Down the dark street I ran, clutching Mary, my older sister, with a white knuckle grip on her hand. She asked me "Deborah, can you keep up?"

I panted "I think so," nearly stumbling. I could hear the shouts of the Enforcers, close to our heels. We turned the corner, and saw the Pilotmario embassy only three blocks down. We ran and ran, and was only several yards away from the embassy when I heard the distinctive buzz of a flying net.

We hit the ground as we were both entrapped by the net. However, I was able to get out with some trouble, and began to run before I realized my sister was missing. I turned around to see my sister completely entangled by the net. She said "Leave me behind, Deborah!"

I was silent. We did everything together. We ate together, bathe together, slept together, and went to school together, until fifth grade when we were pulled from school. Now she said the unimaginable.

"Go! Just go!" And so I did, running to the lone soldier at the gate. He asked "Do you have any papers?"

Panicked, I dug through my hand bag before finding my identification papers. He picked them up, shone a special flashlight on it, and said "Come this way," opening a gate. I walked through the gate, the guard close behind. I could hear the iron gate close behind, as the soldier locked it shut. I could see Mary still trapped in the net, still struggling in a futile attempt to break herself free. The Enforcers were closing in on her, fast.

I asked the guard, pointing to the scene "Please help my sister!"

He replied "Ma'am, I'm sorry. She is outside my jurisdiction."

"Please, for the love of God!"

He shook his head "I'm sorry, Deborah. She's gone.There is nothing you can do, unfortunately. There is nothing I can do either."

"You have to do something!"

"I'd love to do so, but my powers are limited."

I cried on my knees as I watched the Enforcers drag Mary into a van. He put his hand on my shoulder and said "I know how you feel, missus. Twenty years ago, I met the love of my life in this very circumstance. I assume you ran to avoid marriage to an abusive man, am I correct?"

I looked to him and said "Yes, that is so."

"Same as my wife. I am a veteran who fought a war against the Olympians. I have ran through the gauntlet of machine guns and shrapnel. And yet, women like you are the bravest people I know."