I love to write stories because stories are the movers of mountains. I also like sugar cookies a little too much.
I love to write stories because stories are the movers of mountains. I also like sugar cookies a little too much.
Click Click Click “Twenty years ago, when I signed up for the war, I was just a stupid kid. I wanted to see some action—wanted to ‘See the world!’ ‘Blake the only thing you’ll see is your friends’ heads blown off!’ ‘Shut up old man. You act like you know everything, but you don’t know me. You don’t know jack shit.’ That was one of the hardest punches to the face I’d ever received.Daddy was a veteran of the war in Iraq. My dad was a lot of things—a drunk, a PTSD-ridden piece of shit who wasn’t afraid to give me or Mama a black eye once in a while. But one thing he wasn’t… was wrong. __ Brrrtttt Brrrtttt Brrrtttt BA-THOOM! ‘Woah, holy shit, Peewee! Did you see that motherfucker go down? That’s some damn fireworks if I’ve ever seen ‘em!’ Noah Yelled ‘Noah, Peewee, stop yappin’ and start sending some damn rounds back!’ Sarge screamed at us ‘Get down!’ an infantrymen yelled as he dove away from us ‘Oh, shit!’ I yelled, diving for cover as an incoming grenade exploded When I looked back up, the first thing I saw was Noah—well, his body, at least. Had to give him a closed-casket funeral. That’s something they never warn you about in basic. They teach you how to kill, but they never teach you how to deal with death.” Click Click Click “Next thing I knew, I was back in the real world. First day out, I swore to myself I’d never reenlist. And if I ever had a son, I wouldn’t let him, either. I tried everything to forget—strippers, sex, cocaine, weed, alcohol. That was my go-to. Never really fixed the issue, though. Nope, just made it go quiet for a while. Then I met Heather. Man, she was a thing to behold. The most beautiful blonde hair you’d ever seen, a smile like no other. We met at a place called Midnight Moon Saloon. She was out celebrating graduating med school. Me? I was celebrating a new favorite moonshine the bar had started serving. I don’t remember much of that night, but next thing I knew, I was saying: ‘I do, Heather.’ ‘No, Jacob, you don’t. I stay awake every night hoping and praying you get home safe. Do you know what it’s like? Not knowing if your husband is gonna walk through that door or if I’m gonna get a call from the sheriff? I can’t live like this, Jacob.’ ‘Heather, I’m sorry, okay? It was just a couple of drinks with the guys, it’s not that big a deal.’ ‘A couple of drinks? It’s been seven hours, Jacob.’ ‘What do you want me to do?’ ‘I want you to get help, Jacob. You don’t tell me anything. You scream in your sleep, and nothing I do can calm you down. The alcohol isn’t helping—it just turns you into a—‘ Piece of shit. Suddenly, I realized—I had become the very man I despised all those years. Maybe my father hadn’t wanted me to enlist because he knew this would happen. Maybe, in his own twisted way, he actually cared. He sure had a funny way of showing it.Well, anyway, I eventually got my shit together. Went to rehab, renewed our vows, swore off alcohol for good.” Click Click Click “Told myself I’d never go to war again. Not with myself. Not for the military. If I was gonna fight, it was gonna be for Heather and our babies. But just when things finally started going right, that’s when all this shit started. The radical elites found themselves a president they believed everyone would fall in love with. He made all sorts of promises—kept ‘em, too. America had never been better, to be honest. So when the Teal Party started taking over Congress and the Senate, nobody really batted an eye. There was some controversy when Congress passed an amendment voiding the 22nd Amendment. Next thing you know, President Ethel is on his fourth term. The Teal Party has full control of the government. It took years for them to seize that kind of power, but it felt like it happened in the blink of an eye. And we just watched it happen. The land of the free sat and watched as our democracy—our right to choose—dissolved into an oligarchy. Rich versus poor.When they first made us register pregnancies, we thought they were just strengthening the census—making sure they could tax us down to the last cent.Then they started showing up at people’s doors, taking children by force, telling parents they’d be compensated.They said two kids per household. Said they needed to control the population.You ask me? I think they’re raising an army. The government I fought for—the freedom I bled for—was gone just like that.” Click Click Click “Damn, Jacob. You never told me none of this.” “Never thought I needed to, Blake. But considering this’ll probably be our last day here, figured I might as well complain to someone about all my bullshit… I think I have the shot.” “Sarge? Good to go?” “You are clear to fire, Peewee.” Sigh “All right, fellas… here’s to the revolution.” Thwip
“Here goes nothing!” Connie yells as she leaps from the train platform, barely hanging onto her broomstick as it zips her through the dark tunnel.
She flies, trying to get the hang of her broomstick as she struggles to stay aboard—rolling upside down, spinning around, and flying through loops. She yelps as she barely avoids an oncoming train, which speeds past like a bullet while the conductor does a double take. She zooms through the tunnel and is met with a split-second decision: left or right?
“That way! Don’t let her get away!” her pursuers yell as they chase Connie on broomsticks of their own.
“Eenie, meenie, miny, moe—ahh, no time!” she exclaims, shifting her weight to steer the broom down the right tunnel, just barely avoiding the tunnel wall.
“Ah, I think I’m getting the hang of this!”
Her pursuers, much more practiced at flying their brooms, seamlessly weave through the tunnels, easily closing in on Connie. As they speed down the straightaway, another fork appears. Thinking quickly, Connie pulls her broomstick up at the very last second, narrowly missing the wall and flipping upside down in the opposite direction.
Her pursuers are not as lucky. Unable to react in time, they crash into the wall, slowly sliding down with groans of pain.
“See ya never, losers!” Connie yells, exhilarated, chuckling as she glances back at the men she just outmaneuvered.
Honk.
She snaps her head forward—only to be met with a blinding light rushing toward her at an alarming speed.
“Oh, shit.”
