Fences
In the city of Denver the civilians live in a constant war, gunpowder smoke is relentlessly in the air. Soldiers patrol the streets, and there is a curfew, a certain time for everyone to stay in their houses. The war has stripped away lots of sons, brothers and fathers from families. Some men are exempted from enlistment when they claim to be conscientious objectors. Mya's father was a conscientious objector but the new government has reclaimed that choice.
After her father was taken away, Mya lived with her Aunt Trisha and Cousins Daniel and Amelia. Daniel and Amelia's father was taken away when they where as young as four and five. They live on a dairy farm and help their mother with the daily chores. The three children attend the same school, Eldon Peak High. A low budgeted school with vandalised buildings, with broken windows. The teachers where replaced with soldiers to ensure the study of the curriculum, which was split between the two genders, boys are taught the skills to prepare them for the army. Girls are taught the skills to enable them to manage the city while the males are at war. Mya and Amelia are both in grade ten, whereas Daniel is in grade eleven. They all fear that when its time for Daniel to graduate, he will be enlisted in the army.
Any talk against the government or against the war is punished severely. What little is aired on radio is strictly overviewed by government officials. Little is known about the war that has raged through three generations.
"One day we will break free from this place Mya."
Tears swell in her eyes as she remembers the last words her father whispered to her the morning he was taken. Mya could still smell the scent of her father's musk aftershave.
"Mya, Mya." Uttered Amelia urging her cousin to move faster as they walked home from the bakers. "One day you're going to get us both in trouble for being out late, I'm Better of going by myself. Id be much quicker." Mya wasn't completely listening to Amelia's rant, as she had caught sight of the green plane on the other side of the barbed wire fence.
"Have we ever come this way before?"
"No, we haven't. Now come on its almost dark." Amelia whined as she dragged Mya all the way home, and all through the night Mya couldn't shake the image of the green plain on the other side of the border.
"Daniel, in what direction is the enemy?"
"North east I think, why?" Daniel asked suspiciously.
"Just wondering, that's all." Mya knew she couldn't let her cousin in on her plan, well not until she had it all worked out. She still had to make sure that once they where out of the boundaries they would be safe, that she was able to get a lot of people past the boundaries without getting caught. But the main thing she had to overcome was how she was going to get past the soldiers.
Mya and her cousins were on their way to school when they noticed a big meeting in the town square.
"What's going on." Amelia asked.
"It's some kind of meeting." Mya answered.
There's an admiral in the centre of the square directing the male citizens to sign up and fight for their city, to help us end the war.
"The age limit has been lowered to 16 years and all men are required."
"No way! I can't believe they are doing this…" Mya wasn't completely listening to Amelia's rant. She was lost to the corner of the square, where two soldiers where standing, talking about the movement.
"where going to send the new recruits down to ambush the enemy first. When their done well clean up the rest."
"But sir, their all so young!"
"We all have to make a sacrifice for our country Smithy. Orders are orders."
The group stared in disbelief, knowing all their friends were being forced to sign up. Amelia turned to tell Daniel to run, but he was already being dragged to join the recruitment line.
"Daniel, what are you doing? Come on!" just then a large speaker boomed over the distressed crowd.
"Any resistance will be trialled as treason and sentenced to death!"
"NO!" Amelia screamed.
"Come on, Amelia, let's find a way to get him out of here, your no help to him as a blubbering mess, now come on!"
"We'll what do you suggest? You heard them. If he doesn't sign up they'll kill him!"
"look." The men that had already signed up we are being escorted to their barracks. "We'll get him from there after he's been signed up"
"But they said…" Amelia protested.
"I know, Amelia, but we'll just have to hide him til we escape. This means I'm going to need a lot of help from you." Amelia agreed but she wasn't entirely sure what Mya had in plan. All she knew was that she had to trust her cousin, because her brother's life was in danger.
After Daniel was signed in, the snuck down to the barracks and pulled him aside and ran as fast as they could. Daniel hid under the floor boards back at their home. Soldiers came by the next day looking for him and many others, apparently they weren't the only one with this idea, and they where five trials set fro this afternoon/
"This is good!"
"What do you mean this is good? Five of Daniels friends are going to be killed today!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that it was good that they are going to die, but we can use the trials as a distraction, and we can prepare for the escape!"
"I can't believe you! You're thinking about the escape when our friends are going to die today!"
"We can't change that Amelia. But what we change is how many others are killed. Im not going to let them die in vain, but I cant do it alone. You with me?" Mya held out her hand, Amelia realized that she was right, there was no way they could save them, so she took her cousins hand.
"OK so how do you presume where going to get everyone out?"
"Here's the thing. We cant let anybody know till the last day, we'll get them all out on the day of the ambush, so all the soldiers will be needed---"
"An the fences wont be patrolled!" finished Amelia.
"you go tell Leslie, I'll tell Gary! Meet me back here in ten. Remember don't tell them twelve o'clock. Tell them a different time, we don't want them all coming at the same time."
Amelia was aware that even though it was said that all the soldiers will of gone to war, she had the sneaking suspicion that there would still be a couple left.
"Gary. Gary, tomorrow get everyone down to the south west border at about twelve, where going to get out while the soldiers are away!"
They had been at the south west border for about three hours, and most of the citizens where through, they where just waiting for the last group. Everything seemed to be going well, they had 15 minutes until the last group arrived, the escape was happening and there where no soldiers to stop them.
"Oh shit, Mya, look." Amelia had spotted a soldier coming from the east.
"This isn't right, their all supposed to be away."
"Well he's not, so what are we going to do?" Amelia's cry fell on deaf ears, Mya couldn't believe her eyes. The soldier coming over the hill, was it… her father?
"No wait it's my dad. Dad!!!" Mya ran over to her father, expecting a warm embrace. The cold, ice stare that she received wasn't what she had in mind.
"What are you doing Mya?"
"I'm doing what you always planned… to escape dad" her father just shook his head.
"They found out, you have got to get out of here now, before they come."
Amelia called out, signalling the arrival of the last group.
"The last groups here dad, come on, we'll go no, you can come to!"
"No Mya, I cant, I have to stay here and make sure they don't go after you."
Mya knew that if her father stayed behind to secure their safety, that he would surely dies. She tried to change his mind, but he was fixed. Amelia called for her to hurry up. Mya was in tears.
"Dad, we'll risk it, come one…please" she sobbed.
"No we wont, all these lives just for me… no. now go Mya…GO."
Giving her father one last hug, Mya ran up the hill, aware that if she allowed herself to look back, she wouldn't be able to continue. She pushed herself further, feeling all of her muscles ache form the strain. She got up to the fence and crawled threw the hole.
Getting up on the other side, she heard her father call,
"I love you Mya, and I'm so proud of you!"