Blue Sparrow

Seperation

It was a perfect summer day. The birds were tweeting, and the schoolyard was covered in bright green grass with daffodils speckled everywhere, and school had just let out. Fern sighed and took a moment to take in all of the beauty and happiness. She couldn't believe that it was the first day of summer, and that she was actually happy for once.
Before it happened again, that was.
Because in that moment, it all changed.
There were a few screams, which drew her attention towards the dark green vans that had pulled in, which then caused a panic amongst the students. There was a flurry of movement around her, but to Fern, it felt like everything was in slow motion.
She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes brimming with tears as she stare at the vans. “No,” she whispered. “N-no i-it can't...not again!”
Fern turned around and started to run as fast as she could, with terrible thoughts and memories flooding her mind, and then she stopped, mid-step. A realization slowly came over her. “Jamie” she whispered, and started to run against the crowd. Just a moment afterwards, she felt herself being lifted up into the air by one of her best friends, Milo. Fern struggled against him, hitting him on the back, tears streaming down her face. “No!” she screamed. “No! Put! Me! Down! Jamie! I have to go back for her! JAMIE!!” Milo kept running and didn't let go of Fern until after he just barely slid under the base gate.
    When he did let go, Fern ran to the gate and started to shake it back and forth, screaming for her twin, until she just slumped down into a sobbing heap. Milo sighed, then stepped forward and enveloped her in a hug. “sh-she..” Fern sobbed.
“I know, I know,” Milo murmured. After a while she quieted down, and Milo picked her up to bring her to the Community Losses Center.
    “Not Fern,” Nurse Hopkins said. “Who did she Lose this time?”
    “The look-alike. Same room as last time?” he asked the nurse tiredly.
    “Yes,” she sighed. “We haven't even had time to clean it out” The others who overheard their conversation tsked.
    The screens all blinked on and surprised everyone, then the governor popped up. “This has been leveled at a Tragic Loss. For those Newly-Graduates who haven't learned yet, there are two leagues, who have been warring for quite some time now. There is us, the Eagles, and them, the Lions. We have our Safe Side, and they have theirs, but we use some of the schools and office buildings close to our side for any of the Surplus Population. You are considered one of the  Surplus Population families if you are a family with three or more children or if you are a child born into a family after there are already two children. Every so often, the other side goes on raids, taking as many of our civilians as they can…”
    Milo turned around, and stormed into the room where Fern was going to be staying, put her down, then sat down on the other side of the bed and started to cry. He was almost completely certain that he had just Lost his two younger siblings, and Fern had just Lost her twin…