Chapter I

Standing in front of me was a man. I couldn't tell how he looked like, because he was wearing a scary mask. He then covered this hand over my eyes, so it would block my vision. Without my vision, I felt like a lost puppy. He pushed me to the side, my head banged on something hard— I think it was something made of metal. He picked me up carelessly and shoved me in a car. I remembered screaming, but I knew no sound came out of my tired lungs. I watched the landscapes transforming slowly from the car's window. I was nine years old back then. I was such an innocent child... I didn't know I was getting kidnapped. But here I am, in another country, where we have to obey to the rules. Or else, the consequences were getting eaten alive by sharks, or getting eaten alive by lions. Quite the same thing, but you have a disadvantage by getting eaten by sharks. You're plunged in a pool of water, surrounded by great white sharks who haven't eaten in weeks. Therefore, you cannot breathe. If you can get away from getting torn apart alive, Daman would give you "fame and happiness". No one's actually survived to those events, so no one knows if it's true.

Daman is the ruler of the First World. This is where the scary-masked man who kidnapped me brought me to. There is also the Second World, where Suttan is the leader. Daman and Suttan were close brothers at the time. Besides, they are twins. Their bond used to be very tight. They created the Empire World together, but then had a fight. If I can remember, the fight was about a woman they both loved... This quarrel brought us to a sixth World War, which divided the Empire into the First World and the Second World, and killed any other civilization that lived apart from those Worlds. Quite complicated, but I understood at the age of eleven, so you'll get the hang of it.

I'm now in a laboratory taking a science class. Boring, yes, but I can't stop thinking about this political war. Our "enemy", the Second World, keeps on sending some troops to try to kill Daman and his soldiers. They never succeed. Neither do us. Daman and Suttan or both tyrants. For fun, they would publicly kill anyone who has done "bad" to others. For example, my friend's brother stole something at the grocery store to feed his poor family, because they had nothing to eat, and they didn't bother asking other families for some food because they knew the families didn't have anything to eat either. The cashier caught him by the wrist and scolded him, but not enough to tell Daman. He later told him to leave after giving him a few coins to buy food, and only said it was "bad to steal". A few days later, Daman killed my friend's brother by torturing him publicly. Everyone was forced to watch, and anyone who didn't would get the same punishment as the boy. He was only seven at that time. We found out that the nice cashier's boss, so the grocery store's boss, discovered by looking at some security cameras and saw the boy running away with some lettuce. He then told Daman and somehow got promoted.

I wonder if the Second World is as fucked up as our civilization. No one can tell, because there is a very tall wall that separates both Worlds. No one ever took a glance over, just to see what it looked like. No one risked their life to see. No one dared to find out who the woman that tore the Empire World apart. Except me.

It's been months, but I've been searching on the web about this person. No names were told, but I can tell she did exist. There are no images of her. No birth dates, so I can't tell how old she was. I don't know if she died at a young age, during the war, or from an illness. I've been very curious. Of course, it's illegal to do these types of searches, but I make sure to clear my history every time I look. Since then, no one has caught me, and I hope no one ever will. The consequences don't really look appealing to me...

The sound of a mechanic bell surprised me. Science class was now over. I take my tablet and shove it in my bag. My bag is usually very light, because all we carry around is our tablet for school. Barely any books exist anymore. That doesn't mean that the environment is healthy. Many forests have died of fires because of the heat, or they were purposely cut down by the past government. Daman clearly doesn't care about nature, or animals, since he rarely feeds them. It's quite usual that random wild animals attack humans in the streets. It might be weird to you, but I've known lots of people being aggressed, including myself. It was after school. Tons of people were buying from the small markets I was passing by. The streets were filthy and the buildings looked rusted, old and dirty. I had to take a small road to reach my apartment. Right when I stepped on a dead branch and it made a cracking sound, a raccoon leapt out of nowhere and landed on my shoulders. I've been taken out of balance, so I fell. I screamed very loudly. This time, I knew there was noise coming out of my lungs, which didn't happen when I was kidnapped as a child. I managed to roll over and whack the raccoon with my school bag. I ran off, right away, too scared that the raccoon would start attacking me again. Gratefully, my tablet inside my bag didn't break.

I start pushing through the crowd of teenagers, who were trying to do the same thing as me. As I hear my name being called, I turn around, whipping a guy by accident. He falls on his butt and mumbles incomprehensible sentences. I say sorry to him, but he just waves off my apologies. He gets up —ignoring my helpful hand— and keeps walking to his destination. I sigh and try my best to squeeze in this mob of hurried people. Not knowing who called me before, I'm kind of looking for nobody. At some point, I decide to give up, knowing that the person who yelled was probably asking for someone else. Besides, I have a common name. There are at least ten Lauren's at my school.

Someone grabs my arm, which forces me to turn around. I yelp in surprise, but find out it's only Ashley, my friend.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi... You scared me !" I told her.

"Oops, sorry, I totally didn't mean to. Hey, which class do you have now ?" She asks me, a confused smile plastered on her face.

I watch her with pity. She shares exactly all the same classes as me, this is why I became her friend so quickly. I think she should know her schedule by now. We're in February...

"We have english," I smiled.

"Right... What did we do last class again ?" She gave me the same look she had when she asked me the first question.

"We wrote poems. Besides, if you didn't finish them, you had to complete them as homework."

"Oops."

"This is your second time saying 'oops' in a minute," I laughed.

"Well, humans make mistakes !" she tried to defend herself.

"Not under Daman's rules," I said, in a shady voice.

Daman is literally a demon. Sometimes, he stops by the school to check on our work. Normally, he does it through the saved computer data, but this system can get hacked, therefore it can lie. To make sure we're all doing things right, he comes with some of his soldiers for protection, in case someone attacks him, and observes us work in class. The teachers are always very stressed about this, so are the students. No one knows when he will embark in the school's area. If he comes and sees that someone —a student, a teacher, the principal, the janitor...— isn't doing something right —Daman is very strict about rules and most of the time they are crazy and make no sense—, the consequences are very harsh. Being fed to savage animals would be such an easy death for a teenager who hasn't lived life that much. It had to be harder and even more painful. Daman did this to one boy in the school. The boy was in my class. Everyone was under the stress, because Daman was walking desk to desk, watching what we were typing on our screens. The boy was named Julian. He sat right in front of me. The poor teenager was held by the throat, pushed, shoved... He fell several times, but no one dared to go help him. If we did, it would have probably resulted that we'd get the same punishment he got for sneezing. The principal later told us that Julian died of a heart attack, while working so much under the sun in a camp, far away from his family and his friends. That camp was no fun, only kids that went to school being caught disrespecting Daman's rules were sent there. You apparently had to work every single day, starting from 4A.M. to 11P.M. Daman didn't check our school for about a month. Who knows when he will finally come?

Ashley and I were walking in the now less crowded hallways to our english class.

"Did you hear about Jackson ?" Ashley asked.

"Who's Jackson ...?" I tried.

"Jackson is the new kid in school. Didn't you notice him ? He was in your science class."

"Nope. Is he hot ?" I questioned my best friend.

"Oh my gosh, Lauren, no one can be hotter than a croissant."

My friend has this thing for croissants... I don't know why, but she is really obsessed with them. Since she's poor —like everyone else, except Daman— she can't buy herself some. She likes to say 'They bring me happiness,' but I refuse to believe that. Food, in the First World, serves to be eaten to create fat and calories to nourish your body and not go starving.

We had arrived to class, and everyone was already in it. I dragged Ashley to the back and sat in the two-chaired-length desk. I took out my tablet and deposed it on the table. I looked at Ashley, confused that she wasn't taking it out.

"Where's your tablet ?" I asked.

"I... I think I forgot it at home."

"Oh no... You'll have to use the books !" I exclaimed dramatically, using my hands to express the horrible thought that my best friend had to touch books to survive this english class.

Ashley rolled her eyes and got up to explain her situation to the teacher. The teacher nodded and pointed at the bookcase located right behind our desk. I laughed interiorly. She then returned with five manuals, I'd say containing about five hundred pages. I couldn't help but smirk at her terrified face.

"You're going to have so much fun!" I said sarcastically.

"Oh, you envy me? Would you like to switch?" She told me, raising an eyebrow.

"No thank you, Lady Ashley, I feel just fine with my lovely tablet," I batted my eyelashes, saying this like a rich old lady having a heavy english accent.

"Lady Lauren, would you care to pay attention to my class?" My teacher shouted from up front of the room.

My cheeks turned instantly red when I noticed that my whole class of thirty students was staring at me. Therefore, I was too embarrassed to respond so my teacher continued talking about how haïku poems are very interesting, while three fourths of the class are nearly dying of boredom. The very small quarter of the class are actually paying attention about how acrostic poems are written vertically, each letter of your special word has to be at a ninety degrees exact angle from the rest of the words actually forming your acrostic poem. The teacher then told us we have to write one. I didn't know what subject I wanted to pick so I looked at Ashley's papers and saw hers.

C runchy in my mouth,
R are to find,
O ut of the ordinary,
I t's made of bread,
S pecial taste,
S urprinsing smell,
A dmirative looks,
N ever makes you sad,
T rue love.

This time, I couldn't contain my laugh. Ashley's poem was very narcissistic and stupid. How can she love food that she only tasted once in her whole entire life? The teacher was glaring at me, while some students turned around to observe me and my hysteric-and-very-ugly-sounding laugh. I soon gave up my hiccups of laughter to try to concentrate on this cruel acrostic poem I had to make. I started with a word.

L
I
B
E
R
T
Y

I mentally tried to find poetic-sounding-yet-going-to-the-extreme-random sentences I can put in my poem. I really liked the word I chose. It represented everything I really wanted, putting them right in this brown cardboard box called 'liberty'. I finally found a great phrase for the 'L'. Right after, I found more inspiration for the rest of my poem.

L ost and never will be found,
I rrelevant in our minds,
B ringing the forgotten to the known,
E ven helping the poor to become rich,
R isking their lives for
T aking away the darkest souls,
Y ear after year, they shall rot under the power of those being free.

I caught Ashley looking from the corner of her eye at my tablet. She then smiled encouragingly at me.

Suddenly, everyone got up, including my best friend. Astonished everything went so quickly, I decided to finally get up too. I knew something bad was going to happen, right the instant Daman walked through the door. Followed by his little minions —his soldiers—, he saluted the teacher with a grunt. Daman never smiles. He smiled until that woman that he and his brother both fought for made the whole Empire World break into two. Any smile he would make would be caused by cruel events he was making or will plan to make happen. As I said before, he is a true demonized person, possessed by the Devil himself. And what if Daman was actually the Devil? It wouldn't surprise me that much, considering he is truly a hateful man. Daman was now walking —okay, more like slithering— through the class, watching everyone stare at him bluntly. Every time the dictator made eye contact with a student, the teenager rapidly looked away. I was watching the scene until I noticed Daman was observing Ashley's work. There it came, that evil little smile, followed by a nasty snarl that came from his demonized lungs.

"What's your name, princess ?" He asked.

I stared in awe at my friend who couldn't reply. Daman quickly took her by the wrist and twisted it, then shouted that he needed an answer immediately.

What am I doing ? Daman is hurting my best friend ! Lauren, help her out !

"My... My name is Ashley," She mumbled in fear.

"Louder !" He yelled.

"My name is Ashley," My best friend said in a quivering voice.

"What is this ? Where is your tablet ? What is this stupid poem ?" He snarled.

She wasn't giving any response. The events that followed came too quickly for me to think properly. Ashley was propelled to the floor, slapped by Daman. Rage took over me and I punched Daman in the face. Daman's little minions came to try to push me down but I knew how to defend myself. I actually didn't know how I did to kick down all ten of them, but I did and I made one get a bloody nose. Um, oops. Daman got up and pulled me by the hair with a hand and pushing me with the other so it would create this kind of burning sensation on my head. I couldn't take it anymore, my eyes sending lightning bolts —okay that was exaggerated but just to make it spicier...— he fell to the ground. I actually kicked him in the balls —nice going !— and turned around to crouch near my friend to try to wake her up from her partial sleep. I nudged her arm so she can feel me poking her. I felt all the stares of the surprised students and the teacher burning in my skin. I pulled Ashley's body in my arms and began walking out of the class.

In the hallway, I could hear footsteps following me. I decided not to look back, just in case it was one of the soldiers that would take an advantage to slap me or something. Right when the person following me touched me, I flinched. He caught up with me, stood in front of me and my best friend's body, now heaved on my shoulders. I kind of looked like a serial killer carrying a dead body but I knew Ashley wasn't dead because of the pulsations I could feel of her heart against my back.

"Why did you do that ?"

I looked up and saw the boy I bumped into earlier in the crowded hallways. He was the person that caught up with me in this very empty corridor that now seemed creepier and scarier than before.

"Because I truly hate Daman's guts ?" I said in a 'duh' voice.

"You know that when he will wake up, he will probably search through every single file of the school, looking for any possible Ashley that attended this english class, track her down, and give her the punishment anyway?" He rapidly recited.

"Uh... Of course I knew!" I told him in a voice that I hoped didn't sound fake.

"Then what are your plans?" He asked me carefully.

"Why would I tell a teenage boy, who can most probably deliver my plans to Daman-who-has-awakened-from-Hell-once-more and who's family can get easily promoted?"

"Because—"

He got cut off by the soldiers running in the hallway, trying to catch us. The boy took Ashley off my shoulders and ran as fast as he could to the closest exit. I followed him, angry that he had to separate me from my croissant-monster-loving-best-friend-who-had-fainted, but also relieved that he did it, so I could escape from the soldiers as quickly as him. Luckily, the weight of Ashley won't create a disadvantage to his rapidity from fleeing the school...

I quickly caught up with the brown-haired boy.

"What's your name ?" I panted.

We were now outside, of course, running for our lives.

"You can call me Jackson," He breathed loudly.

"Oh, so you're the new kid ?"

"Yeah... Luckily, I studied the map while I visited the school so I knew where the closest exits were," He chuckled.

"Who would 'study a map' while visiting the school? Isn't that... you know... nerdy to do?"

"You can complain and insult me, but remember I'm trying to keep up with you while holding your heavy friend."

"Oh... Right," I smiled sadly at him.

He shook his head and ran a bit faster than I did. I tried to catch up with him, but he was too fast. We entered a dead forest in a rush. I lost him out of view, and I panicked. I spun around on myself, looking on the ground of traces of his footsteps. None. I abandoned scanning the floor and walked over dead logs. I knew the soldiers gave up on chasing us because we entered a 'natural' zone. Daman calls it an intoxicated and poisonous place, and, of course, everyone would believe him. I sighed, looking on the ground. Then, someone pulls me from behind, dragging me on the floor. I scream in surprise, but the person quickly muffled my cry by covering his hand over my mouth. I looked at the person's face and recognized Jackson. I smiled under his grasp on my face and he smiled back. Then, I licked his hand for him to move away from my "beautiful" face. It's something I personally learnt to do if anyone ever covers his hand over my mouth. I got a little traumatized when I was younger, considering I got kidnapped that way ...

"What the hell ?! I save you and you lick me ?" He whisper-shouted.

"Pretty much ! Hey, where is Ashley ?" I asked, a bit panicked.

"She's safe. Come." He motioned me to follow him.

     Of course, I didn't.

"Um... Are you coming or not ?"

"Why would I follow a complete stranger who left my best friend alone in some place ? How can I know you didn't murder her ?" I snarled at him.

"Hey, she's safe, I tell you ! If you want valid proof, follow me."

"Fine."

     We walked through several berry bushes and crossed one river. We came to an entrance to a cave and I was so relieved to find Ashley there, on the ground.

     Except, she wasn't breathing.

—————

-rosie :)
3564 words