Imagine Me and You

The dry air swirled with dust and fine particles, making Trish and those sitting near her blink a few times to stave off an intrusion. She looked up, her brown and purple tipped hair falling in front of her sapphire blue eyes and Trish felt her heart sink. The Wild Ones-their leaders who had saved each and every one of them from F.E.A.R, were speaking in hushed tones as they looked over their leather clad shoulders at the collected group before them. The pulpit of the abandoned church they had been using to ready themselves for battle, was framed by red stained glass windows, the rising sun giving them an unearthly glow as they shined down upon the group.

Trish wrung her hands as they sat in her lap-what were they going to do? So many of their kind had been captured by F.E.A.R-her own sister Maggie included in the bunch. Should they fight? They were nearly ready-the flags with their sigils of the Legion of the Black Star and skulls sat in one corner, while their makeshift knifes and spears rested in another. Everyone around her, their black painted bodies and ragged clothes, were all tired and in need of rest, but Trish knew that was far off. With the rising sun, it would soon be time for the Wild Ones to lead them in to battle and Trish knew everyone was feeling the pressure.

Their Prophet-Andy-was currently pacing, his long black hair gleaming in the rising light as it fell over one shoulder and his eyes, ringed in coal black, looked tired as he mumbled to himself. Trish knew that he was under a lot of pressure-the latest attack on their group had been devastating-many of them had been captured, including Maggie. Trish looked up, seeing that The Deviant-Ashley- and The Mourner-Jake-were speaking quietly to a small group off to the side. The Mystic-Jinxx-who was also her cousin, was speaking with The Destroyer-CC- and both men looked grim.

They all knew this was it-the final battle and none of them even thought about their chances of survival. They all had lost so much-their homes, their loved ones and themselves. The world before F.E.A.R-while not perfect, it had been their own until one day like a great cloud, the soldiers began pouring in. The first thing they did was go to each home and remove all the males-these men, usually fathers or uncles, were taken to a training camp where they were forced into F.E.A.Rs ranks. Trish, her mother and her sister were left alone, until one day Jinxx showed up with The Wild Ones.

The small band of escaped men, in their worn leather and with tired expressions on their faces, had shown up on her doorstep, asking for a place to spend the night. Trish had only been sixteen then-just a child who looked on these men with wonder in her eyes. Their leather vests and jackets with straps hanging down fascinated Trish and Maggie, but as soon as they had shown up, they vanished into the nearby desert.

Two days after that, the horned soldiers began to show up once again, this time taking the older women. Trish watched as her mother was dragged off, her screams piercing the night until finally all was silent. The teens-abandoned and left to fend for themselves, poured out into the empty streets, holding one another as they cried at their great loss.

Trish and Maggie, along with some of the other teens in the area, decided then and there that they needed to get away. So, they quickly packed as much as they could in to bookbags and duffles and headed West. Trish knew that Jinxx and the other Wild Ones had vanished in to the desert and she was determined to find them and join their ranks. It took two years and several losses along the way, but finally she had made it. Out of the group of thirty teens, including herself and her sister Maggie, Trish and her sister were the only ones to make it to their destination and what she found when she arrived had scared her.

An empty, abandoned mining town, the water tower still the beacon of the center of town, laid before her and as she looked around Trish felt her heart sink. This was it? This was the great stronghold of the Wild Ones? As the sun began to fade, Trish and Maggie huddled down near an old shack, they were shocked to see that people began to emerge practically out of nowhere. Teens, their age and wearing rags similar to their own, were coming out of old buildings and secret underground shelters. Some of them gathered in the middle of town, lighting a large fire, while others who carried weapons and grim expressions traveled to the out skirts of town to guard their perimeter.

As they walked among the group, Trish and Maggie shared a look of disbelief. How could an Army of teenagers take down something as powerful as F.E.A.R? Suddenly a hush fell over the group and as she stood on the other side of the fire, Trish watched as five men came out from behind a building. Their pale faces were bright with the flames and Trish felt her breath catch in her throat as she looked over each one of them. They had all grown up so much in two years and as she looked towards Andy, who was now going by the name The Prophet, Trish felt her heart stop.

His blue eyes, which were clouded by coal like shadows, were sad as he stood before the group and cleared his throat. He looked determined, his jaw strong and his teeth were clenched tightly. Trish watched as everyone grew silent and Andy approached the very center of the fire. He held a hand over the flame to warm it-the night air was cold in the desert and Trish shivered just watching him. Everyone was looking at him now and Trish noticed that he was flanked on either side by the others in the group. She spotted her cousin Jinxx standing nearest to Andy’s left and Trish tried to smile at him.


“I know all of you have come here to seek out protection from the soldiers of F.E.A.R! They came in to your homes, took your parents away from you and now they are after us! We, the Wild Ones, are here to tell you that we will not let that happen! But-we have to band together as an Army to fight against their ranks!” Andy was speaking, his low voice gruff and serious as he looked over them all. Everyone was captivated by him and Trish could now see why her cousin had chosen to follow this young leader.

“We will not let them take us prisoner! Tomorrow, at dawn, we go to their stronghold and we will free those who have been captured!” Trish looked to Maggie then, the younger girl looked scared and she knew that her little sister had only wanted to stay in their house. But Trish couldn’t leave her there alone and so the girls had set off and for two years had wandered until finally they made it to where they needed to be.


The memory faded as Trish looked around, the tears springing to her eyes as she remembered her sister. Maggie had gone with the group that next day to free their mother and others, but Trish had soon lost sight of her and the young girl had been captured along with a few others. The Wild Ones had called in a retreat and everyone ran for their lives. Trish had almost been captured herself, except Ashley had come to her rescue, jumping on the solider that had been looming above her, ready to strike. He had told her to run for her life and she had done so.

That night, as she sat around the fire, Trish had cried harder than ever and everyone let her be…except one person. Andy, seeking solace from the crowd around the fire, had walked off and come upon her. He comforted her, promising that he would die before leaving Maggie or anyone else behind. It had made Trish feel better to know that he was looking out for her, but sitting in that church, waiting to fight to the death, Trish wasn’t sure what she was fighting for anymore.

Looking around, her blue eyes took everything in and she realized that others were beginning to stand, helping one another tie their masks over their faces. Andy and the Wild Ones had all walked towards the pulpit, Andy standing behind the podium as he cleared his throat.


“Legion! Hear me!” Everyone got very quiet and as Trish stood and began to ready her mask and her dagger, she listened to this man as he began to speak.

“We have fought a great fight! But with the rising sun we are possibly walking to our deaths! We have been through so much together…” He stopped and Trish noticed that Andy seemed to be looking at each and every one of them. They had been a huge group of over two hundred and now their numbers had been whittled down to thirty.

“Seeking out acceptance amongst peers, watching as our families have been broken and taken away from us one by one. I too have lost someone-someone I loved very much. She was taken away from me with the last raid. I will get my Odessa back and you all will get your siblings, your parents and your friends back as well.” He looked at them all, tugging on his leather jacket. Trish noticed that one of the long sleeves was missing, having been ripped off in the previous battle.

“This is the end! We could all die, but we are not afraid to die! We embrace our mortality because that is what makes us human! That is what separates us from the Army of F.E.A.R!” Trish felt her heart stop-she could die today…they all could.

“Fight with us! Bring your daggers and your spears! Fight with your fists and with your bodies! We fight together and we die together, but we do not die in vain! Are you with me?!” They all shouted, but Andy sighed-he knew they had more in them than that.

“We are fighting against F.E.A.R! We are telling them that we will not live by their laws or their rules. For we are many and we are strong! So! Legion of the Black-are you with us?!” They shouted, throwing their heads back as their voices rang out in a collective cry that could probably be heard for miles.


Everything became a blur as Trish and the others finished gathering their things. She moved towards the front of the group, nearest Andy and Jinxx and Trish only smiled softly as her blue eyes connected with Andy’s and they shared a moment. He had lost someone-she was gone and never coming back-but Andy knew that Trish still had people out there…they all did. She felt dizzy and so as everyone gathered into a long line, Trish tried to focus on breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth. This was it-this was her day…this was the day that they would end their battle with the great oppressor.

The sun was barely in the sky, but Trish still had to blink a few times as she emerged from the dilapidated church behind Andy and Jinxx. They were one massive line as they began their journey towards the huge building off in the distance. This was where their loved ones were being held-this is where they would have their final battle. They marched, on and on and the silence was deafening to the point where Trish wondered if she had completely lost her hearing.

The sand swirled around their ankles until finally they came to a stop. Before them-ten large horned soldiers, their sneering skeletal faces staring the group down as they faced off. The flag bearers-those brave souls who volunteered, walked to the middle of the line and stood their ground. Trish inhaled deeply, her chest heaving as she looked around at everyone. Jinxx looked indifferent, Ashley looked menacing, Jake seemed determined and CC looked angry. Andy-Andy looked scared and as she stood beside him, Trish felt him reach for her hand and squeeze it tightly. Quietly he began to hum, a song that some of them knew, but those who knew it always felt a great strength come to them when they heard it.

As Andy hummed, Trish looked to him and saw that his jaw was clenched tightly. He had lost his love, but Andy would not allow Trish to lose her own and so with much conviction, she faced forward and opened her mouth to sing.


In the end
As we fade into the night -oh whoa oh oh
Who will tell the story of your life?
In the end
As my soul's laid to rest
What is left of my body
Or am I just a shell?
And I have fought
And with flesh and blood I commanded an army
Through it all
I have given my home for a moment of glory


As they sang, their voices growing and growing, Trish watched as the massive black figures faltered and then charged. As they stood their ground, Trish never let go of Andy’s hand and he never stopped humming. Together they ran towards their enemies.

Together they ran towards Death…

Notes

So, after writing this Imagine, I have decided that one of my next stories is going to be something along the same lines. Land Of F.E.A.R will be out sometime in the spring/ summer-so watch out for it!