The New Moon

We all sat in the living room as we watched the news. Everyone was quiet and anxious as the dates were read allowed and shown on the screen. We had been at war for two years now and at first it looked like things might be going good and that we would win. But recently it seems to start to sway the other way.

I don't have to worry about the draft yet as I am only sixteen but my two older brothers are able to be drafted as Chris is nineteen and Levi is twenty three. Celine My older sister is eighteen but unlike other countries the states have yet to make woman be drafted. My younger sister Seneca is seven and isn't really able to comprehend what is going on. No one has the heart to tell her unless it happens.

I look at my mother and father and my mom just looks like she is about to explode from anxiety. Her legs are shaking and there are silent tears falling down her face as she watches the dates.

My father has always been a man of few words. Growing up I wondered if he was mad at me but eventually I just learned he doesn't talk much. He still finds his ways to show us love by doing things we like to do with us. His expression scared me. It was almost cold no emotions.

My two older brothers were not the same. I had over heard them talking the day we were told about the draft. They agreed that if either were picked that both would be strong and the one that isn't picked would watch over the family. Right now they were both trying to keep my sisters calm and reassuring my mom everything would be okay.

Than there was me. Fenec or as they call me Fen. I am a ball of nerves and anxiety but like my brothers I try not to show it to keep my sisters calm. Chris looked at me and leaned over giving my shoulder a squeeze.

"Its going to be okay. I promise." He reassured me.

Me and him are close. I would be picked on in school and he would always come to my rescue. Always standing up for me and Celine. Last year my first year in high school I had a rough time with kids picking on me.

My family isn't the most wealthy and would be considered poor by most so I didn't have new clothes or anything and these kids cornered me and it started as snide joked until I tried to stand up for myself. Immediately Chris came around the corner. He was a senior about to graduate but all he had to do was hit a kid once and they left me alone.

We watched the screen and I heard my mother and father gasp and Celine started to cry. I looked on the screen and seen a date 21/02/2056. It was Chris' birthday. I looked at him and thought I seen fear for a second but he quickly hid it.

"Well. I guess I get to see the world." Chris said as he tried to lighten the mood.

My mother looked at him like he was already dead. Grief struck her face and she sobbed. My father and Levi both got up and went with Chris somewhere else to talk. Celine was holding Seneca explaining to her what was happening.

I just stared at the television. He got drafted. My best friend and at times biggest bully is going to war. Its no telling where he is going or what will happen to him. I turn and look at where he was sitting and just stare.

I felt numb almost like it wasn't real. It can't be real. We were told the war would be small and quick and now ever since we lost Britain and Mexico as allies it seems the whole world is against us.

Chris walked in at some point but I never noticed I just stared at where he was sitting when we seen the date pop up on screen. He gave my shoulder a squeeze and looked down at me. "Lets go for a walk."

I nodded and wordlessly followed him out of our house and into the woods behind it. We didn't live on a farm but we had decent land some fields but mostly forest. Me and Chris come out here and build forts all the time.

We came to a fallen tree and he sat down and I sat next to him and just stared at the leaves on the ground.

"I'll be back you know? How many fights did I ever lose?" Chris asked me with a slight smile.

He was right. He never lost a fight and he would be hard to take down. I sighed and spoke for the first time in what felt like hours. "That was school fights. You are going to war. You are not stronger than a bullet." I told him but it was hard. I could feel a knot forming in my throat where I wanted to cry.

It seems he knew what I was getting at and looked at the sky. "You are right. There is a chance that I don't come back. And the way its going it seems its not unlikely. But we can't think like that. You need to be strong."

What do I say to that. How am I supposed to be strong when the person I'm closest to is about to be shipped off to war for no damn reason. "I'm not like you Chris." I looked him in the eye as a tear slipped out. "I have never been strong. I always lose my fights until you save me. Now you won't be here. What am I supposed to do?"

Now he looked like me holding back tears and I realized how selfish I was being. He could be killed and I'm worried about myself.

He let out a long sigh "Well start by knowing I don't have to go for another month. Until than we can do whatever you want. Mom agreed that you don't have to go to school if you don't want to for a while. But you will need to stand your ground. You can start lifting weights with me if you want."

I sniffled and could feel the tears coming more and more till I was sobbing and he hugged me. I nodded to him because I think it will help me. Learn to be stronger for him. For when we see each other after he will know I'm not weak.

I manage to get a couple words out. "I will be strong." I struggled out.

He nodded and sucked in a deep breath. "I know you will."

We stayed like that for a while before we walked back in silence. The next couple of weeks moved too fast. Me and Chris would lift weights five days a week and run every day. I was getting stronger physically but I still couldn't face the truth but I'd have to soon. He leaves in a couple days.

We were all eating dinner together, something that only started after Chris was drafted. It was silent. No one knew what to say until my father spoke. "Mr., Jerico got drafted as well. I talked to him and the local base and its agreed you will serve together. He will look after you."

My brother nodded but he said nothing. The past couple of days he was had gotten real quiet. It is to be expected with the danger he is about to face.

We continued out routine except he took me a different way on our run. It was longer and a harder run but eventually we stopped. He led me to a cave. I followed him inside where there was a couple of chairs and what looked like an old fire pit.

"What is this place?" I questioned.

"Its where you and Levi will take everyone if something were to happen. Me and him have stockpiled some food in here and you will do the same. Only cans and things that won't go bad." He explained.

I was confused. "What do you mean if things go bad?"

He sighed and grabbed my shoulders with a serious face I never see. "There are talks of nuclear war. If you hear the sirens you need to help Levi get everyone here. I haven't told dad because he would be mad I was thinking like I won't make it back."

I was in shock to say the least. It made sense though since we are near a big military base. I knew there was no arguing. So I put my feelings aside and nodded. "I will. Can I ask you a serious question though?" He gestured for me to go ahead. "Do you think you will make it back to us?"

The question sat in the air for a while until he spoke. "No. I don't think me or Mr., Jerico will make it back. I don't have a reason but I have a gut feeling I won't make it back here."

It's not the answer I wanted but it's the answer I expected. We stayed there for a while. He gave me my first beer that I only drank for him. I hated it, it tasted like piss.

The next morning had everyone in tears. We road out with him to where he gets on the marine bus. Of all the branches he got drafted to the damn marines. The Jerico's were there too and looked no better than my family.

Chris pulled Levi, me, and Demetri, The eldest of the Jerico's, to the side and made us agree to all meet at the cave if something were to happen. We all agreed and hugged Chris but he pulled me to the side.

"I need you to take me serious right now. Do you understand?"

I nodded and got nervous.

"I have been having dreams where we see each other again but not here. And not everyone is there. You need to do your best to keep everyone together. I can't explain it but I know it's real. You also are different in my dream. You are not who you are now. I don't know if it is a good or bad thing. Your job is the make sure it is good. Do you understand?"

I looked at him my mouth opened not fully under standing. He grabbed my shoulders. "Promise you will make it good."

I snapped out of it. The dream is probably just from stress but I agree and hug him. I held Seneca as we waved by to him on the bus as it drove away. It was hard knowing I wouldn't see him for a long time.

We all went home after that and ate dinner together without Chris for the first time. It was hard not having him hear. Everyone took it hard. Dad changed the most though. He started to talk to us more and make an effort to be around us even more.

Mom got depressed and tries to stay strong but its hard for her. My siblings stay hopeful that he will be okay and that the war will be over. What he told me though runs through my head every day. I don't understand what he meant and I don't think he understood either.

A couple months later we got the first letters from him. There was one addressed to the whole family and everyone got their own personal ones. The one to the family was short and sweet saying he is okay and that he is going to be deployed out to Japan.

My letter was at the bottom of the stack. I was scared to open it. Just hearing the other one had me almost in tears. I decided I'd go to the cave and read it. I got there and sat in my chair his empty. I opened the letter and started to read it.

Chris I am okay and I trust you read the family letter and know I'm going to Japan. There are talks about stuff happening over there. Weird stuff. Don't forget what I told you about making sure its good. I still see it every so often.

I want you to talk to Levi though. I told him about it in his letter and he knows he needs to help keep everyone safe. What I didn't tell him is I didn't see him in my dream. I didn't see Celine either but it is also a dream.

Just please stay safe and look after everyone.

I love you.

It's safe to say I'm a mess. I was sobbing and crying and losing my ability to breath. I had them before but this one is worse. Panic attacks feel like you are dying. That's when I heard a noise and looked up to see Levi standing there.

He immediately ran to me and told me it was all going to be okay. I just cried and cried and cried. Eventually I calmed down and Levi started a fire and we sat in silence. With our age gap we never really talked much. He was about to move out when the war started and mom and dad convinced him not to.

Levi broke the silence "He told me about the dream he had. It makes no sense but he was never one to be serious unless he had a reason."

"Your right it makes no sense. Its probably just the stress from everything getting to him." I told him trying to convince myself more than him. I don't want to believe things will go badly.

"You know. Even if it is just that making sure you do good isn't a bad thing. It could mean a lot."

I sighed and shook my head. "what are we going to do?"

He stood up and hugged me. "Whatever it takes."

It had been a year since I got the first letter. Me and Levi had stocked up the cave a lot but here lately neither of us had went. We got a letter from Chris every month until three months ago. We all got worried.

There was a knock on the door as we watched TV. Dad got up and opened the door to see two military officers in uniform. The room went silent until our mother started to scream and cry.

"Mr. and Mrs. Rosemary You son Christopher Rosemary has went Missing in action. His platoon disappeared during a raid in the middle east. It is not said that he is dead but efforts to locate him and his platoon are too dangerous. On behalf of the United States Marine Core we give our condolences."

I don't know what happened but I got mad. I stood up and walked to the officers getting in there face and yelled. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN TOO DANGEROUS? IT WASN'T TOO DANGEROUS TO SEND HIM OUT THERE OR DRAFT HIM?"

Levi came behind me and tried to calm me down along with my dad. "I'm sorry son but there isn't anything we can do" They told me as I stared at them.

I turned to walk away but something snapped. I turned and swung and hit one of the officers in the face. Quickly another fist met me in the face and I was on the ground with my hands behind my back. I seen my sisters crying and my mother looked like she was in shock. My brother and father were apologizing to the officers.

After a few tense moments they let me go. Levi grabbed me and drug me out the back before I could say or do anything. "Go to the cave. NOW!" He yelled and I did as I was told and I knew he would be close behind me.

Who did they think they were saying they wouldn't look for him? He was forced to go and now they lost him. Not even just him but a whole platoon. How do you do that?

I sat in my anger till it turned to sadness as the realization that I would never see Chris again caught up to me. I cried until Levi got there and cried some more.

Eventually we went home and mourned with my family. Two years later the war is going even worse and we are losing. Japan is basically gone no one has heard from them in a year. The supplies were cut off and than we lost contact.

It got easier to deal with Chris being gone a year after we were told he is MIA. We all got closer and were watching a movie together when we heard sirens.