Leader of them.

(Just one of the stories I write.)

 Every child 16 and younger was gathered in the city's football stadium, only a hand full of adults. Everyone had a sword,shields, and other mele weapons, given to them from there parents, foredged themselves, or by the locals and given to them. Guns, they were useless for the war and had run out years ago, along with bullets. Besides, to many friendly fires had occurred during the beginning of the war. I was sitting near the base of the stadium what would have been the fifty yard line before it all went to shit. A stage was set up there and a generator had been set up by one of the few remaining adults to get the speakers running as the spoke the list of the newly dead adults.  


Some people started to cry, even those in my own group. I did not. My parents had died over a year ago fighting in the war. All of the sudden three long horn blows were heard and sent the area into chaos. I held my hands up and sent my group into quiet, even the three adults we had with us respected their fifteen year old leader. I grabbed my younger sister, a child of only two and ran, motioning for the others to follow me orderly. In the stair wells we encountered more disorder as everyone was trying to get away. “Wait!” I motioned my squad and ran down one hallway that was crowded and found the employes only door. I called for my group and held open the door so they could go through the clear stairwell, my friend Walker, and my second in command took my sister Brooke from me and ran off with our group, covering the front while I covered the back to make sure there were no stragglers. It was torture as we heard all around the screams of trampled children coming from the other stair wells. Ironic.

Once out of the building I found Walker and quiet Brooke was handed back to be. Her eyes wide and curios. During her life she had learned to become a quiet child to avoid the enemies. Over the horizon we could see clear as day the giant enemy coming towards us. “To the camp?” I whispered to Walker having to make sure with him my idea was correct. “We have small children there and half our force we need to make sure they live if nothing else.”


“OK, that's perfect, but we got to hurry and pack up all our stuff as well.” He added. Walker with his brown shaggy hair and grey eyes was older than I at 16 but, I was voted as the squads leader and took him as my second. I had known him before the war, and he was one of the only people keeping me alive. He watched my back, and I trusted everything he did was for a good reason, and I watched everyone else's back. There was no reason not to. Walker wanted everyone to be better than himself.


“C'mon! Lets go!” I ordered as Walker suddenly took my pack from my shoulders. I looked at him confused until he took Brooke and put her there instead and put my pack along with his on his back. I nodded a thanks, held onto my sister and ran with the others the two miles to our group camp.


At the camp everyone hurried packing up there stuff, as one of the four adult stood guard to give us enough warning. Everything was packed up quickly. Babies stayed with their sibilings in taunt slings around they're chests to keep them from bouncing and harming their brains. As soon as the camp was packed up, babies in slings, toddlers up to seven on peoples backs, everyone carrying about equal weight Walker and I had another discussion about where to go next to get away from the enemy in case it was coming our way instead of one of the other camps.


Walker made sure everyone had weapons as we made our way to the beach several long miles away. We ran and ran in our torn worn out clothes. All but Walker followed me blindly, it was Walker's idea though to go this way. To go to the beach. I owed the group at least a day of vacation, they had worked hard together for years. Some people have died in several battles. Though I tried to avoid one besides the ones that Walker and I planned out together.


At the beach everyone sat rested and panted. A lot of the people were excited they didn't stop to rest, they set up the nursery tent and left the adults in charge of it before going out to the ocean after removing their shirts. I never placed Brook with the adults she always stayed with me, but this time Walker took her from me. “You need a break Kait, you're always watching everyone, you need to take care of yourself some. I'll watch her, and you just have a break. I've had enough of them.”

I laughed. “Fine. I'll go.”


All of the sudden screams went up. People ran from the water shouting for someone to watch out. I had no time to react as something hard hit me in the back of the head, knocking me out. When I woke up I was laying in a stretcher, the unnatural artificial lights from the light bulbs over head hurt my eyes after years of not seeing them. Pain seared through my left hand as I tried to sit up, looking down at it I saw what had happened, part of my hand was missing. My pinky all the way down to the part of the joint in my wrist was missing just covered in stitches. Looking around I saw the other children in stretchers and one of the adults.


“Oh you're finally awake here, let me remove those bandages.” One of the female adults came over and helped me remove the bandages around my head.

I flinched at her touch, not having anyone help me in such a long time it was alien to me. Forcing myself to stay still I decided to ask a question. “What happened? ”


The woman turned a bit grim at me. “I don't know. Two of the giants found us. One came from the ocean, another came from the land. It followed us apparently, we weren't being careful. Well, someone tried to hit it with their slingshot, but hit you in the back of the head, knocking you out. Walker moved you to the nursery tent by himself and started to help fight. Within minutes you had woken up again and were fighting, you helped kill the first one and killed the second yourself. The moment it was down you passed out right after. The rest of the kids helped make stretchers and carried everyone. Walker decided to come here, we found a generator, and got it running. Now, the physicist needs to see you.”


I nodded and got up, no words were said by me, as I walked out the room grabbing my sword I went to the next room. They asked me a few questions about what I remembered, which was nothing then released me to the cafeteria.


It was set up in an old school, none of the schools had been used for years but the squad cleaned it up good. The few hundred kids cheered as I walked in, glad to see me alive. I just nodded grimly. Something changed in me that way so all I did was wave softly with my left hand. The cheers seemed to get louder at that seeing yet another one of my battle scars. I went to the tables walking around weaving between them till a hand grabbed my wrist, turning and seeing it was Walker, that he was alright, made me sob lightly especially since he held Brooke in his lap. “What happened?” I asked.


Walker shook his head. “You don't want to know Kait, you just don't.” He said as I crouched beside his table. “Look just go get something to eat. You need it.” I stared to protest but decided it was for the best as I went and got in the line. One of the people offered to carry my try but I declined with just a shake of the head. Carrying my own tray with just my right hand. I didn't speak, not even to adult whom served me fresh food. Vegetables and animals that had been found in the middle of the school garden.

I sat on the floor to eat my lunch listening to conversation around me but not engaging. It was how I learned I'd been out for more than a day. Afterward I went and put the plate up before going and doing a patrol around the school. Watching as kids played with soccer balls and foot balls, acting like kids again. I came in again and sobbed slightly in the shadows before going out again and repeating the proses . This time when I came in, Elli spotted me, his brother Court and I had been good friends before his death. I stayed connected with his little brother though.


“Are you ok?” All I was shake my head, give him a hug and go sit down against the wall in a line of people. A girl name Faith was on my right and Elli sat on my left. I cried then. I couldn't handle it I started to cry. Faith took my head and layed it on her chest stroaking my hair as a mother, would. Only made me cry more as she asked what was wrong. Elli ran and got Walker whom took his place with a hand on my back.

“I'm not afraid to die.” I sobbed. “I just fear that I won't be able to save anyone. I love everyone here. I don't want anyone to die. I want to save everyone. But I fear that if I keep going out, I'll die next time I go out. I need to stay alive though, so I can help them all.” I cried some more. Just letting them try to comfort me.

People heard. People stared. But no one complained. It helped them know that their leader cared so much for them to cry. The girl who had taken care of them for years, cared and loved them. I wasn't doing it for myself, but for everyone. That I cared for them so much, I wasn't afraid to let them see me cry over them. That's what Walker told me afterwards.