There are no disclaimers as this is my own story that I hope you enjoy as I liked the idea so developed it. I won't be doing any more chapter on it and you will see why at the end of the story, enjoy! Oh and please comment/review
"We are gathered here tonight to commemorate Kara Johnston, daughter of Wayne and Cleo Johnston. Fought in the frontline of the present WW3, student at Lanesdale high school until summoned to fight…" someone cries out from the audience whilst their neighbor comforts them. My soul's lost; I'm lost forever on the battle field. I'm Kara Johnston, soldier; schoolgirl, now the one to be mourned and here's my story.
7th May 2050
"Kara Johnston reporting sir, soldier of the second commandment, trained at the academy for fighters amongst youth in London, squad C sir" and I saluted. The stranger before me was to be my new general, Sergeant Brook Tane. And judging by the stern expression on his scowling face not someone to be messed with. He inspected my uniform hastily as if he had better things to do than check over freshman on their first day. My black boots were polished to perfection and my green trousers and top looked like something that action man should be wearing, but nonetheless he gave me an approving grunt and shooed me away with his hands.
This is the first day of the rest of my life, that's what I was told at training. The last year of my life has been spent building up to this moment. Every spare hour…well there hasn't been any. Every last waking moment of the last 365 days has been getting me prepared for this. I don't want to this. I never wanted to do this, it wasn't my choice. On a Saturday at fifteen years old I should be going shopping with my friends. That's what my mum said she used to do, my mum tells the most fantastic…she used to tell the most fantastic stories; of when she was young. She was a free spirit like me, only now they've captured me; and I feel as trapped as an animal in a zoo. Even now as I reach my arms out wide and realize there are no metal bars restricting me from running away I freeze; paralyzed at the thought. But of course I'd get caught; they'd hunt me down and kill me. My own people would sentence me to death. People whom I've known all my childhood, well I suppose that's the sort of world that we live in these days.
It was the 1st June 2045 when it started, the start of WW3. And five years later here I am; fighting for queen and country.
"She's only a child" my mother had cried the day they sent for me. I had struggled and wriggled and bit and shoved as hard as I could; trying to escape, but it was no use. All the children on my estate were taken, we were shoved in a van and driven for over an hour until we reached a massive military camp. There we were to stay until our training was complete; and we were only fourteen. You might wonder why we were taken, why chose children for a war? But it's simple you see, the population had dwindled; since the start of WW3. There weren't many left and we were dispendable, all the geniuses were taken away too but to another camp where they would work on weapons for war. We were the foot soldiers going up against tanks and bombs and guns. The world of tomorrow held our future, the future that would never come.
So on the 7th May 2050 this is how I found myself serving my country by fighting a war, that I never wanted.
8th May 2050
As I arose from my temporary bed I thought to myself this is it, this is the end as I reflected on yesterdays actions. Yesterday was the worst day of my entire existence. The first day on the frontline. Do you know what it feels like to kill someone? I don't. You may wonder why, as I did spend all day supposedly fighting for my country. Well…I couldn't do it. How do you kill someone, we are all humans after all; we all have eyes and ears and noses. So as I stood there amongst my fellow companions ready to fight. Gun in hand; helmet on head prepared for what was to come. But I wasn't. Not really. I started upon the 'enemy', they were meant to be different, to be inhuman. But all I saw was children, like me. Boys and girls; armed with guns and trembling in their shiny boots looking like children playing dress up. We didn't want to do this. We never chose to do this, WW3 wasn't ever our fault. They always say you either fight or flight. So I chose flight and I ran as fast as I could back to base camp. I just couldn't do it, could you?
So today; on the 8th May as I result of my running away I have been sentenced to death. Not by shotgun, or poison; knife or beaten to death, but to be a suicide bomber and kill thousands.
Sergeant Brook had informed me of my duty after yesterday's fiasco. He had also told me how it was so disappointing as he had; had great expectations of me. He had then sighed and looked as sad and lost as a lonely little boy and for one moment I truly believed that deep inside there was still some shred of compassion left. However this feeling was short lived as he soon started to explain the full implications of my act and what punishment would be implied. Of course I knew there would be a punishment, I thought perhaps extra work; I could live with that I even had a glimpse of hope that I might be sent home to my family! Unfortunately this was just my imagination going wild on me as the penalty was incredibly more severe. Sergeant Brook declared it would end WW3, he stated that it had ended WW2 why not WW3? He sounded so convincing that he almost persuaded me; but not before my survival instinct kicked in and I ran as fast as I could; anywhere; just away from this awful place. What I hadn't counted on was that they were prepared for my leaving and had armed soldiers guarding the exits. Obviously people had tried to run away before and they weren't going to take the chance with me. So I scuttled back to my tent head hung low so that my wispy hair would hide my now beetroot red face. Ashamed I fell into my creaky camp bed and buried my head in the pillow. I closed my eyes and dreamed of better days as I felt the world cave in towards me and the land of sleep take over.
9th May 8:00am
Today is the day. I knew I only had a short time so I dressed speedily and checked my appearance in the mirror, if there was a competition for worst look in the morning, I'd win gold. Grey bags sagged under my eyes and made my face look haggard and old, I always wanted to look older I thought to myself and chuckled. My face was white and sweaty with the constant bad dreams that disturbed me throughout the night. My once rosy red lips were now chapped and they no longer smiled. No longer was I a teenager, those days were over; Infact all my days were soon to be over.
9th May 11:00am
Laughter of children, shouting of parents, chatter of friends. The sounds of the high street conquered me as I paced furiously back and forth. My body felt stiff with the extra weight strapped tight to my chest, the bulk under my tight jacket constricted me like a snake. All around me people; ordinary people went about their everyday lives like nothing was wrong, and I suppose to them there wasn't. I wanted to scream and shout and tell them to run as fast as they could; as far as they could and to never stop running. One particular child smiled at me in a friendly manner; she must have only been five or six. Her innocence shone through like an angle's halo that was precariously balanced on her head. The only crimes she'd committed were forgetting her homework or arriving late to school. I imagined her ten years into the future, no longer did she look like a child. The scowl on her forehead aged her furiously and she wore green trousers and a top; and squeaky clean boots. Her lips no longer bright and full they were thinning and dry. The child I saw was lonely, the child I saw was sad, the child I saw was me.
I shook my head irritatingly and the future girl vanished and her pure younger self reappeared. I strode up to her my knees shaking,
"Excuse me but may I ask your name little girl?" I shivered slightly as I queried her.
"I'm Isabella miss and what's your name" her voice was sweet and lyrical, polite and caring.
"It is of no importance of my name, Infact you will probably never know my name unless you get out of here now." She cocked her head to one side and looked at me quizzically obviously confused. "Look you life is in danger, this isn't a prank; I'm not joking you need to sprint now! I want you to get away from here, do you hear me; don't stop to window shop or talk to a passing friend just run." I uncovered my jacket slightly before I continued, "I am meant to set this bomb off in five minutes; to kill everyone here." That's all the information she needed, Isabella nodded in acceptance and with a click of her feet was off; like a lighting bolt.
A man once said that to save one life is to save a million but it sure didn't feel like it to me. I knew what I had to do. I found a raised platform; something of an old stage, I had to tell them; they had a right to know.
"Everyone you are in immortal danger" I undid my coat jacket careful not to do it too quickly as this would petrify the now large crowd I had attracted. Many of the people gasped in terror and fear, mother's clutched children's hands as fathers cuddled them. "You have to get away from this town; warn everyone they plan to kill you all!"
"And you helped decide this?" The voice of a man called out, I nodded "what sort of a monster are you" his disgusted face said it all and the people started dashing away carrying kids and belongings. One child stopped to pick up their toy that had fallen onto the ground however her mother quickly grasped her and ran off whilst the child cried for their long forgotten teddy. I picked it up silently as pandemonium whirled all around me. Goodbye world; I tried.
9th May 2:00pm
It was at the appointed time that we there by chose to decease Kara Johnston of squad rent c. The reasons behind this penalty are as followed: running away from duties on the battlefield, then as a punishment for this action she was told to be a suicide bomber in our Tinzoneon plan." He looked around the room for agreance before continuing, "unfortunately she not only failed to carry out her punishment but she revealed what she was sent there to do in front of the whole town." Disappointed looks glared at me "so we have hereby sentenced Kara Johnston to death; there are to be no arguments over this decision as I have put to you she not only jeopardised her comrades by running from the battlefield but endangered our entire operation by announcing our plan! This ladies and gentlemen is a girl who deserves her punishment; and I hope to god that the others don't follow in your pursuit or else we'll have no soldiers left" the audience laughs. Sergeant Brook Tane then ushered me onto the stage set for my death the single chair stood upright like a soldier itself. I sat on the sturdy chair whilst Sergeant Brook loaded up his gun. I had asked if the death could be more ethical; say an injection rather than being shot in the head but he looked at me in disgrace as if I'd actually asked to die. I could hear the sound of the harsh metal as he loaded the gun and turned towards me. "It's with deep regret that I Sergeant Brook Tane take this deceitful young girl's life on the 9th May at…"he consulted his watch "2:15pm, I'm sorry" his voice sounded slightly merciful. At that moment my life flashed before my life. Every accomplishment, every dream, every nightmare that I'd ever had dazzled like fireworks in the midnight sky. Then came the shot; the fireworks had really started up now. I opened my eyes reflexively and saw the faces who were watching avidly like a bad soap opera. I touched my head gently, blood covered hand; it was warm. With my last ounce of strength I grasped Sergeant Brook desperately "we are the children of the earth; and you killed us, you will get your comeuppance" and with that I fell into a black hole of despair. I don't quite know how I'm telling you this now, perhaps entering the world of the dead gave me superpowers or something. I like to think of myself as a guardian angel; protecting the youth of the earth. But as I stand here Sergeant Brook Tane swivels round drastically as if he's seen a ghost, because I'm more than human but not quite angel. I'm Kara Johnston aged 15 fighting for my country reporting for duty.