Chapter 3: The Heart Felt Fallout
The State of Rebellion buzzed with unease as its inhabitants came from every direction to see what was going on in their usually unassuming place of residence. A dark cloud hung ominously over the mass exodus, shrouded in mystery as all eyes couldn’t look away to save their lives.
If only they knew the irony.
As rebels far and wide huddled together in an attempt to calm their rattled nerves, the air was charged with an electric current using their bodies as conduits. “What do you think is going to happen?” a Demolitionist faintly asked a nearby Rock Republic member. “I have no idea, I’ve never seen this before…” was the response as the two divisions of the State nervously pressed shoulders together in a rare form of co-mingling. Usually both sides kept to their own, believing that “the grass is always greener on the other side” referenced the side OPPOSITE the other. No one could really give a concrete reason as to why each faction chose to snub the other, most of the time simply observing “that’s how it’s always been.” Sure, both sides had committed atrocities in their tenure as citizens living in the State of Rebellion but hell… we’re ALL Rebels, we ALL make mistakes… None of those mistakes mattered in this moment as new-to-each-other faces mirrored one another with little resolve and lots of worry.
When the first boom sounded through the landscape it was felt… not heard. A thunderous burst coursing through the hearts and souls of everyone gathered bringing with it a stir of change felt deep within. A gentle hymn rode the wind as it picked up in time with the roar of the drumfire. Before the Rebels could register what exactly this cosmic melody was, a voice emerged from the zephyr. As cool as the breeze it traveled on it immediately occupied all in its auditory wake;
Steady now… Steady now…
Don’t fear what you can’t see…
Ready now… Ready NOW!
I hold on to you… you hold on to me…
I found the heart of a lion…
In the belly of the beast…
I held it in my hand… and I could feel…
I could feel…
… Feel the beat…
With only the words they had just heard as a warning a swift darkness blanketed the Demolitionists and Rock Republic throughout. Devoid of all vision and lost in a world trying to crush them somehow, every person came to the same sudden realization; a midst the depths of confusion, fear, and chaos… all they had left was each other.
As Rebels linked arms in a show of solidarity among everything around them seemingly falling apart they marched towards the music with purpose, compelled by something greater than they knew. “This way!” someone shouted as natural leaders took their positions. “I’m lost! I’m over here! I can’t see anything!” an anxious voice cried out as the human chain began to wrap around like a centipede in an attempt to wrangle the stray comrade. As the unknown straggler rejoined the survival driven Rebels a husky voice yelled;
“Looks like we’re not in Kansas anymore!”
The reference highlighted a particularly popular line in an Emerald City legend of a refugee by the name of Dorothy who saved the Land of Oz from an evil Witch from the North West. Even though the State of Rebellion was located just beyond the Nonestic Sea and outside the boundaries of Oz the story of Dorothy was an integral part of Rebellion lore. Whoever had yelled out the “Kansas” quip was almost certainly referencing the Tornado that mythically carried the outsider from “the Midwest” into the Land of Oz.
The thought somehow brought with it a strange reassurance… What was on the other side of this unexpected and abrupt departure from reality? Could the legend be real? Was a childhood story told for generations as far back as Rebels could remember much more than just a fun cure for boredom? The possibility that a fairy tale of old was a historical forewarning for this momentous occurrence swirling all around them was much more than the Rebels had time to think about however. Butterflies churned tsunamis in their stomachs as each foot strived toward the harmonious howl drawing them in like a gnat to a flashlight.
Without so much as a sneeze of a sign the gripping winds and ominous tune dispelled as quickly as they had begun. In their place was a blinding flash of light painfully forcing everyone’s pupils that had adapted to the nothingness to adjust back to the blue skies and rays of sunshine that once again overlooked the State of Rebellion. As everyone’s arms unlinked Rebels found themselves face to face with people whom they had lived in the same community with for years and years yet somehow had never even met. The sun cast a vivid new light on each rebellious face as passionate wonderment took the place of fear and anxiety. With the sudden blackout leaving with the speed in which it came, more questions were left than answered. Still, the Rebels felt a sense of… something… “The Divide” was gone. On the outskirts of the mass, two familiar strangers could be overheard greeting each other for the first time;
“Now that we’ve held on to each other in a panic and I’ve accidently grabbed your boob twice… Hi! I’m Cara!”
“I’m Erin… Nice to meet you Cara! That was crazy…What do you think is going to happen next?”
“I’m not sure, but something tells me that it’s going to be up to us to decide…”
– Rebel8
The Fitness Rebellion 