Don't Say Anything

Don't Say Anything

by Lady Rants-a-Lot

Prologue: Sirena

He may cry for mercy 
The cries of lost children. The shouts of their parents. The screams of the pursued. The moans of the hopeless.



And speak of things unknown 
Unfamiliar landmarks, foreign roads, the dim sky brightening with bursts of red, brown, and black. I don't recognize any of them. Where are the trees, with their curving, elegant branches and soft bark, carved with delicate patterns? Where is the sea, with its foaming, churning water and attention-seeking waves? Where is my family? I want them back, and with each step I take as I run, I wish for them more and more.



His wants are nothing to me 
The landscape changes, and I am in the city. The buildings are encompassed in greedy flames, twisting and wrapping around the structures, eating them alive. The deafening thunder arrives again; more screams. Why am I here? I want to go back to the unfamiliar, where I was more protected, covered, hidden. But I can't.



He knows I'm not alone
 I run down the streets, too afraid to look back. A firework of red and white light sparks on my left, and I dive into an alleyway. I keep running, and the alley opens up onto another street, but this one leads onto another highway. The open road, untouched for now, calls me from my shocked state. This won't last long like this, it is only a matter of minutes before this highway is in ruins too.



His ship crashes on an island 
Open road. Freshly paved road, untouched by the present. Trapped in the past. At least for now. The echo of my shoes on the pavement fill my ears; the sound of freedom. Faster, faster. My lungs burn. Faster. I hear the roar of the enemy. Faster! An opening in the road rails, leading into the forest. My feet do all the thinking, pulling me under the shelter of the trees, as the road I had just traveled on collapses and dissolves into nothing.


He sinks into the churning sea
 I stagger a few more steps forward, and collapse onto the forest floor.

Lying on the bottom sand
 I stare up at the tree tops. Is this the end?

Our voices are the key.


****************************************************************************************************

We never saw it coming. Well, at least most of us didn't. I knew. I tried to warn them, I tried to tell them that our enemies would be after us. They didn't listen to me, dismissed it as "a childish joke". They sure must be laughing now.

Sixty years ago, the government sent the rover - what was the name again? Curiosity? - to Mars. Twenty years ago, the first humans moved onto the no longer foreign planet. Ten years ago, after almost a third of the world's population was living on Mars, the war began. The human inhabitants of Mars had started to turn rogue, and developed.... alien-like characteristics. Their eyes turned gold, and their skin turned red. No one thought it would happen. They didn't know how, or why. Everyone assumed it was their body's advanced way of adapting to the new planet. All everyone knew was that they were different. They were nicknamed "Ignis", because their appearance made them look like they were made of flames. Eventually, the government sent a few astronauts to the planet, to dig a bit deeper into the mystery. The people of Mars felt intimidated, wanting the astronauts to leave their planet. More scientists came, and captured several of the Ignis, and tested them. They were caged, needles and medicines and chemicals pushed and flushed into their systems. The Ignis had had enough. They turned hostile, and vowed to never let another of their kind be captured again. The last Ingi to be hunted killed one of the scientists, out of self defense. The government immediately sent an army to the planet, killing almost every Ignis left and destroying their homes. Nine years later, the Ignis finished recovering and building a new home and population. Now they have attacked, here to get revenge. I only know this, because of I heard my father discussing it with some of the men that he works with. The story that the government has told the world is a lie. To the rest of the world, the government sent troops to help the Ignis, but the Ignis declined, and killed half of the troop, so the government had "no choice but to attack". That is complete BS. The government is blinded by hate. Unfortunately for me, I am stuck on the wrong end of the war. I am tied to the government's side, because the leader, is my father.

I race through the forest, my mind full of fear. If I had been half a second slower, I could've been blown to bits. What if they target the forest now? I need to get to my family. I need to find somewhere safe. My lungs and throat feel like I just swallowed a dozen of jalapenos whole. My eyes sting from all the smoke, dust and ash floating in the air. My legs ache from running for miles, and my heart hurts with the pain of being lost. I want my house, my family, my music, my books, and the beautiful blue ocean. The heartache seizes my chest, wrapping it in its cold, roping arms, and I stop running, collapsing on the forest floor. I feel so hopeless, and useless. Useless! I hate feeling useless. I stand up, and start walking. I have no idea where I am going, but trying to get somewhere is better than doing nothing. I walk for an hour before I reach a small stream. Water. I decide to follow it, hoping it will at least lead me to the ocean. My parents will look for me there.

I can't bare the thought of never having the cool waves tickle my feet again, and the soft sand brush against my arms and legs once more. I walk faster, following the stream. The trees start to thin, and the stream soon leads to a wide river. I walk along the river bank, watching the trees thin out even more. Blue sky greets me as I start to run. The cool fall breeze brushes against my skin, and the smell of dead leaves and salt fills the air. I run faster, sprinting along the river's edge. The wind blows in my face, and I laugh, enjoying the freedom and fresh air. No ash, no smoke. The Ignis haven't noticed this part of the state yet. Before I know it, the beautiful ocean is sprawled before me, covering the rest of the world in a silky blue blanket. The water is serene, and gentle waves crash against the shore. I smile, pulling off my burnt shoes, and walking in the soft white sand. The water brushes my ankles as I walk along the shore, perfectly happy where I am. I don't need anybody to find me, I could just live here myself forever, with the ocean as my neighbor. My long, curly chocolate brown hair tangles on my face, swaying in the breeze. I inhale the salty ocean air, and listen to the sound of the dune grass dancing in the wind. I close my eyes, and sit down in the sand, and let the world fade out leaving me with nothing but the sound of waves. They start to get louder, and louder, until I realize I am not hearing the waves anymore. The steady hum of a hovercraft interrupts the glorious sounds of nature. Thanks a lot advanced science and technology. I slowly and reluctantly open my eyes, and watch as the craft flies closer to the beach. Soon it is about a hundred yards to my right, and a ladder is lowered to the ground. I watch my father climb down, and he sprints across the beach to me. I sigh, and consider getting up and running away from him, into the ocean, where he wouldn't be able to catch me. But the logical side of me tells me to go with him. I was just missing my home and family anyways. I stand up, and let my father embrace me once I reach him. I hug him back, feeling the want for my family back again.

"We were afraid we'd lost you Sirena!" My father exclaims, pulling back and holding me at arms length. "We looked everywhere; the city, the school, the woods. We didn't expect you to travel this far! Are you ok?" I look my father directly in his piercing blue eyes.



"Yeah, I'm fine- wait what?" I ask, alarmed. How far did I run? Where am I anyway? Is the war still going on?



"Sirena, you're in Rosagrum. That's five territories over from Terraesole." My eyes widen in shock, realizing how far from my territory I had traveled, and my father laughs. "I guess you're more athletic than you think. C'mon, let's go home."

"Is the war over?"

"What?"

"Is the war over?"

"What war? What are you talking about?" My father asks, in question. My heart leaps into my throat.

"There was a war.... Against the Ignis. They bombed the city, and the highways... You were there. Remember?" My father's face turns worried.

"Sirena, are you sure you're fine?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" I feel so confused. How does my father not remember? The city was demolished!


"Because the city is still standing. You left last night while we were asleep, and we had no idea where you went. There was no war."