Our Second Civil War

Our Second Civil War was over in minutes - while the conflict took decades. As in all wars, both sides lost heavily and then proclaimed victory. 

I knew this all too well, serving as a paramedic to patch up their wounded and dying.

I'd gotten myself into 'Cagga to solve my nightmares. After I'd sworn off coming back into the cities where the only real violence happened.

She was in my dreams every night, and turned them into the same hell on earth she was experiencing. 

Because she only wanted to be rescued from a fate and destiny she could not control. In the old days, it was called human trafficking, but in our time it was called normal.

Just because she was pretty, single, and defenseless. 

And once I found her, we'd only have until sundown...

Excerpt: 

I could hear her scream in my dreams. Every night. Who she was and how to find her was a mystery.

But I knew I had to try. Or the dreams would never let me sleep normal again.

Not that it was going to be easy. Ever since the Great Secession, it was nearly impossible to get people into (or out of) the big city areas. You could get news out of their jammed "acronym media networks" easier.

But 'Cagga was less impossible than most. And that was where my dreams told me to search first.

I was here to get those dreams out of my sleep. 

I'd been called many times, for many things, but this was the most annoying one I'd ever had to live. Not that you'd call it living. Because sleep was one continuing nightmare for me. Not really a lot of sleep, just a lot of waking in a cold sweat, plus a lot of tossing and turning. I even had to get my own room because of all the yelling I'd do. 

So going to 'Cagga was for my own survival, as well as anyone around me. 

Lots of smiles got me through their gates. They didn't want to shake my hand, but waved me through from behind their glass guard booth. Us "unclean" were only going to another slightly less unclean space - where the guards never went. 

Just to find this woman or girl or whoever is keeping me awake at night. 

She was in here somewhere. I hoped.