Sandra's Brave Stand

"The stars are so beautiful tonight.”

Sandra let out a sigh as she watched the stars slowly disappear once more behind a dark cloud of smoke. The fires were slowly dying down, but still there was no sign of even one star. She had been watching the sky all night, making sure that not even one star fell from the heavens.

“It was worth it, you know?” She turned her head to look at her companion, “Our sacrifices were not in vain. They may have gotten our homes, but they will not get our souls.”

Her companion let out a quiet laugh, “You are right, Sandra. We have protected our faith, and our land. The invaders will not get what they sought for when they came here. At least we can be thankful for that much.”

Sandra nodded in agreement as she took in the sight of the city around her. It had been a week since the armada had landed on their shores and set fire to their homes and killed their people in their attempt to conquer them and force them to convert to their religion, but the city still looked like it was caught in the middle of some horrible inferno the day before. The streets were littered with rubble and ash, blackened beams signifying where houses used to be. The smell of burned flesh still hung heavily in the air, sickeningly cloying to anyone who dared take a breath or two too many deep into the city. It would be some time before life returned to normal here, Sandra knew that much for certain as she glanced around at her fellow citizens trudging through the debris left behind by the invading forces. Some of them carried baskets filled with food and other supplies salvaged from what remained of their homes while others carried small children on their backs as they started early morning cleaning efforts in an attempt to salvage what little they could from their ruined lives. As she watched them work she felt a warm swell of pride rise in her heart; after all these people had survived hell itself and emerged stronger than ever before. They would rebuild quickly; she knew that much for certain as well. She turned her attention back towards her companion waiting patiently for her reply; he was surveying what remained of his home town with a mixture of anger and sadness playing across his face as he struggled to hold back tears he refused to shed in front of his sister’s eyes.

“I... I don’t know how we will manage this time, Sandra... We barely managed last time and I fear that we won't make it through this without your father's help...” He said quietly after a moment's hesitation “We don't have enough money saved up to pay for another shipment... We used everything up last time and... And I don't think we can do it again!” His voice rose louder towards the end as his emotions finally got the better of him and tears began streaming down his face uncontrollably now “How am I supposed to pay for your medicine now? How am I going to protect mother from another beating? How am I- *sob* *sob* *sob* *SOBS SO HARD* - going to make sure that my little sister gets a proper burial if anything happens to either one of you!?” Sandra gasped loudly at his words as she tried desperately hard not to cry herself “I'm so sorry Sandra! But we just can't afford any more medicine right now! If I could find a way... If I could find something worthwhile enough then maybe we could save you but... But there's nothing! NOTHING! What am I supposed to do!? Please tell me what I should do because I don't know anymore!” He whispered tearfully into her ear as he continued sobbing into her shoulder “Please tell me what I should do! Please!”

Sandra closed her eyes tightly against his sobs as she tried desperately hard not to bawl herself but failed miserably within minutes “I-I wish there were something we could do... Father has always helped us whenever he could... But nobody wants my hand in marriage because of my illness and mother is too weak from working too hard everyday to travel all over town looking for work so late into the night... And father is always away on business trips for weeks at a time so there's no telling when he'll be back next… But he does send us letters every week telling us how much he loves us so maybe things will work out again soon… Maybe things will get better soon! We just have to have faith… Have patience… And hope that things will turn out okay… Because they always have before haven't they...? So why shouldn't they again...? He'll be here soon enough… Just you wait... Things will be alright again… So don't worry about me or mother okay? You're all much more important than I ever will be after all… After all… You're my family... My real family…" Her tears started flowing freely now as she finished speaking “And it wouldn't matter if you couldn't buy my medicine again anyway… Or if mother never got better either… Because it wouldn't change how much we love each other or how happy we are together... So just forget about those things alright? Because you're stronger than those things… Those things can never hurt us no matter how much they try because we're stronger than them aren't we...? We're stronger than them because we're together aren't we...? Of course we are silly! That's why nothing bad has ever happened before hasn't it? Because we've always been together haven't we...? Have always been strong together hasn't it...? Well now isn't different either... After all... We're together now aren't we...? Together right!? Together right!? Right!?" Her voice grew louder and louder with each successive question until eventually she was screaming at her brother at top volume while shaking him roughly by both shoulders while repeating over and over again “Together right!? Together right!? Together RIGHT!? Together RIGHT!? Together RIGHT!? Together RIGHT!? Together RIGHT!? TOGETHER RIGHHHHTTTT!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!!???!!!???!!!???!!!???!!!???!!!???!!!???!!!??!!!??!!!!?????!!!!???? ??????????????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????!!??????!!!?????!!!!?????!!!!?????!!!!?????!!!!?????!!!!?? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ????????? ???????????????!!!!!!!!!??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???!!??!!?!!?!!??!!??!!?" She stopped screaming only long enough for herself and her brother to catch their breaths during which Sandra continued crying harder than ever before wiping furiously at her eyes with both arms while trying desperately hard not to fall over from exhaustion despite being held up by her brother who had apparently collapsed atop of her after having cried himself out earlier "Of course things are going to get better soon! How could they not!? All we need is patience!?" She said softly after composing herself enough "We just need patience then everything will turn out alright!" Her brother started laughing hysterically at this statement which only served further fuel Sandra's laughter "And besides..." She continued between bouts of laughter "Mother is getting better everyday isn't she? She can stand longer now can't she? Doesn't need help walking around hardly anymore does she?" Another bout of laughter ensued "And father is working harder than ever before isn't he? Always on business trips isn't he? Always sending us money isn't he?" Another chorus of laughter broke out amidst tears "So why wouldn't they send us more medicine next time instead!?" More laughter rang out loudly followed by an even louder chorus when Sandra added "...Just like always!" The siblings ended up burying themselves beneath each other's bodies after their laughing fit subsided gasping for breath between fits of giggles long until both eventually passed out completely exhausted by the endearingly humorous interaction between siblings who despite facing death everyday were still able [in]spite [of] themselves [to] retain an innocence few possess nowadays; an innocence which served as both a blessing and a curse depending on one's point of view given its paradoxical nature which simultaneously made them resilient yet vulnerable; hopeful yet hopeless; lighthearted yet brooding; steadfast yet fickle; selfless yet selfish; confident yet self-destructive; kind yet cruel; determined yet fragile; loving yet hateful; forgiving yet vengeful; beautiful yet monstrous; peaceful yet violent; honest yet deceitful; etcetera ad nauseam ad infinitum ad infinitum ad infinitum ad infinitum ad infinitum ad infinitum ad infinitum ad infinitum ad infinitum ad infinitum et cetera et cetera et cetera et cetera et cetera et cetera et cetera et cetera et cet eraceteraceteraceteraceteraceteracet eracet eracet eracet eracet eracet eracet eracet eracet eracet eracet eracet eraceteraceterace teracidteracidteracidte racidteracidteracidteracidteracidte racidteradidteradidterad