War Kids

by HJ Lawson

  “What’s wrong?” I ask her.

  “He says he’s not going. He doesn’t want to leave me on my own!” She scowls. “I’m not going to be on my own,” she says, flinging her arms around to indicate the number of people around us.

  “Zak, she’s right. They’ll watch over her. She’ll be fine. We’ll be back before dark, and we need your help.”

  He just stubbornly shakes his head.

  “Zak, you have to go. Let’s just say if there’s a problem, which there will not be, Tilly can go hide out in the little stone house in the woods. No one will find her there. Only we know about that area. She can stay there until we get back... it will be a safe house for her.”

  I don’t want to go on my own, and I want Zak to be with me.

  “Jada, that sounds like a good plan. I can hide in that house if there are any problems, which there won’t be. Zak, don’t worry about me. Please, can you just go and rescue my father for me?!” Tilly demands. They are both as willful as the other.

  “You two are not going to stop, are you?” Zak yells out, dropping his arms to his sides.

  “Okay, I give up. I will go, but on the condition that if there are any problems, and I mean any, you’ll make a run for the stone house. You don’t come looking for me, and you don’t leave the stone house for anyone, do you understand?”

  Tilly smiles.

  “I understand, Zak. Really, don’t worry about me. Just get Father back.” She reaches over to give her big brother a hug. He leans down and kisses her on her head. Tilly looks up and smiles; she then grabs me and pulls me into their embrace.

  We stand together, hugging, as everyone else in the room runs around. It’s crazy in here.

  Zak passes Tilly his bag. “Keep hold of this for me. Keep it safe. I love you, little sis. Stay out of trouble, and if there is trouble, run and hide!”

  “Will do. I love you too. Now go get my father!” Tilly orders. She is stronger than both her brother and me sometimes.

  I arrange my hat, making sure all my hair is hidden away so I look like a boy. I’ll bring my bag with me; it’s the only thing I have left. I empty out some clothes to make it lighter.

  Liquorice will stay with Tilly. They’ve been hard to separate and are always playing together; except at night, when he curls up in a ball right next to me, and I wrap my arms around him. He will watch over her.

  “Jada, make sure Zak doesn’t get into any trouble!” Tilly demands. She is quite bossy at times.

  “Okay, Tilly. I’ll make sure he stays out of trouble. We both will.”

  Zak and I head to the door with the older children. We both turn around to see Tilly standing next to Liquorice, waving us off as if we’re on our way to school. The crowd of children at the door pushes us through. They are excited; we’ve all been waiting for this attack. I cannot believe the day is finally here. I miss my father a lot.

  Outside the church, the Keeper stands with the watchers next to him. The watchers all have guns already, and some of these boys I’ve never seen. Maybe there were some who were away watching the prison… that makes sense.

  “Today is the day you will become men! Follow me!” the Keeper shouts.

  And women! I hate it when we’re not classed as equals! My gun is firmly placed in the back waistband of my pants, and I am ready for anything.

  The Keeper and his watchers begin marching in front. “We head north,” he yells out, not turning back to us. His deep voice echoes off the empty buildings. Excitement fills my body. Father trained me for this… I am ready! Time to take my revenge!

  I turn back for a second to look at the church. Tilly and Liquorice are standing at the door with the other children, and the watchers are ushering them back inside. That’s good – keep them out of sight.

  Luckily Zak didn’t see her, or he would’ve gone back to tell her off. “What’re you looking at?” he asks me. I shake my head.

  “Nothing. So are you talking to me now?” I say in a sarcastic voice. He’s lucky I’m talking to him!

  “Not much choice. Zombies are no fun to talk to,” Zak replies, shrugging his shoulders. Is that some type of back-handed compliment? He’s lucky that I don’t want another argument with him.

  “How far do you think it is? It’s weird walking during the day. I guess all the soldiers have moved on,” I say, as I look around uneasily. I was much happier traveling in the night time, hiding in the shadows.

  “This whole thing is weird, but I’m not getting into that now.” Zak says.

  Great, he’s in a bad mood again. This is going to be fun.

  “Have you got your gun?” he asks me a few minutes later.

  “Yes, in the back of my pants.”

  “Good. I wonder when I’ll get mine.”

  I am wondering that, as well.

  “They said they have them hidden, so I guess it’ll be soon.”

  Zak moves closer to me. I know he wants to hold my hand. I want to reach out for his, but it’s not the right time, since we’re on our way to battle. We have to stay focused, but it’s hard to concentrate when he’s next to me. I look down at his hand.

  “Nice cap. You look like a cute boy!” Zak laughs.

  I jab him in the side, finally getting a bit of revenge for our argument.

  “Ouch,” he yells out.

  Everyone stops marching and turns to us. The Keeper shakes his head, looking at us almost in disgust; I shift my gaze down to the ground, embarrassed over my actions. Here we are off to war, and I’m messing about.

  I look over at Zak, and his cheeks are getting red. Oh no, he’s angry at me. I’ve done it again!

  “Sorry,” I whisper to him. He looks at me, confused.

  “Why are you sorry? I’m not cross with you. It’s him... it’s them. I cannot stand them. The quicker we are out of here, the better!”

  Oh well, I’m just glad he’s not mad at me.

  Zak and I stay toward the back of the group, and suddenly Mansur jogs over to us. Great.

  “Hey there. Long time since I’ve seen you,” Mansur says, placing his arm around my shoulders.

  I guess Zak is going to get even more cross, now that Mansur has his arm around me. I look over at Zak; he just rolls his eyes and shrugs.

  “Hi, Mansur. How long will it be until we get there?” Zak asks with a big smile.

  “It’s less than an hour away. We’ll be there in no time,” Mansur replies.

  “Great. Will we get the weapons before then?” Zak asks. I know he feels vulnerable without a gun. I would if I didn’t have mine.

  “Mansur, how did you get a gun?” I ask, as I notice a handgun in a holster on his hip.

  “This old thing? The Keeper gave it to me earlier. I was one of the first waiting outside, and they had a few to give out. You two must’ve missed his handing them out.”

  Zak shakes his head in silence. I guess this is going to be a quiet walk.

  Chapter 42

  They Have Returned.

  TILLY

  Watching my brave brother walk away to rescue our father, I am excited and scared for him; but I know he’ll be okay. Jada will keep him safe; she promised.

  I place Zak’s pack on my shoulder and nearly fall backwards under its weight.

  “Tilly, are you okay?” one of the children asks me as I tumble into him.

  “Sorry, Zak’s bag is too heavy.”

  He laughs. “It’s bigger than you are. I bet you can fit inside it!”

  He’s right, I probably could. I adjust the shoulder straps and attach the center clip across my chest. That’s better. I look like I’m hiking. I bet I look silly! I start petting Liquorice -- that always makes me feel better. He wags his tail as I stroke his back.

  “They’ll be okay,” I tell Liquorice, trying to reassure him and myself.

  “Okay, kids, inside!” yells the watcher.

  Oh, no, sounds like we are in trouble. Maybe he’s in a bad mood because he wanted to go to the prison as well. He has an angry look o
n his face and a gun in his hand. My heart starts racing, and I feel nervous.

  I wish I hadn’t told Zak and Jada to go. Something inside me is telling me to run. My stomach feels hollow, and my mouth becomes dry. I hurry inside the church with the other children. I think we all have the same feeling. Looking around from one face to the next, we realize we’re alone... away from the leaders of our little gang, the people who helped us get here, the people who kept us safe.

  Once inside the church, I can see a line of watchers standing in the far corner where, just a few moments ago, the leader spoke. Each of them is holding a gun. Why are there so many watchers inside? They are looking at us like we are the enemy. I have a bad feeling about this…

  I hide in the crowd of children as we move around the room. I have to get out of here. I follow the crowd over to the kitchen. I need to go to my safe house. I wish I hadn’t told my brother to go; I am alone now.

  I make it to the kitchen with Liquorice. Everyone else is in the main section of the church. I put Zak’s backpack on the ground, remembering that I’d found a map when we were in the city.

  I lay it on the ground and study it, trying to get my bearings and a sense of exactly where we are and where I need to go.

  …Here’s the city. We walked up this way. This is the church, just past the outskirts of town, but before the next one. When they left, they headed north. So the Mezzeh Prison should be around here.

  Looking over the map, I cannot find it. There’s only the train station there, then after that, nothing… just wasteland. Am I reading it right? It looks like they’re going the wrong way.

  I must be reading it wrong. The sounds of the church doors open, breaking my concentration. I hear deep voices… adults.

  “No!”

  Blood-curdling screams echo around the room. Gun shots and booms bounce off the walls. I squeeze my hands over my ears… this cannot be happening! Everyone who could protect us has gone. Slowly I will my fingers to move off my ears; the gun shots have been replaced with silence.

  I’m frozen to the cold kitchen floor. Liquorice stands on all fours, ready to leave. He nudges me in the shoulder, trying to wake me from my paralyzed state. Quickly snapping out of it, I move closer to the kitchen door to hear what is happening. I can just make out their voices.

  “Good work, watchers. I see the captain’s plan is underway,” one of the adult voices says. I hear heavy footsteps moving around the room… too heavy to be the children.

  “At ease, soldiers,” the adult’s voice bellows out.

  Oh no, they're soldiers. They’re here, and they’re working with the watchers. But why?

  “What are we going to do with these?” a younger voice speaks up.

  “They’ll come work for us. I hear Keeper has had them in training for us, ha, ha, ha.” The soldier laughs. All this time they were training us so we could work for the soldiers!

  “And when they’re older, they will become watchers, too, or we will kill them.”

  I hear a deep breath of shock fill the church; the children must also be listening, silent in their fear. They came so close to freedom.

  They are going to kill everyone. I have to find Zak and Jada and warn them. I know he said I need to go to the safe house, but I cannot let them walk into a trap.

  Liquorice and I leave quietly through the kitchen, holding the back door to prevent it from slamming shut. I cannot risk going around the front; the men might see me.

  I run through the cemetery. I have to move faster. I need to catch up to them before they get to the train station. That must be where the Keeper is leading them. What is waiting for them there? Oh no, they have sent more soldiers, but why? We are the last children here; why do they care about us? They have everyone else, so why not just leave us alone?

  The group cannot be that far in front of me. There is a stone building, and I hide behind it. Perfect, I can see up and down the street. The church is set back a little… they won’t be able to see me when I run. There are soldiers standing everywhere. I was right not to go around to the front.

  I squeeze my eyes together and look in the direction my brother headed. I can see them… barely. They’re on the horizon, almost out of sight. I have to be fast, or I’ll lose them.

  I set off running, with Liquorice next to me. I try to keep a steady pace, but my legs are short, so the distance seems great. I can go for a long time before I run out of breath, though. Tears roll down my face from fear and anger. I can make it to them -- I have to. I wish Zak was here with me now.

  Chapter 43

  Refugee Camp.

  GERARD

  “Faith, you made it. How’re you feeling?” Laura asks, as we enter the tent. Faith’s arm is in a plaster cast from the bombing.

  “Hi, Laura,” Faith says with a smile. “A lot better, thanks to you. Gérard told me you found Jada. Where is she? Is she here? Is she safe?”

  The last time Laura saw her, Faith was in tears, struggling with the guilt of telling Jada to run from the soldiers in the hospital, not realizing that it was UN soldiers who were there to help. Poor Jada has been on the run since that day, and Faith has felt terribly about it.

  I just hope Laura has some useful information. I have to find Jada for my own reasons. I cannot help but think she is my daughter.

  “She’s not here, but a young boy named Haytham showed me photos of her. They were together. She helped rescue his family. Jada’s a hero!”

  She sounds like my daughter! I can see Faith relax a little as Laura speaks.

  I put my arm around Faith’s shoulders, but I'm not sure whether it’s to reassure her or myself. Faith looks up affectionately. Glad it worked for someone.

  “Haytham told me they should’ve been here already,” Laura says. “I’ve been able to round up some UN soldiers to help us look for her. They owe me a few favors. We have a truck waiting for us.”

  Jesus, she’s good! “I cannot believe this.” I turn to Faith. “I don’t want you to come. You haven’t recovered; you should still be in a hospital now.”

  “I’ll see you outside,” Laura says. “We have to go in a minute.” She smiles and heads out of the tent.

  “Gérard, she’s out there on her own because of me,” Faith exclaims. “I have to find her. What if she’s injured? It’s my fault. She asked me to protect her, and what did I do? I sent her out there to die!”

  “I can go get her. You stay here. I don’t want you out there in the war zone. I cannot bear the thought of losing you; I’ve lost too many I care for.” Jesus, that sounds soft!

  Faith marches out of the tent, turning as she gets to the entrance.

  “Are you coming?”

  Of course I’m coming. What a stupid fucking question!

  Chapter 44

  Lambs to the Slaughter.

  JADA

  I’m not sure how long we’ve been walking. It seems like forever. Mansur has not stopped talking.

  Looking back at the church to try to figure out how far we have come, I see something moving in the distance. It’s coming closer. It looks like someone running in our direction, heading right for us.

  I stop; Zak and Mansur continue walking, with Mansur still talking. They don’t notice that I’m no longer there. I squint my eyes, placing my hand on the brim of my cap to block out the sun. It cannot be. Is the heat getting to me? It looks like Tilly and Liquorice. They’re running toward us.

  They’re getting closer and closer, and Tilly is waving frantically. Surprised, I wave back to her. She moves both her arms in the air wildly. I turn to Zak.

  “Zak, Zak, your sister has followed us!” The whole group stops.

  “Stupid kid!” Mansur says.

  What did he say?! I look over at him. Did I hear right? The expression on his face has completely changed. He looks like a different person now.

  Oh no. Zak was right… he looks just like the Keeper. I see it now.

  “We were nearly there!” Mansur snaps. I can see the anger fillin
g his eyes. He looks like he’s about to explode. Oh, my God, I’ve never seen anyone look this scary.

  I glance over at Zak, and his eyes are bulging, his pupils dilated. His shoulders are up and his chest is out, making him appear bigger. He’s looking around the group.

  All the watchers surround us. They do look the same, except now the zombie expression is gone from their faces and has been replaced by one of hatred and disgust. The inner group is acting like scared cattle that have been rounded up for slaughter.

  The Keeper stands at the front of the group with his gun across his body, both hands on it, ready to fire. He has the same look as Mansur. They are brothers… I am sure of it!

  Tilly is getting closer. What is she shouting?

  “It’s a trap! It’s a trap!” she repeats, again and again. “It’s a trap!” She runs towards us with Liquorice, waving her hands in the air, and then the expression on her face changes. She is not looking at Zak and me anymore.

  She stops abruptly, her face filled with horror, as if she’s looking at the devil himself.

  I turn to the direction Tilly is facing, and I see Mansur standing there with his gun drawn, his eyes soulless.

  The bottom corners of his mouth turn upward in an evil grin, and he places his finger on the trigger and squeezes it. Everything moves in slow motion except the bullet. Tilly collapses to the ground before the sound of the gun explodes around the streets, bouncing from one building to the next.

  Zak is frozen with shock.

  NO!

  I know what is going to happen next, before Mansur even knows. It’s as if I’m reading his mind. Swiftly I remove my gun from my waist belt. Leaning over to Zak, I reach my arm outwards and push him back. Zak turns to look at me; the movement has broken his frozen state.

  Mansur can see what is unfolding. I reacted faster than he did, and he wasn’t expecting me to have a gun. I look him directly in the eyes. For a split second, I see fear in him, and I don’t think twice. I pull the trigger.