Leader's Quarrels

The air was cold in the big town. Although it wasn’t much of a town, more like a permanent campground/prison. Scott rubbed his hands together as he inched his hands towards the warm coals. The pitiful coals represented the Horsh life perfectly. Most Horsh sat there, waiting for the perfect chance to strike, but never doing anything and die. The Horsh just stare at the peace keepers the Franette sent, or as the Horsh call them, Beaters. They stare with anger in their eyes, but sorrow in their heart. The beaters don’t just pick on the weak; they kill the innocent, and destroy anything that walks in their path. Horsh are like black cats to the Franette, stray and unlucky.

“I’m going tonight,” Faith, Scott’s friend, stated. “I don’t care if they punish me, this is our land. Not theirs. I just thought you should know that.”

Scott grabbed Faith and opened his mouth to say something. Faith knew what he wanted to say and tried to pull away.

“Hey! Are you fighting down there?” A beater shouted from the rusty platform above.

Quickly Scott let go. Faith stepped out of his reach and walked away at a fast pace. Unable to catch up, Scott could only watch her long black hair sway behind her as she walked. He couldn’t chase after her with the beater watching.

Nobody wants to look suspicious with beaters keeping eyes on them. Scott just sat down and continued to warm his hands. After five minutes or so, he turned to see that the beater was gone and he was ready to face Faith.

He strolled down the street passing by the sick and wounded. A few of the people like him, we simply just walking places, but for the majority he was walked down their home. Since the Horsh community was created the population has doubled. There was only a few extra tin houses created, leaving many family’s homeless. Scott turned into one of the occupied homes and pecked inside.

“Hello Mrs. Darrow. Do you know where Faith is?” He asked trying not to alert her that her niece would be doing something illegal.

“Yes, she’s in her room. Knock before going in, please. She asked for privacy when she came in.”

“Thank you. Have a nice evening.”

Scott walked towards the small hallway and tapped on the room on the left. The door opened a crack and Faith sighed. She opened the door for Scott and he walked in. There was a single window parallel from the door with a torn rag as a curtain. Two unstable bunk beds on both sides being supported by anything that was available at the time. Scattered around was a few trinkets to remember the good times in life. Scott had only been inside Faith’s room a few times, each time he was happier that he had a small family.

“Get in.” Faith said as she went to close the door. “So are you coming to hunt with me or not?”

“No, of course not. I’m not stupid Faith but apparently you are. The beaters won’t care that you’re 16. You’re just vermin to them. Hunting is illegal and has been for 5 years. Going hunting and getting caught won’t cause everyone to revolt against the beaters. Nobody has the will to fight anymore.”

Faith sighed and looked at him. Her dark skin was pale and her bright brown eyes were no longer furious, but scared. She played with her necklace that surrounded her smooth brown neck and starred down at her feet.

“I know that, Scott. I know I’m going get in trouble.” She sat beside her equipment and game bag that she placed on her bed. “I also know that people are starving, and have been for years. The beaters are taking away who we are. They’ve taken my parents, and your mother. Think of all the things they’ve taken from our people. We are no longer people; we are just lifeless zombies waiting to die. I’m not going to be stupid. I’m going to send people the message that I’m not willing to take the Franette’s crap.”

Scott took a deep breath and looked up at her. His green eyes matched her brown ones. They weren’t scared anymore. It was almost like he could feel the fury she felt, but in reality he didn’t feel fury. He didn’t feel angry even, just tired. He was tired of the beaters and the Franette. Why couldn’t the Franette just leave him alone?

“I’ll help you when you fall, but I won’t help you fall.” Scott answered.

He got up and left her saddened and alone in her bedroom and he made his way out the door.



Scott walked towards his home and waved at the few friends on the streets who were awake. The sky was quite dark now and the air was much colder. He entered his house and felt instantly warmer. Scott’s father, Wayne had managed to put together a lively fire. Wayne was smiling and looked happy as his only child strode through the door.

“And what have you been up to today?”

Scott didn’t say anything but merely shrugged, not that he knew what that meant. He went into his room and grabbed some parchment, then returned to the living room/kitchen. Scott and Wayne Malik live alone. Scott’s mother died around 5 years ago after the purging of the Horsh. During the purging, the strong willed fighters were taken down, as well as most of the hunters. Luckily Scott wasn’t caught. Franette wouldn’t think eleven and twelve years old would be taught such things. Sometimes he could feel his mother close to him though. The feelings of the hunt came back to him and he wanted to run, dodging the tall trees with his bow in his hand. Unfortunately he can’t hunt, no matter how much he wants to.

Scott put the parchment on the kitchen table and continued to draw a map. He wanted to make a map just in case he’d need it. He knew places but he thought it would be nice to know where everything connected. It was easy to sneak around inside of the walls; it was just hard to get on the outside. Every child knew the secrets of the wall.

It didn’t take him very long to finish drawing; he’d been working on it for weeks. Scott looked outside of the hole in the wall (window), and saw a lady dressed in black walk past. It was obvious who it was. Faith was going to do the stupidest thing possible.

“Dad, I’m going to the bathroom! I’ll be back!” Scott said as he stashed his map in his pocket and ran out the door.

“Our bathroom is over there…” Wayne said pointing to a steal door.



“Scott get out of here!” Faith said as she snuck in between a crack in the wall. “I’m going alone.”

“Stop it! You’re not going!”

“You think I’m just going to let everyone starve!” Faith snapped as she pushed Scott back in Horsh territory.

“No but this is not the answer!” Scott said sternly and louder.

“Hey what are you doing? Get in here!” A beater began to yell at the two.

An alarm went off and more beaters were coming. Instead of pushing Scott away, Faith grabbed him and began to run. They got past the bare stretch and made it to the forest. Adrenaline ran through their vanes. Reality hit them that they couldn’t run back. Scott grabbed Faith’s hand rather than her pulling on his arm. The trees reached out to touch the visitors but the couple stopped for no one. They ran faster and faster. They felt as if nothing could stop them, as if their problems were in a different world. Their pain washed away and strength overcame them.

“Wait.” Scott said as he snatched Faith bow. He pulled back the string and placed an arrow in between his fingers. He could feel his muscles working. His mother’s voice was all around him engulfing him into madness shoot. His fingers let go. The arrow whistled past the trees and mocked the beaters as it crippled ones knee. “That felt good.”

“What are you doing?” Faith freaked out. Scott grabbed her and ran a bit further.

“What? They’re trying to kill us!” Scott exclaimed. Faith rolled her eyes and kept running.