The Uprising

CHAPTER 5

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I stare at the glistening sliver trail of light the moon cast on the water. The path of silver seems as if it spread over the entire sea, going onwards for miles. It was rough tonight. The rocks weren't allowing the waves to meet the pavement, but the wind was relentless and wild. The scent of the incoming rain fills the air—it smelt something like dirt, earthy and natural.

Jason locks the windows when the tiny droplets decorate the windshield, making it difficult to see the slippery road. After I woke up, he gave me food as promised, and now we were heading Down Town, St Maris. I was the only one in the back, Jason was driving, and Tae was next to him. I got enough energy to go through with my escape.

The only problem with my little plan was that there were three vans behind us with a dozen well-built men, who were also armed. I don't think I will be able to outrun such an army. In addition to that, the rain was coming. So much for escaping.

I peer through the window, and a glimpse of the town lights catches my eyes. We are almost there. When I was younger, my mother and I went there to buy vegetables and other food supplies. If you need something and couldn't find it anywhere else—Down Town was the place to find it. It was vibrant and always busy.

That was until the first explosion went off at Tech Industries headquarters. A large sky scrapper owed by billionaire River Roman, who is known for basically carrying the island's technology sector on his shoulders.

The impact left thousands injured and hundreds dead. That was the first sign of the Uprising. The infrastructure still remains, however, nobody tried to rebuild it. As we drive past the horrifying pitch-black building, I could only imagine how grisly the catastrophic event was.

Jason stops the car at what used to be a huge tree, now only a large stump in the ground. He parks along the curb and gets out of the car. Tae went with him, and I take that as my queue to follow them. The air is sizzling with the scent of rain mixed with ashes. A siren goes off a few distances away. There are still a few vendors out tonight; besides them, the streets were empty.

A half-naked dark skin woman comes up to Tae in a pair of painfully high heels. I watch closely as she places her manicured nails a little above her hips, seductively licking her lips. She is wearing an extremely short dress that could have been mistaken for a piece of cloth. "Are you looking for something to buy," the woman offers, pushing her chest up in the process.

"Depends on what you're selling," Tae smirks at her, and she moves closer to him.

"He's not interested!" Jason voices out sternly. Just as the words leaves his mouth, the woman went on her way. Jason looks at Tae, annoyed with his behavior. Tae opens his mouth to say something, but Jason interrupts him. "I hope one day you catch something from those prostitutes".

He grabs my hand, pulling me down the street. "Where are we going?" his face softens, and he releases my arm, allowing me to walk next to him. "Church," he states dimly.

"Aren't church gatherings illegal?"

"Yes, but this is different."

In 2127 the government decided to seize all unnecessary gatherings due to an upsurge in the act of terrorism. The church was one such place that was deemed 'unnecessary' at this time. Of course, the religious officials didn't take this lightly and started an uproar and a series of marches. They all protested that the bill signaled the coming of the lord. President Howard Johnson was deemed the devil's advocate for taking away their right to worship.