Martial



For Pierre, the past 24 hours felt like a dream. Alicia, the woman he envisioned himself with finally confessed her everlasting love, but as her final words. Alicia's plane experienced mechanical malfunction on a flight transporting her to Queen City to confess those feelings in person. Helpless, Pierre dropped to his knees and clinched his hands, seeking with tears for his God to intervene.

Pierre awoke the next morning to news reports of a miraculous landing, his eyes glued to the television waiting for information to confirm Alicia's safety. After several minutes, Pierre was ripped away by his doorbell. Pierre answered the door relieved to see Alicia's face, his prayer was answered.

Pierre and Alicia were carefree and happy as weeks of speculation around the planes' malfunction appeared to be a terrorist attack. All trails led back to a quisling employee of the planes' manufacturer. Leaked emails proved the conspiracy, revealing tampering instructions from the Pacificas, an anonymous terrorist group located somewhere in the region of the Pacific ocean. A list of possible future attacks designated for every city in America were also identified. Warnings from the White House recommended citizens be aware of their surroundings and mindful of how late they were away from home.

The Pacificas' century-long plan to destroy the U.S. infrastructure was heavily based on America's unwillingness to shut down the economy, even during a civil war or calamity. With that assumption, terrorists menaced American citizens by night, igniting a string of mass shootings across the country. From gyms and grocery stores to nightclubs and local bars, showing no regard for man or woman, elder nor child.

A 10 pm curfew and extra patrolling officers were put in place throughout the country as a hope to curb attacks. Liberals called for stricter gun laws as the terrorists began moving in on gang territories, sparking gun wars between the Pacificas, bloods, cris, and Police Departments. Bullets were without name, straying through houses and plastering cars, the streets were filled with lachrymators and irritants. Fear reigned over the cities as no one trusted to leave their homes. All the country waited as POTUS and the White House failed to immobilize the foreign terrors.

Meanwhile much of the chaos hadn't reached Charlotte, North Carolina where Pierre and Alicia lived in ethereal bliss. They watched as civilians sprinkled into the chaos, rioting the streets, looting stores and government facilities, firing back against the foreign invaders. Deaths soared to astonishing heights before finally seeing POTUS deploy the military; Securing government buildings, confiscating civilian weapons, and shutting down cities. Martial Law was declared.

In a serene moment after a candlelight dinner, and watching an episode of 'Sweet Tooth' on Netflix, Pierre and Alicia received an untimely knock on the door. Neither of them were expecting a post curfew visit. Pierre grabbed the machete he kept planted under the sofa and signaled Alicia to stay back. He crept towards the door, peeking through the peephole. Two Commandos stood at the door, In relief Pierre naively opened the door ready to greet the soldiers. Guns were suddenly in Pierre's face, Cadet Williams and Cadet Jameson screaming for him to put down his weapon. Pierre slowly crouched, gently setting the machete on the floor. The guards surveyed the home, noticing Alicia ducked beside the living room couch peaking over the arm, her eyes like those of a deer in headlights. The men looked at each other, Cadet Jameson kept his gun on Pierre while Cadet Williams prowled, checking for other occupants. Once cleared, Alicia and Pierre were forced to their sofa.

Cadet Williams rummaged through the couple's home searching for weapons, and calling dibs on snacks and other valuable items. Cadet Jameson on the other hand could not take his eyes off Alicia, his sight fixated on the top of her chest exposed from an open nightgown. As Williams returned to the living room Alicia caught a glimpse of Jameson and closed her gown covering. Angered by her preservation, the soldier lifted his rifle and placed the nose of the barrel inside her gown against her breasts, right beneath the gold heart shaped locket given to her by Pierre a week after the plane debacle. Pierre's eyes grew red with fury, as Jameson commanded Alicia to stand up, slowly walking her into the master bedroom. Pierre leaped up in defense of Alicia, receiving a gun butt to the stomach by Williams. Pierre slumped to his knees, hearing Alicia scream as Jameson tossed her onto the queen size bedding.

Jameson pinned Alicia to the bed as he sat on top of her, his gun 2 feet away leaned against the highboy. His body hovered over Alicia as he kissed from the top of her chest to her heart shaped locket, and with his teeth tearing it from around her neck, flinging it on the bed, with it landing beside her right arm. Alicia clinched the necklace, fighting back tears as the guard resumed kissing her neck.

Jameson slid to the edge of the bed as he unbuckled his pants, dropping his trousers to the floor. He returned to a kicking and screaming Alicia, who in her struggle split the lip of the guard. Annoyed, the guard again went to the edge of the bed, this time grabbing for his rifle. Alicia relinquished all fight, calmly lying on her back gazing at the picture of Pierre inside her locket.

Pierre finally caught his breath, resting on the couch as he helplessly listened to Alicia put up a fight. BOOM!!! The couple's house shook from an explosion 20 feet away. Pierre saw his opportunity as Williams turned his attention to the kitchen window, swiftly grasping a hold of the guard's rifle. Both men wrestled for control of the gun, plummeting to the floor after a round fired off. Pierre jumped to his feet, rifle in hand, With rage in his eyes Pierre darted to the bedroom to see Jameson climbing off the bed reaching for his gun, pants still wrapped around his ankles. A kick to the back from Alicia sent the Cadet slamming him into the wall then violently to the floor. The gun misfired, sending a bullet through his face..

The couple embraced moments before hearing more knocks at the door. Pierre picked up Jameson's rifle and gave it to Alicia, she trembled having never once held a gun. Pierre told her to just point it at a danger and pull the little trigger. Once to the door, the peephole revealed more Commandos positioned in front of their home. When no response ensued, the soldier geared himself to kick the door down, but not before loud revving engines and screeching howls came roaring down the street. Six pick up trucks of conservative rebels ready to overthrow the city bombarded soldiers with an arsenal of bullets and molotov cocktails. Pierre drug Alicia to the floor as stray bullets tore through the door and walls, with cocktails following through the kitchen window. Pierre lifted Alicia and the two scampered out the back door, heading for the main street. Alicia stopped for a second to gaze at their beautiful house burning to the ground.

A seventh pick up truck of two bored rebels, stationed a mile back as designated reinforcements, caught a glimpse of the couple and thought to have a little fun. The rebels took off after them, hooking their horns, banging the outside of the truck, howling and firing shotguns at the moon. Pierre and Alicia ducked off into the nearby woods. When the truck had come to a halt, Alicia turned around doing what Pierre had told her. Letting off a round Alicia fumbled the gun as the kickback sent her tumbling to the ground.

The rebels taunted Alicia as they hopped out of the pickup truck with guns, two Catahoula Leopard dogs, and molotov cocktails to light the way. Pierre grabbed Alicia and continued running. The lazy rebels searched the woods for ten minutes before releasing the hounds. The couple traveled the wooded area nonstop through the early hours of the morning, until Alicia could no longer run, her feet and ankles swollen. Stopping to rest behind a willow oak tree, their eyes twinkled with fatigue, and their eyelids as cinder blocks.

Snaps of broken twigs awoken the couple, Alicia's scent like a GPS, leading the dogs to their exact locus. Alicia saw the hero look in Pierre's eyes and knew he was up to something. Pierre handed Alicia his rifle, gazing deeply into her eyes, his fingers gently placing strands of hair behind her ear. He kissed her forehead then took off running with the dogs in hot pursuit. Pierre ran until dawn, by then thirst and hunger had taken away his strength. Pierre turned around and the dogs had caught up, the first one launched at him latching onto his forearm and shaking him to the ground. With his remaining strength Pierre used the first dog to shield him from the second. Pierre closed his eyes and rested his head, accepting fate.

Pow! Rifle bullets blasted through the ribcage of the pitbull lockjaw to Pierre's arm. Pow! A second shot rang striking the neck of the pitbull tugging at his pant leg. In relief Pierre remained supine on the ground, his chest and belly fluctuating from heavy breathing. Alicia had found an idealistically reformed community nearby who warned for many years prior of a coming carnage. Alicia dashed over, nose diving to Pierre's side, kissing him like their first time. Alicia helped Pierre to his feet, walking him over to meet the man that saved his life.

The End.