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The Butterflies

The Rising of the Chosen part 1

By Hailey Alexandria BaldwinPublished 3 years ago 6 min read
3
The Butterfly

I couldn’t keep the tears from trickling down my face. “Micah!!!,” came waling out of me before I could bother to care who heard. The loud thud of my heart slowly faded from the ringing in my ears. Shiny spots blurred my vision, and the silent forest circled in to suffocate me. I knew that if I didn’t catch my breath and keep moving, I would suffer the same fate! I buried my head in his chest and whispered between forced breaths,”I will love you all the time and everyday.” I kissed his once perfect lips that would now turn cold and blue, and I retreated into the black of the night.

Micah always knew what to do, and honestly I didn’t know how we had gotten lucky enough to make it this far. How will I make it alone.... Because of him, I survived the entire last year, and leaving him lying there was the hardest decision Ive ever had to make. I just couldn’t drag his body and make it to the next safe house. I could barely even carry my backpack without my arms shaking, but I needed all the supplies I could get because it would take at least a few days for me to find my way through the Sabine Forest. Avoiding the animals would normally be the scariest thing, but now, getting blown up or poisoned by the experimental, extermination traps, which were laid out for the “rebels in hiding”, was at the top of my list.

Last year, the President, Douglas Turner was assassinated, and before we could begin investigating, over half of the population my parents and little brother included, disappeared right out of their clothes. Planes fell out of the sky, and vehicles without drivers crashed across the globe. Mass chaos spread like a virus, and without a leader, America was an easy target. No one truly knows what happened. Some say aliens, and some are spouting off religious theories. My mom had once said something about the rapture. It could be a coincidence. I personally believe it was planned by someone to control the population.

The strange thing is that there are no children under the age of 13 anywhere, and as far as I know, no one is able to have kids. Those who were pregnant before the vanishing, lost their babies without even miscarrying. Dr. Ben Yo-Tó, a world renowned scientist and politician is the only person the radio will broadcast, and according to his recent findings, reproduction won’t be a problem. Trials and testing for implants began in China, probably before the disappearances, but are now mandatory everywhere for anyone between the ages of 13 and 26. If you are “chosen,” you’re set up in a camp, and considered a “population saver” aka a human breeding horse. Those who aren’t fit to give birth are sent to a work camp to “rebuild the world together.” Unfortunately for both groups of women, they were all microchipped and are pretty much humanoids now.

Seven days before his death, Micah swore to me that he would get me out alive, but little did I know that it would cost him his life. When crap hit the fan we packed our bags, left the city, and immediately headed to our cabin deep in the woods. He knew this would be the safest option, but the exoskeleton soldiers poisoned the wings of butterflies with a substance used to track and kill those of us who refused to receive the chip. Apparently the stupid implant repelled them, but Micah and I didn’t care, we would not become guinea pigs for this “new world government.”

For a whole year we were able to hide from the soldiers and their butterflies, but we were running out of food. We needed to make a move, and of course, Micah had a plan. His buddy Caleb had a house in a small town about 21 miles south of Beaumont, and he decided we were going. The plans was to ride the four wheeler until we ran out of gas and then foot it from there. We loaded up and started on our way, but 15 miles away from the house we heard a *boom.* Micah got off of the four wheeler and discovered that a trap hidden under some brush busted our tire.

“What in the world!! Why us?! I can’t take it anymore” I screamed! Micah tried to stay positive, even though I was hysterical. “You’re gunna be fine,” he said leaning in to kiss me. My lips tingled and for a second, I felt safe, but when he pulled away, I was horrified. A beautiful, blue butterfly was fluttering its wings on his forehead. I jumped and tried to swat it away. “No!! Run!!! Run Miranda!!” I froze. “Did you not hear me run?!” He screamed over and over until my feet started moving underneath me. When they finally stopped, he was still behind me. The butterfly was gone, but so was his smile. “I’m not going to make it baby.”

Everything in my stomach violently poured out of my mouth, and I almost hit the ground. “No Micah! No! You can’t leave me!” He pulled my chin up and looked deep into my eyes and softly said, “I will love you all the time and everyday. I promised you I’d get you out, and I will be with you every step of the way, even when I’m gone.” I melted into a balling messing while he held me tightly. I don’t wanna live without him. Why couldn’t the butterfly just get me too!? Before I could verbalize my feelings, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a heart-shaped locket. “This was supposed to be your birthday present, but you need it now. It was momma’s. On the back you will find the coordinates to her safe house. It was only meant for us if things got really bad, but you need to go there now. Do not leave until things are better. There’s more than enough supplies to last you at least 3 years if you ration properly.” He kissed me one more time and pushed me forward to keep moving.

We walked for what seemed like hours, and Micah grew weaker and weaker with every step. He grabbed my arm, and his skin was already cold and clammy. “I need to rest.” He found a stump, and let his body slide down against it. “They’ve probably already started tracking me babe,” he said. “I can feel them.” I told him that we would be okay, and that I would grab some firewood to rest for the night. When I finished collecting wood, I found the most horrific surprise. Micah was motionless. I hoped that he had only fallen asleep, and that I could tell him I loved him one more time, but I was too late. He was gone.

The darkness of the forest and the tragedy that I had just experienced swallowed me whole. I knew the coordinates and the directions to my destination, but it seemed ages away. I can’t tell my left from my right, and I keep hearing voices in my head telling me to give up now. I grasp the locket around my neck and run until I find a small cave that looks safe enough to crash in for a night. God knows I need the rest. Caleb’s safe house was closer than Micah’s mother’s, but I knew where I needed to go.

To be continued....

Sci Fi
3

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