Melodramatic

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Disclaimer: The below piece is testing the art of the melodramatic, characters and places are ficticious. STORY PROTECTED UNDER E. HAUSHEER COPYRIGHT

Signs waved, fist cletched high the mob was at the gates of the President’s House. President Diegro closed his eyes and slammed the window.

Senator James Dujardin spoke clearly through the speaker “Democracy is in danger, and we are here to rescue it.” Senator Stevens sighed “Dujardin, listen to me. You have to stop dividing us and polarizing our own atmosphere. You will lead us down a path of terror that we will not be able to recover from.” Stevens, another senator brushed aside a gray hair. “Dujardin, I do not doubt your personal good intentions but do you realize what this book will do to us?”
Dujardin’s grey eyes sparkled “this book shall ushur in a new era of the people being able to express discontent. We have made so many compromises that we have lost creditbility. Where do we stand if we do not stand on anything?”
Stevens lowered his head “do what you will Dujardin, but when the reign of terror comes, who is to say I did not warn you?”
Dujardin darted out the door with his new book in his hand, Stevens could have stopped him but his will was too weak, broken completely as he attempted to hold together the forces of both sides he himself had no ground left on where to stand.

Abigail Laszewski brushed aside a long piece of brown hair while watching the tv and her eyes gleamed with hope for every one of Dujardin’s words. I long to be here, outside of this rural  home and into the capital where the action is. She opened Dujardin’s book “Saving Democracy” and smiled someday I will be there, I will be at the head of that march at make a difference. The current regime will fall and now is the time to choose sides.

She reflected to a conversation earlier that day with a neighborhood boy, Josiah Jenkins

“but why get involved in politics? God will take care of everything!” Josiah exclaimed
“You fool! Will God dress you in the morning? We are the instruments of change whom he placed here as stewards. Read your Bible and learn something!” Laszewski snapped.

Coughner glanced at the flyers “this is a cause worth fighting for, something to brighten the drary days of life and curtail our president’s power.” The 14 year old’s long curly brown hair hung down her back “this will change the future. We are good, we are right, how can we lose?”
On April 15^th, the protests arose. Millions of people across the country gathered for a brighter future.

Young Hope Heinz she wept tears as she glanced over the fields of corn where she lived, she longed to make a difference out there in the world, but felt so powerless. Hope stayed at home watching her 7 younger siblings, and stayed glued to the TV hearing of the protests shaking the nation. One of these days, right will prevail and wrongdoers will be crushed under the feet of history.

At the protests, Dujarden held the orange flag high “Citizens! A new world will be dawning upon Solidarska. The Establishment is turning us into a totalitarian nation, but I promise liberty and equality. The people must reclaim their nation. Nothing will go wrong, as soon as we reawaken to our old principles for we have seized history by the tail and cannot go back.”

Mark McDougall smiled to himself, pen in hand he began to write  power is ours, it belongs to the future. We must harness it. McDougall had blond hair and blue eyes, he appeared much older in appearance and was everywhere that opportunity called him to be. He left his home on the other side of Solidarska in hope of adventure and this protest was going to be a part of it.

Blond hair tucked into a worker’s hat, Leszowski bumped into this young gentleman, he turned “excuse me?”
“I’m sorry sir. I’m just trying to get a glimpse of Dujarden”
McDougall turned and saw a beautiful young lady “well of course, what is your name?”
“Abigail Leszowski” she extended her hand

“Mark McDougall, charmed to meet you”

“now if you please excuse me I must get closer” Leszowski brushed him aside.
“Of course.”

Leszowski’s blue eyes sparkled at every word of Dujarden’s speech, “liberty! Equality! A new life! This is exactly what we need!”

Leszowski, McDougall, Coughner, Heinz all somehow were watching this protest- and this very protest would change the lives of all of them forever.

To the barricades of signs! Political signs piled as high as the buildings, the phone banks were activated. Thousands of young people dialing the numbers of the American voters. The voters coming in droves to the polls. Nothing could go wrong- history was moving, and he who did not move with history was crushed under the wheels like the president was when the opposition party seized control of Congress.

The night was frided and forbidden that night when the votes were being tallied, Leszowski and Coughnour stood on the balcony of a restaurant overlooking the frozen river.

“what if the president’s party keeps power? We will turn slowly into a monarchy” muttered Leszowski while looking into the sky
“we will, this is the last chance we have to save our country and turn the power into the people’s” Coughnour replied.

“What exactly is the people’s power? For do we know for sure what we are fighting for?” McDougall placed his hand around Leszowski
Leszowski slowly backed off “the president obeying the constitution like he is supposed to, that is the people’s power” she replied

“of course, I ask it in a theoretical sense.”
Two three stayed looking off into the distance as they heard the announcement- their party won. They won.

McDougall smiled and turned to Heinz, Leszowski and Coughnor “this is our chance” he said “our chance to take back history. Will you join me in my group?”
“your group?” Heinz looked up
“well, I have been invited by a high party official to join his think tank activism group, and I would consider it an honor to be fighting side by side with my old comrades.”
Leszowski’s face lit up “Yes!”

Years later, not much changed. The people still lived in the streets, they claimed the economy had improved and the economic recession was over- but in truth nothing changed. The depression was the new norm, and the people as discontent as ever. It is here we run into our young protagonists again- all students at a university by the capital.

Coughnor trudged through the dank streets outside the university and heard a family mutter “nothing has changed! The opposition in congress and we still can’t afford bread. We need a real person who will lead our country to glory.”
Coughnour pretended not to listen as she opened the door to her apartment, inside waiting was Leszowski

“I came because we must talk” Leszowski’s eyes furrowed
“Yes? My old friend, what troubles you?”
Leszowski tossed a pamphlet on the table “do you know the meaning of this?”
Coughnour picked up the pamphlet and her arms trembled
“Return to glory- elect Brown.”
Leszowski shook her head “He scares me, McDougall told me if I do not vote for Brown I’m a traitor to the party and he is already our party’s nominee. He is fighting against the ideals we fought for. All of our good work will be undone! And what is worse- our enemy nations are at our doorsteps.”

“and McDougall is supporting him?”
Leszowski looked down “he has changed. I thought he was a good comrade who would help us in the fight for liberty, but Brown offered him a position and he has become the most strongest defender of…”
Leszowski and Coughnour froze as McDougall made his way up the stairs
“Comrades. Our next president will like to know some information”
“Oh, our next president who promises liberty and equality wants to know exactly why we- the rebels of old cannot support him” Coughnour jeered

McDougall locked eyes with Coughnour “it is for the security of the republic.”
“Citizen, the only enemy of the republic is Brown. Can’t you see that his policy of religious and political unity will lead to the dismissal of all ideas that aren’t his and that he will destroy all we worked for?” Leszowski replied
“once we secure our party’s position in power we will have perfection at our fingertips and the establishment party shall never come to power again.”

“isn’t that what we were afraid of the establishment for doing? In doing this we are doing exactly what we are fighting again” Leszowski stated

“Mark my words, we will march to victory.” McDougall said seemingly ignoring Leszowski

“you are not the same comrade I originally stood with on the barricades.”

“Yes I’am, and you were too stupid to figure out politics is about opportunity and climbing to the top. Look, I need money to live just as much as you to. If I stood only on principle, I would be starving every night.” McDougall left.

“and there goes another friend of the republic turned into an opportunist” Leszowski’s eyes stayed locked on the door
“well, I suppose a hungry belly could tempt people to do many things. He was in so much turmoil I could sense it.”
“yet he gave himself over to evil.”

Mark McDougall arrived back into Brown’s presidential campaign headquarters and lowered his head
Brown walked over to McDougall “well, the opposition of old. Did you get them?”
McDougall shook his head “they said you were the very thing they were fighting against”
Brown slammed his fist “dummies! They will serve no place in my government. But need that not be you, you have proven yourself loyal and good. My son, you deserve a medal.” Brown pined a small silver circle with his image on it to McDougall’s chest
“and perhaps some money, so I can have lunch?” a weak smile creeped across McDougall’s face
“certainly my boy. I must return to campaigning and defeat that evil we call Clark.”

Laszewski sunk into her chair, with her eyes she scanned the room slowly “I know it is just a legend, nobody ever faced tanks with horses but this is what we are doing tonight.”

Coughner held her locket tight “this is our last stand, torn between invasion and invasion. Which way will we want to be oppressed? Not only that, the party that promised everything elected the worse tyrant of them all.”e

Hannah Clark’s dyed blond hair, and makeup hid her age. “People! We must put an end to Brown’s chaos instigated by the opposition.” Her purple blouse and gold jewelry contrasted greatly with the impoverished masses down below asking and waiting for a break, for some liberty from the intense and growing poverty “the recession is over! This is the new normal” she forced a laugh “we shall defeat Brown!”
Meanwhile, the opposition was fractured. Never Brown became the rallying cry of the never group which was going to be henceforth named “the Friends of the People” which in fact was quite a mouthful. The establishment cried “order!” the opposition cried “justice!” but their every which direction tore all asunder, and the hatred that was put into motion was spirling into a new tyranny out of control.
“These traitors! These friends of the people are not true members of the Opposition Movement. They have sold themselves out in order to cause Clark to win. We must destroy them or conquer them. They will not let their nonsense prevail.”

In a café, Leszowski assembled Coughnour, Heinz and a new comrade, Mary Kraszewsko.

“it is time to form a new opposition” Leszowski’s eyes gleamed
Kraszewsko held a pen in hand “this is brilliant, I have a plan I wrote out on which states are the most pivotal. If you would give it a look over and critique it I would be very grateful.”

Heinz gazed out the window “yes, this is a wonderful idea” I can’t die she thought to herself I do love my country, but this game has the potential to go wrong so fast.
“We will never surrender, we will never be defeated.” Laszewski muttered “the party abandoned us, we will show them who we are and never abandon ourselves.”
“Yes, but will we fight. To the point of death?” Heinz’s eyes widened
“When do we stop fighting? Never” replied Coughnour. That word “Never” echoed throughout the café. The Resistance was formed.

At a campaign rally sat McDougall, with a heavy set woman by the name of Von Schmerling. He kissed her and she left loved, she felt important.
“Comrades!” Brown’s voice rung out “we have lived under oppression for too long, and we shall now take our vengeance. We shall return to greatness! You are the tools for making us great, the government counts you alone as insignificant but I shall return what is rightfully yours- march on to greatness!” the crowd lifted their arms straight ahead as a salute to their great leader.

“Citizens!” Laszewski mounted a table back in the opposition’s headquarters “what happened to us? To our cries for liberty? We have become the monster we have sworn to slay!”

“We shall usher in an era of greatness!” commanded Brown

“We shall raise the banner of liberty again!” Laszewski told her comrades

“We shall slay the establishment” continued Brown

“we shall never be divided.” Rang Laszewski

“and only then shall our liberty be secured.” They both seemingly said in unison.

Silence echoed throughout the whole. McDougal and von Schmerling stayed behind Brown. Brown seemingly stopped speaking. Clark’s stale laughter died out. Laszewski seemingly at a lost for words as the news flashed along the screen, Coughner’s knees grew weak. The news was bold across the screen “Partitioning of Solidarska.” By two major powers across a small body of water- the eastern half of Solidarska was seized by Valka, an old superpower that watched this election with interest. The western half was seized by Steuern, a power that normally waited silently and then seized its prey.
War had begun. A deadly silence encompassed them all, the army of horses had been stilled. Clark had been executed at the proclamation of the new President Brown. Brown’s presidency didn’t last long, the portioning powers took over the capital city, and Brown was exiled to Saint-Helena.  Brown through all of his words about restoring greatness and making Solidarska great again, made Solidarska nothing more than a memory. Nothing more than a flower tramped below the wheels of a tractor. Solidarska was no more.

Leszowski knew there was one option left- uniting the opposition once more against tyranny and against the two foreign powers that had seized Solidarska, their homeland.

“Citizens!” Leszowski’s voice rang out “it does not matter what side you were on in this election, we must fight to make Solidarska free!”
“Communist!”  Noah, Coughnor’s boyfriend retorted. “You said that Robert Smith, the Communist candidate has more reliability than Brown.”
“That does not make me a Communist- Communist or Libertarian we must all unite against the injustices our society faces today.”

The Warszwaski Empire to the east lived in fear of Valka, but also sympathized with the ideals of liberty and equality. Andrzej Majczyk, the President of the Warszwaski Empire saw the tension and wanted to do what he could to weaken Valka.
Majczyk was meeting with Leszowski of the Resistance in a closed meeting at a café, as Majczyk exited the café- McDougall approached him.
“Greetings Mr. President.”
Majczyk turned “Yes?”
“My name is McDougall, I have an important position with the President in exile, President Brown. “ McDougall presented his badge “I want you, oh great president of Walszwaski to give me some information about the resistance and then I promise you that President Brown will garentee a security alliance for your nation when we take back power.”

“for Warszwaski’s security I suppose… but I despise what you are doing. There is a rebellion tonight by the Resistance. “

“That’s all I need to know, Brown’s troops will be there.”
“To fight for the Resistance?”
“No, to fight against the Resistance.”
“What!? No, I thought if anything they would want to fight with the Resistance for Solidarska for their liberty”
McDougall smirked “Liberty? Do you even know the meaning of the word? Does anybody? Brown brings liberty, the Resistance brings division.”
and he walked away.
“No!” Andrzej dashed into the fighting zone
“Mr. President! You must not get caught up in this nonsense”
Andrzej turned to his advisor “Oh, you expect me to just stand and watch as injustices are done? It is my fault, this is my fault. And I will right this wrong that I’m at fault for. Their enemy is my enemy, and I’d consider it an honor dying for the truth.”
Andrzej ran up the barricade and pushed a gun’s tip away from Leszowski, a burning pain seered through his chest. Thuding to the ground, Andrzej grabbed Leszowski’s hand
“Mr. President?” the leader of the resistance turned and held her breath.
a burning tear trickled down Andrzej’s cheek “Please, forgive me.”
“but why?”

Andrzej grimaced “for the sake of my own power I put you at risk.”
“How?” Leszowski’s face turned confused
“I… that man with the gun. McDoug… Mc something. He promised me that he’d convince your president to send me troops if only I… if I revealed the hiding place of the resistance.”

Andrzej handed a burning hand to Leszowski “if it isn’t too late, I pledge my support for the resistance.” Leszowski extended her hand and in traditional fashion Andrzej kissed it before he passed into the light.

Leszowski and the others went into hiding,

“Leszowski, there is something I must tell you.” Heinz looked down at the ground of the hiding place “I have to run tonight, past the northern border- to freedom. I’ve had enough of this lifestyle of living in fear”
Leszowski’s eyes widened “You coward, you surrending coward. Running away?”
“What about life? And my family!” Heinz rhetorted

“Liberty comes first. What are our lives other than tools to make liberty and equality secured throughout the world?” Leszowski’s gaze locked with Heinz
“You will never understand the meaning of the word love Leszowski!” Heinz turned to leave
“I did love once… you are wrong. But love must be channeled into a concept greater than any human” she responded quietly, too quiet for Heinz to hear.

The empire of Warszwaski was able to ward off the remaining forces, eventually Leszowski and the resistance was able to work with intelligence from Warszwaski and once again- Solidarska was an independent empire. Never again would the people elect a bad ruler for they learned their lesson the hard way!

Laszewski, what became of her? She and Coughner continued to build barricades against the existing powers. They led the resistance, darting up and down the streets and seemingly died knowing a brighter tomorrow would arise. It did, the dawn touched on the land as the two empires both fell. From the sheltered after a battle, after the sounds of victory were heard- two figures crawled out of the rubble “I had to lock her in this chamber for she was about to take down the whole army herself!” Coughner smirked. Lifting her head was Laszeski! “Citizens” she weakly muttered “long live the republic!”

Epilogue:
Coughner died shortly after the restoration of a heart attack. Laszewski was heart broken at the departure of her dear friend. Coughner was quietly laid to rest in the presidential crypt.

McDougall realized the error of his ways, and revealed to Leszowski all of Brown’s plans and asked for her to pardon him of his foolishness, and she did. He turned around and started an organization to preserve the memory of this election.

Many years later, President Laszewski passed away. She was well into her second term as president and had been ill for sometime but did not want medical treatment as she was too busy.  While giving a presidential address, her body could no longer take it. She died doing what she loved. After her body was taken away to the morgue, an autopsy confirmed that her death was caused by poisoning by a bullet that had been lodged in her since the resistance. As tradition stated, her embalmed body lay publically in state at the President’s house for months, clothed in the uniform of the resistance. Her blond hair hung loose as she said “I will wear my hair down when Patria is free.”  Millions came over the months to pay their respects to the revolutionary who stood her ground when everybody else laughed. Her body was laid to rest in the crypt holding Solidarska’s heroes, right next to Coughner.