Flashback 12
by Schammielynn

The next day, lots of things began changing. People weren't as friendly. The final death toll was up to 29 including a couple staff members. Nobody talked about it.
Oswin hadn't gotten home until very late at night, and Aly and I waited up for him, doing puzzles in the living room after Terrance had long since gone home. When Oswin walked in, he looked tired and broken, and Aly grew the same expression when she saw the state of her husband. I just wanted to do something; anything to make either of them smile.
But Oswin began, "I've got to do something that will keep everyone in this building safe. I can't risk losing either of you while I'm out on business."
"How?" I asked, innocently.
"I can put a protection spell on the building. Don't worry. It's not hard. Now the whole town would be a different story."
He started pacing, then stopped, concentrating hard. Then he threw up his hands and a glimmer of light started from the floor and worked its way up.
Aly and I watched until it went all the way up to the ceiling.
When it came time to go to bed, I slept in the room with Aly and Oswin. I couldn't bare being alone. The images of the Zelena kept attacking my mind and I couldn't make them stop, nor could I stop the flow of tears every time I talked about it.
Various terrifying signs of the oncoming of war came on from Zelena's part. She would fire things at the Emerald City, only to miss barely and wind up hitting a patch of trees.
Days passed. The armies enlisted people of all sorts of types of people.
All sorts.

When the doorbell rang on that rainy day, I didn't expect it to be Terrence. Much less did I expect Terry at the door in all uniform.
"Wh-what is that?"
"Sorry, I've been busy the last two days."
"You… You…."
"Got drafted. They needed drummer boys, water runners, people to help out around the camp. The oldest at the orphanage are the first to go."
I took a step back and I felt my hands become icy. "No… no Terry please you can't leave me."
"I didn't have a choice, Ess."
"What if you get hurt?!"
"I'll be fine. I'm not on the frontlines."
There was a silence and I didn't even invite him in.
"How long are you gone?"
"They said at least a few months. Maybe a year. It depends. However long the war lasts, I guess."
I felt my heart drop to my toes. A sick feeling arose in my stomach and I thought I saw stars. I grabbed the wall. My world was changing fast and everything was out of my control. I had a hard enough time being without Terrance for a week at camp, much less 6 months.
"When do you leave?"
"This afternoon. But I'm on my way to the station now. The transport ride takes a while."
"You're awfully calm about all of this," I stammered out, my voice hardly even sounding like my own.
He looked down, "I wish there was something else I could do. You aren't mad, are you?"
I sighed, and then wrapped my arms around him, "I can't be mad at you when you leave forever. Just don't get hurt."
"I won't Ess, I swear." He hugged back tighter, then we pulled away silently.
"Oh! Wait here!" I exclaimed while I ran back to my room, grabbing the book I had lent him the week I was away at that dreaded camp.
When I returned to the door, he was standing with his back to the doorway, staring at the sky.
"Terry…"
"Oh, sorry."
"No, here. The book you liked. You can keep it. It's yours. Think of me when you read it, and don't forget about us back here. Okay?"
"Ess, I don't…"
"Please? I don't have anything else to give you."
"A-Alright."
"So this is goodbye?" I asked.
"Until next time." He smiled. It looked like so much more than a smile now. And it killed me to know that the boy that I had played cards and Nets with, got in trouble with, my shoulder to cry on, the one who could calm me down, would be away for an inexplicable amount of time.
"I'll write to you, Ess!" he called as he walked down the sidewalk. I waved at him as he vanished out of my sight. And after he had long since disappeared, I sank to the ground and cradled my head in my hands, icicles forming in my hair where my fingertips touched.