Melissa's Story of Artillicus

Melissa woke up with a headache she knew would be painful and intense. Stupid wine, she thought, dragging herself towards her kitchen and giving herself the necessary shot to aid the hangover. She turned back towards her unexciting apartment, surprised to see Kaleb asleep on the couch. I remember most of the night. I don’t think I did anything... I remember suggesting it but that was in a role-play. It was a game. Just one of my stories. Right? Kaleb shifted on the couch, a soft moan coming from his chapped lips. For a moment Melissa considered his actions, how they always suggested something more, how that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. But then she decided that he would never want that and turned back to her kitchen.

Melissa poured a glass of water and, after a few sips, set her drink on the counter and walked over to Kaleb. She hated to wake him but he didn’t look comfortable on the couch at all. His feet hung off the edge and the corduroy had left lines running down his cheek. Melissa rested her hand on his shoulder and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

“Kaleb? Come on Cub, wake up.” He moved slightly but didn’t wake up. She sighed and tried again, finally content when he sat up, his eyes still closed, and muttered a good morning. “Cub? Come on, you can go back to sleep but I want you to try and move over to my bed.” Kaleb squinted his eyes open and allowed her to pull him up by the torso and guide him down the hall. He fell down on her soft bed sheets and fell back asleep instantly. Melissa giggled. She slipped off his dress shoes from the night before and covered him with the blankets. Before she walked out of the room, she brushed her hand over his forehead, tangling her fingers through his hair. He smiled the slightest in his sleep and Melissa smiled too, before laying on his chest and drifting off herself.

In her dream, she didn’t smile. It was a memory. She saw everything.

His name was Dane. He was everything to Melissa. She was nothing to him. But she didn’t know that. It was a cruel game, Dane played. He would kiss her every morning. Tell her he loved her. Then he would go to a pub. He would come back late and hit her, yell at her, and spit in her face. Melissa was dreaming of a specific time. He came home and smiled, his words slurred and slow as he asked her why she was always with the stupid market boy, Kaleb. She didn’t answer him but told him it was late now, and she had been asleep. Suddenly, Dane was harsh. He was worse then a devil. His mood changed so easily one could not easily keep up. Melissa ducked when he swung his fist at her but fell into the fire. She rolled out quickly and sprang up, fearing what would come next. Now, Dane beat her unmercifully. Her eyes were swollen to the point where she couldn’t see. Her hair was tangled and matted with blood and it hurt to even inhale due to broken ribs. The rest was hard for Melissa to remember. It was a dizzy haze. He did hurt her more. She just didn’t tell anyone. Not even Kaleb. Dane left that night, meaning to allow Melissa to perish on the floor of her own apartment. But when Kaleb hadn’t seen her the next morning, he knew something was wrong.

Melissa recounted everything to Kaleb, how Dane would hurt her, make her pretend nothing happened, tell her it was just the alcohol talking.

“A drunk man speaks a truer tongue then the sober,” Kaleb said.

“Does that mean it was all true? What he said about how stupid I am or how much I do wrong?”

“No. It’s more what he believes to be the truth. And I guess that means it’s what he thinks of you.”

“Oh.”

“No- I mean, Mel. Just think of it this way. He’s a jerk. He takes everything you offer him for granted. Then he lets slip his stupid perception of you. It’s not necessarily true, OK?”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”

Melissa woke up with a start.

“Mel?”

“Yeah?”

“There’s someone at the door.”

“You could answer it!”

“Except it’s not my house.”

“Oh. Right,” she said, dragging herself from the bed. Outside the door stood a tall man wearing purple military robes and a Leader’s Official badge. “Can I help you?”

“Hello, I represent Leader Oscar. A last-minute assembly is being called. At three suns past noon today the entire kingdom will meet to hear an official announcement. It’s required. Guards will be searching every house so if anyone thinks they’ll try to avoid going, we’ll know. Attendance is mandatory.”

“Thank you, sir.” The guard left and Melissa ran back upstairs.

“Cub, assembly today at 3-suns-noon.”

“Ugh. Mandatory?”

“What do you think?” Melissa said, plopping back down on the bed. Kaleb groaned.

They walked down the road to the assembly together, but not touching. Not holding hands either. They were just together. Melissa shivered as a gust of wind nearly knocked her over and shoved her hair into her eyes. Kaleb wrapped his arm around her shoulder for a moment, then they went back to their silence. Only Kaleb didn’t like silence.

“Mel?”

“Hmmm?”

“Tell me more, about what happened with Dane.”

“Oh, well what do you want to know?”

“It really- really doesn’t matter. Just figured, well...”

“Dane was,” She paused, her voice soft, “Dane was the only guy I’ve ever thought I loved. And well, it seemed worth it at the time. It was all worth it: getting hit, watching him come home drunk, putting up with him when he was out of money, it all seemed worth it.”

“You realize that you’re better then that, right?”

“Hmm?”

“I mean, look at yourself. Why would you ever put up with him?”

“You do crazy things when you’re in love,” Melissa shrugged.

“No,” Kaleb stopped in the middle of the street and pulled Melissa in front of him. “Mel, were you honestly in love with the guy? I mean I’m not really one who knows this stuff but, really. You could not have been in to him at all.”

“When you love someone, Kaleb, not that you will ever know, but when you love someone you’ll put up with their faults.”

“Mel, wait,” but she was busy walking away.

Melissa didn’t stop thinking about Dane. He was the worst thing to ever happen to her. And the best thing. It was Dane. When he was sober and in a good mood, he was amazing. He was sweet and wonderful and he said he loved her. It seemed to her that the worst part was that she believed him. Melissa hadn’t noticed she had tears in her eyes until she saw her reflection in the windows of the Assembly Stadium. She couldn’t decide what she was crying about though.

Kaleb was nearly kicking himself for upsetting her. He couldn’t believe he would say stuff like that to her. If anything she was the only person who made him feel somewhat close to what she was talking about. Not that she had faults like that jerk, Dane. Melissa was perfect and the only thing wrong with her was she wasn’t into him. He didn’t think she was anyway. The problem was that he didn’t actually know.

Melissa sat away from Kaleb in the stadium. The weather was nice so the roof was off and the bright sun was shining warmth on her face. The center podium was facing her direction with TVs hung around for others to see. Bold white letters were printed on the screen:
“Please put in your earpieces.”

Above the podium the Artillicus flag was waving high and the emblem bearing for everyone to see. A short man ascended from the staircase leading to the podium.

“Ahem-hem. Today we both mourn and rejoice. For centuries Artillicus has been above and beyond when it comes to our morals and technology. When we are compared to other countries and kingdoms we hold a high position. Others seek our knowledge, our military, our government. And we live on. From the first Leader, Leader Grahm, to the latest, Leader Oscar, we have always been lead to victory!”

Melissa yawned. It was really very hot out. The sun felt so good on her face, even if it made her sleepy. She closed her eyes and laid her head back, letting the warmth make her forget Kaleb. Make her forget everything wrong with her today.

“Artillicus began in the year of the genesis. Leader Grahm decided the kingdom would be built on the mesa. It didn’t take long and he was a natural at guiding the city. He was chosen because he could get people to listen to him. He was intelligent. And it was he who decided on the government. Kingdom is a loose term for what we are because we have no king. It’s just us. The king that listens to the people wishes and does not tax or ask for slave labour in return is a Leader. So we moved on. We prospered under the guidance of a Leader.”

Kaleb frowned. His headset was getting fuzzy and he was very, very tired. He looked down the stadium a few rows. Melissa’s hair was shining brightly and she was smiling, her eyes closed lightly. Of course, she was basking in the sun. She was practically a sun creature. Kaleb looked away from her and stared at a crack in the ground. Leader’s scribe had a monotone voice and nobody wanted to listen anymore.

“Leader Oscar has taught our great kingdom many things in our government and the rest of our lives. We thank him. He is the equivalent of a god among us. And now, he takes a higher place in our minds as we welcome a new opinion to our world. We are a mourning group, now. I regret to inform you that Leader Oscar is dead.” A lot of grumbling came from the crowd and a loud screech was sent into the earpieces to quiet them. “Yes, Leader Oscar is dead. But it is time we welcome a new word. It is the time for change. Just as I regret the information of Leader Oscar’s death, I am very pleased to introduce, our new leader.”

A man with bleach-blond hair and piercing blue eyes rose from the stair case. He cast a smile that some swooned over but made Melissa sick to her stomach. She turned and ran towards Kaleb.

“Give a hand to Leader Dane!”

And she collapsed in Kaleb’s arms.