• “So what? It’s not like they’re throwing candy and flowers over these towns! They’re bombing them! People, innocent people, people who have nothing to do with the war, are being killed over such a stupid thing as our nosy government!” It was easy to tell that Alice was nowhere near happy. She pulled back her fudge-colored hair and let it drop around her face. Anna, Alice’s not so opinionated friend tried to defend the war.
    “You do know, these soldiers are fighting to save our country, to keep us free f-” Alice cut her off.
    “No! That’s not true! It’s all a bunch of lies! We wouldn’t be involved in this mess if those government loonies would just settle for what they already have. Alice stopped, Anna behind her. The two girls looked nothing alike. Alice was tall, with long chestnut hair, and green eyes. Anna, slightly shorter than Alice, with chin length blond curls, had, of all things, brown, coco-colored eyes. They didn’t dress alike either. Alice wore faded and torn blue jeans, obviously they used to belong to her older brother, Jack. Her shirt, a t-shirt, was brightly colored and she wore a necklace bearing the peace sign on it. Her faded forest green bag was covered in buttons promoting non-violence, peace without fighting, and other miscellaneous logos. Anna, however, wore a tan skirt, and a clean burgundy shirt. Anna had no accessories, and her backpack was merely a solid colored one, with two openings in it that were sealed by zippers. The girls had stopped outside a rather small house, on 1221 S. Beach street, Alice’s home. Their ears were perked by the sound of voices. Alice could make out her brother’s and her father’s.
    “I know, I know…should be the one….her…” it sounded like Jack.
    She tried to listen harder. Anna took up the task also.
    “Be careful…provoke a fit…she might run…never know…I’m proud….you.” the other voice belonged to Micheal, Alice’s father. Her mother had died two years earlier of cancer. Alice sighed and reached into her bag, fishing for her keys. She wanted to attempt to walk in on the conversation, for she knew they would never tell her what they were talking about otherwise. The silver key dangled from yet another button sporting the peace logo. As she opened the door and the girls entered, the voices silenced.
    “Hey kiddo, how was school?” it was easy to tell that Jack was avoiding something.
    “Anna, Alice, how are you?” Micheal was better at hiding his contempt.
    Alice moved in to hug Jack, but stopped when she noticed the paper in his hand. She seemed to be having an inner conflict as to whether or not she could trust what her eyes saw. Her hands began to shake and Anna, realizing what was taking place, tried to pat her arm and comfort her. Alice wasn’t one to be tamed that easily though. She lashed out, releasing her anger.
    “What. Is. That?! Jack, no! How could you?! Jackson no!! That’s a draft! A daisy-pushin’, man-killin’, murderous, monstrous, DRAFT!!” Alice screeched.
    Micheal tried to comfort his daughter, but she knew what his side would be, she knew he would defend anything the government said or did. This knowledge was only fuel for her rage.
    “Now Alice, it’s your brother’s call of duty..” Alice began to talkback but Micheal talked over her. “I had one when I was of age, and if you weren’t a girl, you would too.”
    Alice shuttered at this comment. If it was possible, you could have seen the fire in glow in her green eyes, like a forest set to flame.
    “No! I don’t know why you fathom that! I would’a taken that scrap of paper back to the steps of their killing headquarters, and put a lighter to it, right in their Evil. Faces.” Alice brushed off Anna’s hands and retreated to her room. She began to shove random items from her dresser into her bag. Her brother, who shared a bunk with her in the small crème room, was also packing. He had left the living room earlier, avoiding the spat of his other family members. Alice, who was only 16, was closer to her brother than anyone else on the planet. He was 18, but he planned on staying with Alice as long as he could. He knew that she would run away if she was forced to stay with their father. Alice unreasonably blamed Micheal for their mothers death. Saying that, had he not put her though the stress of war, she might have had a chance. And Alice, being an outspoken person, had stated her mind on this subject before. She turned to her brother then, a little sadness tainting her tone.
    “Jack? Why, pray tell, are you going to go though with this? It’s not like you to be acting like this. Why?! Jack you hated the war as much as me!! What happened?!” Alice began. Jack knew he couldn’t hide the truth from his sister. They were too close, they knew everything about the other.
    “I don’t like it. But I also know my place, and that’s to answer this call.” he held up the piece of paper. Alice jerked it from his grasp, holding it up, looking it over. She took it in the middle, where there was a crease from Jack folding it to put it in his pocket. Alice began to make a small tear in this area. Jack merely watched as she proceeded.
    “Stop it Alice. No more. I have to go, and I’m going to.” he made no move to force her in to submission, he didn’t even raise his voice. She handed it to him without making a sound. She was grinding her teeth against his decision. She followed him back in to the main room, her bag now full of who knows what. Anna, who still hadn’t left yet, was the first to talk.
    “It’s not all bad. Most of the time there’s about a year of training somewhere here in the U.S., and either way these are brave men. They’re fighting so the war won’t come over here, so that they can protect their families. I’m not saying that you have to like the fighting, none of us do. Not even the government.” Alice tried to speak, but closed her mouth so not to hurt her friend‘s feelings.. “I’m just saying that you should support the people fighting.” Anna finished, smiling at her friend. Micheal began to speak again, though he shouldn’t have, but he was willing to test his luck.
    “It’s not like you can cross the ocean and mourn and put flowers over each grave and hole in the earth. You weren’t raised to be a pansy. Now grow up, and..”
    Alice’s cool complexion broke. She began to yell out random things, such as
    “Peace will never be obtained by war!! It’s hypocrisy!!”
    So Micheal fought back. Adding fuel to the engulfing flame.
    “Where’d you loose your common sense?! Your pride?! You have no room to talk about hypocrisy! Do you know what your so called friends do in public? It’s anarchy! They force their ideas on people, giving them half-truths and made up stories of fake loss, an inordinacy of lies! These people and are setting a bad precedent for you, Alice. I don’t like it.” Micheal clarified.
    Alice wiped away her tears with her jacket sleeve. She picked up her green bag from where she had dropped it on the ground and slung it over her shoulder. She took a deep breath as she looked around the room. She softly, but sternly restated her position.
    “No. You don’t understand; and I realize that you probably never will. The government orders people to go to war, and these people at war burn down houses, buildings, crops, livestock, and worst of all, the people who are innocently standing by. In the midst of it, they’re getting themselves killed. There is no order. That is anarchy. And no. I haven’t lost my mind, I have merely reformed my way of thinking, because I’ve became enlightened. And of course it’s inordinate! It has to be. If it wasn’t their ideas would never be heard. It has to be excessive. It just does. Fighting and giving lives from a secretary desk like it’s some game isn’t war. It’s mass murder with a nickname. Peace is something everyone wants, believe me, I know. I’ve been on both sides, and no I don’t really trust what my ‘friends’ believe in, but I’m not faithful that the government will protect me either. War will never, and I mean never bring about peace in this world. Creation doesn’t come from destruction. Hope isn’t born from devastation. I realize I can’t change the world, but I will try. And if you aren’t going to support me, then I’m leaving. Goodbye, take care of yourself. I might stop in some time.” and then, as everyone was staring with jaws dropped in awe, Alice walked out the door. Her key on the coffee table, proof that she didn’t intend to return. Anna could only let out a whimper. Jack had tears running down his cheeks. Micheal’s eyes were stern and his arms crossed. The tension in the room was building. Anna said her goodbyes and hurried along. She didn’t want to deal with the trauma of her friend’s family.
    “Well, guess your gunna be here all alone old man. You shoulda just kept your mouth shut.” Jack sighed, wiping his tears. Micheal grimaced and the door slammed as Jack left.
    Micheal slouched on the couch all alone. He sighed and closed his eyes, hoping, that maybe it would all be better when he woke up.

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