Chapter 20

The damage had been done.

The storm uprooted the traps and it exploded from the ground creating craters.

Sayaka was aware of the ones that were undetonated and we were on alert for any of them.

The uneven area was a tough go for a while as we tiptoed around every potential one.

“The next town could be a buffer zone.”  Acchan theorized.

“What if it isn’t?”  I asked as she just looked away.

“I can’t say anything for now, just stay aware.”

Night fell quickly as we reached the abandoned building.

We sneaked inside to find rations for us and we took whatever was needed for the next trip.

The building had a window towards the gate and we watched it as the activity was held to a minimal.

Acchan raised her rifle and shot into the night sky.

I wasn’t sure what was happening but the guards seemed to trace the sound and we saw them running.

Shooting them one by one, we cleared the front of the gate and the door opened for us to escape.

Chapter 19

The pelting of the door gave way to the storm.

We heard the explosions happening from outside from all the wires being ripped from their locations.

The steel reinforced doors protected us from the storm but it lacked food.

The rations were only meant to feed a human for a day and we shared the meal as we waited out the storm.

“Takamina, thank you for coming here.”  Acchan bowed deeply.

“I should be thanking you for staying alive since we last met.”  I confessed.

“The unfortunate part is I have been tainted since then.”  She smiled.

I wasn’t sure what she was talking about until I saw the scar across her midsection.  The skin covering where the stitches were was normal for my experience and then observing the body, I cried for her.

“This is beyond comprehension.”

“My body has been used by the captors and sold me across the country until I came back here.”  She explained.

“I see.”

“Takamina, you may never understand the true meaning of this chance meeting but I want to escape from here.”

I nodded as the pelting slowly stopped and listened closer to the calming of the storm.

Chapter 18

“I’m sorry.”  I yelled with tears running past my cheeks.

She stood over me like a ghost ready to haunt the life out of me.

“You have to get out of here.”  She whispered.

“Ma’am we are here because she wanted to see you.”  Sayaka stated.

“This isn’t the best time to talk.  The soldiers will be back at any time.”

“Acchan, please follow me.”

I looked up through the glassy image as she drew a smile.

“Miss, go ahead.  We will stay here to die.”

Acchan bit down on her lip and nodded as we headed to the barren road.

“The whole place is booby trapped.”  She explained.  “They made trip wires to prevent escape.”

I looked up and noticed the dark clouds over the horizon.

“We may need to find a bunker for now.”  Sayaka sighed.

Acchan showed us to the underground bunker and its contents.

“Let’s load up.”

Chapter 17

The town’s streets were barren.

The lively sounds I expected seemed to die in my dreams as we walked with our guns to our sides.

Sayaka glanced to her right and saw movement.

We trotted over to the area to the bar where three people were standing around.

The two old men stared at us and nodded their head.

The third one was wearing a dress and had its hair tied up.

I walked up to the person and touched their shoulder.

“Why did you come here?”  She asked.

“We managed to break through the barrier, ma’am”

“You didn’t have to.”  She responded.

I went to the other side and collapsed to my knees.

The shock couldn’t describe the feelings I had at the moment.

Chapter 16

Words couldn’t fathom the reaction but we put our arms up.

She led us down the hill up to the gate.

The two guards stood up to us and smirked.

They began to snicker about their plans and one held up a bag to her.

“Oshima-san, thanks for doing business.”

Yuko was a traitor to us.

She turned us into the officials.

She walked away counting her money and then a shot rang past my ear.

Yuko dropped to the ground.

The guard laughed as he picked up the body and the money.

“That was too easy.”

Then, the guard’s scream caught the other’s attention and Sayaka lifted her gun to aim at them.

She fired off three times one into each person.

“Bitch!”  Sayaka muttered as the gate was pushed open.

Chapter 15

I felt the urge to finally charge out but Sayaka and Yuko were quietly awaiting the clouds clearing the sky.

Sitting on the soft patch of green, it was a perfect spot for surprise attack.

Gripping my gun, I watched the shadows creep in the afternoon shade.

Bodies snapped, shot, and crippled was what I could see as Yuko marched out from the shading.

“Let’s move to the next area.”  She commanded.

We agreed to Yuko’s guidance with a slight hesitance.

The mucky ground built on our shoes with the heaviness. I began to labor in my pace.

Then, we climbed a small hill to seek a place field with green and the people were gleaming.

“We’re here.”  I said as I heard the clicking of a gun.

I spun around to the barrel of the gun between my eyes.

Chapter 14

Time was no factor here as the clouds blocked the sun and the bolts struck down on the ground below.

The barren wasteland had turned into a sloppy mess.

People were scattered as the shooters were having their practice with the fools.

The three of us huddled in the patch as we waited out the storm.

Yuko thumbed her sharp blade as she glanced at us two.

Sayaka held her gun aiming towards the outside.

While I began to think about Acchan.

It had been three years since I last saw her.

Escaping the battles, she vowed to stay but was forced by her parents to leave.

Then, on the same night of her departure, a fire broke out when the rebels lit the town hall.

The men took on the rebels with ease but left open the city to the rotten scoundrels.

Rape and pillage was their survival tool but luckily I fought off enough of them to distract their advantage.

However, the rebels won the city and we were forced to evacuate or join them.

They saw my spirit as a great asset and I was kept to train.

Their eyes worn from battling were impressed and I honed my skills for battle.

It was then when the rebels split from each other and anarchy ruled.

Killing our neighbors was the worst of the battling and the escape to the next city was prohibited.

The pain and sorrow of the town grew to the all out war we faced.

My thoughts cleared when the storm stopped for a brief moment and bodies littered the ground.

Chapter 13

Walking parallel to the traps we reached another patch of green.

The fighting was less in this area as we took a drink from the pond.

“I think we are a few days away from the safe zone.”

“Yuko, there is a safe zone?”

“I think so because many areas are open where no fighting is allowed.”

“How do you know?”

“My enemy walked into a zone and was shot instantly.”

Yuko held a handful of water and splashed it onto her face.

The dirt-covered woman let out a sigh as she looked up at the sky.

“Let’s stay here for the time being.”

Her words escaped before the downpour came down on the battlefield.

The soothing rhythm was music to my ears but it reminded me of her.

The pain was too unbearable is remembering her.

Chapter 12

She sat up from the ground, flipping her knife back into its container.

“I’m Oshima Yuko.”

She stretched out her arm and shook my hand.

“I’m Takahashi Minami.”  I introduced.

“We are heading north.”  Sayaka pointed out.

“North is the safest location but Sayaka we may be walking into a trap.”

Sayaka licked her finger, feeling the slight breeze.

“Let’s try northeast.”

Yuko nodded as she grabbed her rifle and strapped it onto her back.

We followed Sayaka up to a plain where she had stopped us.

In front of her was a bit of uneven ground and we walked back away as she grabbed a rock.

The rock was released from her hand and landed on the ground.

The teeth snatched up from the ground followed by an explosion.

“Who sets up a war to kill its own people?”

I didn’t know but to see your face again would be relieving.

Chapter 11

She didn’t respond and Sayaka reached down to remove the knife.

“I know you guys are here.”

“So why didn’t you wake up?”

“I wanted to see if it was a trick or not.”

“Well we are here and let’s head to a safer place.”

Yuko turned to her side and looked at both of them.

“There is none.  We are here to die a slow death.”

“There has to be a way out.”

“Sayaka, we are here until the war ends and if we end the war, they will kill us anyway.”

What if that was the case?  We are fighting only to our deaths.  I could only imagine where she is now.

Chapter 10

Light came up over the horizon as I awoke from my quick nap.

“Did you sleep well?”

I nodded slowly before an explosion shook me.

“I guess it is another day.”

“Shall we climb out of the trench?”

We followed the trench’s path until it ended with a small hill leading to the ground above.

Carefully we climbed up watching our surroundings and headed for cover.

Luckily, no shots were fired in our area but seeing the people huddled in one area was problematic.

Sayaka moved out quickly and found another shelter about fifty feet away.

There we found one lying on its back with a knife in hand.

“Oshima, are you awake?”

Chapter 9

“Takahashi-san, are you okay?”

“Sayaka, you didn’t get hit?”

In the shadows, I saw her holding her arm as I took my training into mind and ripped off a piece of my sleeve to wrap around the wound.

“Thanks.”

“I was wondering where’s your partner?”

Silence filled the air for a few seconds as reality set in.

“It can’t be.”

My heart dropped like a stone in water.

She hid her face away from the moonlight.

The battle was going on for too long.

Then the memory of you came into mind, calmed me down again back into the tacky mud below.

My battle was to find you again.

Chapter 8

The imagery slowly faded as the night sky was cluttered with bulbs.

It had been a while that I had stared up at the sky with calmness.

My eyes grew heavy as the fighting had come to a halt.

I turned over to Sayaka to find her rifle snug next to her body.

Time froze for a moment before an explosion awoke Sayaka.

She scrambled to her feet and held the gun below the edge.

Guns started up again and a shot flew by my ear.

Turning I shot twice towards the direction.

The body fell quickly as it held its stomach, oozing life onto the mud.

“This is horrible.”

Chapter 7

The light soon dimmed into darkness with the colors littering the sky.

Sayaka saw a trench and we both jumped into the mucky mess.

The stench burned my nose as we avoided the dead bodies.

A space was small for both of us as the weapons were going off.

“Do you think this will ever end?”

“I don’t know but I wondered if I dreamed my life?”

“What do you mean?”

“I imagine myself happy one day.”

“We’ll see if we get out of here.”

We both smile as the firework show continued above us.

Chapter 6

We moved to the patch of grass as a slight spray hit over us.

Miles of wasteland was still in front of us but the clearing was a relief.

Sayaka took a sip of water at the pond that had formed.

“Where are going to next?”

“North is our only way out but I’m not sure where is north.”

Sayaka looked worn down from her experience and that gave me a chill.

I held my gun throughout the journey as we exited into a firefight.

Sayaka aimed toward the enemy but drew down her weapon immediately.

“Let’s avoid this fight.  We have bigger fish to fry.”

Following her direction, we circled the fight to what she thought was north.

Chapter 5

“Takahashi-san, help me.”

She called from beyond the wagon.

I glanced over holding my gun steady.

Two clicks, enemy was holding its shoulder, pain flowing through its veins.

Flashing a sign, my guard was up as she rushed over and slid behind my protection.

“Thank you.”

“I don’t trust anyone.”

She smiled as she handed over a bar of dried nuts and fruits to me.

“I don’t blame you in thinking so.  The name is Akimoto Sayaka.”

“Saya… how long have you been here?”

I knew the answer but my shock caught me my surprise as she grinned.

“Long enough to care.”

Chapter 4

Jolting from my hiding spot, my gun unloaded the rest of the round, and sat there reloading with my shaking hands.

One kill away from my life ending, my fears crumbled into a core of hate.

I suddenly turned to deliver my shots and got one in the leg.

Screaming was mute to me, seeing his mouth open but no sound.

Mercilessly, he ended with a slice of his neck.

The red river flowed between the pebbles as his eyes slowly rolled back.

Dear enemy was living for too short and now facing the truth of hope.

When will this end?

Chapter 3

The cerulean skies instantly turned gray as bullet came grazing by.

Hiding behind the boulder, I stuck my gun out and felt the pain of it released from my hands.

Thinking twice, I snatched my gun to pull the trigger twice.

A yelp came from my enemy as I peeked over to see a hole a size of a dime right through the left side of the chest.

Then, a rock broke the silence and another two shots took down the second victim.

Two deaths caused by my weapon, the senseless battling, and missing you dearly since it has happened.

Chapter 2

“Takahashi Minami, please stand.”

Hearing my name, I hurriedly approach the stand as the masked man handed me a gun and a bag.

“You are on your own.”

I looked out beyond the city to the wasteland.  My stomach started to churn with every step I took to the edge of the city. 

One by one, people were exiting the city I loved into a battle no one was going to win.

I left a place that had no hope into another.

My mind went numb as I checked out of the city and held my gun near my heart.

Help Me

Chapter 1

Standing on top of the rubble, I never knew the mess I was in. 

Feeling the sting of a mother’s slap, I forged forward into my new destiny.

It was a sudden move on my part but seamlessly I moved onto a place where there was grass, a place where I could live without fear, a place where I met you.

The love I missed had all come back suddenly.  Twelve years ago, we huddled underneath an awning when the storm hit.

The day we shared our first kiss.  Caressing your face, I finally saw you smile while your scars healed.