Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty - One

     “Fifteen years ago North Korea attacked our country,” Stephan from Channel Six News began. “It happened on a day that could not be more chaotic than Black Friday.”

     Footage appeared on the television of towns in ruins and rescuers digging through the debris. The video flashed to forest fires that happened from the blast. As the videos played they flashed and flickered.

     “The distortion you see in the video was created by the radiation,” said Stephan. “We spent years gathering videos from reporters who have fallen and the cameras that were recovered from the attack. We have videos from ground zero from the moment before the attack. The videos, I warn you are quite shocking and graphic.”

     A video appeared of a store. People stampeded into the floor and started fighting over the merchandise. The screen then flashed and it paused.

     “In the moments before the attack consumers were at the store shopping for deals during the annual Black Friday shopping spree,” said a male voice over. “The remaining video is too graphic to show, but everyone who went shopping that day died in an inferno in the store and the parking lot.”

     “What is even more disturbing are the days following the attack,” the voice over continued. “What you are about to see may disturb you.”

     Fighter pilots boarded planes and began to fly away. Wolfe stood at a podium as planes took off. Lena stood behind him with her ice cold glare.

     “We will not let these monsters attack us!” said Wolfe. “We will annihilate North Korea and win! We will nuke the hell out of Joowon Yoon!”

     The male voice over said, “The fighter pilots left never to be seen again. There are rumors that there is footage in South Korea of these pilots being attacked by some electrical current.”

     “What is more disturbing is not the side effects, but the enemy walking on American soil,” the voice over continued onto the next event. “The footage that we are playing next was from a video that someone posted onto social media.”

     North Korean boats arrived at the east and west shores of America. The soldiers marched through the streets of Manhattan. Curiously, the militants stopped and huddled around the dead bodies that remained. They shot and killed any American who approached them.

     “What’s going on?” a woman’s voice whispered.

     The North Korean soldiers marched out of the cities and left for home on their boats. People came out of hiding to find that the bodies were still there, but few parts of their skin were missing. The live feed ended.

     “To this day we do not know what they were here for,” said Stephan. “Slowly, our country has recovered and we have lived to carry on with our normal lives. Nothing has been the same since the nuclear attack on America.”

     “That’s for sure,” Olive stopped the video.

     Surprisingly, social media still existed. People depended on it more than ever since the attack. People searched desperately through social media for those who survived once the Internet was restored.

     Who made it to shelter? Who needed a place to stay? People looked for videos any that were posted after the attack.

     People wanted to know where Wolfe vanished to. Evidently, he and his family survived. People wanted answers. They wanted to know why he was still dictating from social media. When it came time to vote again; people wanted to know why they could not vote for another president.

     At this point, Olive wanted answers to. She could never return home again. As she looked at her home in the rubble she wondered why the one who instigated this got away. She put her cell phone back in her pocket.

     Corby wrapped his arm around her shoulders. There were a few people who have dared to rebuild their lives in her old neighborhood. A few houses surrounded them. There was an empty lot where her mother’s house once stood.

     “Mom made waffles that day,” said Olive. “We all sat down for breakfast when we were attacked.”

     Corby squeezed her shoulders Olive sighed and continued to stare at the lot. Rage built up inside of her.

     “My siblings died first,” she said. “I watched everyone else around me die slowly. I lost everything. I lost my own home and the place where I worked. Everything. I can’t even take anything if I wanted to. Over there I found a necklace. I can’t have it because it is radioactive.”

     “It’s just stuff,” said Corby.

     “It’s not just stuff,” said Olive. “It is what is left of my relatives.”

     “You started your life over, Olive,” Corby rubbed her back. “You have me and your friends.”

     “Distant relatives,” Olive muttered. “Yes, it’s been a long time. We didn’t even have anything to do with this mess. I didn’t even vote for him.”

     “Do you really think there wouldn’t have been a mess had Clinton been in office?” asked Corby.

     Olive snorted, “Do you see her on social media attacking world leaders? You voted for him, I assume. I really doubt we would have been facing nuclear warfare. Other issues would have existed, but not being blown to kingdom come.”

     “I didn’t vote,” he muttered.

     “Well? You really think you have an opinion in this matter?” Olive looked up at him.

     “Wouldn’t have made a difference anyway,” he shrugged.

     She sighed, “Whatever. Now, we have a dictator telling you that you need to track your drugs in a passport and report to the government. If it is a shortage then this attack that he instigated quite possibly caused this shortage.”

     “We don’t know that,” said Corby.

     “Yeah, what is happening?” asked Olive.

     “I’m tempted to drop you off right here,” Corby grumbled.

     Olive pulled his arm off of her shoulders, “You would really do that? You’re in denial!”

     “You’re being rude to me,” said Corby. “I have been supportive of you and gave you a ride all the way here. You thank me by interrogating me?”

     “Don’t you even want to fix what is going on?” asked Olive. “I can’t remember when I actually had a chance to vote. Our local governments still seems to be trying to rebuild. We don’t even know where Wolfe is. Now our meds are being tracked! Something isn’t sitting right with me. We haven't brought the dead any justice.”

     “Well, how do you propose to do that?” he asked.

     “We need to find people,” Olive thought for a moment. “We need to find people who know what is going on and what should be done.”

     “What if we don’t find anyone?” he asked.

     “We will,” she said. “There is anti-Wolfe sentiment. I’m sure we are not the only ones. Protesting may have been banned, but he can’t prevent groups from forming.”

     “Wolfe took control of social media,” Corby said. “It’s impossible for groups to come together.”

     “I’ll think of something,” said Olive.

     “Come on, let’s head back,” he hugged her. “I’m sorry I got pissed at you.”

     “It’s okay,” she said. “You’ve put up with me for this long.”