Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.
HUSH
"Let's go."
Two children stood before her. She had never really looked at the boy-soldiers outside before, too disgusted to look. But here, the wrongness of this whole place struck her once again, especially after the few minutes of healing she had with that boy Shu.
"But you're only children--"
"Stand up!" the older one said, grabbing her arm.
"No! What are you doing?!" Her brief session with Shu had brought her fighting spirit back.
At least, until the boy put a gun to her head.
As she walked with them, Sara felt slightly reassured. These children, the oldest most likely being her own age, surely wouldn't take her to those horrible men. No, she would be safe. She didn't care if someone hit her like they did Shu. Just so long as she didn't have to be used by those disgusting men again.
"Do you know what happened to a boy named Shu?" she asked, keeping her voice even.
"I don't know who that is. Shut up and keep walking."
The oldest shoved her into a room and closed the door. Still, she felt calm. This wouldn't be the room of one of those vile monsters. No, no child, no matter how taught they are to follow orders, would push her into such a situation.
She glanced about warily nonetheless.
In the shadows, she barely made out the form of a mushed up face of a man.
A familiar terror, although much stronger now after her brief meeting with innocence, seized her heart as the man grabbed her and pulled her towards him.
She sat there in the darkness.
She was vaguely aware of Shu's movements as he got up.
She didn't know what had happened to him.
She did not care.
He whispered her name. Twice. Thrice.
She sat there motionlessly, crying without sobbing, crying without breathing.
"What happened?"
Another tear rolled down her cheek.
She wondered, if she cried enough, if it would replenish this world's supply of water.
It would not be hard to do.
He was taken again.
Dragged off by the soldier.
She did not move.
That guard who did not leer at her passed her.
She heard him stop. Then his footsteps resounded again as he approached her.
The steps stopped far too close to her.
After a moment of waiting him to leave her again, and a moment of him staying there, she covered her head, shaking horrendously.
A second later, he turned and walked away.
This time, she sobbed quietly as she cried.
She was thrown into another cell.
She noticed in terror that this time, it was the soldier who had always seemed different than the other men.
The one who had offered her the handkerchief, which she had noticed only after her tears had stopped.
She had thought he was different.
He was no better than the rest of them.
Yet for some reason, because he had seemed different, less animalistic, she was even more afraid.
She shrank back when he turned to her.
"What is your name?"
"My name is Kazam."
He spoke in a calm manner.
This filled her with even more fear.
She tried banging on the door, but to no avail.
He had not hurt her.
But that made her all the more frightened of him.
Because as soon as she began to trust him, he would be taken away too.
Or he would betray her.
Either way, fear would be fine.
Numbness was even better.
She was directed to another soldier's room.
She had been on good behavior lately; she was very obedient.
They ordered her about, treating her as they thought of her: a tool, nothing more.
She did not care anymore.
When he told her to look at the table, she only briefly glanced.
Then she took a longer look.
He was going on about something about Abelia.
When she focused on his words again, which was bribing her to do as she was told to get water, she felt herself feeling again.
Not sadness.
Not pain.
But hate.
She felt murderous.
And such an anger as had never been felt in a child her age.
Her resolve strengthened as he talked about her having children.
He began taking off his shirt.
And she snapped.
Grabbing the bottle, she hit him repeatedly over the head. He kicked her off, only briefly, before she threw it at his head again.
They then wrestled with the gun.
She won.
She glanced repeatedly at the rifle. A bit of her humanity returned, and she turned to leave him.
What a fool that man was!
Hadn't he known she would have saved his life had he not grabbed onto her ankle?
He tried smothering her.
She tried to think.
Kicking wasn't working.
Playing dead would not work.
So she struck him again, just when he had thought he was winning.
His weight on her terrified her.
She was feeling as mad as Hamdo when she rolled him off of her.
He raised his head.
She gave a final series of strikes.
His weight had terrified her.
Although perhaps not as much as when she realized he would not fight her again.
She was vomitting again.
As her stomach emptied, she knew she could not stay.
She had heard that if you ran away, you would be shot immediately.
No one succeeded in escaping.
But she wouldn't succeed in living in this Godforsaken place either.
She drank the man's precious water.
She disguised herself in his filthy clothes.
Yes, everything would be fine, just as Shu had said.
With what bitterness did she think those words.
She had made it.
She was a fine distance away from Hellywood.
Kicking off his clothes, she stood, feeling the wind carress her cheeks, feeling it cleanse her.
It would not do to have her hair so long.
Hellywood soldiers would no doubt recognize her with it.
Besides, it was perfect; she was starting over, and a haircut was in order.
Briefly, she thought of Shu and wondered what had happened to him.
It's every one for themselves. Just try not to die.
She watched her hair fly into the vast sky.
She then thought, It's a part of me that will definitely never go home.
She burst into tears and began running with all her might.
I'm free.
I'm sorry.
I'm free.
I'm sorry.
But am I saved?