Hope

“Hope”

By Carol Ann Keefer

             The storm thunder in the mountains as the rain penetrated the land, with flashes of lighting making it difficult to see a few inches from the faces of Derrek and his younger sister, Janneke Digging deep in the surrounding shrubs just beyond the road. It was dangerous to be out this late at night, particularly far from the city’s protection. 

             Janneke wonder why she had listened to him, she knew, or rather, they both knew going out after dark was a bold and dangerous move, what did he say Janneke mumbled huddled tightly next to him. “Shish” Derrek whispered, “they’ll hear us.” With a thin glaze, her brown eyes peered out from their hiding place, her nervous working overtime, hair standing on end, as they waited. 

             Footsteps slushed in the mire and muck coming ever so closer to their hiding spot, Janneke froze as Derrek crawled closer to the edge of their hiding place, Idiot, she mouthed, like a thousand needles stabbing her body fear to grip her heart. Was this how their parents disappear? Janneke quietly said as she hopelessly watched Derrek move further away from her. In a flash, Derrek had vanished into the night sky; Janneke was unable to move it was as if being stuck in quicksand,

             Taking shallow breaths, Janneke heard Derrek yell, “Run!” his voice trailing off in the distance, “Run!”  Like a lioness, Janneke bolted from her hiding spot. Through a maze of trees and undergrowth, Janneke ran with all the might she could muster, her narrow gaze focuses on the destination, the city’s limit. Heart pounding, between the rain and her sweat, made it more challenging to see the outline of the city’s walls; however, with persistence, Janneke ran as the weight of the mud clinging to her shoes added more stress on her legs. 

             All Janneke was able to hear was Derrek yelling for her to run, no time to worry, Janneke mumble with each excruciating pain that pulse through her veins., pushing herself toward the safety of the city. In the dimness of the night sky, there it looms before her, the city gates. Two soldiers dressed in Camo, guarded them, machine guns ready at the slightest danger, pointed directly toward Janneke.  She slowed down her pace as she cautiously, walks toward the two guards, stopping a few feet in front of them.

             “Stop, state your name,” the tallest guard bellow, with a cold stare burrowing deep in Janneke’s soul.

             “Um., uh, my name is Janneke Johnson.” Janneke stuttered, - exposing her Id number, tattoo on her forearm.

             Stepping closer, the other guard took his knife and ran it over her tattoo- “She’s clean.” Motioning Janneke through the gate as a few other soldiers came and surrounded her, interrogating Janneke with questions, frighten, she answered them, unsure of why they wanted to know why she had gone out beyond the city limits this late at night. In the end, the one guard, whom Janneke believed to be in charge, finally said: “So let me get this straight, you were out there alone, no one else?”

             “Um. yeah.”

                            “How old are you?” He said as he towered over her small stature, intimidating Janneke,

             “I’m celebrating my sixteenth year since the war.”  

                            “What war?”

             “I um., mean since the liberation of peace.”

                                          “She’s a kid, sir,” one of the guards said

                         “Thank you, soldier,” the Commander bellowed, “take her home.” 

             “Yes, sir,”- grabbing her by the arm- “Come on.”

Cowardly, Janneke went with the solider, afraid of what may happen is she fought to break free from his grip as they made their way to her home. Going further into the city, Janneke remained silent, a trick she had learned from her brother. Never say more than expected is what he often would say, a player of the system, beating all odds ever since their parents disappeared all those long years ago. He has been the main factor of their survival in this Political system.  

             “Everyone has a price.” And he was good at getting things that they would need, a trick of the trade, working the system—one where everyone kept track of using their identification tattoo on their arms.   Now, he is gone, leaving Janneke uncertain of what will happen to her.

***** Two years later***

             Alarm buzzes,  a friendly computer voice said, “Time to wake up, dear.”, Janneke, pushes off her covers, glancing over toward her clock that read 5:30 am, “Oh.”- as her feet touch the cold, barren floor, stumbling toward the shower, “Lights, please, mom.”

             “Yes, dear,” the computer echo, bring up the lights throughout her flat. The water cascaded over her, relaxing the tight muscles from the day before. Janneke, dressed in her army fatigues, with pen in hand, she begins to jot down in her secret journal and writes;

             20^th day of September, in the peace year 2035

                            Liberation had come with a cost, Freedom, which now is but a vague memory, thirty-five years ago—a time after the fourth wave of the pandemic in the early spring of the year 2020 encompasses the world with death and destruction.     A  time of unrest spread across the land, looting, killing of innocent peoples, statutes decimated all for- what?  Justice?  

             “Janneke, dear,” the computer voice said, “You need to get going.”

                            “Yes, mom”- quickly stashes away the book- “I’m leaving.”

             “What about breakfast?’

                            “I’ll grab something to eat later.”

             She was jogging down the stairs bursting into the morning light, making her way toward the parked vehicle. Janneke’s eyes narrow, noticing one of her comrades waiting for her; “It’s about time.” he snorted. Ignoring him, she hops in the cab of the truck, glances over toward the driver.

             “Morning, Sgt. ” – buckling herself in- “How’s everything?” Janneke smirked

                            “I had just about given up on you.” -shifting into gear- “Why the smart remark?”

             “Come on, Sgt., I was just kidding, you know.”

                            “Yeah, keep it up, and I’ll send you to the back.”

             “Sorry, Sergeant Peterson, sir.”

                            “Okay, try and remember who’s in charge.”

             “So, where are we going today?’ 

                            “You just have to wait.” Sergeant Peterson sternly said

             Janneke smiled, she remembers just how they met, all those years ago, and from their meeting, an unusual friendship grew.  One born merely out of need and desire to fill the empty void caused by their loss of family. A relationship of both respect and admiration, with a little bit of turmoil and confusion, mostly on her part.

“So, I have to wait, uh?”

“Yep,” keeping his focus on the road ahead of them, secretly wishing that he could tell her what lies ahead; however, Peterson knows his duty and the cost if anyone knew what the government planned. Janneke briefly glances over to Peterson, then back to looking out the window, passing markers along the way as they start becoming nothing more than a blur. With each passing was bringing them closer to the ultimate protection of the city, a fortified steel metal gate that kept at bay all that live on the other side from entering the city.

              A world, hidden from ordinary citizens, forgotten, lost to only a few that know about what lies beyond the walls of the fortification.  Untamed lives and Freedom, that was what Janneke remembers, stories told to her by Derrek, even now they are becoming only broken puzzle pieces jumbled together.

             “So, we’re here?’

                            “Yep, we’re here,” Peterson echo, pulling up next to the other Army trucks, a few of the soldiers eagerly jump off from the back of the vehicles, rearing to go, like a bunch of hound dogs ready for the chase. Janneke sheepishly gazes over to her Sergeant Peterson, with a worried look draped over her face.  Unbuckling his seat belt, he turned to her and said, “You know that you don’t have to go if you don’t want to.” It was his way of letting Janneke know that she could easily pretend to be sick or something, like female problems.

             “No.., um, I’m ready,” Janneke tighten her ponytail, “You’re coming with me, right?”

                            “Sorry, but not this time. I need to stay back with the command post.”

             “You can’t or won’t,” Janneke’s words spat out, staring straight into his haunting gray-blue eyes.

                            “As I said, you don’t have to go.” -jumping down from the cab, “So what will it be, solider?”

             “Yeah, I’ll go.” Janneke forcefully stated as she jumps down from the cab. Within a few short strides matching Peterson’s footsteps. The two have been notably linked together, though, not in a positive way. Regardless of the rumors, no one in authority question his involvement with Janneke, though some may have a few reservations concerning their relationship. 

             With a few paces behind Peterson, Janneke kept close by her mentor and friend. With eyes peering in their direction, Janneke instinctively narrows her glaze to see only Peterson. It was a tactic taught to her by Derrek. Never let them see you sweat, sis his words echo from within her memory.  Secretly Janneke wished that he was still here; perhaps she would not have been made to join the Army. Yet here she is, one of many soldiers built for defense from an unknown enemy.

             “Attention!” a young recruit announced, standing tall with a salute. Everyone falls into formation, arms-length.

                            “At ease, men.” Commander Smith sternly stated, Janneke never saw him before; actually, she never had the opportunity to see anyone above the rank of Sergeant Peterson.  With a slight glimpse of her right and left, the two men had the same look as hers, fear.

                            “Now, men today marks a critical date. For today we embark on a new and exciting adventure. Today, gentlemen, we begin to destroy our enemy once and for all.” A few cheers erupted among the ranks, while others like Janneke remand quiet. Janneke sneaks a peek at Peterson, and now she knows why he didn’t say anything about today.

             “Sergeant Peterson, please address the troops.”

                            “Men, your assignment is to go out beyond the barbwire fence into the surrounding areas to locate the enemy. Leave nothing behind. Remember, they may look like us, but they are our enemies whos’ sole purpose to undermine our culture” Waiting until a few soldiers quieted down, he continued “Dismiss.”

             Sgt Peterson joined Commander Smith as well as the other officers discussing the stages of employment of the men, and each had his take on what will be the best course of action. It all came down to one thing; to engage in combat or to locate their Army to see what weapons that they have at their exposal. After what seems like a lengthy debate, Sgt. Peterson’s argument about what is best for the troop was just to spy on the enemy, only engage if deemed necessary.

             By mid-morning, Janeke found herself with Sgt First Class Harrison, soldiers Howard and Ed, two of which have treated her with contempt. With a longing look at Sgt. Peterson, she steps in line behind the men. Keeping out a keen eye, they make their way North, through the very woods that she and her brother Derrek traveled all those years ago. Janneke fought those memories with every step, as the weight of her backpack press down on her shoulders.

             Another reminder of who she is, a soldier, nothing, fighting a war that should have never started. One in which she cannot escape caught somewhere between her youth and adult years. Gone was her innocence, in a flash, all she loved is replace with a glimmer of hope that maybe someday to be reunited with her family.

             “Hey,” Howard whispered, “Watch where you’re going.”

“Shish” Harrison said, “We’re not alone, remember”

             “Sorry,” Janneke mouthed-taking a few steps back from Howard- shifting her stance, with a narrow gaze around the area. Harrison motions them to get down and crawl toward the shrubs.   Slowly dark clouds are blocking out the sun as the rain started to fall, just like last time Janneke silently mouthed, laying just a few inches from Ed, who reminds her a lot like Derrek.  

Focus, you got to stay focus  Janneke reminding herself, breath, nice and steady, and in a flash, she disappeared into the night.          

The End.