1 Once Upon A War

He skidded as fast as his feet could carry him across the coal-tar with speed only a frightened father could attain. At fifteen, he was a father and brother to his sister nine years younger. Getting to where she hid, he picked her up. A loud sound rang signalling another bomb had ripped, the rubbles possessed the air, knocking out everything within its range. He gritted as crimson liquid cascaded down his right arm from the force of a brick. It was no time to cry, he began running again.

The soldiers closed in, taking one last look, his heart sank. He saw the remains of a woman everyone called Mama. She had been nice to them, she deserved better than the bullets that resided in her stomach. Houses torched; children dead, the ones that weren't, sat beside their lifeless parents, crying. The war summoned the beast in men. He couldn't leave Ada, her feet were small, he had to run for two. Dust clustered the air, stinging his eyes and clogging his wind-pipe. Closeby, a voice dished commands. Apparently, they weren't fast enough. Who outruns a war van anyways?

Into a building he ran, the stench of the dead bodies potent. He gagged her. "Shhhh, it will be ok".

A soldier however, heard Ada's whimpering and found their hiding spot. He laughed sinisterly like a possessed man who found his ragged doll. "You think you can hide?" Pulling Uba roughly, he dragged him outside. Ada followed behind, tear-stricken as she wailed. "Shut her up or I will!" He yelled. With fear in his eyes, Uba smiled at Ada. "Sing for me that TV song you like". That seemed to work as she began singing.

"If she wasn't pretty, I'd kill her but she will have use to us. I'll give her months before handing her to my men to ease their stress".

"Why are you bringing them? Kill them!" One soldier yelled as they approached.

"Ah, the boy has spirit! I want him to watch as we make a woman of his sister!" They laughed and boarded the vehicle. They were both tossed behind, door slammed. Ada rushed into his arms, crying again. The pain in his right arm became intense, examining it, he found it was a deep slash. He could bleed out. He feared not for himself but for leaving Ada alone at the mercy of these beasts. He looked around for a material to cloth his injury.

"Stop crying Ada. I'm here. Just look for any cloth you can find."

She nodded and bent, searching as the vehicle swayed this way and that, climbing over bodies scattered along the road. "This?" Ada questioned as she offered him what she found. It was a grenade, how was it there? He almost tossed it but stopped to think. A terrible life awaited them. She would be abused, she wouldn't survive it. He, on the other hand would be victim of the more perverted. Either ways, they both end badly. The grenade was a blessing.

Uba smiled "Sing me that your favorite TV song again".

She sang. He pulled her close, placing a kiss on her forehead, tears from his cheeks soaked her hair. He thought of the life they could have had. He was the best runner in his town, Ada at six had the voice of an angel.

Closing his eyes in prayer to the powers that be, he pulled the cap.