Hers and Mine
BY: Jonny B. Hollmack



HERS AND MINE







Prologue
	Have you ever felt that something was wrong, or was going to go wrong, and there was nothing you could do to stop it? Has there ever been a time where you saw trouble from a mile away, but was helpless when trying to avoid it? It seems no matter how hard you try, how hard you fight, how hard you struggle to do the right thing, bad luck and misfortune rears their ugly heads to spite you. The worst part of it all, is that it comes out of no where and errupts into a firey inferno right before your eyes and comsumes you. Both mentally and physically, mind, body, and soul are lost, and nothing remains but solitude wrapped in misery. If only I knew things would get this bad, I find myself saying. If only I knew how to prepare for something like this. If only I knew, I wouldn’t be running away now… If only I knew… If only. Was there anything I could have done even slightly different. Was there something I should not have done? Was there someone I should have helped or detained? When did this all even begin? What has my family done to deserve this? What have I done to create this monster? Why is this happening? WHY?
	Kenni’s thoughts were cut short by the sounds of soft wimpering that seamlessly blended into the void of darkness that incased him. The vibration from the trembling small, white, body resting upon him shook the very foundation of his mental barriors. He had reached his limit and would want nothing more, than to release all his pentup frustration, but he had to be strong. Even if not for himself, but for the one he wished to protect most. 
	“Naila it'll be ok,” he whispered softly while stoking her short black hair. “You are are brave girl and I wont let anything happen to you.”
	Naila lifted her nose so her eyes could meet his. The eyes that once rivaled the eyes of a goddess, carrying both the sun in the left, and the sea in the right, were now stained red due to constant tears. Her small black nose sniffed at the air, the results ending in more tears.
	“You're crying,” she started. “Please don't-,” faint echoes of distant footsteps growing louder and louder caused her to freeze mid-sentence. “Oh no. Not again,” she whinned flattening her ears to her head.
	“Come on, no time. We have to move,” Kenni growled as he grabbed her paw, and dissapeared again into the night. Clatter of footsteps soon escalated to shouting and howling. The distance between cat and mouse were growing smaller, and would soon be caught. Kenni could feel the grasp of Naila's small black paw slowly slipping from his own. The empty alleys were disturbed by the pattering sounds of bare footsteps, soon followed by the thunderous roar of boots beating the hard concrete.  He looked back at the little girl struggling to keep up, nearly being dragged around every corner. 
	“They're catching up,” she wheezed with tears running down her furry cheeks. “But, I don’t think I can run anymore.”
	They had been running for well over 6 hours with only the 5 minutes to rest.It was a mircle her frail body has been able to last to this point. In one swift movement, he hoisted her up by her arm and threw her on his back, without missing a stride. He could feel her small chest moving rapidly as she gasped for air.
	“Hold on tight to me, and keep your tail wrapped around you.”
	“Ok.”
	“We will get out of this. We have evaded them so far”
	“I know. I am with you. You never let anything bad happen to me,” she whispered as she clung onto him. “I believe in you.”
	Although the number was growing smaller, the pungent smell of sweaty uniforms was growing stronger. He knew they were getting closer, and it would only be a matter of time. Deep down, he knew he couldn't last another fight against them. His only option was to continue running. No matter how weak his legs felt, or how much his chest burned, the violent trembling he felt along his side forced him to press on. She was scared, terrified, but she didn’t say a word acknowledging it.  She just continued to cling to him and force back her tears.
	“Tch, those persistent bastards will never catch me,” Kenni growled as he made a sprint for a nearby street.
	As he drew closer to freedom he could start to see the figures of his pursuers in the darkness behind him. The feeling of asphalt finally met his paws but his slight relief was quickly shattered. A blinding white light flooded the street with a loud pop in front of him, The shrill sound of the siren brought him to his knees.
	“What's happening? What's going to happen to us?” Naila wimpered into Kenni's ear.
	“We will be fine. Don't worry,” Kenni growled, baring his fangs and the unseen enemy before them. Kenni turned to turn back the way they came only to stare down the barrells of several rifles.  With a sudden flash kenni's world went silent, leaving only the smell of iron as his fresh warm blood trickled from his ears. A second flash burrowed into his side, burned its way through his flesh and finally freed its self from his back, which was soon followed by several others. The seering, unbearable, pain was enough to cause kenni to tumble to floor. However, this pain was soon subdued by a high pitched squeal, that originated  from beside him.
	“Naila,” He shouted as the remainder of his ear twitched wildly. “No no no no nonono!”
	Kenni's eyes traveled up the short trail of blood  to meet with a bloody flailing body that was coughing and crying out in pain. Kenni quickly crawled his way over to Naila, whose movements were getting weaker and slower by the second. She was tightly clenching her stomach, were a wave of blood flowed through her red dyed fingers. 
	“Move your hand. Move your hand!” Kenni pleaded Naila with tear clouded eyes. “Please no.”
	At a loss of what to do, Kenni could only rock back and forth with Naila cradled in his arms and cry uncontrollably. Even long after her breath faded to nothing, he sat holding her lifeless body. While in his distraught state, he completely ignored the soldiers surrounding him, and one by one, they took careful aim. With one last hateful look down the loaded chamber, the final bell rung and Kenni's body fell limp on the floor.