jcdwriter

"Come on you filthy slime! Get a move on!" the slave driver shouted tossing mud onto a scrawny slave. The slave brushed it off and continued to lug the heavy sack of food supplies toward the Capital. His muscles strained against the weight, threatening to give out at any moment. But, for the slave named Dodge Jefferson, it was just work as usual. Dodge learned that if he didn't do exactly what they say, when they say it, he'd be tortured for it. He decided that he would just do what they wanted and avoid trouble.

He honestly wanted a better life, one without persecution and oppression. Sadly, he lived under the thumb of the High Class.

"Quicken your pace, my great grandmother could go faster than you," the grumpy man spat. Just for good measure, he kicking the back of the laborer's knees causing his legs to collapse under him. The cruel slaver gawked at the pain of the suffering boy.

If your grandma can do it so well why doesn't she do it. Dodge countered in his head.

The driver kept after him, whipping him if he paused at all.

"I'd like to see you carry a hundred fifty pound bag of someone else's food all the way across a six mile stretch of city," the boy mumbled. He wiped dirt from around his mouth with the back of his thread bare sleeve.

"What was that boy?" The Slave Driver interrogated flashing the younger male a dirty look.

"No- nothing," Dodge stuttered in fear. He was perfectly comfortable with lashing out on the guards and High Class when in private with his fellow slaves. But when confronted by any of his enslavers, he was downright terrified.

"I don't think you were muttering nothing." The man raised an eyebrow and a whip he used for 'undisciplined slaves'. Dodge braced himself for impact, tensing his muscles and closing his eyes tightly shut as the pain ripped through him. He sat there for a while as blow after blow collided with his scarred skin. Expecting much more agony he curled into a fatal position. Except, the blows never came.

The boy cautiously turned his head. He was surprised to see a girl, about the same age as he, catching the whip by letting it wrap itself around her forearm.

"Picking on defenceless slave I see," the girl smirked. She pulled her arm away ripping the leather weapon from the oppresser's hand.

"You're in deep trouble little wretch!" he yelled. He grabbed for the girl, but she quickly side stepped, letting his momentum carry him to the ground.  She flung the whip off to the side toward some passersby. She ran over to the boy that still sat on the ground in shock.

"Come on Dodge, I'm here to help you," she beckoned grabbing his arms. With no further urging Dodge jumped up and ran after the brunette girl. He didn't know why he followed, he'd be punished no matter how far he tried to run. If he returned, they'd give him what they believed he deserved. Or, he could starve on the streets of Ollion. Unless they found him on the run, then his fate would be death.

Even thinking about all the risks, he still followed his rescuer through the crowds and alleyways. After running for a ways, Dodge dashed if front of the girl, and stopped dead in his tracks.

"We aren't going any further until you tell me who you are, and what you are doing here."

"He's probably still following us," she argued.

"If you want me to come with you, you need to explain yourself," Dodge pressed. They stood there having a stare down until the girl decided to speak.

"Fine! I can see you aren't going to back down." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "That's what makes a good Voice. Oh silly me, how could I forget," she smiled and presented her hand. "My name is Arica."

Dodge glanced at her hand wearily. He couldn't decide what to think of her, her train of thought seemed to jump around like a hyper kangaroo on a sugar rush. He accepted the gesture anyway.

"Dodge, but you already knew that. How do you know my name?"

"Ah yes, I was wondering when you'd bring that up," Arica released his hand and shoved it into the pocket of her scruffy jacket. "I'm here representing a group, The Voices of the Unheard, or just the Voices. Truth be told when I first transferred to your unit last year, I assumed you already were one. You were always talking about the unfairness and how Supreme Leader Mattias needed to be sent back to where he came from. We are a resistance and we want you to join us."

"And do what exactly?" Dodge asked. "March though the the streets waving signs, yelling, and breaking stuff? Yeah that turned out real well in 2984. Guess what! It's been five years and things have finally started to look up for me. Sure the work is hard and I don't get the greatest food or clothes, but at least I'm fed and kept alive. I may complain in the slave barracks, but that's it. I'm not some revolutionary."

"Lots of spunk," she regarded thoughtfully. "Yeah, you'd make an excellent Voice," Arica grinned at the flustered boy. "That's why Gardner, our leader, sent me to fetch you."

Dodge rolled his eyes, "What could I do that would be all so important?"

"You have access to the Central Building."

"You know what, there is only one way to get me to join this 'resistance' of yours," said Dodge.

"What's that?!" Arica asked excitedly, she was shaking like a jittery puppy.

"Take me to your leader."

The girl burst of laughing, even fell on the ground clutching her sides. All Dodge could think was, It wasn't that funny...

×÷÷÷×

Arica skipped along the crowded streets of the capital city of Newland. Dodge was rather dumbfounded by the girl. One minute she is acting like a fierce, mature sixteen year old. The next she is acting like a four year old.

"We're here!" she whispered in a singsong voice. Dodge studied it, giving it a good looking over.

"It's a dumpster..."

"Exactly! Now get in it," she ordered as she gestured to the trash bin in front of her.

"That's it," Dodge shouted. "This is some kind of hoax isn't this? I bet Tyler put you up to this. What'd he do? Offer to not tell you any more of his ridiculous jokes? I don't know why I didn't think of this before, this is just one giant gag to get me to willingly climb into a dumpster that smells like it has food left in it since 2850!"

"Are you done?" Arica asked exasperatedly. Dodge gave no answer immediately so she continued, "I'd hoped it wouldn't have to come to this. Oh well! It has." And with that being said, Arica shoved her unsuspecting victim into the secret entrance.

Dodge tumbled down the passageway, finally ending his fall on an old mattress.

"Ow," he croaked while laying in a pile of limbs on the dusty spring mat. Arica slid down the tunnel landing beautifully next to him.

"Shudda just gone in," she sang as she walked away. Dodge sat up and took in everything going on around him in the giant room: people ran to and fro, children played, in a kitchen area, people served as well as accepted food.

One thing, he realized, that they all had one thing in common. They were all slaves, the original inhabitants of Newland, also known as Oldlanders.

Dodge would have sat there absorbing it all for another thirty minutes had it not been for Arica breaking him out of his entranced state.

"Are you coming or what?" she question, putting a hand on her hip. Dodge flushed in embarrassment when a group of slaves watched the situation. Dodge quickly got up and raced after guide.

While they walked, Arica told Dodge of the history of the Voice. It had started with a few Oldland slaves that wanted to protect the persecuted and reform the country. Slowly but surely they gathered others to their cause. They grew more and more everyday. They'd been gathering intel to infiltrate the Central Building, but they needed more men on the inside.

"That's where you come in!" Arica danced around like a happy child. "You can help us get Intel from your work on the service staff."

"I still want to meet whoever is running this whole escapade," Dodge stated.

"That would be me."

Dodge turned and saw a man standing there. Gardner was about the same height as Dodge, had caring, yet dangerous brown eyes, and dark brown hair that greyed slightly at the tips. A smile crept onto the lips of the Voice's leader.

"From what Arica has reported to me it seems you are already the rebellious type," Gardner continued. "Will you mind walking with me while we talk?"

"Sure," Dodge shrugged. Gardner told Arica to wait at the entrance for them to return.

Dodge fell in step next to the man that may very well just change the entire path of his life.

No one really knows what Gardner said to him to convince Dodge to join his movement. Whatever it was, it certainly worked because when they got back to where Arica was waiting she heard them say things that would forever change their nation.

"Tell me, do you want to put that rebellious spirit of yours to good use?"

"Yes sir."

"Welcome to the resistance son," Gardner cheered clapping his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You have some hard, and troubling times ahead, I hope you are ready."

"Oh I'm so ready. "

×÷÷÷×

A/N hey guys thanks for reading! I want to mention how awesome jcdwriter's contest is!(even though I did terribly, essentially because he went on a vacation last week😁) I will be going back and probably making a few changes to make the story flow better. I hope you liked it! Please vote/comment on whatcha think. Thanks!

~Dest