Lia

The Beginning

The little dark haired girl screeched with laughter. She was walking through the garden with her grandfather. He was showing her bulbs waiting in the garden for the spring warmth to melt the snow. He had stopped and tickled her. Together they walked back towards the house where the warmth and safety waited for her.

Later when the war was over, Lia would remember every moment of that day. The feeling of complete safety and innocence.  She tried to remember her grandfather's face and the way that his voice had sounded. But over the years she had forgotten some of the details. The war had erased so much happiness. Begun over water supplies running out, the Great War had cost millions their lives. The ozone was so damaged that extreme seasons made the world an inhospitable environment.

Lia had lost both of her parents early in the War. Government employees, they had died in their state offices in town. For a long time it was just Lia and her grandfather. Then one day the grand house where they lived had been attacked by vigilantes and grandfather had died too. Protecting Lia from them.

For almost a week Lia had survived alone in the house.  Living off supplies from the pantry. But that soon ran out and she had to venture out to the streets for food and water.

'There she is!' Lia heard the shout before she got a clear look at where the voices came from.

'Get her!' Without fully comprehending the meaning of the words, Lia's instinct told her to run. But her smaller frame was unused to running and the boys that were after her were fit and lithe. They easily caught her. Lia was put onto a waiting cattle truck. The truck was almost full already with children of all ages and genders. Some were crying, most stood stoically waiting. Lia stood at the edge absolutely quietly. There seemed no point in crying. After her grandpa had been killed all her crying hadn't changed anything. Lia had learnt young that tears didn't solve anything.

Ahead of the children was a squat, grey building. It had been over three hours since the truck had left the city. Crammed with more children than was safe. Only once had the truck stopped when bread and a bitter tasty water had been given to the children. Lia felt a tightness in her throat as she looked up at the grey building. It seemed to loom over her in a monstrous way.

'Welcome home', said one of the oldest boys ironically.

Lia felt her heart sink. So this was to be her new home. It lacked trees and greenery. It was an ugly military building.

'Get out and line up', the instruction was given abruptly and coldly to the children.

Lia climbed out carefully. Her hands were sore from holding tightly onto the railing and she needed to go to the rest room. But she followed the instructions and lined up. Next to her was a boy of about her age. He had warm brown eyes and the hint of a dimple in his cheek.

'I wonder what this is all about,' she heard the boy mutter under his breath. His words matched Lia's thoughts so she turned slightly to look at the boy and smiled a small smile at him.  He returned her smile and she saw the dimple fully. Lia felt a little better knowing she had made a friend.

The feeling didn't last long though. A tall man dressed all in black walked across to the children. His expression was cold and his eyes were a frozen blue. He looked at the children in an appraising manner.

'Welcome to my compound,' the man said. His tone was flat and emotionless. 'You can call me the General.'

'This will be your new home.' He continued. 'Here you will learn to serve me. If you succeed I will become your father. You will be as my child. If you fail you will die.'

Lia felt a shudder pass through her at his words. She nearly lost her resolve not to cry. Next to her she heard the boy with the warm brown eyes and dimple swallow a sob. Lia had never felt so alone in all her life.