Whatever doesn't kill me had better start running
***
Most people would say I'm a brick wall compared to the rest of my family; that I can't be broken. If they looked at me now, they'd lose hope, forget everything, and just go home with the lack of admired determination in their dulled eyes. I'm their only hope. Why? Because I've found the enemy's one true weakness. Me. And I'm here to take my life back...
***
Long lost hope is hard to find.
My older brother was killed by the Majakaip all because of me and my big mouth.
Of course, he was blamed for my intolerance and was tortured until death, two feet from me because I unintentionally ratted out on their plan to everyone in the province, a sentence to death. Which you should know, and probably can guess just by such drastic measures, that what I did is a big no-no. But I was only nine years old, their true leader wouldn't allow for me to be killed. I was too young, everybody would hate him if he was to kill an innocent, little, defenseless crybaby like me.
Yet my brother was still fair game.
The big headed soldier and his crew that destroyed my only sibling is what I'm after. I don't care if what I've known for my fourteen years of my life can cripple all of Majakaip's slim and dying hold on my province's freedom; I just want my brother back.
I know they didn't truly kill him. The 'brother' I saw was a hologram, a fake. They're holding him hostage, hoping that I'll follow. But I'm too smart to follow, and they know this. That's why they've hidden traps for me in any place possible, attempting and planning out my miraculous murder.
***
"Stay here." my brother says sternly to me. He's never stern, he loves me, he would never harm me.
"But-" I begin to whine, he grasps my thin little shoulders tightly in his abnormally large hands.
"No, no matter what, do not follow me out into the clearing. Do not leave this building. You understand me?" he says sternly again, I almost cry. He sees this and gives me a slightly pained expression, he clutches me in his arms for one last moment before he walks out into the clearing. I let out a gasp as I notice the men with guns, the one closest to me scaring me the most, his brute-looking features and grim expression only making it worse.
My brother and the man talk for some time, the other men not bothering to lower their guns from the town people. I let out another gasp as I realize one of the men with a gun spots me. He yells something I can't quite hear, sounding like he wants me dead. Why would he want me dead? I don't know him, do I?
Unsure, I hide behind the cracked open door just enough to see everyone, including my now expressionless brother. "Come out little girl, we won't harm you." the leader says. As if I don't see the gun pointed slowly to my brother, I act clueless and innocent once my brother says,
"Don't worry, it's all right. Come on out, Child." I know something terrible is about to happen, he never calls me Child unless something's wrong. I step out into the clearing, leaving my spot behind the door. I start off walking, then running to my brother. I grasp his pant leg in my tiny fists and look up at him sadly.
I look over to the man, who must be around 30, hoping he won't do something mean. I notice a boy in the background around my brother's age, maybe 11, 12 possibly, holding a rifle and pointing to one of my neighbors. Everyone has to grow up quickly, it's that or die.
"Yes," the man repeats, a menacing grin on his face. He lifts his gun slowly to my brother's head, my brother just looks the man in the eye angrily. "Don't worry Child." my brother does not flinch at this man's crude tone.
