Revolution

So when I wrote this I had a headache, please tell me if it was hard to follow. thanks :)

      ~Emma~

The city streets were cold and dark; no streetlamps shone down on the weary mother as she hurried on her way.  She knew they would catch up to her soon, so she needed to be swift in her work.  If anyone was to know the truth she had to hurry.  She hastened her steps as she approached the old library.  

            Now, the old library would be the perfect place to hide the documents that the drained women possessed.  She hastily opened the compartment and descended the musty tunnel stairs.  When she believed she was deep enough, she pulled out a loose brick in the wall revealing a safe.  She placed the documents carefully in the safe then sealed it.

            When she emerged from the library she stopped at three different buildings, trusting that it would give them too much trouble to continue the search.  Maybe she would get away with it; then, and only then could she see her daughter grow up to be a young women.  However, the instant she turned the corner she knew her time had come.

            “You have given us enough trouble ma’am, now tell us where the documents are and you and your husband will be free to go.”  The man wondered how this woman escaped his grasp for so long and it caused him to become irritated.

            “Promise me my child will live through the purge.”  The man was confused, but as he looked at the bundle in her arms, a smirk crossed his face.

            “I will see to it personally that she finds a nice family to call her own, as long as you’re sure that is your choice?”  The mother nodded quickly as the tears began to fall from her face, “Very well.”  He nodded to his partner as he took the bundle from the mother’s arms.

            After a minute the men continued their way to the father’s house. The leader, who was carrying the little girl in his arms, allowed an evil grin to spread across his face.  The women didn’t protest as she gave up her life; now she lay in a heap on the sidewalk.  His pride allowed him to believe that her attempts were futile.  How could she ever succeed?  The purge began and a new era arose, a time of lies and deceit.

            ~seventeen years later~

            It was midnight when Jewel hobbled down the dark alleyways.  Despite the late hours, the city was bustling with activity.  Fifteen years ago America had undergone a dramatic change; many believed that this change was good.  They had discovered power and secluded themselves from other nations.  Few knew the meaning of the nation’s new name, Cupidite.  Jewel was one of those few, being the daughter of an official, it meant greed.  America had become the country of greed.

            They believed in laughter, lust, and love; not love of others but love of what makes oneself happy.  Cities had been set all across the country for the young people.  Ages sixteen through nineteen would go a city while those thirteen to fifteen would go to another.  Everyone under the age of thirteen would stay with the ‘oldies.’ 

Oldies were anyone over the age of sixty; those in charge of the nation deemed them the guardians.  Although they all knew that once you reached the age of sixty you were sent to factories and farms to either clean up after the reckless youth or to supply them with food.  The young ones mostly worked on farms until the age of ten, where they would then go to the factories to recycle waste.

Jewel, being the daughter of an official, had special privileges; she was able wander to anywhere she liked.  She had learned dark secrets about the new nation, secrets about her past.  Now, at the age of seventeen she had been sent to a city where she was told to enjoy her life.  Most other youth here party their lives away, never thinking of the consequences.

There was a small group of people, however, that Jewel discovered and had shared her secrets with them.  Now she was meeting up with a friend from that group and they were headed to meet one Oldie who had survived the purge of doubters.  There, Jewel and her companion hoped they would find a way to find true happiness.

The train that carried Jewel and her friend was barren from any youth, so the two had to wear large cloaks to conceal their identity.  Jewel gazed solemnly at the weary passengers that were trying to savor the precious moments of peace.  She wondered if they regretted their actions when they were youths- told to party their life away.  Everything had its consequences; even now Jewel knew that the consequence of her discovered identity was fatal.

The train had dropped Jewel and her companion off at an old city.  As the two gazed at the ruins, they felt the evil power that had been released many years ago.  They quietly picked their way through rubble to an old library, the only building that remained upright.  They plodded up the stairs, careful to avoid rubble and crumbling brick, and entered the doorway.

“So you did come,” said a frail voice.  The withered man, who stood gazing at an old stained-glass window, sounded amused.  “There are so few who wish to believe the monstrous actions taken to give them a moment of fun.”  The whole time he spoke with them his eyes never left the window, “You must know this first, the only reason I survived the purge was because I was a political leader.  They called me a President.  I was supposed to be the leader of the Nation, however, I had no control over what was happening.”

“They decided that if I died then the people would rebel.  As long as I was alive it appeared that I had agreed.  They locked me up, only to bring me out when they needed a public appearance or a new picture to show my face.  Of course my face was edited, but the public never knew.  Those leaders were foolish!  They were stupid enough to let me live.”

“Now the truth!  Bellowed the old man, the purge was to rid America, or Cupidite, of all who thought that they needed to work to earn happiness.  They thought such thoughts were poison to the mind.  Once they had wheedled out the ‘faint in mind’ they began building a new nation.  The nation was formed from lies, and the truth will be its downfall.”

Now the old man turned to them and pointed at Jewel, “Your real parents knew the truth. They locked it away and hid the key right under the nose of the officials.  You are the key. Jewel, you know how to save us before it is too late, but you can’t do it alone.”  He turned to Jewel’s friend, “You must support her and lead others by sharing the truth with them.”

The friend looked at the man, puzzled by his words, “But won’t you be better than us? You were once important to this land?”

The former leader let out a hearty laugh, “This generation does not look to its elders for help!  Maybe when I was a boy an elder would be a better option, but not now.  No, they look to the new and all things that are pleasing to the eye.  I do not know how to make anything look appealing.  My work is done and my time has come.  I have but a few breaths left in my body and I will fight against this evil with each one.”

He brought himself up to full height and handed Jewel an envelope. He then saluted the two and said, “Remember the truth, it will set you free, it will set us all free.”

Jewel opened the packet and found a key and a letter.  She read the letter and walked over to a large desk at the back of the room.  Finding a slot she put the key in and turned it.  A passageway was opened for her and she descended the stairs.  As she walked down the tunnel she ran her fingers along the wall imagining if what she was feeling now, her birthmother felt many years ago.

After pacing back and forth a couple times she found what she was looking for.  The brick dropped to the floor, causing the tunnel to echo with the sound of the discovery.  She pulled out a package and returned to her friend.  Silently they returned to their city.  The revolution will start with them and it will not be easy, but the truth would spread.  It would spread throughout the nation like medicine to a sick man, crumbling down the barrier that the lies had built up.