A thick blaze leisurely roamed through town, inaudible screams of citizens flowing about. People scattered down the main road, and I found myself unable to move. Finally taking control again, I pressed on toward our home; my sisters had to be there. In my peripheral vision Levi, my best and only friend, called out to me to run the other way and never look back. Of course I didn't listen and soon took note that I was standing before my home, my burning home. My mouth refused to release the terror within me as father emerged, cloaked in flames, my sisters following. They screamed at me to run away, and I was going to until I witnessed my mother, bound to a wooden steak, fire charring her soul as skin melted, falling to the ground.
I burst from my horror story, soaked to the bone in sweat as my body refused to stop releasing my panic into the visibility of others. I lie awake on my pillow covered to the bridge of my nose is the covering of which made me feel safe. Sadly, as luck may have its way, I was informed of an undesired presence that took it to her own to illuminate the room, acknowledging me of her awakening. Her blue eyes were trained on my cowering body, sinking into my olive coating, notifying me that she had something to say. I gazed at her with my grey eyes in curiosity and drew in a long breath.
"You should stop hiding after nightmares or your life is going to be coloured with them," she preached, serving me a smile of reassurance as I nodded, climbing out from the covers that previously engulfed me in heat. My eyes paraded on the darkness outside before finding my sisters. I took note of Lilac, who was still watching me, before I gave her a motherly glare to tell her to go to sleep. Reluctantly, she fell back revealing Lilly, her twin sister, attached to a pillow and drooling. She was asleep then I realized she never woke up. Thank the heavens. My hot breath ended the ember's reign of terror on the wick and wax. The second I was free to waltz around the dark world inside I wanted to be let out, even if I had to myself.
Donning my armor known as my boots, I gripped the hems of my sleeves and hugged myself for comfort before checking the calendar. May 28th, a few days before my sister's birthday. Silently slipping out into the frigid night, the May air spreading over my exposed skin. My glance traced itself upon the familiar path to the clock tower finding the stems, which reached to pinpoint approximately half past 1400 hours. This, revealed by a sigh, meant I had 100 hours before heading to retrieve the supplies. Legally, I should be cooking and cleaning, but my dad having three daughters, two can handle the housework. That is how I ended up helping him down at our blacksmith shop. So what if that was a man's job? It was fun.
"Oi, short-stop flower pot, what are you doing out?"
I snapped back a quick, "Bug off, I'm only five centimeters shorter than you!"
He laughed and waved his hand. "Whatever," was all that came out, but I knew Levi and he was holding back something bothersome. I heard him say something along the lines of "More like 21" which may have been true, but I cared nothing of it and laughed it off, lightly, as he approached me. We sat against the wall of my home for a few minutes before I spoke. And these words were in the form of a question I would've hoped to never ask.
"So are you drafted?" My voice was quivering, unsure it was an acceptable thing to speak of, but I had to at some point. I could never stand not knowing things. He shrugged, looking up at the stars, my gaze following his.
"That's like asking you if you're female."
I looked to him for a brief second before turning back to gaze up at the twinkling lights. They always managed to calm me down, and I refused to question how they did because it'd be a simple waste of time. We were silent for a while until I continued again.
"I wish I wasn't," was all I said as he looked at me, I saw through the corner of my eyes. His mouth was slightly opens as if he was going to say something before he closed it again. I looked to him for a second before he sighed.
"Sometimes I wait for the day you won't say things like that, but I always know that won't come."
I shrugged and muttered, "I can't help being who I am, I just hate it more than a lot."
He sighed again and stood up, offering me a hand. I stood, refusing to accept his help as I pushed against the wall. Chimes rang through the town, not waking those who were asleep but definitely loud enough to hear them anywhere. Our glances both snapped to the clock faster than bullets as we both whispered in unison how it was 1500 hours. Great. I had half an hour of freedom before my enjoyed labour kicked in to start off my day. Levi turned to me and mentioned something about how I should go wait at the harbour so I'm not stuck waiting in line to get the supplies, but it wasn't all clear. The bells of the tower still rang through my ears, their chime creating their normal song.
As I trudged on, my legs felt as if they were getting heavier and heavier. The crate was heavy enough without the metals inside, but they still were filled with it to the brim. My father was awaiting my return as usual, with a grin on his face. I dropped the crate and let him pick it up just as a commander from the army came to the shop door.
"Erwin Ludenburg of Savannah, Georgia," he called out, my father setting the crate back on the floorboards before calmly walking to to door.
They conversed for about five minutes before he came back, retaking the gargantuan wooden box into his thick arms. After reaching the table, the box probably could have broke on contact if the table was metal. Father breathed out and started a fire on the remaining coals in the stove.
"Sage, get more wood please," he mumbled, my nod showed him I would rather do that than lift iron and steel out of an enormous crate. To be fully in truth, her name and personality, if being described with just using her name, people could easily assume she was a male, her own family thought so when they were informed of Sage Ren Ludenburg's existence in the world. After months of explaining I was female, they went straight forward with Lilac Rose and Lilly Tyler, just to be at ease with gender explanation. I nearly skipped out to the back, picking up at least five logs and came right back in, smiling unlike my usual self. My father flashed me a cheeky grin, letting me back to work as I anonymously stacked the sliced trees into the large stove.
They worked on bullets, the revolution worrying her endlessly for the entire day. Later I was called by Zinnia, Levi's mother, to wish him good luck and goodbye. The only problem was that I refused to say goodbye. We shared two comfort hugs and a few "See you soon"s before I left, right as I was about to break in the tears Levi forced me to not shed.
Later that day I found a commander, who introduced himself as Commander Reiner Brown, who picked up the bullets and other weaponry they crafted for their troops. He reminded me of somebody I'd seen around town a few times before, but forgot about him in a second as I ate supper before retiring for the day. Supper always came early, around 1500 hours to be exact, and she never ate lunch and hardly ever breakfast so in result she was a twig. Literally. She had muscle from lifting heavy things all day but no true fat on her bones and most women took this opportunity to call her lucky.
Lilac and Lilly had welcomed her return before she heard a scream roar through the town like a single infant's cry. Her family emerged from her house to see British soldiers lined up among her fellow citizens, shooting their guns. She felt a sudden rage boil inside her until she noticed Levi stationed among the soldiers of their troops. Furious, she ripped through the people to go and drag him away to safety, her sisters, Lilac then Lilly, trailing behind her, begging and pleading that she turned around before she was harmed.
Due to the fact of the way their house was and how the American soldiers were placed, I tore through the British army to reach him, watching as their red coats shoved me back. Screams filled the area, all directed at me. "Move, girly!" along with others including words I was told not to use, even though I spilled them around everybody, but my family, like a can of beans. My foot reached the stomach of an opposing soldier as I ran, hearing gun shots all around myself. Weakly, my sister followed, still calling at me to go back before it was too late for that. All I did was refuse as I shoved past multiple American fighters, finally reaching him. His glare was directed into my eyes as if to say he didn't want me there and was going to murder me for coming here. Then I heard it.
My father screamed at her to move away before the suddenly stopped. "Sage Ren Luden," was how far he got. Panic filled me as she turned around, Levi picking me up and slinging me over his shoulder like a cheap messenger bag. Shortly after he boosted me up I screamed in horror when he turned his back to carry her away. My legs kicked and my fists banged at his back and stomach, other soldiers taking their focus on us, laughing as they called me his sister. And for once, I didn't care they did.
My father was dead on the ground, blood pooling from his back in the crimson red she always had a secret fear of seeing. It was far too late to help him and Levi set me on my feet, bending his knees to reach my height.
"Sage," he began but I screamed in his face as a protest. His hand clamped over my mouth to keep me silent for a small bit. Surprisingly, I listened instead of chomping down and taking a finger. "You need to grab your sisters, Rory, Marie and yourself, along with some money and retreat for a while." The second he finished I clamped my jaw shut, biting into his finger. When I didn't taste blood I crunched harder until he pulled his hand away, about to say something to verbalize his pain before Lilac screamed.
"Sage! Lilly!" Her panicked voice filled my head. "Help me!" Just as she finished her cries went silent and I stared in shock, tears flooding my eyes. I didn't even hear Lilly. I prayed in my head she was okay and so was Lilac. Levi immediately pulled me into an embrace similar to the one he gave me the day he went to train.
"Don't cry, you'll be okay," he cooed, letting me know that for sure both my sisters were dead. I let out a growl and choked out a sob before he let go of me, looking at me as if he was expecting tears as he raised an eyebrow.
"They won't come out," I gagged, my words sounding like somebody who was in no condition to me talking. He nodded and looked back to his soldiers who were yelling and firing their guns, fellow comrades of his on the ground with a crimson glow, which illuminated the ground. Quickly, he shoved me towards the side and before I knew it he was down for the count, his body lying still. My faced showed horror and the inaudible scream showed pain. Soldiers came over and drug him away from me, one grabbing me and walking away, causing my short legs to run as he stepped fluently along. I knew him from somewhere. His familiar chiseled jaw brought one name to my mind. "Commander Reiner," I swallowed, his head craning toward me. He nodded and dropped my arm.
"Yes, and you need to get out of here…" he droned in his official tone, his last few words spaced out like he was saying each individual letter as his voice got more casual throughout that struggled phrase. His head looked past me, and angled up, before my vision blackened. I had heard a voice before whatever had happened.
"Don't disrespect the King's army!" That was all it bellowed.
I awoke, surrounded by men in jackets the colour of Satan's dwelling, my head spinning and people who I knew around me as well. Everybody was terrified, at least 50 eyes, not including the British soldiers, glued to me as I moved.
One by one each individual was escorted out by a spawn of that devil they called a King. People were eager to finally be let to go home, yet I was kept. I could never manage to figure out why until I noticed Commander Reiner in some shrubs in the distance. He snuck over like a spy and told me to be quiet. That was only so I wouldn't give away his position, yet I refused his orders like he was any other soldier. I hated them all. Every single last man enlisted in the army, no matter what side. Ever since my only friend, since childhood and before, was killed by my captors, I couldn't get the gut to appreciate any soldier no matter where they came from.
"Commander Reiner, What are you doing? You're going to get us in a jam we won't escape, idiot?" My yelling was at a whisper when I reached out and banged at his arm a few times. He just looked at me with dark eyes that were very unlike his bright, joyful ones he had when talking to others. His head moved back and forth a few times and muttered a decline of my questions before looking at me again, his blue eyes returning to the world.
"Rye."
"Come again?" I asked him so casually it was like I had never been upset, and still wasn't upset.
"Call me Rye, Commander Reiner or even Reiner is too much," he heaved a sigh and nodded as I did to him.
"Alright, let me rephrase that then," I paused, "Rye, what are you doing? You're going to get us in an inescapable jam!"
He released a long breath, still fumbling with the chains that held me, putting a finger over my lips a bit forcibly. I took that as "Shut up or we're really going to die" and went with it so easily he looked a bit shocked when I hadn't retorted back at him. Without a word, he shrugged and continued to play with my containment, struggling every bit he could. When I took a closer glance at him I noticed he was sweating, assuming it was from the pressure due to the shaking that extended from the very tips of his fingers to the beginning of his elbow. Clasping my hands and resting my elbows against my thigh steadied him since I happened to be shaking as well. He took in a deep breath, stretching out his fingers before he commenced working once more.
"Can you get it?"
"Take a guess, princess," he muttered, sounding rather upset as mostly himself rather than my attitude. I whistled as low and quiet as I could, watching as his head shot up to glare in my direction. I responded with a glare as well, looking directly into the blue, shielded by the shadows, eyes he was blessed with. With a heavy huff he dropped his hands before looking down. My glance and head tilt gave him the question "What do you think you're doing?" when he slowly turned his eyes to the ground again.
In defeat, he choked out, "I'm sorry, miss."
"Sage, not miss," I muttered and he mouthed his correction at least twice before starring as I bowed my head so he could reach the pin, hidden in my hair. "Take it."
Slowly, he separated the metal from my head, making it feel much lighter. His fingers worked at the pin, unbending it into a straight line before practically forcing it into my shackle's keyhole, twisting it this way and that like he was pretending was somebody he hated. The pin turned right then left like he was trying to dismember the arms from its socket, but wouldn't budge it was aggressive enough. Soon he gave up, bending the pin to its former position once again. He grasped my head into his large palms and turned it, slowly sliding the pin back into my hair where it was as he let go of me. My face formed a scowl and he nodded, looking around.
He barely moved as he shifted and turned his body to get a 360-degree glance of the terrain, British Redcoats walking this way and that. That's when we knew neither of us were safe, nor were planning on going anywhere. Him because he could and would die at a moments notice if found. Myself because I had no family to get me, no friends to take me in, nowhere to go, I was basically living to take up space. Though I would never think of it like that, everybody served a purpose in his or her life, and I just needed to find mine, just like mother used to always tell me. We sat in a silence that blew me up inside, my patience, for once, growing small. After another few minutes, I figured he came up with the most insufferable, vilely ludicrous plan ever. We were to wait until nightfall, take the keys, let me out and escape. To be straight forward, I'd been going to do it.
"Your plan is stupid!" I screamed loud enough to put him in a shock, Brits turning in my direction. "Wait until nightfall is that it? Steal the keys and release me from this Hell bound prison and."
His hand clamped over my mouth, immediately causing me to struggle against his hand, screaming more and more, louder and louder. I could tell by the force of his glare he was going to beg me, out of sheer anger, to be quiet before we were forced to face our dooms. That was the best idea he'd had yet stopping me mid-sentence for one as well as coming into plain view of anybody in the area. I flailed against his grasp, biting at his palms and fingers, ripping off a few layers of skin in some places. My constant squirming only made his look angrier and much more forcive unlike he'd ever displayed at me, or anybody I'd seen him with. He flicked my scrunched, tiny nose, being a gentleman and not hitting a lady of course, and pointed his free hand index finger at my face, circling my mouth and mouthing in a quite aggressive tone, "Shut it!" as a British man marched over, fully armed.
Our jaws nearly unfettered themselves from their locks, our eyes sizing to peaches as we gaped at the fully dressed man before us. He held up his gun at Rye, glaring between he and I, carefully eyeing our hands in check of weaponry. Swiftly, he lifted the barrel of his musket and commanded we stood. While he turned back, he called out to two fellow soldiers. I didn't want to listen to what he said; yet I head something similar to "Unshackle her, take him under custody, punishment shall be decided momentarily". They unlocked my holders from my sore wrists, pinning my hands behind my back so quickly I felt that they'd been doing such since they could walk. My eyes found Rye, and he'd had his hands pinned back as well, not to mention stripped of his overcoat, while I was being dealt with. The two of us shared a concerned look for one another as they started pushing us towards a hut where the earlier British man emerged.
"Punishment of death for the crime of attempt to free a captive!"
Our faces went stiff as we listened to his bellowment. Other men turned to look at us, but then I realized that was only Rye.
"What's my punishment?" I yelled, Rye snapping to look at me with a glare I'd never seen anybody pull off. His eyes dug into my pupils like daggers, scrapping a liquid-like inside out of them as he scowled immensely. The glare almost made me retaliate what I just screamed out if it wasn't already too late.
"Punishment of death for multiple offences on British officers!"
We were both taken aback at this, the British looking a bit smug for my liking though they showed no emotion for this whatsoever. They forced us forward into the center and across it. Soon enough they had taken us to an area with three large posts, thrusting us towards them as they reached for some rope. Our death sentencing friend, as I now liked to call the Brit, came forward and told them to just simply let us stand there, surrounded on all sides by two rings of men. That was only so we wouldn't escape.
Obviously, they followed through with their order, men of the red army swarming us as they formed one ring, then the next, around us. We stood here, about to face sudden death and knew nobody could help us any time soon. I looked to Rye, catching his eyes after a few seconds. The pain he sent me through those once steel doors told me he regretted everything. Held out something to me, which I found out to be Lilly's locket she always wore. Quickly, I snatched it from his grip, looking at it for a few good seconds before closing my palm over it and squeezing. My eyes remained locked on the Man standing in front of me when he held his gun against his shoulder, firmly. Rye had a similar man doing the same before a call forced them to bring their guns up. I stared straight at the barrel and found my fingers woven in Rye's, searching for a realization that I wasn't alone. Another command made the men cock their guns, getting ready to fire. Right as this occurred I found that search of hope I was looking for and held onto it like it was my life, and technically, it was. While everything was happening my eyes sealed themselves off, I squeezed tighter onto Rye's hand tighter than I thought I could ever squeeze, and he squeezed back.
The guns made two loud, simultaneously, bangs rang throughout the clearing and before I knew it everything was black. My eyes cut off by the bullet, which was more than likely lodged into my skull. I felt a heavy liquid pour out around myself, creating a pool around my body deep enough to swim in. If my thought was correct, this was the sensational fear known as death. Everything happened too slowly, the crimson solution melting away from my shell of olive skin, dying my mocha hair. Nobody would ever see my lavender eyes, small figure, skilled craftsmanship, nothing would ever be seen of me again. As all the pain faded I found myself floating on air. I couldn't remember what just happened or where I was which made me realize, I was dead. It was all said, done, and official. But I remembered one thing and one thing only. I would be reunited with my family, Lilly, Lilac, father and mother, we would be together again.
And I left that thought as I sank away into the darkness of death as my hand still fit into his.
It was like a seed in the fruits I ate so much of, perfectly encased. A soon found comfort flooding me when I was gone, never to return into this horrible, cruel, meaningless world again.