My body shakes with fear as I take another step toward the death trap. I don’t know the next move to even play, or the next word to even speak. It’s the hardest thing I’ve tried to do in my life, because if I make the wrong move…everyone gets affected by it.
I preach my feet to a holding stop as Athinia and Keri still try to move forward. They look at me, as I glare straight ahead; watching the other women as they take their first few steps into the baleful room.
“No. Please.” I beg, trying to keep a steady grasp on Athinia and Keri as well. “You don’t understand. This isn’t where we were supposed to go.” The two Guards keeping everyone corralled in this little hallway seem to be annoyed with me, far worse than they should be.
“Where is it you are meaning to be then?” The cocky tall Guard, with a beard in which could give him the impression of Saint Nicholas says to me. I swallow down hard and look down to Athinia and Keri.
"I-I have kids who will work hard. It would be a wast-waste to kill them off right…here and then. Give them a chance.” I stutter a bit, from making it all up on the spot. I look back ahead to the many other people walking around me and heading into the dark foggy room. They seem to not be very observant at all, for the sign hanging above is pretty self-explanatory.
I hear the two Guards conversing something in a language I don’t understand and before I knew it, Athinia, Keri and I were being brought back; past the many women piling into the death trap and being thrown into a side room, away from the end of our lives.
“Prove you can work and we will spare your lives.” The Guards says, before slamming the cellar door shut and locking it afterwards. The only thing leaving my sanity hanging with me is the little square window in the top of the door, giving me a clear view that we’re not the only ones left alive in this world.
“What happens next?” Athinia asks, looking up into my tear filled eyes. I don’t want to start crying, but how couldn’t you? My life was torn from me, leaving me confused on the next path to take. I look at her, moving my hand up to her forehead and brushing away the hair in her eyes.
“I don’t know what happens next?” I tell her truthfully, since I’ve lost myself in this screw up of a world. “Everything’s going to be…alright though.” I lie to her, but she needed to hear it. She needs something to hang onto, not knowing the life awaiting her. Not knowing of the torturous things coming, the things no one can stop now. They have already taken control of our world, of our hearts and of our tears. “Come here.” I motion to both Keri and Athinia, who look more frightened then I do. I take a seat on the hard bed behind us and watch as they both nestle down by my side, closing their eyes gingerly as they doze off. As for me it’s harder. My mind wanders about Calix as well as Mrs. Rateno and where they both had gone. Are they safe? Dead?
My eyes begin to water as I think about the last option and I shake my thoughts away fast. They can’t be dead, but then again Athinia, Keri and I almost were back there…if it wasn’t for my brave act. Maybe Mrs. Rateno never thought about what laid ahead though and walked into the trap as easy as a mouse or what if Calix was forced to do something he never admitted to. Something in which killed him in the end, something in which will kill us all if we aren’t strong.
I take a deep breath and lie back on the hard bed, adjusting Athinia and Keri to either of my sides. I look up to the hard stone ceiling and notice the coldness found in each little crack of stone. The coldness that doesn’t give anyone hopes, but more fear about their future. There is no way out, no way back to the days we all shared before in the meadow. The days when I found out Calix had feelings for me and that those feelings we thought were too strong to keep us apart from each other. But what happened now is something of pure irony and I hate that thought. Only a couple hours ago, I was worrying about my hair and what Calix would think about it when we had woken up. Nothing of the sorts that we were going to be split apart and heartless for the rest of our lives, left to die here alone with no hope of showing love to that person again. No hopes of living a peaceful life with that person, with dreams of starting a family and being there through the hard times we faced, but always knowing the right paths to keep ourselves on…
--
“Get up!” I’m woken by a loud yell coming from outside the door and immediately I sit up straight, frightened.
Athinia clutches my arm tight as Keri scoots in closer and without hesitation the door swings open with a tall broad shouldered Guard standing in front of us. I swallow loudly as I watch him motion his hand to follow him. I get off the bed, taking Athinia and Keri’s hands and hesitantly follow the Guard out the steel door and out of the brick encrusted cell.
Immediately once I’m out I can hear many blood hurtling screams and a woman pushing her way past me, running off through the hallway. I look back, but not stopping my feet from walking forward and watch as the Guards come piling past, running after her. I look back to the Guard in front of me, who now holds my arm securely and I notice his head turned as well to the scene in which was just played out. Soon enough though, he shakes out of it and returns to dragging me roughly along the never ending hallway.
“Where are we going?” I ask the Guard, distinctively walking a bit faster to look at him; instead of talking to his back. His sunken in face tells me he’s not going to answer and I try to remain calm. That woman seemed like she was running from something or someplace and I don’t intend on wanting to be scared the way she was. I won’t let Athinia and Keri see that terror either.
“I’ll pick you up after and bring you back, so please don’t get too attached with anyone.” The Guard says, letting my arm go harshly and shoving me forward into a huge factory like place. I take a glance around and notice women and men of all ages, working on different tasks and working fast at it as well.
“What are we supposed to-“ I’m about to finish my sentence when I notice the Guard gone and already leaving the small building conjoined off the prison. I sigh, but face back around and shakily go to join a young women around my age, her eyes red with tears and her face lashed with whip marks; like the one I have.
"Excuse me, miss?” I say quietly over the chatter of the workers all around. She jumps a bit from her position and looks at me in peer shock. “What are we supposed to be doing here?” I can see her bite her lower lip, but from that she immediately tells me what I wanted to hear.
“We make ammunition for the President’s army.”
“Ammunition? What kind of ammunition?” I ask, praying it’s not something that they will use against us in a time of dyer need.
“Mostly just bombs and such, they must be intending on attacking quite soon.” She replies, heading back to her work within the second. “You can all work with me if you wish. I have some open spots they haven’t given anyone yet.”
“Well, thank you. I didn’t want to be a burden asking for instructions or anything.” I add on, politely coming over to her side. I pull Athinia and Keri along with me, as they soon enough let go of my hands and stand on the side.
"My name’s Sadie, by the way.” She tells me, before handing me some items, I’ve never seen in my life before. “You crush these, with these.” She says, pointing to each item and then smiling lightly in the end. I thank her for her assistance and show the girls how to do it as well and soon enough, the process is strangely easy. “Don’t mind me asking, but did you have a husband?” Sadie asks, looking over to me and stopping her work. I look at her, as well and shake my head slightly.
“No, no husband.” I say, trying not to think of Calix and where he must be right now. She looks behind me a bit and then focuses strongly back to her work. “Why ask?” I respond, turning away from Athinia and Keri and looking toward Sadie once more.
“Just wanted to know a little more about you.” She responds smiling again. I smile back, but not from being polite, but from knowing that I finally have found a friend in this dungeon.
Time goes by, more time than I had imagined and the night sky fills up the daylight outside quick. Sadie still remains working, as well as Athinia and I, but Keri has stopped from her hands hurting too much. I have to admit though, this job does make you realize how good you had life before, since now it seems like it couldn’t get any worse.
“Cattlin,” I hear the low voice of Athinia next to me and I slowly look down to her height. “Look.” She says pointing out behind me. I glide around fast to face what she see’s and freeze in my place. I wasn’t imagining it, no, nothing of the sorts was happening. It really was him. He was here, working as I was, just behind my small body and minding his own business like everyone else. He was right, when he said I would see him again...Calix...
~~Im SO sorry for not uploading in such a long time! It's been so hard to think lately and I had so much going on, along with my never ending writers block! Ugh, but it's over with and now I'm bak on track! thanks :D~~
Feel free to comment on anything you think needs improvement, because no one can learn without a few critics. (: