Rebirth Anniv. Chapter I

As Valerie and I slowly crept out of the compound, I noticed that the guards weren't paying any attention to their usual routes and such. This was also grabbing Valerie's attention and she seemed to notice that there weren't any guards or personnel watching the compound's courtyard. I could actually feel the cold and brisk wind slowly breezing through the cracks of the torn prison we were in.

"Freeze!!"

We both stopped where we were and saw several guards pointing their guns at us. I felt my heart begin to pound away as we were soon cornered.

"You're not going anywhere..." said one of the guards, "Taste death, pigs!"

I felt my life begin to flash before my eyes, as they charged their guns. I could remember being born into the world, knowing that the compound was to be my home and forever will. You see, about twenty years ago, these black creatures...known as Souless, came into America and began ravaging everything in their paths. All of those mindless beings were controlled by an animal that was about as tall as an average human. Nevertheless, this animal never showed any mercy to the people that either ran from these terrible creatures or faced them head on. In a desperate attempt to save the many who were still alive, the government decided to call in nuclear strikes to stop the Souless, but to no avail had it succeeded. It only made them stronger and wiser with each passing second along the lines of their assault.

As the animal that led these creatures towards the nation's capital, the president knew that it was the right moment to surrender. The animal burned our nation's flag and replaced it with a different one that represented several symbols...one I haven't seen before. Right as they took America, the Souless created labor camps that were meant to find gems beneath the earth...ones of pure wealth and power. I was only two at the time, so I wasn't sure what was going on at all. My mother kept me safe from the Souless every chance she had, knowing that they would try and capture me. I didn't know what they found about me being so special...but I know that she kept me warm and safe. By the time I was nine, she woke me up from my slumber and told me it was time to go. I followed her through the obstacles and we came close to the exit. Right as we were about to leave, the guards grabbed my mother and separated us. I shouted and screamed for my mother as they put her head on a block. It was also the last time I saw my mother, as the guards dragged me to a different place and positioned me in a hole.

They starved me...tortured me...tormented me. I had lost my will to live as the years passed until my twenty-first birthday came. I was mining a boulder with a pickaxe as the day grew hot and humid. All was as it was until I began hearing some commotion coming from the only exit in the compound. I saw several guards holding a woman against her will and shocking her to tranquilize her wild spirit. To no avail, had it all worked...it only made her even more enraged at them. In a sudden minute, she broke free of their grasp and began running for the exit, but didn't get far. The Warden of the compound and ruined prison had come for an inspection and found her running into him. He only smacked her down, knocking the wind out of her.

"Pheh..." said the warden, "You think you can escape, girl?! This place, along with so many others...is locked up tight to hold people like you in here...you'll never leave and never see the sun again."

He walked away with a hearty laughter and left her to stand up again. I went back to work and only struck the boulder twice, removing some of the shale and seeing something...like a ruby that had a darker streak in the middle. I looked around and didn't see a guard anywhere, so I grabbed the gem quickly and put it in my pocket.

'I don't know if I'll be executed for taking something this small...' I thought, '...either way, I find this gem...to be very different from the rest.'