Outcast of the Unions

Ainsley's POV

I clutch my sister's body in my arms as I watch my father strangle my mother. She fights back, but he is too strong. Her eyes meet mine as she gasps for breath, and she reaches out to us one last time before falling limp. My sister, Ashton, cries in my chest, her grip on my shirt tightening.

My father drops our mother, satisfaction in his eyes. "United States filth," he spits. The Union, a powerful government faction, has taken over the Bahamas and much of North America, and now they wage war against the United States. My father, originally a Canadian citizen, fights for the Union, while my mother was American. Ashton and I follow our mother's allegiance.

My father turns toward us, his black hair slicked back, beard dripping with blood. He strides forward, fists clenched. I look at my mother's lifeless body and my heart stops. "Ashton, run," I whisper. She hesitates, but I throw her aside just as my father's fingers wrap around my neck. I kick and scream, but his grip tightens. My vision blurs, and I feel death closing in when suddenly, he releases me. I collapse, gasping for air, and see my sister now in his grasp.

"You weaklings have a choice," he snarls, "join me as a Union officer or die as filthy Americans." His eyes burn with hatred.

I push myself up, blood trickling down my chin. "I'd rather die a low-class American than be supreme commander of the Union." Ashton bites his hand, and he releases her. I grab a knife from the kitchen, stab his side, and slash his eye. He howls in pain, clutching his wounds, and I grab Ashton's hand. We flee, her small body in my arms, tears streaming down my face as we leave our mother's body behind.

In the forest, I set Ashton down by a tree. "We can never go back," I tell her, hugging her tightly. "Our father is a murderer. If you see him, run." She nods against my chest, and I look up at the starry sky, wondering what the world was like before the war.

"We have to keep moving," I say, but Ashton whines, "I'm cold." I give her my sweatshirt and we continue running. We finally reach the Georgia-Indiana border and cross a road, only to be stopped by an army jeep. A young man steps out, concern in his eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asks. I step in front of Ashton. "I'm Ainsley, this is Ashton. We watched our mother die. We just need to get out of Georgia."

The man, Alfie, smiles kindly. "I'm the head commander of the Outcasts. Come with me, you'll be safe."

Ashton runs into his arms, and after a moment, I do too. For the first time in what feels like forever, I feel safe.