This Is War

Past

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THIS CHAPTER MAY BE TRIGGERING TO SOME. PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

Gunfire and explosives rained down upon a homeland on the outskirts of some country, practically dead and deserted. A war was what had taken place, unnecessarily. Soldiers ran back and forth fighting, shooting, and killing, only creating carnage where it didn't need to be. Among these soldiers were those that were fighting for their home, as prophets in the name God. Or so they were told. Considering that some of these soldiers are.... children, it'd be quite easy for them to believe that what they were doing, what they were fighting for and dying for was for a good cause. But it wasn't. It was for the greed and bloodshed that only one wanted to create, the children knew no better.... except one.

A little girl walks through an old, now destroyed, village dressed in a plain, simple black pants and a brown shirt wearing a cape over her body to stand against the winds that try to push her back. Nothing but bodies lay at her feet, some of them by her own hand. But she thought they were in a better place, that they were rid of this world to help it re-grow before they tainted it even more. This was for their new world and in that new world they would come back as better people, not as demons and devils sent here to destroy, right? Isn't that why she was fighting? To cleanse this world of all sinners? Because her and her group are God's messengers?

The girl continued to walk down the desolate road, artillery fire and blasts from bombs all around, nonstop. She began to look at the faces of these.... sinners. Some were very old, some were middle age looking, and some perhaps a few years older than her. The girl stops and looks upon the bodies. She shakes her head from those thoughts and continues walking, but something stops her. A sound. Not just any sound, but the sound of whining. The whining doesn't sound like a dog or any other creature except.... a baby. But how could a baby still survive in all of this? Nonetheless, the girl begins to listen more closely to locate where the whining is coming from. After a couple of minutes of looking, she finally turns over a deceased woman shot in the back and looks down. There on the ground wrapped up in a dirty, tattered blanket lay a baby, its face scrunched up like it was ready to cry any second. But it didn't. The movement of the deceased woman's body caused the baby to look up at what caused it. The girl and the baby stared at each other for a few more moments before the girl rose up her automatic rifle, that was much too big given her size, and pointed it at the child. The world must be rid of all sinners for this world to change. That was her only thought to keep going.

But the infant giggled, as if the rifle wasn't pointed at its face, as if it wasn't facing death itself. It began giggling again while also reaching out its tiny arms, wanting to be picked up and held. How could something giggle and laugh in this carnage? This blood and gore that surrounds it? The girl stands still, befuddled, not knowing what to do. She's only been raised to shoot and kill anything that wasn't her ally, eliminating anything that would only keep her from her plans, so why was this happening? There was no one around her that gave her hugs, kisses, or anything that had to do with love and acceptance. Even between her and her brothers, it was impossible to give and share love. Where they grew up, it was a sign of weakness for anything like that. They were only given beatings, whippings, and so many more horrendous punishments. They had to be raised like that to become stronger. They were the ultimate weapons, they had to be. Or so it was said. They weren't even allowed to be in the same group nor in the same village as each other. But they could always feel each other, knowing that the others were close. So how would she, a 10 year old girl, know how to handle this, a baby cooing and wanting affection, when she was given none?

In her own thoughts, she absently put down her gun and merely stared at the baby in front of her, now curious. Slowly and unsure, she began reaching out to the baby as well. When she was close enough, the baby grasped her index finger in its little hand, laughing even more as it did so. The girl continued to watch the display, a small, barely noticeable smile appearing on her face at the shining light of this child. Her eyes softened as she thought of the dead bodies surrounding the little babe, even, what she assumed to be, its mother. "I'm sorry," the girl said regretfully. "I thought we were doing something good.... but we weren't. We were only making things worse," she continued. The baby could only continue to play with the girls finger and laugh, oblivious to what she was saying. "Don't worry though. I'll try to find some way to fix it, to fix everything about this world if I can. But I still gotta figure out what to do with you. Maybe I could hide you somewhere and come around to take care of you. I guess I gotta figure out a name for you too-," no more words could be said from the girl as a gunshot rang out in the village.

Unknowingly, someone from her group had snuck up behind her and killed the infant with no hesitation. The girl could only sit there in shock, eyes widened at the realization that this child's life had been taken. Blood had spattered onto her face and she began breathing heavily. "All sinners must be eradicated from this world, no matter who they are," a cold, boyish voice had said behind her. The girl had turned her head, eyes open in horror at what had been done, "....why?" The boy behind her had looked down at her and said, "You know why." The girl had looked back down at the baby that she was so ready to protect, to take care of, to.... love as if it were her own sibling. When he felt like the little talk was done, the boy began walking away, thinking the girl would follow him back to their base of operations. Thinking that she would just accept what had happened and move on. Thinking that she would live another day of doing what she was told to do for the sake of God.

"There is no God," the girl said through clenched teeth, squeezing her fists together until she could feel her nails digging into palms. In a blind rage, the girl got up quickly and picked up her weapon, aiming it at the back of the boy walking away and pulled the trigger. The boy gasped out before falling to the ground, dead. The girl stood there holding up her weapon as if he were going to get back up and try to kill her. After a few moments she had begun to cry. Cry for being who she was, cry for being born, cry for doing what she did because she thought it was for the greater good, and crying at not being able to protect the babe and many others. When she was done with her fit, she finally came to the realization at what she had done and what she was going to have to do.

The girl began running in the opposite direction the boy was going, knowing that she would either be brutally punished or considered the black sheep for killing a "comrade". She stopped and glanced at the babe one more time, her eyes saddening before she hardens them again, a new resolve setting into her mind. She lays low in case she's caught in a crossfire and stays away from any fighting, in fear of being caught by her group. She continues to drop, peak, and shoot until she's made it to the outside of the village she's in, on top of a small hill of sand that overlooks it. Not wanting to stay any longer, she begins her trek away from the village, ready for the long journey ahead of her.

After walking for so long, tired and exhausted from trying to save the little bit of water in her canteen, the girl hears a transmission on the radio every one in her group was given for communication. When she hears what it's about, a glimmer of hope shines in her heart at listening in on the information that came over the line. All she has to do is follow her instincts and she'll be with them again. Hopefully they'll do the same. With renewed fervor, she begins to run, leaving behind the radio in case they track her, heading towards a destination her heart pulls her in.

"....a girl and two boys.... missing.... triplets.... bring them back alive.... I repeat.... bring them back alive.... valuable.... weapons.... dangerous.... proceed.... with caution.... monsters...."

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