I'll Bring A War

I squint my eyes as I wake up and adjust to the daylight. The majority of the smog seems to have lifted as the sun shines through the fluffy white clouds in the sky. Going to sit up I realise there is something on top of my lap. Remembering the events of the previous day, I recognise Aaron asleep on my small lap. I smile to myself at his wild position, limbs all over the place, only his abdomen and head still on my lap; he reminds me of myself when I was a child, sleeping anywhere on anything, Ali always used to remark at my uncomfortable looking positions. My heart swells with sadness as I long for my brothers’ presence. I blink back the tears as Ashley approaches me. I wonder if he stayed with me last night. He must have seen the look on my face as I try to stay strong because he doesn’t even greet me before saying “Woah, you okay, Kiera?”
I play it off, “Yeah, I’m fine.” I smile at him.
“Come on Kiera, I know you’re not. You don’t have to pretend,” he laughs.
“Yeah well don’t have time to mope around, what are we doing today? Are we leaving?”
“That’s the plan. Andy wants us to leave by ten, Jinxx is making the injured stronger. We’re making our way around waking everyone up and prepping the supplies, distributing what everyone is going to carry.” He informs me.
“Well, I may not look it but I’m pretty strong,” I laugh, “Don’t be afraid to load me up good, I’m used to hauling stuff around, trust me, I used to help Ali all the time.” My voice catches and I breathe slowly to myself and swallow the lump that has formed in my throat. “We will find him Kiera,” Ashley tries to reassure me; I’ve already decided that I’m not going to get my hopes up.

Just then Aaron starts to stir in my lap and gradually wakes up. Ashley chuckles, “Well that’s my job taken care of, do you want some food little one?” Aaron's face lights up in anticipation. Ashley leaves and then returns minutes later with bread and water for us both, Aaron eats his quickly and I give him my bread as well; only taking a few gulps of water to fuel my journey. He needs it more than I do.

Little over an hour later, the camp is cleared up and it looks as though we have never been there. Seven of the people saved decide to stay in the city, which leaves eight of us, including me, as well as the guys to trek through the desert. The smaller group is helpful but I can’t help but look over the ones staying behind with sorrow. If they stay here they are sure to be rounded up by the soldiers when they undoubtedly come back. I want just one last chance to convince them to come with us. “We can’t make them,” I turn around to see Jinxx, the Mystic.
“But they’ll surly be killed next time,” I plead.
“We talked to each and every one of you separately before we started to get ready to make sure everyone was willing and wanting to come. Even little Aaron,” he explains as I look over the small boy, who was now parading around with black paint on his face and a bag on his back looking proud.

“But no one said anything to me?” I question.
“What?” A slight look of annoyance passes over Jinxx’s face as he continues, “Ashley was meant to tell you. This morning.”
“Tell me what?”
“Before you come with us we have to know that you’re going to pledge yourself to The Wild Ones. That you aren’t going to contact F.E.A.R and tell them the location of our base or pass on any information about us to them. You also need to know that we will most definitely come into some sort of danger on the way to or at the base. They aren’t exactly our biggest fans, being a rebel requires devotion to our cause and you have to be willing to fight for that cause. And ultimately, we have to tell you that you may even be killed in battle or if we come under attack.” He explains.
“Oh I knew that,” I laughed, “Ali, my brother, he explained all this stuff to me when I was younger.” Jinxx continues to study my face, waiting for something. I suddenly realise that I haven’t explicitly said that I pledge myself to them, so I confirm it with Jinxx quickly and he puts an arm around me saying, “We’ll get on just fine then.”

Whilst I put the bag of luggage on my back and pick up some other bits that are dotted around Ashley walks over to us holding some sort of weapon. Jinxx glares at him and walks over to Andy. The weapon is in some kind of belt, it looks like a knife of sorts. “Because you seem so able, Andy entrusted me to give you one of these,” he straps the belt around my petite waist. Something digs into my hip as the pressure of the weapon rests around my waist. “What is it? It shouldn’t be hurting.” Ashley says, noticing the disgruntled look on my face. “There’s something digging into my hip,” I reply, thrusting my hand into the front pocket of my faded ripped black jeans.

My hands collide with a small metal object; I pull it out of my pocket. It’s hanging on a chain, a pentagram; the same as the one Ashley has hanging around his neck. His face is one of shock and amazement. “Andy!” Andy rushes over urgently, it’s clear that he is the leader out of them. His face lights up in the same way when he sees the pentagram in my hand. Noticing the commotion, Jinxx leaves the group of the rest of the people and jogs over to us. On seeing the pentagram he looks up at me, smiling. “Does anyone want to tell me what’s going on?” I laugh at them.
“The pentagram,” Andy says, still shocked.
“Well I kind of gathered that,” I say sarcastically smiling.
“They keep the shadows away,” Jinxx replies, “The soldiers. We only have about twenty of them and they’re given to the rebels who earn them.”
“Ali had one,” Ashley joins in, finally.
“He must have tucked it in your pocket at some point before.” Jinxx suggests.
“Genius!” Andy exclaims, “That’s why they couldn’t take you Kiera. Something about the pentagrams makes the shadow soldiers unable to touch you. They can still harm you with weapons, hence the nasty cut on your head, but they can’t drag you away like the rest of the people.”
“But it was to protect Ali.” I say angrily, “Why did he give it to me?” They all look at me shocked. I thrust the pentagram towards Andy. He looks at me puzzled. “Take it. I didn’t earn it.” I tell them bitterly before walking back to Aaron, a smile plastered on my face with the weapon, now, comfortably resting around my waist and the guilt of Ali’s kidnapping eating away at my conscious.

Promptly after the pentagram discovery, we leave our camp in the city without leaving a trace behind. We sneak under the city wall through a series of tunnels that the rebels have evidently been using for years. The tunnels are dark and eerie, Aaron grasps my hand tightly as I whisper stories of The Wild Ones over his shoulder. Andy and Jinxx lead the group while Ashley and I round up the back. I haven’t properly talked to any of them since I gave them back Ali’s pentagram and Aaron proves a good distraction; no one bothers me when I’m with him. My back sweats coldly as the air breezes through the freezing tunnels. Four of the seven people were elderly and the other three looked as though they were in their thirties; two of them were supporting a woman who had been badly injured. The elderly wouldn’t have managed the weight of any supplies, they were already weak and three of them still injured, and two of the three people in their thirties were already supporting their injured friend. That left me and the guys to carry all of the supplies. I hauled a large sake of food and water onto my back, Andy carried the medical supplies and between Ashley and Jinxx all the weaponry and tools they had used to save us was shared. Ashley asked me multiple times if I wanted him to carry anything. I cut him short each time telling him that I was just as capable as him with a smirk on my face. I dropped the smirk as soon as I turned back to walking and continued my pondering over the pentagram.

Notes

Any feedback appreciated:) Got the paragraphing sorted