OVER THE FLAMES

Lena's POV Surrounded on the battlefield was anarchy, a symphony of shooting, yelling, and smoke's bitter scent. Adrenaline surged through me as I stood shoulder to shoulder with Finn and Jacob. My heart was hammered. We had entered the chaos and now it seemed as though the planet was whirling out of control. "Stay low, Lena!," says Pulling me behind a fallen tree, Jacob yelled as bullets zipped by. Every sound of the crisp crack of gunfire reminded me of how bad things were. "I cannot simply hide." Frustration boiling inside me, I shouted back. "We must struggle!" He turned to face me, a mixture of worry and will. we will! But we have to be clever about this. Finn and the others should have the first opportunity to regroup. I nodded and inhaled deeply to help me to slow down my pounding heart. Jacob was correct; nobody would benefit from jumping straight forward. But I couldn't get rid of the sense of powerlessness that tore at me as I bent behind the tree. At that moment, our left burst in gunfire. Turning, my breath caught in my throat, I saw a soldier approaching us with an uplifted rifle. "Jacob!": I shouted out, panic starting to surge. "Stay rear!" Pushing me behind him as he reached for his own weapon, Jacob encouraged. Watching him face the military, I started to get terrified. Jacob shot quickly, the sound ringing in my ears. The soldier staggered and dropped, and my heart pounded not only from the exhilaration but also from the awareness of how far we had all come. In that instant, I felt a flash of pride for Jacob as he had evolved from a terrified child into a courageous fighter. "Let's get it!." Finn yelled and waved us ahead. "We have to get on that ridge!" Traversing bullets and trash, I followed Jacob toward Finn. The battlefield was a symphony of sounds, each time stranding me near the brink. Other warriors were gathered around us, their will driving my own resolve. Finn was guiding a group of resistance fighters when we arrived, his voice forceful and direct. "We need to flank them!" Could Lena cover for us throughout our relocation? Of course! I answered, my confidence rising in the middle of all the turmoil. My hands shaking, I positioned myself behind a nearby boulder and grabbed my gun. Here it was—I had to prove myself. I focused on the objectives ahead while Finn and Jacob stepped to the side and corrected my breathing. Every shot I fired made me feel both exhilaration and anxiety. I was part of something more than a terrified teenager lurking in the darkness. I suddenly saw a soldier aiming at Finn. "Be careful!" My voice cutting through the noise, I yelled. I fired in that moment, my pulse pounding as I aimed. The bullet hit the soldier, who dropped his weapon clattering to the ground. Though it was soon overtaken by the awareness that I was now totally in the struggle, relief flowed over me. "Good shot!" Jacob exclaimed, a smile covering his face. "Let's keep on traveling!" Finn answered steadily when he phoned. "We have to pull them back!" We surged ahead, battling with the opposition. Around me, I sensed the friendship developing—each person brought together in the fight against the army. Every move we made started the tide to turn. But suddenly, just as we were about to advance, the ground shook with a great explosion. I staggered and dropped to the ground as trash poured around us. "Lena!": Hurrying to get to my side, Jacob yelled. "I'm good!" I gasped, then shook off the surprise. Looking up, though, I saw the troops reorganizing—their numbers still too great. "Form up!" Finn called, his voice over the tumult. "We have to take this stance!" Finn was strategizing on the go, and I could see the will in his eyes as the struggle got more fierce. "We cannot let them regain control. Lena, keep a look at our flank! "I shall!," I answered, my voice deliberate. My senses heightened as I concentrated on the front line. I saw two troops prowling our formation's edge. "Two on the left!." I cried and raised my rifle to aim. But the sound of footfall behind me set my heart racing before I could shoot. Turning just in time, I watched another soldier drawing his weapon. Benevolent Lena, behind you! Jacob yelled, then he shoved me out of the path right away. As I witnessed Jacob strike, the soldier's shot landed exactly. I gasped. As I watched him stumble, time seemed to stop as horror crossed his face. "NA!" I cried and hurried to his side. Jacob! Clutching his shoulder, blood spilled between his fingers and he dropped to the ground. The sight broke my heart; the anarchy all around me vanished into quiet. "Stay right with me! You are going to be OK! He managed to answer, "I'm fine, just... a scratch," but the agony in his eyes revealed another tale. You must keep battling. "I cannot depart from you!" I started to cry; panic seized me. "Lena," he murmured, his voice calm yet strained. "You must battle. Let not this be for nothing. Though I knew he was right, tears flooded my eyes. I had to carry on. My voice quivering, I said, "I'll be right back," tearing my eyes away from him, unable to let hopelessness seize. My pulse thumping, I surged back into the fight and roused the others. "We have to pull them back! Though hurt, Jacob will be OK! Finn nodded with a stern look. Now we cannot stop. Let us wrap up this! Driven by the urgency of the occasion, I battled with fresh vitality. Every shot I fired seemed as though it were honoring Jacob's bravery. I could see the troops starting to stumble as the tide of war turned in our direction. But just when success felt within grasp, a new awareness struck me—a man coldly detachedly watching the anarchy from a neighboring ridge. My blood stopped cold as awareness passed over me. "Is that..."? I stammered, trying to see through the smoke. "It's him!," Finn said, his eyes narrowing in identification. "That's Sergeant Beckett!" The exact guy who had split our lives apart, Beckett stood there grinning uneasily. Raising a hand to indicate the troops to reorganize, he exuded a dark authority. "We must stop him!." Urgent driving my voice, I yelled. Lena, he is too far away! From behind me, Jacob's voice emerged, his words tinged with anguish but also with compassion. "You cannot bring him alone!" Still, I refused to allow fear to control my behavior. Not once more either. I had to face him, prove to him that we no longer feared anything. "cover me!" My heart thumping, I called Finn and Jacob and launched off toward the ridge. "Wait Lena!" Finn yelled, but I was already moving, will blazing through me. Beckett turned as I got closer to the ridge, his look changing from astonishment to enjoyment. "Oh, the tiny rebel chooses to face me. That is charming. "Stop this!" I yelled, determined and angry at the same time. "You cannot keep treating us this way!" He laughed, a low, terrible sound. You suppose you could stop me? You are just a girl engaged in war play. His words set off the kind of fire inside me that broke through terror. "No." I'm not only a girl. I fight, so I won't allow you to wipe any more life! I had a flash of force and a feeling of direction that drove me ahead at that same instant. Raising my weapon, I pointed it squarely at him. "Your actions will cost you." His smile stammered, and for the first time I noticed a flutter of doubt in his eyes. "You believe you might challenge me? You're outnumbered. Not for long, I said, my voice firm. We are retaliating. You are going out of control. I yelled suddenly, firing and the bullet landed close to his feet. He jumped back, his face deepening, startled by the unanticipated action. "Do you truly believe you can frighten me?" He scoffed, yet his tone had a trace of uncertainty. "Maybe not," I said, "but I won't back down." not anymore. That moment I heard footsteps behind me. Turning to find Finn and Jacob sprinting toward me, there looks a mix of worry and resolve. Lena, get back! Finn yelled, gesturing in front of me. "Do not! I'm capable of this! I persisted, not going to be driven away. Beckett pointed at us, his confidence faltering. "You believe you could take me on? You simply irritate me like a thorn. I remarked, stepping forward, "maybe, but you cannot overlook a thorn. We are not terrified of you anymore; you have wounded too many people. As we stared him down, the weight of the occasion crashed over us and the tension hung thick in the air. "Then let's see how courageous you actually are."