For this weeks Flash! Friday we had to incorporate the theme of Defeat into a story about the following prompt:

Construction of the Statue of Liberty's PedestalConstruction of the Statue of Liberty’s Pedestal. CC2.0 photo by National Parks Service, Statue of Liberty ca 1875.

The Resistance

How did they defeat us? We were stronger, faster, meaner. We were willing to do things they were not. We brought the darkness, casting it down upon them. They were supposed to cower at our feet. To kneel before us as loyal subjects. We had spies in their military, poised to betray their brothers when the time was right. We had planned for every eventuality, strategically prepared for their feeble resistance. It was all supposed to be easy.

In the end it was not the soldiers that defeated us. It was the housewives, the children, the teachers. As we brought darkness, they radiated light. They huddled together and formed bonds we could not break. No matter how hard we pressed, they would not kneel. They filled their boys belly’s with soup, their souls with hope. They mended their uniforms and combed their hair. Clean underpants were a must. To die disheveled was not an option.

We took everything from them, their homes, their schools, their loved ones. The only thing left was their dignity. They clutched it to their chests and refused to let go. With their wives and mothers behind them, they stood immovable. Our unstoppable force was not enough. They fought for their liberty, and won.