be Sebastian giving orders and such, but today, he said I had to begin taking responsibility as leader. Until he said that, I had almost completely forgotten that I was leader of the Resistance. When all of them arrive, I have to give them a speech about how happy I am to have them here and all that guff.
“Ready for today, Bunkie?” Clarissa said, still bundled in bed. I ignore her and make my way to the tracks. When I got there, I saw two scared-looking individuals.
“Are you two lost?” I say jokingly. It looks like they didn’t get it.
“Our station received a telegram,” the fresh-faced soldier said, “so… Here we are. You don’t look like a Sebastian.” Here we go.
“Well, I’m not. My name is Johana Ayers and I’m the new Resistance leader.”
“Underground,” The other soldier says, “We’re not resisting, we’re fixing things in Asium.” Whatever you say, I think to myself.
“What station are you from?” I ask, trying to bite back my last comment.
“West Kandia,” The fresh-faced one says, “You should have seen it. There was a parade on the surface.” My heart sank. All 26 of these troops aren’t coming home. That’s just life, I guess.
After my chat with the Kandians, the trains came in one by one. Worsau, Caswitz, Bedlem, Ottawbe, Black Horn, Duren, Lichsten, Steinberg, Lipney, Chilwitz, Bessemer, and Malnekov were in attendance. They all looked so nervous. I feel as if I’m doing an orientation for new recruits. I wonder if they knew that they might not come home, or rather, back to their station, since most of them don’t have homes anymore.
I step up to the podium a few feet away from the tracks. Some of the soldiers notice me and hush the others around them.
“Greetings and welcome fellow members of the… Underground.” I almost slip up and say Resistance, even though it’s clearly what they are. “I have noticed that some of you look nervous.” More like all of them. “I want to tell you that there is nothing to be nervous about. With all of your firepower alongside ours, we are guaranteed to win.” I must be making a strange face because Sebastian is giving me a hard stare. “Anyways, we at the South Central station welcome our comrades with open arms. Later today, we will have we will have another meeting to discuss the battle plan. Thank you again for coming.” As if they had a choice. Some of them, maybe, but I can tell that some soldiers, especially the fresh-faced Kandian from before, were made to come. The crowd dispersed and I stepped down from the podium.
“That could have been better,” Sebastian whispered when I was within earshot, “I don’t know what’s been going on with you lately, but you need to tighten up.” Without leaving time for reply, Sebastian disappeared in the crowd of troops. I have no idea what he’s talking about, but I have no time to think about it. The armory is expecting me.
~*o*~
When I come back to the tracks, the troops look less scared and more determined. I, however, am very tired. I’ve been working all morning- I had to give the armory orders for specialized weapons and then get turned down (crossbows and maces aren’t standard issue here), I had to sway the medical staff to allow more field medics to be taken along, and I had to explain to a few angry South Central soldiers why they won’t be coming along, among other things. I was worn out by the time I reached the tracks, and to top it off, I still have to give another meeting to the troops.
Some of them see me approaching and excitedly huddle together. Veva, Clarissa, and Isaiah are standing close to the podium. Veva looks extremely nervous, and when I meet her gaze, she quickly looks away. Clarissa comforts her and Isaiah smirks. That was strange.
I step up to the podium and begin, “Hello again, everyone. I’m sure you’ve already heard bits and pieces of information at your own stations, so I’ll just try to piece together everything.” I relay to the crowd the plan Sebastian told me. I could see hope in their eyes, as if they really believed they might win this. “Those are our final plans, so rest assured that you are up to date on everything. Now that all of you are briefed on what’s to come, please stop by the clinic and the armory to prepare for departure. We will be leaving in approximately six hours.”
Chapter 12- Travel
“Take it easy, Johana,” The medic said, handing me my coat. “Good luck.”
With me being leader and all, I had to get checked out last. The others are probably anxiously awaiting my arrival on the tracks. Instead of my normal uniform, I was wearing a slightly tattered uniform that would have been used decades ago. That way, I look like an actual prisoner. As I pass the armory on the way, I can see the lights are off and the walls are looking more barren than usual with most of the weapons lent to the soldiers.
“Godspeed, Johana,” The ammunitions manager says to me as I pass. Of all times, now I get butterflies. Today could be the beginning of the future for Asium or the end for me.
As I approach the tracks, I can see the soldiers patiently sitting. One of them spots me and stands up. The rest catch on until all 26 troops, Veva, Clarissa, Isaiah, and Sebastian are standing up, eyes fixed on me. The butterflies become hornets. I raise a fist in the air, a universal sign of rebellion.
“For Asium,” I say.
“For Asium!” They shout, raising their fists in the air. I lower mine and one by one, they file into the three awaiting train cars. Wait, three?
“Sebastian,” I say “Why are there three train cars? We only needed two.
“Two for them, one for us,” Clarissa said, as if I asked her.
We load our separate train cars and go on our way. Some of South Central came to see us off. As the three train cars traveled along the rickety, old tracks, the hornets settled back down to their fluttery butterfly state. Veva looked calmer than before, but she still glanced warily over to me every few seconds. I wish I knew what she was so worried about. I want to think it’s because she’s nervous for me because I’m bait—after all, she did lose a sister, it must be hard to imagine she might lose someone else close to her… right?
“I think we all know why I got a separate train car just for us,” Sebastian said, his face expressionless, making it all the more eerie, “Once we unload, the other 26 will cram into one tiny shipping container while we ride up front with the conductor. The four of us will be your escort. Until you get the go-ahead, you will have no weapons and your hands will be tied as if you were an actual prisoner.”
Prisoner. That word resonated with me. Sometimes I felt like a prisoner in the Resistance, like a puppet, or worse, someone with Stockholm syndrome— there’s something telling me I have to leave, but… I just can’t.
~*o*~
The train screeched to a halt, jostling me awake. Had I fallen asleep? I tried to sit up, but something prodded me to stay down. My hands were tied already. When I finally got my bearings, I realized that I was no longer in the subway train car, but in what looked to be a proper train—hard metal seats, flashing buttons and bright words saying POWER and EMERGENCY BRAKE, and levers everywhere. I was in no normal train, but a steam engine! With all the noise those barbaric things make, the Capitol would’ve heard us coming and prepared for an attack. I tried getting up again, but something prodded me harder in the ribs to stay down. The metal floors were cold and menacing. This has to be a dream. I opened my mouth to speak, but tasted the familiar yet distant tang of something sweet. They used chloroform on me! I know I’m supposed to be prisoner, but this is overkill. They must have put a rag over my face as I dozed off.
“Alright sweetheart, time to go.” I recognized one of South Central’s soldiers standing over me with a rifle, which is what he probably used to prod me. “Come on, get up!” the soldier said, dragging me up by the ties around me wrists. Something’s gone wrong, this isn’t right!
Chapter 13- Sting
“What’s going on,” I asked, lethargic and confused.
The soldier said nothing. He shoved me out of the train, almost making me fall on the hot, dusty ground. He jumped down beside me along with another South Central soldier. Veva, the twins, and Sebastian were nowhere to be seen. The usually luminous gates of the Capitol were now dark and dead looking. The two soldiers pushed me into the stone-paved road and into the city. The first thing I saw was the Capitol building towering over the street.
Main Street, which was normally bustling and lively, was empty and lined with non-working street lamps. A small orange shipping crate was in the middle of the road with two soldiers wearing resistance uniforms talking to a man with a fashionable yet dingy suit.
“Well, where is she? If she’s not here soon, then we’ll have to-“ He broke off after seeing me approaching. “Oh, good. So you want to… what now?”
“Take us to the Eye,” A booming voice, which I recognized as Sebastian, said.
There was a flash of alarm in the suited man’s eyes. “N-No one speaks to the Eever-Watching Eye!” He stammered.
“Do you want supplies or not?” Sebastian asked. After a few thoughtful seconds, the suited man motioned for us to come along. Both of my escorts gave me a sharp prod with their guns.
As we walked down the street, I could see that the town wasn’t completely dead- store owners sat in front of boarded-up shops, ready to scatter if anything went down. Instead of tensing, they took a few steps forward to observe the suited man, Sebastian, the two soldiers, and I walk down the road and towards the capitol. The atmosphere was that of a funeral procession. A shiver ran down my spine as I approached the Capitol building. I haven’t been there in ages. The glow of the setting sun illuminated the glass dome of the building and made it sparkle, almost blinding me.
“Here we are,” The suited man said.
“Take us to the Eye,” Sebastian demanded. The suited man hesitated for a moment then led us into the building. Inside were Veva and the twins being furiously questioned by two men in black suits. They must be security.
“There, see? Official business,” Veva said, pointing to our group. The tall black-suited man looked to our group, to Veva and the twins, and then he motioned all of us on our way. The two soldiers gave me a sharp prod in the ribs as they always do. I probably have a bruise there by now.
We went down a long, dark marble-floored hallway with an elevator at the end. The elevator had reflective doors that I could see myself in as we came closer. I looked so miserable- my dark brown hair was dirty and ruffled, dark circles accumulated under my eyes after months of inadequate sleep, and I wore a tired and defeated look on my face. I looked like an actual tortured prisoner.
The suited man pushed the up button. “Mechanisms are amazing,” he said with a nervous laugh. A normal elevator runs on electricity, but the Capitol building’s elevators have a backup steam-powered system. The reflective doors screeched open showing a dark yet tidy elevator. The soldiers prodded me inside and the suited man followed, almost tripping over his own feet.
There weren’t many buttons in this elevator, just floors 1-5, open, close, and the standard emergency stuff. There was, however, a button secluded from the others. It was red with an eye engraved into it. It was inside a hard plastic box that the suited man lifted to push. The elevator shook and the laboriously ascended to what I assume to be the 6th floor. The elevator then stopped without opening its doors.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” The suited man asked, sweat forming along his brow.
“Are you sure you want to eat tonight?” Sebastian retorted, “Just open the door.”
“If you say so,” The suited man said. In all of my years of living, I never thought I would see the Eye for myself. Part of me was nervous while the other part was excited. The suited man sighed and pushed the open button, revealing what looked to be an elevator door with a keypad and speaker on it.
“Permission to enter, sir,” The suited man said into the speaker.
“Stanley, this better be good,” A voice said over the speaker. I didn’t recognize it.
“It is sir! It’s about the, erm, negotiations.” The voice in the speaker grumbled and said we could come in. Stanley punched in a code into the keypad and the door ceremoniously opened. Hanging my head, I winced and the soldiers less forcefully prodded me ahead.
“Welcome home, Johana!” A familiar voice said. I looked up to see…
“Violet?!”
Chapter 14- Stung
It was Veva who spoke.
“Y-You’re alive? This can’t be! How?!”
“In due time, sister.” Violet walked up to our group and hugged Veva. “It’s nice to see you,” She said, “And even nicer to see you,” She whispered to me. “Please, come in, sit down,” She said, breaking her embrace with Veva. “Not you,” she said to me, so I stood where I was.
“Do I have a story to tell!” Violet exclaimed, taking a seat beside the desk where the Eye was sitting. “You’re the star, Johana. Let’s think back to a while ago, earlier this year perhaps. When you thought I was dead.” I hate being reminded of that day. That fact that Violet’s alive only makes it worse. I must have been pulling a weird face because Violet laughed. “You remember it, don’t you Jo? I was shot by three Government turrets, but I didn’t die. You were right Johana—they do check the turrets after they’ve been activated. Less than thirty minutes after you left, they found me, bloodied and weak, and took me to a hospital. After I was strong enough, I told them everything. They congratulated me for all my hard work.” I noticed Violet was wearing a Government army uniform.
“You lied to me, Veva said, a hurt look on her face, “You weren’t kidnapped, you became a spy!”
“That’s where you’re wrong, sis. I didn’t tell you anything. You simply assumed I was kindapped and went to work for them in hopes of avenging a death that never happened. I applaud your determination, I do, but your priorities are a little skewed now, aren’t they?” Veva fell silent.
“Speaking of priorities,” Violet said, turning to me, “Yours are a little skewed too, aren’t they? You were a devout little government worker; there’s no way you could just change your mind. I knew you led me to my ‘death’, and I know you’re going to lead the rest of them to their deaths, starting with those two,” she pointed to Isaiah and Clarissa, “the witnesses. After you pick them off, you’ll kill Sebastian for kidnapping you and forcing you to work for the Underground. Next, you’ll turn everyone against themselves so that the strongest chapter of the Underground will be left in disarray. That way, you’ll be able to leave Asium once and for all, starting a peaceful life somewhere else. A nice plan, I would say.”
I was astonished. “But how…”
Violet cut me off. “Didn’t you think it was a little strange to have a clock hanging in your bunk?” The clock! It was there one day and gone the next. Yes, that did seem a little strange. With all the paranoia I had, I assumed it was just a hallucination, some kind of sick taunt my subconscious made up to terrorize me. Surveillance clocks were often used by the Government, but there was no way they could have infiltrated so easily and quietly. So the Government has been spying on me. They must have seen me writing in my journal that day and found out my plan that was indeed true.
Violet continued. This whole ordeal—the blackout, I mean—was my idea. You were going to have to face the truth sooner or later, Johana. Now that you have, well, I’m done here. You guys can go home. Maybe make a better plan, I don’t know. Try harder next time, Sebastian.” Sebastian was seething. Veva looked… Sad? It was a mixture of things. The twins were switching between an “I told you so” look and staring daggers into me. The Eye sat eerily quiet, seeming to enjoy Violet’s little spiel. Violet looked satisfied with herself.
Violet reached into her pocket and produced a pair of handcuffs which she tossed to Sebastian.
My mind flashed back to just last week. Sebastian was telling me what he would do if anyone decided to become a traitor. “We wouldn’t kill them,” I remember him saying, “but we’d make them wish they were dead.” He proceeded to tell me about a treasonous prisoner’s day- waking up to blaring horns, being forced to repair miles and miles of tracks with their bare hands, receiving one measly meal a day, and, if the treason was sever enough, five-minute whippings every hour.
That would be my life now, there’s no denying it. I can’t let this happen to me, I have to think fast… The gun! There’s a gun strapped around my ankle.
Before Sebastian could reach me, I rolled out of the way, tore the weak bindings from my wrists, and grabbed the gun. Everyone in the room drew theirs as well, and before Sebastian could yell, “Hold your fire!” I put the gun to my head.
THE END.
Who Posted
|