Phantoms: Home of the Brave

Land of the Enslaved

No noise came from the room. You could hear a pin drop.  Bolded eyes from everyone direct towards the door, waiting for the soldiers.  The door was wide open so it wasn't hard for the soldiers to find them.  One of them came and held them at gun point screaming in Korean.

"What is he saying?" Ziggy asked.

"I don't know, but I think we should listen to them." Ziggy's dad said.

Everybody now had their hands behind their backs, walking down the stairs all the way to the lobby and out the doors.

Ziggy's dad struggled the whole way, limping, falling, and groaning in agony as he walks with a wounded leg.  One of the soldiers had enough of Mr. Rodriguez and the next time he stumbled the soldier yelled in his face and hit him in the back of the head with the stock of his gun causing Ziggy to run and try to help his father.  Another soldier take Ziggy by the shirt, throws him and says "Face foward."  His accent was heavy and almost hard to understand, but Ziggy knew what he said and teared up as he was forced to keep walking with his mom, and Gio.

Outside was horrific.  There were bodies left in right of civilians that resisted.  For the people that comply, they were to be put in a truck, handcuffed with ropes and shipped.  Ziggy's family and Gio, got on the same truck and was sent to New Jersey. 

The truck stopped in a small deserted town, and they put in a big house which was used as a makeshift headquarters.  The boys, were sent to the basement and Ziggy's mom stood up stairs.  The boys were sent to clean and put together guns for the North Koreans. 

They were taught how to clean and assemble and if they messed up or just didnt get it, they were punished with a beating.

"So we work for them now?" Gio asked.

"I guess so man." Said Ziggy.

1 month later

The boys were dirty, poorly fed and were working non-stop.

"14." Gio said randomly

"What?" asked Ziggy.

"14 casualties since we got here. People who lived an everyday life. People who woke up only worrying about what to wear to school!  They are gonna pay.. all of them."

"What can we possibly do Gio.  The government is overrun, Military bases are distinguished, this is their country now."

"No Zig, this is our country, and we will get it back."

Women were sent out farming and harvesting food for everyone in the camp, and they were also sent to serve the meals to everyone else.  Ziggy's mom came down to serve her family and chat for a while.

"How are you boys doing?" Ziggys mom asked.

"Hanging in there love, you okay out there?" Ziggy's dad said.

"We're okay. Not treated any better than y'all but at least we get some fresh air."

"Good, glad you're okay." Ziggy's dad said as they embraced.

"I've been praying Danny. God will get us out of here."

"Oh, I know he will. I've been praying too. But I don't know how long we are going to survive."

"We will sweetie, we will."