Through the ages we see ...
A
girl is walking down a street. It is a dark night but the weather is
still warm. Many people are still out on this time of day but the
girl they had never seen before. Not that she was that special. She
wore clothes as torn and dirty as anyone else. Her hair was messy and
it was as obvious as normal that she hadn't washed herself in a
long time. Then what was it in this big city that made this girl so
special?
Her eyes. Her eyes spoke of a story that did not match
the way she walked, talked and dressed. If anyone would have had the
chance to see the skin underneath all the dirt they would have known
for sure she did not belong here. But for now all they did was stare,
none followed.
In a higher part of this city an old man resided in a small apartment waiting for his last breath to come. His life had been a full one. He had seen and done more then any normal man would and did not regret a thing. But now he was old and alone, a forgotten legend. Life had no more meaning for him but he understood he had one last task to do before death would come to get him. He awaited this in utmost suspense, wishing every day, over and over again, that this would be his last. Impatiently he awaited the reason of his long life. All his friends had already been released from the agony of age. His family had their own family's now. He doubted if they even would know he still existed until the day he died, until their inheritance. But it did little to him. He understood.
Outside the city the war raged. The only enemy of this city was the only battle they seemed not to be capable to end. The jungle had never accepted their presence amidst it. Technology against nature. The battle was fierce and never-ending. Yet nobody knew how the jungle came to fight back the way it did. Mysteriously as ever, it refused to give its intruders the secrets they desired. How long had this war been raging? Nobody knew. The city was stuck.
But yes indeed, it was a dark night. A beautiful night filled with stars. The moon shone brightly and even the sounds of war could not destroy the peaceful feeling coming from the skies. It was in this night, not the night before, nor the night after, that the child called Nicolas would view his greatest nightmare.
Walking through the slums of the city did no good to anybody. All try to rise up to the higher levels. How higher you lived, the more respected you were. A way of life that had existed ever since the war started. The army could give you the best opportunities to rise but many lose their lives to the dreadful jungle. If your status was low when you entered, the hardship of the army was almost unbearable. Thus the army was thinning.
The hours past as the night went on. Many went to sleep. The girl worked her way through the narrow streets, up to the higher levels of the city. No sign of tiredness nor exhaustion. Normally she would not have been welcome here. She would have been told to leave. If she would not listen, they would have made her. But as it was late in hour, all citizens of the this level already were asleep. Easily and without worry she climbed the stairs of an old apartment block.
A knock on the door. A screeching sound of a chair being moved. Sounds of slow movement of feet. The door opens. Two pair of eyes stare at each other. A letter was handed over. The door was closed again. A few moment later new sounds emerge from inside. Sounds of drawers opening and closing. First a swear, then a victorious laugh. A gun was taken out and put away for transportation. The door opens once more and the old man exits.
For Nicolas all the events that night would go fast. Later it would become a blur of memories. He had been fast asleep. Then the noises had awoken him. First the shot accompanied by a slam, then the stumbling of his parents in panic. Shattering of items which sounded glass like made the little boy pull the sheets over his head. After the next two shots together with some screaming, silence overtook the noise. Shivering he clutched his blanket. It seemed like hours until the silence was broken but in reality it was just a few moments. The tension was to hard on the small child. He started crying softly. Afraid of making a noise. He did not understand what was happening. The next sound was the opening of the door to Nicolas room. He closed his eyes as he felt his blanket being lifted. The next thing he felt two hands lifting him into two arms. Curiously the boy opened his eyes and stared into two bright blue eyes. Reassurance came from them. The last thing he noticed were the caresses and the shattering of the window in his room. Then he dozed off.
A room filled with blood. Bodies laying on the floor. The sound of shattering glass in a room close by. A pair of eyes stair at the two corpses in front of him. So ... it has finally come. ... You have finally ... come to get me. ... It's about ... time. The pair of eyes see a shadow form in front of them. The surroundings fade as the eyelids close. Yet the shadow remains. A last sight is the last sound in that room until morning comes.
The sun is rising. The drops of dawn are cheering the light on. Slowly the slums are awakening. A stranger runs through he small streets holding a child. The people up early looked strangely as they saw a flash passing by. In the flash the young girl was running far faster then any creature in the city could. She ran through streets,. She turned around corners. She jumped over obstacles. The last obstacle she saw from afar. She ran even faster. Then on a few meters away pushed of from the ground. Then she touched the side walls of a house, pushing of again. The obstacle saw the flash going fast over their heads, twirling. The girl landed after them, continuing to run.
The obstacle had been the guards of the gateway and the gate itself. They stood surprised for a moment. A moment that seemed to last forever. Eventually one of them snapped out of it. He urgently took called his superior. While reporting what just happened both guards could hear the alarm go off in the section behind the entrance to the slumbs. The city was separated in levels and sections. The levels were the living quarters of the city. Here everyday business went its way. But the sections were where the army waged its war with the jungle. These were the outer borders of the city. Here the military trained. Here the military served. They did more then keep the jungle at bay. They had the workers who got nutricians in the dangerous parts. It was obvious to say the army controlled the city. There were no political instances. The families living in the upper level were all descendants of former generals. Also all generals now in duty were from those families. They were the only ones who still knew why this war was raging.
Nicolas softly awoken from the siren ringing. Hazy he saw colours flashing by. With his little fist he rubbed the sand out of his eyes. Now he saw more clearly. It were flashy colours. "Solwdiews." He mumbled while looking around. When he looked in front he saw a lot of yellow soldiers blocking their path. The boy thought they were going to head straight for them. Yet remarkable for his age, he did not turn away, nor close his eyes. The soldiers opened fire and laser beams passed closely by Nicolas. A hand came in his sight. It did not lose it's shape like the surrounding did rapidly. Nicolas followed this hand to its arm and the arm to its owner. He looked straight into the two bright blue eyes. But the two eyes didn't look back. Nicolas followed the eyes back to the hand. The hand started glowing the same bright blue as the hands. Then explosions occurred.
The sun had risen. The city wakes up. At the south entrance of the city a gate was blown open. Bleeding soldiers were being carried away to the sick bay in section G-3. At the same time an other group of soldiers were carrying the lifeless bodies of their comrades to their graves. Many did not understand what had happened. Most had been asleep when it happened. Their superiors did not tell them anything. Those who asked got no answer, or even worse, were punished for asking. In the Command House, in de centre of section G-1, the superiors were gathering. Topic of the meeting was obvious, tonight's disaster.
Two bright blue eyes stared at a small boy laying on a comfortable bed of grass. They admired the beautiful blond hair of the child, it's pale skin, his strong features. The eyes shined with fulfilment. The girl felt happy and safe. Suddenly two pair of arms embraced her. She turned her head to look straight into two bright blue eyes, just as her own. A passionate kiss was shared between the two beings. Then she was leaded away to the hot spring. With a doubt in her eyes she turned one last time to look at the boy but an elderly lady nodded. The lady also had those bright blue eyes. Those told the girl the child was in good hands. The girl lead her lover lead her away so she could clean herself. Her looks had all been part of the plan. A plan that had been a success. Yet she feared the worse part would still have to come.
In the apartment a person stood amidst the horror. Surprise was written all over his face. A young man in a flashy outfit dropped to his knees as tears fell from his eyes. With shaking hands he grabbed the mobile phone from his pocket. With trembling fingers he dialled the number for the help desk. With a voice not as usual he reported a crime. Within minutes the flat was overrun by the military police. He questioned but soon was detected he was not the killer. The third man on the floor, the one nobody knew who he was, was directly identified as the killer of the young man's parents. To the question where his little brother was, there was no immediate answer. The young man would be taken away and later be told that his entire family was killed. He was devastated. Seeing that he was not fit to carry out any orders, he was ordered to take the time off until he could cope with what had happened. Yet he could not let go.