By Sean Byrnes

This is How it Ends

 

 

            For many years, the government of the Chinese Empire had been stricter than ever. They had every power to do anything they wanted. They had the power to take your child away from you and even be involved in what or how your religion was done in China.

They often checked schools to see if they could recruit some strong, able bodied boys, who could someday fight in combat and defend their country against Chinas enemies. Most of the younger boys would leave their classmates crying bitterly, but no one, no one, disobeyed or refused to go. Some believed that the boys get brainwashed to become soldiers like they want them to become, an able bodied soldier, with a mind for them to mold. They had no choice, no say, and no freedom at all. Plain and simple, whatever the government said, went.

In this year of 2063, the Chinese government tried to keep much of the outside world separated from the Chinese people.

Obviously, the peoples of China detested the government, but they always obeyed the Chinese government, and told them what they wanted to hear. Even in their numbers, the peoples of China were no match to the supreme might of the Chinese government and their enforcing armies.

 

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            In the middle of a junior high school class, a soldier armed with a rifle barged through the door. He stayed near the door, holding it open. The class is silent; this is not the first time this had happened at their school.

            As fast as the first soldier came in, about seven more armed soldiers poured into the room, followed by a commanding officer, who had a very mischievous grin on his face.

            The commanding officer scanned the room, picking out the brightest ones. He was here to recruit more soldiers, at an age they could change them while still being pretty knowledgeable, at least smart enough to follow orders and shoot a gun.

            They looked for the strong ones, or asked the teacher who the smart ones were, or found out both on their own.

            "You, boy!" He pointed a finger at the student sitting near the front of the class. "Stand up!" The boy was so frightened at first he couldnt move. Stand up! "If we are to pick you, you will always obey me the first time!"

            The boy shot up from his desk and put his arms at his sides.

            "What is your name?" the officer demanded.

            The boy immediately answered, "Jin Li, sir!"

            "Sir? You learn fast, that is good, because you will need to. How about a little quiz, Jin? Lets say you are the general, when do you order your army to retreat?"

            Jin had heard this like every other Chinese citizen, as the government had altered newspapers and televisions so the shows and featured things always had a government spin, about or relating to the government so the citizens could remember how great their government really is, the Chinese Empire, conquerors of Myanmar, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan. "Never does a Chinese general back down, he fights to the last man." He quoted it just like he had seen on TV.

            "Good, very good, Li," said the officer.

 He turned around and told a soldier to take Jin.

"He looks like he will fit well into our systemseems like a smart boy. You are smart arent you, Jin?"

            "Oh, yes sir. I am smart, I guess."

            "You guess, Jin? As a soldier you will not be guessing, you will be sure of everything you do, hear me?"

            Jin nodded silently.

            The rest of the class all the while had been spellbound, watching this conversation go on. Another student taken away from their class? It was the second that month. This was very rare.

            "That is our pick today! the officer announced to the class and the soldiers. We shall leave you children to your studies now!" He said it trying to be cheerful, but all the children knew he was nothing short of cruel and evil. His evil grin reappeared on his face.

            The commander led the soldiers out of the room, as two large soldiers surrounded Jin as he walked out of the room, where he knew he would surely never return to again.

 

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            The officer with the grin still on his face, was at the front of the line of the soldiers escorting Jin Li out of the school. Then, the officer told one of the soldiers his new orders.

            "Captain, take your soldiers outside. Wait for me by the door."

            The soldiers at the end released Jin to the officer. "Jin! I have another question for you..."

            Jin began to feel more relaxed but still irritable because he was with these people. "Yes?" he said with a sigh.

            "If you could, all rules aside, change our great Chinese government, how would you do that?"

            "Well, if it is all rules aside---"

            "Yes..." confirmed the officer.

            "I don't really like the government one bit," he said quickly. The grin reappeared on the officers face. "I change all of it completely. I rather like the democracy they have in many other countries. Even Cuba started a democracy back in 2047 and Vietnam in 2034. China is not even involved in the space station; there are many flaws in this government. Other countries I have heard of which I like include the United States, Russia, Cuba, Japan---"

            "I've heard enough!" the officer shouted angrily.

            "But you gave me freedom to speak---"

            "I know what I did!" the officer barked. "Now get up against that wall!"

            "But why---" Jin started.

            "Because I told you to do it! Now move!"

            Jin put his back to the wall and looked at the officer. The officer reached for his belt. He pulled out a black pistol.

            "I am very tired of you rebellious young children. Lucky me, I get to terminate them!" the officer spoke with delight.

            "So you are going to shoot me?" said Jin Li. "This is how it ends?"

            "Yes, my boy, this is how it ends."

 

 

 

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