Tag: Political

Betrayal | Uniform 21

“Stop shooting.” Kiara told them as she picked up Paul’s gun and slotted it through the gap in the boxes. With a small push, she sent the gun across the floor towards the soldiers. Their second gun soon followed.

“Move the boxes.” The group looked at her strangely but followed her orders. She stepped between the boxes with her arms raised and spoke to the soldiers.

“My name is Kiara Westwood, I am the leader of this task force. You asked for Matthew, but he never joined us on this mission. He deemed it too dangerous with the recent rise in government security after our recent raids. Take me prisoner in his place if you wish, but spare my team.”

“Do you reckon she’s telling the truth?” One of the soldiers asked to the others. A wiry man stepped out from between them. Kiara recognised him as a 1-star who had recently joined the cause and was staying in their warehouse.

“She’s Matthew’s second in command. I doubt that they would both be on a mission, especially with the increased government security. I think she’s telling the truth, but she might be just as valuable to us as Matthew. She’s his link to the 1-stars. He doesn’t know enough about how they are run or how to control them without her.” Kiara ground her teeth with each piece of information the 1-star shared with the soldiers. When he finished a guard at the front signalled to her and three guards stepped up to restrain her. Kiara followed them, calm and unresisting. When they were down the hall four gunshots sounded. Tears sprang into her eyes, but she didn’t turn. She didn’t look back. She knew her team was dead.

Matthew nearly broke down when he saw Kiara being led out. He had run from the window and hidden in a forested area by the granary, unable to leave his team and Kiara behind. He couldn’t escape without knowing his team’s fate. He watched as the soldiers poured out, hoping that the rest of his team would be with them. His hope was lost as the last soldier left the building. He watched the soldiers climb into their trucks and prepare to leave. Suddenly, his heart rate shot up and a silent gasp flew from his mouth when he saw someone who he recognised talking with the last group of soldiers. A single name left his lips.

“Altair?”

So what do you think about Altair’s return? Was anyone expecting that? What do you guys think will happen to Kiara now? Follow me to get notifications on the next posts and comment any thoughts or ideas regarding the story. I’d love to hear them!!!

A Lost Friend | Uniform 20

Kiara turned away from the window and called the others to her side.

“Matthew needs time if he’s going to escape the soldiers. Take the metal boxes against the wall there and build a barricade. Leave space for us to shoot through though.” The group sprang into action as Kiara continued thinking of a plan.

“Good, they know we are here but they might not know how many of us there are. When they come here do whatever it takes to make them think that there are many of us. I know we only have two guns but the rest of us can still help. Throw things, make noise, anything to slow them down.” The group settled in behind the makeshift barricade and collected any loose items to throw over the boxes. Moments later the footsteps of soldiers neared.

“It’s unlikely that we’ll get out of this unharmed, so I wanted to say that it has been an honour to work with you. Even though we might fall, our people will survive and the revolution will continue.” With grim expressions, the group turned to the approaching soldiers and lifted their weapons. Gunshots sounded moments later and two soldiers fell to the ground, dead. A yell was heard signalling their location and the Kiara knew that they wouldn’t have long before bullets from dozens of guns rained down on them.

The next wave of soldiers arrived, more prepared than the previous soldiers. Though the group continued shooting at the soldiers and throwing bricks, rocks, and even shoes at them the soldiers remained undeterred, waiting for the group to run out of ammunition. Occasionally the soldiers would shoot back at the group but most shots hit the boxes. Kiara knew that their luck was bound to run out though and was proven right when she heard a pained grunt beside her. She turned in time to see Paul fall onto the ground, his gun lying next to him, lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling. Kiara choked on a sob and looked at the remainder of her group.

So Matthew has been given a chance to escape but he’ll have to leave Kiara behind to do so. Will he leave or try to rescue them? Will Kiara and what remains of her team survive or will they join Paul in death? So I’ve been editing the second part of yesterday’s post and 300 turned to 700 words so I’ve split it again. A big reveal will happen in the next instalment so be sure to follow the blog to be notified when it’s up! Also, if you have any ideas for the story be sure to comment them! I will read them and try to incorporate them into the story! 

Tears and Goodbyes | Uniform 19

Matthew rushed into a new room only to grow disappointed once more. The room seemed to serve as storage for some large machines but Matthew could not see how that would help them escape.

“Over here!” Matthew turned at the exclamation and ran towards the voice. He was the last to arrive and saw that the group was crowding around a window against the far wall.

“We could break the window and leave that way. The chances of us escaping without being spotted are slim though.” Matthew agreed with Kiara but couldn’t think of a better alternative. The grim expressions worn by his team showed that his sentiment was mirrored in each of their minds. Matthew knew that they were unlikely to escape but spoke up anyways.

“We’ll have to try. If we are quiet and fast enough then we might slip away. The night should provide enough cover if we are lucky.”

“No. If all of us try to run then the risk of being found increases. Matthew, you need to run. You are too valuable to the revolution and I’m not sure we could handle losing you. The rest of us are disposable. We can distract the soldiers long enough for you to escape.” Tears were building in Kiara’s and Matthew’s eyes by the end of her argument, neither ready to say goodbye.

“There has to be a better way! There must be something we’re missing!”

“You know there isn’t Matthew, and even if there was we don’t have time to figure it out anymore.”

“I won’t leave without you Kee!” Kiara smiled at the pet name and sighed, knowing that Matthew would not change his mind.

A small explosion shook the building as the main door was blown up. The pounding feet of the soldiers rushing into the building cut through the deafening silence that followed the explosion.

Knowing that their time was quickly running out, Kiara turned to Matthew and nodded, barely holding back tears.

“Alright, but hurry. I’ll be right behind you.” Matthew smiled at her and turned to the window. He took off his jacket and pressed it against the window to muffle the noise when Paul, one of their two lookouts, broke the glass with his gun. It was a big drop so instead of jumping, Matthew was lowered out of the window by Paul before dropping down the rest of the distance. When his feet landed on the ground he stepped back and looked up towards the window where Kiara stared back at him, tears flowing freely down her face.

“I’m sorry Matthew, but this is the best chance we have. Run! We’ll give you enough time to escape.”

Hey! I’ve followed your suggestions so now Matthew will escape! This post was actually twice as long because I got sucked into the new storyline I’m creating now and couldn’t stop writing. On the bright side it means that I’m ahead for tomorrow’s post and can assure you that it’s a good one!

Let the World Burn | Uniform 18

By the time the infiltration was initiated, the revolution was no longer peaceful. Within a week over 20 government buildings and offices, had been destroyed throughout the capital. With each demolished government institution the revolution grew. People in other cities across the country had begun removing their ties and siding with the 1-stars. No longer could the government contain the protests to a single city.

Three days after the government had sent a spy into the warehouse, a report was delivered to the government. A large picture of Matthew slipped out when it was opened. On the back of the picture were details of the next raid that Matthew would join. It would be at a granary near the outskirts of the city and would occur the next day. Only a small group was going, to remain inconspicuous. It would be the perfect opportunity to capture Matthew.

A military convoy lay hidden behind the granary for three hours before Matthew and his team showed up. The group entered the granary and after waiting a few minutes for the lookouts to relax, the military team sprang into action. They surrounded the granary and shone bright lights at each of its walls before calling out to Matthew. They warned that if he didn’t exit the granary peacefully to be detained then they would use force against him and his companions.

Matthew scanned the building looking for another way out. His raid group quickly joined him and spread along the building searching in each room. The military convoy outside began to grow restless and as they continued calling for Matthew’s surrender, the rebels began to lose hope. They were down to searching through the last rooms for a way out and knew that even if they found it, their chances of escaping before the military force barged in to capture them were slim.

Hi guys! So the revolution is growing but things are not looking too good for Matthew at the moment. I’ve embedded a poll under this to see if you guys think that Matthew should escape or be captured. I have two ideas in mind but would like to hear what you think. Fair warning, the story will be shorter if he gets captured. As always I hope you are enjoying reading this! I will definitely post something tomorrow but it might not be the next part of Uniform depending on how the poll goes.

From a Spark to a Flame | Uniform 17

As he spoke the last words, Matthew removed his tie and was met with a deafening roar as everyone in the crowd removed their ties as well.  Together they raised their ties to match Matthew before throwing them onto the ground. Fuelled by their anger and determination, the crowd rushed out of the warehouse and onto the streets of the city.

The city centre was soon filled with 1-stars chanting various messages; Remove your ties; Cut ties with the government; We will rise as one and become the brightest star in the night. Some 1-stars would break off from the group and go to other streets stopping pedestrians and making them hear the truth about the 1-stars. No one joined the cause the first day, but the 1-stars weren’t deterred by this.

News quickly reached the government of the revolution but as no one had joined the 1-stars, the government remained faithful to their system of propaganda against the 1-stars. They did retaliate to the situation though, releasing mass alerts to the citizens that the 1-stars had become increasingly violent and should be avoided if seen.

Despite this, the 1-stars continued their marches: chanting and advertising the truth to the public. A week later, they had their first recruit: a 3-star scientist who had been curious to see the reason behind the sudden aggression. That night, as the 1-stars returned to their warehouses, the only thing left behind, was the scientist’s tie.

Over the next couple of weeks, the number of recruits increased almost exponentially. One week one person would join, the next it would be three, the next seven would join, then ten. These recruits would return to their families and friends and would continue to spread the truth until dozens of people would join weekly.

When a thousand people had joined the 1-stars, the government could no longer see this as a failed revolution. It was now a very real threat. The government decided the best way to quench the flame would be to extinguish the source of the anger: their leader. To find out who this was, they decided to send an agent to infiltrate the 1-stars and discover the identity of the leader.

Hey! So the revolt is starting to be successful but what does this mean for Matthew? The government is looking for him. Will they find him? What will they do if they find him? Stories almost done and the next post will be up tomorrow!

Sparks of a Revolt | Uniform 16

“For half a century now, the government has held power by making a mockery of any opposition. Among us today we have dozens of politicians, teachers, doctors, and other community leaders forced to hide away in shame after losing their stars. The labelling of political enemies as subhuman has gone unchallenged for too long. Most of us have lost everything we have ever known, and those of us lucky enough to cling to some semblance of their previous lives only stand to lose if we don’t fight this oppression. We may be few, but together we can become a force to be reckoned with. Let the people regret what they have turned us into. They have made us outcasts, but let us turn our disgrace into a strength. We can go anywhere, and people will ignore us. We can do anything without people looking our way. Let their pretence of superiority be their downfall. They labelled us with the number one, and as one we shall rise.

From every alley, we will pour out into the streets screaming the truth. As the people learn that their thoughts are lies they will be angry and turn from their leaders. These people will either stand with us by choice, or with our weapons at their backs. The government will be forced to respond when we act. Let them prove the truth to those who will not listen. We have been cast into the night, avoided by the rest of society, but stars shine brightest at night and now is the time to make people notice.”

As his speech continued Matthew grew louder until he was yelling, the crowd screaming in agreement.

“Remove your uniforms! You are each an individual in this mass of oppression and its time we own our differences! Remove your ties with me and let it serve as a message that we will not conform to the injustice forced upon us! We will fight until our last breaths for change and I swear to you today that our day will come and theirs is ending! As we go out, watch society change when people join us as equals, and we force the government to meet us on our terms!”

Hi guys! So Matthew plans on leading the 1-stars in a revolution and it looks like they agree with him. How will their endeavours pan out? Will they be successful in changing society or will their hopes be crushed? Hope you are enjoying the story and are ready for a bit more action to appear! Next post will be up tomorrow!

Rise | Uniform 15

Matthew requested that Kiara did not to tell them his plan and with a nod in his direction she left him to prepare. Though there were no clear leaders of the 1-stars each warehouse was run by a council. These councils would collect information on 1-stars around the city and control who could stay in each warehouse. The issue would not be to make the council hear Matthew’s message, but to make them agree to his plan.

That night, Kiara found Matthew sitting alone against a wall of the warehouse and told him the news. The three groups were prepared to meet, but before risking their members the councils needed to know what the purpose of this meeting was.

“Tell them that it’s time the rest of society stops treating us like scum and learn that we are people too. Tell them it’s time we stop standing idly by as our fellow 1-stars are pushed around and take a stand against those who’s oppress us.” Kiara smiled at him and told him she would make sure his message was heard.

A week later Matthew stood on a makeshift stage in front of thousands of 1-stars. Nervous, he collected his thoughts before walking to the edge of the stage. He took a breath and almost backed out of giving his speech. He was just about to turn away when his attention was caught by a woman near the front of the crown trying to calm down a screaming child while restraining two children more. It was likely that the father was either dead or a higher ranked citizen who had once used her for his own pleasure and then cast her away. Perhaps the same person even fathered all three children. Matthew knew that hers was not the only situation like this and was reminded of his motivation for gathering the 1-stars. He knew that if they didn’t do anything their situation would never improve, and he knew they would not survive it getting worse. With a deep breath, he stepped onto the stage. The cacophony of conversations stilled instantly as every person in the room focused on Matthew. The only sounds were the calming screams of the baby Matthew had seen earlier. Taking another deep breath, Matthew surveyed the crowd in front of him and spoke.

So in the next instalment Matthew will give his speech. What will he say and how will it be received? Hope you are all enjoying the story so far! It’s nearing its end (Unless I decide to make it longer than planned) so keep reading for a few more days to find out how the story ends for the 1-stars. See you all for the next instalment tomorrow!

Recovery | Uniform 14

So the last part ended with Matthew being led to a warehouse. Will this lead to a better future for Matthew or simply more tragedy?

The two men walked into the warehouse. As Matthew observed the large group of people inside the man called for a woman named Kiara. A few short moments later, a short woman emerged from the crowd. As she moved closer Matthew recognized her as one of the doctors he had spoken to in the city center. Seeing his pained stance, the woman rushed up to him, taking in his injuries before yelling for someone to retrieve her equipment.

An hour passed and Matthew got off a stretcher with a cast on his right leg and left arm and two rolls of gauze wrapped around his torso. The doctor told him not to move around too much for a few weeks to allow his body to heal, after which he should meet with her to discuss whether rehabilitation would be necessary.

Four months passed before Matthew was fully healed. His arm and leg worked perfectly and he didn’t need any rehabilitation. Physically, he was in peak condition. Mentally however, that was far from the case. Throughout his recovery, he barely thought about his previous life and family. Despite wanting to return to his once blissfully ignorant life, he knew that he would never be able to return to such a menial existence. Additionally, he was a little bit preoccupied learning about the 1-stars and seeing the horrors they faced every day. In the four months that he had been there, he had seen countless 1-stars hobble into the warehouse in worse conditions than him. He had seen children die from malnourishment, and mothers starving themselves to provide for their families.

Matthew had gotten close to Kiara since arriving at the warehouse and considered her a friend. He trusted her enough to tell him the truth about the population of 1-stars. After weeks of probing she told him that most of the 1-stars were spread out between three warehouses like the one they were in. The few that weren’t there were families being housed in small apartments. He asked if it would be possible to gather all the 1-stars in one place, to which she answered that it was unusual, but possible. Kiara asked why he wanted to know this. Matthew deliberated for a moment but knew that he needed her status within the 1-star community. He shared his plan and when he finished she told him that she would talk to some of the messengers and see when a meeting would be possible.

What’s Matthew’s plan? Why does he need to meet with all of the 1-stars? Things seem to be looking up for Matthew but how long can this last? The next instalment will look into Matthew’s plan and reveal a bit more about how the 1-stars are run.

Mistakes Happen | Uniform 13

Hey!  How are you guys? Hope you are enjoying the story so far and are as excited as I am to see what is going to happen to Matthew! Anyways, the last instalment left off with Matthew being accused of stealing a keycard…

“Think about it. He is the only 1-star around here. Of course, he must have taken it. No one else would have anything to gain from taking my keycard.” The officer turned to face Matthew and seemed to agree with the woman. Slowly he moved toward Matthew, unhooking his baton from his hip as he walked.

“Sir, I’m going to give you five seconds to return this woman’s keycard before I decide to force you into doing so.”

Due to his shock, Matthew barely had time to reply that he hadn’t taken the keycard before the officer’s baton slammed into Matthew’s leg. He screamed in pain while falling to the ground. In panic, he curled up into a ball in hopes of minimizing his pain before being hit again, this time on the back and in the arm. The officer paused in his assault to repeat that Matthew should return the keycard. Three more hits landed before the woman interrupted the officer.

“I found it! Sorry to worry you like that officer. It turns out it was in the inside pocket of my suit though I can’t imagine how it got there.”

She left immediately after that leaving the officer to turn back to Matthew. He expected the officer to help him up and apologize but the officer did no such thing.

“You heard the lady. She found her keycard. Now get up and keep walking 1-star, before I make you,” the officer spat out.

Limping, Matthew quickly shuffled out of the square, ignoring his pain for the time-being. Never had he felt so weak or insignificant. He turned into an alley a few blocks away from the center to avoid a group of 3-stars that were walking in his direction. The alley was dark and smelled as though rotting corpses enjoyed congregating there. He had barely made it halfway through the alley when a 1-star walked up to him. He told Matthew that he had seen what happened and told Matthew to follow him if he wanted to survive the night. Seeing no choice, Matthew shuffled behind the man as fast as he could. The man’s strict pace caused waves of pain to course through Matthew’s body with each step, but he pushed through it, unwilling to lose his best chance of survival, until the man stopped in front of a large warehouse.

Whats in the warehouse? Who is this ominous 1-star leading Matthew? 

So Matthew’s had a rough day. Will the next instalment bring some good news or will the bad keep piling on (I mean I kinda wan’t to give him some good news but so often my writing takes a dark turn without me intending it to so who knows). Read tomorrow’s post to find out!

A Cold Goodbye | Uniform 12

Hi Guys! So Matthew is about to confront his parents for the first time since losing his star. Will it go well or will they be as cold-shouldered as most people are to 1-stars?

Almost immediately after Matthew’s father entered the kitchen he stopped abruptly, seeing Matthew. A stern expression overcame his face as he saw that Matthew only had one star now and he moved towards his wife, preferring to look at her over Matthew. Mathew watched as his parents stared at each other in shock. Neither of them had ever thought it a possibility for Matthew to lose a star. Matthew saw his father’s shoulders rise with a sigh and quietly, almost as if he himself didn’t want to hear the words spoken, he told his son to get out and not to come back.

Shocked by what he had just heard Matthew froze and stared at his parents.

“What?”

Matthews whispered question had barely sounded when his father spoke again. Louder this time, his father repeated the command, restraining his mother when she tried to run to Matthew. His father screamed at Matthew to get out in rage unshed tears shining brightly in contrast to his reddening face. Knowing that his father could not be reasoned with in this mood Matthew left the house. Both of his parents turned away, neither of them able to bear watching his figure leave.

Having nowhere to go, Matthew walked to the city center hoping to find a 1-star to learn more about his situation and how to survive it. Having walked around for a couple of hours, Matthew began giving up hope of seeing any 1-stars that day. He began turning back to try his luck with his parents again when he heard a woman’s scream. His head snapped in the direction of the noise and he saw a woman frantically yelling about having lost something. As she was explaining her situation to a nearby police officer, Matthew moved closer to the pair to see what was happening. He overheard that she couldn’t find her keycard. As she explained her situation animatedly, her eyes passed by Matthew before stopping her explanation abruptly.

“He must have taken it,” she accused to the officer, voice cold and eyes assessing as she pointed straight at Matthew.

CLIFFHANGER!!!

What’s going to happen to Matthew now? Where is he going to live? Is he going to get arrested for something he didn’t do? Hope you guys are enjoying this and come back tomorrow for the next instalment of Uniform!