The Ashes 1.2

Clouds had always been something that leaves me in awe. The colors they become as the sun goes down are so beautiful, and the texture of the clouds so fluffy, almost like whipped cream. I didn’t really know much about them, the science books were brand new when I was in school, and they had little information. I always had wondered why we were allowed to have science and english books, but other books were forbidden. Then again, soon they would be offering the subject of “Yeogsa”, which seemed foreign to me. From how it was explained to me, Yeogsa was a class where they taught little children about past events that had happened. I didn’t really understand why they needed to do this, but apparently it was important.

I knew that I would be landing in the early morning, which would be here in about thirty minutes. I knew I needed to rest, but I was so intrigued by watching the clouds turn from purple. to pink, to orange. What a beautiful job it would be to be able to just float around all day, letting the sun make me change into pretty colors.

I seemed to doze off, cause we landed what only seemed like minutes later, although it was actually thirty minutes later according to my watch. I shook hands with the pilot as I walked off, thanking him for flying me. He seemed like a nice guy, blue eyes and blonde hair, with a smile that knew pain. I quickly got into the rental car the government had ordered for me, in awe with how nice it was. I drove smoothly into the town of Greenfield, noticing it was mostly farmland. This was very different than D.C, but I liked how quiet it was. It was very small, and it didn’t take long for me to get to the house that was being provided for me by the government.

outside dark green vines slowly creeped up the sides of the burgandy brick, and the sides were damp. Trees surrounded the house, secluding it from the outside world. It was definitely more eloquent than other houses I had encountered, but it wasn’t something that would seem too out of the ordinary.

Scents of pumpkin spice and apple cider permeated the house, and candles burned softly in corners of all the rooms. I slowly let my bags fall to the king sized bed in the fourth room on the left, and fell into the memory foam. I lived in an apartment half the size of this house, maybe the size of the bedroom. Working for the government did have it’s perks, but I knew that I would probably have to go out to the market and restock the food after I was done with the business.

It was around ten, the morning breeze starting to turn into a faint whisper against the sun’s rays. It was time to do some business. I got up, quickly dressing in the black clothes I was assigned to wear, with my badge in my pocket. I called a cab and told them to take me to the address Jae had provided in the folder. I tried not to read too much on the family. I knew they had done wrong, but it was better to not get too attached. I did know that my job entitled that I stayed for three days after I did the deed, and I was to make sure it was a quietly loud enforcement of law. Someone else would deliver the prisoners to Jae, unless they chose to burn with their house.

The cab stopped at an old wooden house, and I shoved some money in his shirt pocket, patting the money. “Thank you, pick me up in an hour, yes?” I waited until he nodded.

I hopped out of the cab, and watched as the cab drove away. Two little girls ran around their mother as she hung clothes on the line, and somewhere in the distance I heard a man chopping wood. They were most likely poor.

I cleared my throat, and the woman looked at me in horror. “Jeff!” she yelled. “Jeff! Hurry! They’re here!” She kept yelling. I walked towards her as her Husband ran to pull his wife and kids behind him.

“Why are you here?” He said sternly, his voice deep.

I raised my eyebrow, “I’m sure you know. You’ve broken the law. I can tell by the fear in your eyes that you are guilty. Now, let’s get to it. You can either willfully go with my friend here, or you can burn along with your house.” I crossed my arms.

The woman was crying, the little girls looking at their mother, wondering what was wrong. Jeff looked at his family, hopelessness touching his features.

“Tera, you must go with that man. Take care of the kids.” He whispered, holding her small crippled shoulders.

“No...no Jeff…” she whimpered over and over.

“I built this house, and I will go with it when it’s destroyed. Take care of the kids, sweetie. I love you.” He kissed the top of the heads of the the two children and lingered on his wife.

Tera latched onto Jeff, barely standing tall. Jeff nodded at the man standing next to me, who then tore Tera from her husband. She screamed and kicked until she had no fight left in her, finally managed to be set down, and walk slowly with her kids in each hand into the car the man had came in, not looking back at her husband or her home.

I turned my attention from Tera to Jeff in front of me, helplessly watching his family ride away. His eyes lingered on the car until it vanished in the distance, before switching to me. “I’ll burn it myself. Let me do this with my pride, please. It’s the least you bastards can do.”

I felt taken aback at his response, confused at his bravery against the government. I decided as long as the deed was done, it didn’t matter who did it. “Uh, sure.” I said hesitantly. Jeff nodded, and slowly looked at his house.

“All of this for a damn book.” he muttered. I watched as he went into his house, seeming almost like a crippled man, misery pulling him down. The minutes seemed to stretch by, and I grew wary. What if he was trying to run? I started walking towards the house, and a horrible scream filled the air around me. The house was engulfed in flames as Jeff cried in torture as he was burned to death. Dumbfounded, I watched the fires lick up all the memories of this family, and all the books they had owned.

I felt justice. I had come to fulfill the law, and I have done that. The corners of my mouth slowly turned into a smile, and then quickly faded. While I felt justice, I did not feel necessarily good. I looked away from the flames, my driver was waiting on me. I told him to wait until the flames had died down a little, and soon they did. We drove away, and I did not look back.