Nepenthe | Sapnap |

12:08 AM

March 9th, 2015
12:08 AM

My ear was pressed against my bedroom wall as the door was open barely a crack, just enough to hear what my mom and uncle were talking all hush about. They have been having these late-night conversations almost weekly after they've known (more like thought) I've been asleep for hours.

"Another pamphlet went out today." I heard Mike say.

"Another one? If they wanted to keep this all quiet, they better be careful with those pamphlets."

I heard the sounds of paper ripping up. "They were being passed around the ration line this morning. I guess the best way to get people interested is to give them information when they are hungry and waiting."

They were quiet for a moment as some cabinets were being opened and closed. Tinks and clangs of dishware were being created.

"Rachel invited me to one of their meetings," Mom said during a pause in the noise.

"What?"

"Her husband is apparently high up in the ranks." She let out a huff. "They have enough people to have ranks. It's serious, Mike."

"The military is just going to crush them. Why even bother?"

"Because they want to drive the military out." Mom snapped back at him. "If the soldiers are gone, then we'll get more rations. You know how much they take from us. Look at how much weight they have on them while we're over here looking like skin and bones. And Kate won't have to go to those boot camp shit classes and train like a soldier anymore."

Mike took a deep breath, "Sam, you can't be serious? If anyone finds out you were even thinking about joining-"

"Like hell am I doing that. I'm just saying I get where they are coming from. It hurts me to see Kate come home from that school covered in bruises and hissing every time she moves."

My uncle took a deep breath, "The boys have been saying that once the kids turn eighteen, they have been getting letters saying that they have been 'selected for outside duty'." Mom must have been making a face because Mike continued with, "yeah, exactly. They are putting all those kids outside the wall, even before they officially finish school. Heard they are doing the same thing in other QZs. The Fireflies are gaining a positive reputation because of it."

"Well, there are no Fireflies here."

"That we know of. There are hundreds of ways in and out of the city, you know that. There is a smuggling tunnel right under this building."

The other kids in my class have been talking about their older siblings or friends getting positions in the military. One said that her brother was going on a trip to the Syracuse QZ to help with the Firefly rebellions.

The Fireflies have been popping up in almost all the quarantine zones across the country, killing and bombing as many military troops and squads possible. Any captured Firefly was shot immediately and killed. If someone was even possibly in contact with a Firefly, they were executed.

No more innocent until proven guilty. You were immediately given the death sentence. And now with this new group rising up, the soldiers are taking almost the same precautions. None of them wanted a revolt, let alone a rebellion.

"Wolverines. Fireflies. This shit is getting ridiculous." My uncle complained as he pushed out his chair. "If we could survive out there, we'd be gone the moment I could get us enough supplies."

"Kate's the best marksman in her year. She'll do great in the outside... I wouldn't be surprised if they make her graduate early and send her that letter with 'outside duty' printed across the top of it." Mom's voice started to waver a bit.