Other Fan Fiction ❯ 2003 ❯ IX-X ( Chapter 7 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

IX Willa paced around a bit. She had slipped her father her journal to help him get to know her more. She hoped it worked. Willa looked at the bed. Brian was still asleep. The sun wasn’t up yet. So now what? Willa decided to go outside for a moment. It was risky but it beat going crazy in a small room. So, Willa put her cloak and veil on and stepped outside. The smell of boiled cabbage flowed outside. Somewhere between the depression home and this trip, Willa had found her voice. She had become a fighter. She had fought the tars for four years. Each with the price of suspension. Willa was finally moved to a public school. She didn’t care. Being with Brian again was the real prize. “Bang!” a voice yelled. Startled, Willa turned like lighting. A boy of ten and a girl two years younger stood in arm’s reach. They were dressed in blue shorts, gray shirts, and red neckerchiefs of the spies. “You’re a thought-criminal! I’ll shoot you! I’ll vaporize you!” the boy yelled. “Thought-criminal! Thought-criminal!” his sister yelled jumping up and down. “How cute!” Willa thought sarcastically. Winston warned her about the children here. Well, she decided to change the rules a bit. “My, my, my,” she began. “How can you be sure I am a thought-criminal as you claim?” The children froze. Willa smiled. “What does a thought-criminal look like? I’m just curious to know. And what is a ‘thought-criminal’ anyway?” she asked. The little girl became nervous. Willa saw her impact on her. “You could be thought-criminals yourselves. Does that mean you’ll shoot and vaporize yourselves?” Willa pressed on. The girl was like a scared rabbit. “What if she’s right?” she asked her brother. “She’s just trying to trick us!” he snapped. Willa was enjoying this. “Am I or am I telling the truth?” she asked. The young sister felt small all of a sudden. “So,” Willa badgered. “Which is it?” She stepped closer and the children backed up. The boy swallowed hard. “Prove it!” he yelled at last. “Prove what?” Willa asked. The boy tried to stand tall. “Prove that you aren’t a thought-criminal!” he yelled. Willa’s game was working. “How do I do that?” she asked innocently. “I don’t know!” he yelled. Willa smiled. She reached into her cloak and pulled out some Belgium chocolate. The children became afraid. Willa saw their faces. “It’s just chocolate.” she said. The kids weren’t convinced. “It’s poison!” the girl yelled. “You’re going to kill us with it!” “Now, now.” Willa said softly. “Why would I do that?” The children kept quiet. Willa broke off a piece. “Does it look like I’m lying?” she asked. Then, she ate the chocolate. The kids watched closely. Nothing happened. “See?” Willa asked. “No poison.” Then she broke off two more pieces. “Here.” she said as she handed the children the chocolate. “Take it.” The children stepped forward slowly and untrusting. “I haven’t tried to kill you, have I?” Willa asked. The children walked forward and took the chocolate. Willa watched them eat every ounce of it. “Well?” she asked at last once they finished. The siblings were smiling. “You have anymore?” the boy asked. Willa smiled. “Gladly.” she said. In the end, the children were sent off with children and a new perceptive on life. X Brian awoke to see Willa kneeling over him. “Morning.” she whispered. “Hey baby,” he said softly. Willa leaned forward and kissed her beau on the lips. Brian kissed her back and pulled her down to him. The door flung open and the couple looked up. Winston stood in the doorway. His cheeks were flushed red. This reminded him of how he and Julia were once. “Did I come at a bad time?” Winston asked. “No, why?” Willa replied. Her father stepped forward. “I have decided to come to your wedding after all.” he said. Willa was overjoyed. She broke away from Brian and wildly embraced Winston. Her father just smiled. This was the first step in getting to know Willa better. Then suddenly, there was a low hum. All three people froze. To Winston, that meant one thing. He walked slowly and heavily to the wall. A picture of a cathedral felt warm to the touch. When Winston pushed it away, a new telescreen shined back at them. Brian sat up as fast as a P-51. “They’re been watching us!” he exclaimed. Winston was terrified. Willa was livid. “Enough of this!” she thought. Then the girl picked up a full gin bottle and with all her might, threw it straight at the telescreen. The impact and wine destroyed the evil eye of Big Brother right there. Smoke came up from it. Willa was breathing hard. Winston and Brian started at her in disbelief. “What did you do that for?” Winston asked. Silence fell fast. Willa had clamed down enough to speak. “I’m sick of all of the appalling games the Party throws on us to scare us into mindless sheep!” she yelled. Her father stepped forward. “They’re going to be very at you.” he went on. “I don’t care.” Willa hissed. “Big Brother is just a lying hypocrite!!!” Winston hugged her tight. He had discovered a new sense of pride in her. It was clear that this room above Mr. Charrington’s shop was no longer safe. The boys quickly dressed Willa in her cloak and veil and began to flee. But where would they go? Then fate mocked the trio. Three of the thought police were standing outside waiting. They had received a tip from a prole woman desperate for money tipped them to here. The trio stopped dead in their tracks. A girl in dark navy overalls stepped forward. Willa instantly hated her. She thought of Helen Lee Miller when she saw her. The snob that mocked, pranked, and framed her for eight years. All Willa could was endure her torture. The final straw was when Helen tried to steal Brian from Willa. She almost won but Brian resisted Helen. The tart threw him out of her dorm in anger. Later, she tried to say Brian tried to rape her. The officials believed Helen. But it was later dropped. When Willa learned the truth, she was furious. On the day before spring break 2001, Willa punched Helen in the face. When the tart crashed to the ground, Willa tackled her and beat the sense out of her. Both girls ended up expelled from St. Luciana. Thus, Willa finished in a public school. It took all of her self-control for Willa not to beat the thought-police girl up. The girl eyed them coldly. “Arrest the boys but leave the thought-criminal for me.” she ordered. Winston and Brian panicked. Willa studied the other two thought-police. One was a big man with a tight square jaw and hard cheekbones. She recognized him instantly. That was the guy she kicked in the leg for her engagement ring. Willa clinched her fist and put her other hand on her ring as she stared at him. The other officer was of a young boy about her age. He looked like he didn’t want to do this and had no choice but to do so. “Just surrender, I don’t want to do this either.” his eyes seemed to say. The two officers moved forward. Winston and Brian backed into Willa. “Just run.” Winston whispered to her. “I won’t leave you!” Willa said quickly. The big guy moved forward and grabbed Winston. The father was thrown to the ground. The police did the same to Brian. Both male police began beating the boys like rabid dogs. Winston’s pain increased quickly due to his age. Willa felt sick and angry at the sight of the two men she cared about being attacked savagely. These weren’t people! These were dogs with no hearts, souls, or minds. She couldn’t run away and leave them to die. She had to do something! “STOP THIS!!!” Willa cried out. Everyone froze and looked up. Willa stepped forward. “It’s me you want,” she said. “I’m your thought-criminal. I’ll come with you quietly. Just let Brian and dad go.” The Helen-look alike eyed her for a moment. “Hm,” she said. “Nice corporation. I know, I’ll take you but your boys will be put in a safe place.” She turned to her comrades. “Take them down to the south area!” she said. The other two thought police grabbed Winston and Brian and took them away. Willa did not shed a tear as she watched them leave. “I love you dad! I love you Brian!” she called out to them. “I love you!” the boys yelled back. Then, the Helen Lee-look alike dragged Willa away. Next Book