Doomsday Diary

It had been 18 years since the End War, and nothing had changed. The system was managed by slaves who suffered greatly and landlords who reaped the benefits while also living in terror of invasion and murder.

That day, slaves were working on a corner of the hill, hammering stone for a factory being built by a landlord named Lord Bill Clave. They'd been at it since the morning. The sun was shining brightly over their heads, yet they didn't get a single reprieve. Lord Clave arrived for a stroll that afternoon to observe how the construction was progressing. He was strolling and thinking about the world before the end of the war when slavery was illegal. He was fortunate to be able to become a landlord rather than a slave.

He came to a halt as his gaze was drawn to something. There was a slave standing there, staring him down with every ounce of defiance he could muster in every inch of his body. He was taken aback to witness that. He'd never seen anyone lift their bowed heads in all these years. He was so taken aback that he remained still at the place where he was. He was unable to move. Then the most bizarre thing occurred. The slave (boy) grinned. A genuine grin, the kind where they smile through their eyes. He hadn't seen anyone smile in such a long time in this world of misery that he assumed people had forgotten what love and hope felt like. “Who is this boy?” he was wondering as he was abruptly interrupted by an officer inquiring about some work that was still outstanding at the job site and that he needed him to be there. When he eventually looked around, the youngster was back at work. He was keen to learn more about the youngster. As he was about to depart, he thought to himself, "some other time." He had to crush out the hope, or whatever it was, lest they start a rebellion against them. “Tomorrow,” he told himself. "I'll get to it tomorrow.

********

“Papa! Why do we have to deal with all of this? Why do I have to pretend to be a guy when I am not?” she said that evening in a tent she considers it her home.

“Sweetheart! We've been through this a number of times. First and foremost, if they discover you are a woman, you will become a slave for men and pleasure. Do you want that right now? When I advise you not to talk or act like a guy, believe me, it's for your own good.”

"But, Papa!" You had recounted so many stories about how wonderful the world used to be before the war. What makes us think we can't be like that? Why can't we at least attempt to make a difference? Why aren't we fighting back?” she was speaking fast. Whenever she wanted to make a point, she spoke fast.

His anxiousness had increased as a result of this question. He secretly trained her how to fight when she was a child so that she would be able to protect herself if something went wrong. He regretted it. He shouldn't have given her so much hope and excitement by telling her all those stories. She began to challenge the present system, telling him how unfair it was to have slaves perform the labor with such little food and no breaks. He was now more concerned that she would be murdered than that she would become a man's slave. Thinking about it angered him a lot. “There will be no more questions, Andy. “My choice is final,” he shouted with clenched fists and gritted teeth.

She was deafeningly quiet for a brief moment. “You know what?! You're a coward. Maybe if Mom had been present, she would have understood what I was saying.” She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. Her father's face suddenly dropped. “Papa! I'm really sor...”

“Forget it. I'm going to cook dinner.” He mumbled, sorrowful, as he walked away from there.

Andy's eyes welled up with tears. “I am very sorry, Papa! “I didn't mean it,” she said quietly behind him before leaving the cabin to clear her mind.

**********

“I shouldn't have said that,” she thought as she raced uphill through the lanes. She walked and walked until her legs could no longer support her. It was becoming dark, and she realized she was starving. She took a glance around and saw several pebbles along the roadway. She sat there sobbing for hours. “I am sorry, Papa! “I am!” she wailed. She had no idea how much time had passed. When she looked up, everything was pitch black, except for a shining object near her. Her eyes took some time to adapt to the darkness, but once they did, she noticed a lovely heart-shaped necklace dangling from the rock. There were a few rose petals around. She gasped. She only knew they were roses because her papa had shown her some old photographs of him and her Mama kissing. Her Mama was holding a bouquet of roses, which by her father were her mama’s favorite flowers.

She herself had never seen a rose in her life. She picked the petals, touched them, smelled them, and pondered how the rose petals got here. When she took up the necklace, she felt a wonderful reservoir of warmth and hope, form in the pit of her stomach. It filled her with an unknown level of comfort. She was wearing it around her neck when something terrible happened.

Whoosh! She was surrounded by a net. Two guys emerged from behind the boulders, laughing and sneering at her. She attempted to break free from the net, but she couldn't. “Look at this tiny lass!” said one tall and dark man to the other. “Today is a lucky day for us! Let us take her to Lord Clave so that we might earn a few coins”. That's when she realized she wasn't in a disguise of a boy anymore. She forgot to camouflage herself when she left the house. “Oh! “Shoot!” she said to herself. She was, nevertheless, unnervingly serene. Her dread was relieved by the warmth of the necklace. She had no idea how. They began bringing her back to the lanes she had previously crossed.

“They're delivering me to Lord Bill Clave. It's good. In any case, I need to speak with him. I'm going to confront him about the justice of this dumb society”, her mind raced. She was taken aback by the thoughts. She had no idea where the courage had come from. Her father taught her to be fearful of becoming a hostage, being abducted, or being exploited as a slave. However, that was not the case. She didn't have even an ounce of fear.

That night flew by in a blur. The guys kidnapped her and imprisoned her in one of the ruins. They returned the next morning and carried her to Lord Clave's house. The entire house was opulent, loaded with food and fruits and pricey drapes, which irritated her. She couldn't believe the idea that the mansion was so beautiful, yet slaves only ate once a day. In the meantime, the men enquired about Lord Clave and found out he was at the worksite and took her there.

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

“The boy is not here today”. He thought while his eyes searched everywhere. “How dare he not show up today?” He was fuming.

“What happened to the boy who was working in this row?” He asked the slaves. No one talked. Everyone was terrified and kept their heads down for the fear of their lives which angered him more.

“Lord Clave” he heard someone calling.

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

He moved his gaze to her. Her slaves trembled alongside her. He took a step towards them. They bowed to him and said, "We discovered her at night behind the rocks at the end of the slave cottages." Lord Clave fixed his focus on her face, examining it. Astonishment emerged on his face after a few seconds.

“You are he!” You're the kid who smiled at me the other day.” He was thrilled. He grabbed her neck, shoved her against him, and snarled, "Who would have guessed you're a girl? A pretty one, that is?

The girl's lack of fear perplexed him. He waited for her to say something. “We need to speak, Lord Clave!” she said at last.

His perplexity grew and gave way to anxiety. He let her go. No one had ever risked speaking to him in that manner since the End-war.

“Do you think it's fair that slaves working for you die on a daily basis while you live lavishly in your mansion?” Is it really possible for you to be human? Don't you believe we should have our rights and be treated with dignity? Who decided you were better than us? You should be embarrassed by yourself. Living off the suffering of others is the most heinous thing someone can possibly do.”

The entire crowd came to a halt. Everyone was taken aback by this girl's bravery.

Lord Clave became enraged. He grabbed her hair and dragged her towards him, yelling at the top of his lungs, "HOW DARE YOU!?"

“KILL THEM! KILL EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!” he commanded the guards.

Andy let out a sigh. She knew instinctively what she needed to do. She dragged her hand which was holding the locket backward. The necklace transformed into a sword, and she plunged it into him without hesitation. His eyes widened and he collapsed on the ground. The entire group was taken aback by what they saw. He died of crushing suffocation.

They knelt before her, as if in a trance. “Please lead us fairly and justly,” they all said at the same time. She turned her gaze to the corpse beside her, the sword in her hand, and the people kneeling in front of her. She saw her Papa standing out from the crowd, with proud eyes and a small grin on his face. He gave her a tiny nod as if to reassure her that everything was OK.

“Be free.” She stated this while gazing at them. “You should never rely on someone to reign over you. My Papa is standing among you. He'll show you how to fight. Learn and stop allowing others to rule your life. Be content. Allow optimism and pleasure to flow through you.”

The crowd applauded as she raised her sword. The whole area was filled with hope and joy. They began embracing each other. Among the shrieks and shouts, her father approached her. “I have to leave,” she murmured, her eyes welling up with tears.

Her father held her and murmured something in her ear. “Go! The rest of the world needs your intervention. Just know that you will always have my love and respect and will always be proud of you.”

She squeezed her embrace tighter and walked away without looking back. She had a lot to figure out. First, about the locket, and then the world!