Chapter 1 Take Her

The commentator held a mic while the camera focused on him. “The authorities have determined that the cause of the deaths here was due to refusal. We asked some witnesses for more information, and they claimed the outbreak was self-inflicted, as the citizens didn’t want to leave,” he announced.

Due to my incessant weeping, my eyes were bloodshot as I shot them an intense glare. While some may have tried to resist, that was no justification for their execution. I shut my eyes and tried to remember what had occurred.

Wearing a construction helmet, a man, possibly the project’s engineer or architect, raised his voice and announced, “We will give you three months, which means you will have to leave this place, whether you want to or not!”

Our neighbor, who was also alone in life and afraid of losing her home, fired back, “How did that happen? We have been here for so long. Why now?”

The engineer shouted, “It’s not our responsibility if you don’t have your land to build a home on. Go back to where you came from!” His words left us speechless, for we knew he was right. Our government had not provided us with the land we were currently living, and as a result, we were labeled as squatters, unable to acquire our own property.

After the development workers and the man we were speaking to turned away, we headed back to our homes. As we walked, I turned to my mom and shared a thought that had been on my mind for a while.

“Mom,” I said, “why can’t we just leave here? Let’s find a house somewhere else. I’m sure we can find a cheap place to rent and easily find a job, too.”

My mom listened intently, considering my suggestion. We both knew that life in our current town had been difficult, and the idea of starting fresh elsewhere was appealing.

I’m Caroline Miller. At 22 years old, I’m currently working part time at a convenience store. While I haven’t finished college, it’s not a big concern for me. Unfortunately, my parents couldn’t afford to pay for it. I’m an only child, and I always try to do my best to support my parents. Despite not having a college degree, I’m content with my high school diploma.

I snapped back to my senses when my dad pointed out our problem. “We didn’t have savings money to leave this place. If we moved then, it would have been a slow process before we got employed and paid off.”

As I reflected on the pressures of life, I couldn’t help but agree with my dad’s wisdom. Our lack of high educational attainment had made opportunities elusive for us. Feeling helpless, I sighed and made my way to the kitchen. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps behind me caught my attention. Before I could turn around, a pair of arms wrapped around me in a warm embrace.

My mother beamed as she said, “We just need a little patience. We will make it and eventually set up a house on our land.”

“Allow me to handle it, and I’ll devise an escape plan for us. Shall we dine now? I’m famished. Are you feeling hungry as well?”

As Mom pulled away from the hug, she let out a laugh. “Let’s go eat! Your father and I have been starving ever since that engineer’s shout nearly deafened us.”

As we sat in our cozy home, the sound of our laughter filled the air, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. We couldn’t help but snicker at the silly jokes being exchanged, and the feeling of happiness was apparent.

As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, the construction workers began to set up their tools for the upcoming project at our place. It seemed like only yesterday when we found out that we had to vacate the premises. Unfortunately, we were not alone in our predicament. Others had also revolted against the idea of giving up their land, especially since it was not rightfully ours to begin with.

Upon arriving home, I searched for my parents, but they were nowhere to be found. As a result, I proceeded to the back of the house, where I unexpectedly overheard them conversing.

“I’m not sure where we’ll go if they evict us from here,” my mom whispered in a pleading voice. “Do you have anyone we can reach out to? Maybe we can stay at someone’s house for a week while we figure out our next steps. We need to prepare ourselves to find a new place to move to and a job.”

“I tried to reach my old classmates and friends, but they didn’t agree,” my dad explained tiredly.

After leaving there, I walked into the house and immediately reached for my small phone. Despite its hard-to-press keypad, I persevered and dialed the name of one of my friends.

She answered my call in just three rings. “Hello, Celine? Are you busy today?”

“Not really. Why?”

Despite the noise in the background and the sound of people laughing, I mustered up the courage to ask the reason for my call, even though it was an embarrassing situation. “I would like to borrow money for our relocation expenses. I will pay as soon as I save up,” I said hopefully.

“Omg! I apologize, Caroline. Although I want to lend you money, I am unsure of how to do so. As I am currently on vacation with my family, I cannot use my card to transfer funds,” Celine explained in a rushed manner.

I heard someone calling to her in the background. She was indeed on vacation then because she had mentioned that to me. As I was about to say my goodbyes, she cut off the call. Despite feeling disappointed, I clung onto my phone and reassured myself, “It’s okay. I’ll just ask my boss for help. He will understand if I explain the situation.”

I was melancholy because I had no choice but to trust the little chance I had. I desired to be lucky at least once. I got to work early to catch up with my boss. I timed it exactly because he was about to leave. I ran and shouted, “Boss, I have something to say! Give me a moment!” I dashed while carrying my perforated bag.

“What is it?” He asked.

“Our place is going to be demolished, so we need to find a new place to live. However, the problem is that we don’t have enough money to cover the expenses. I was wondering if I could borrow some money, and if possible, deduct the payment from my work fee.”

“Why didn’t you notify me right away?” he asked with a little disbelief. “You know I will help you. As long as you work with me, I won’t hesitate.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out some money and handed them to me.

I couldn’t contain my joy, so I hugged him tightly and jumped up and down. “Thank you! Thank you so much!”

As he drove away, I couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear. It had been a great shift at work, and I was eager to share the good news with my parents. But when I called, no one answered. I assumed they were just busy, but as I arrived home, my heart sank.

Instead of being greeted by my cheerful parents, I was met with a scene straight out of a horror movie. Our home was in ruins, blood stained the walls, and the lifeless bodies of my beloved parents lay right before my eyes. I frantically searched for answers, but the only sounds I could hear were the cries of the grieving family next door. In my desperation, I approached a construction worker and pulled at his clothes, hoping he could shed some light on what had happened.

“What happened? I thought we still had a week before they would permanently evict us from here!”

“I’m sorry, miss,” the man said with a sympathetic expression, “but due to the uprising you caused, the landowner became furious. A group of insurgents aimed to destroy the equipment that was meant to be used for this project.”

.....

For the past three days, it had been raining nonstop for two days. I sat in the house that they had destroyed, waiting for my parents and the warm smile that always welcomed me whenever I came home. However, the ambulance had taken them away, and I had not heard from the hospital since then.

As I sat there quietly sobbing and enjoying the cold, lifeless rain, a foot suddenly stopped in front of me. The shoes were black and luminous, and there was a man holding an umbrella on my left side. When I lifted my head, I saw a tall, blue-eyed man with a deep and expressionless gaze. Four men wearing black tuxedos, including the one holding the umbrella, surrounded the man in front of me.

As they stopped in front of me, I felt a surge of fear and couldn’t help but ask, “W-What do you need?”

“Take her.”

As soon as I heard the man’s voice, my skin prickled. He was wearing a blue tuxedo and spoke in a cold, deep tone. His voice was perfect, yet every word seemed to carry a tinge of anger.