The Great World War has left humanity devastated. The nation lies in ruin. Millions have perished. The few survivors have split into two factions.<\/p>\n
Many years later\u2026. The year is 2098<\/p>\n
After the Great War, the nation of Femlediah was founded. Women hold all positions of power and authority in all sectors of society. With women making up over eighty per cent of the workforce, men have embraced domestic life, prioritising household responsibilities over pursuing careers.<\/p>\n
Society flourished. People live in peace and prosperity. Wars, famine and poverty are history. The economy is booming.<\/p>\n
But over the border lies the enemy state, which is a conservative patriarchal society, where people live in extreme poverty. Women are treated as second-class citizens, forced to marry and become subservient to men.<\/p>\n
Zara lives a miserable existence here. She feels imprisoned in her abusive marriage with her husband.<\/p>\n
She often imagines a life in Femlediah, a place she believes holds the key to her happiness.<\/p>\n
But the border she needs to cross is heavily guarded by soldiers. It won\u2019t be easy, but it is her only way out.<\/p>\n
Women are not allowed to work, but there are some exceptions in healthcare. Zara knows a job as a junior nurse at the border military base would be her way out. She takes the first steps and applies for the position.<\/p>\n
Her husband was initially against the idea of her working, but changed his mind when she agreed to allow him to take charge of her earnings.<\/p>\n
It’s the day of Zara’s job interview at the border military base. Zara feels a mix of emotions. Zara makes her way to the border base, awaiting her interview. She takes deep breaths, steadying her nerves for the big moment ahead.<\/p>\n
A soldier approaches, gesturing to her to follow him to the interview room. Zara waits inside the room.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, the door swings open, and a man steps inside. After a long interview, to her delight, she receives a job offer.<\/p>\n
A few weeks later.<\/p>\n
It’s Zara’s first day at work. She begins her training.<\/p>\n
During her break, she decides to explore the facility and gather information. She moves carefully, trying to stay hidden from the patrolling guard in the corridors.<\/p>\n
Zara is determined to find weak spots that may help her in the future. After some time exploring the facility, she stumbles upon the staff kitchen. Through the glass doors, she notices a door in the back that leads to the border fence. But the kitchen is only accessible to kitchen staff, requiring a special key card to enter.<\/p>\n
Over time, she develops a friendship with her work colleague John, who isn’t like most men; he seems friendly, and he works in the kitchen as a cook.<\/p>\n
Zara and John spend a lot of time together during their breaks. Zara knows John has feelings for her, but waits for him to make the move.<\/p>\n
One day, John gathered his courage and asked Zara to go on a date with him. He promised her a three-course meal. Zara happily agreed. Their date was set for the following evening after work.<\/p>\n
The next day…<\/p>\n
Zara has just finished her shift. She heads to the kitchen and waits for John at the door.<\/p>\n
John approaches her with a smile. Letting her into the kitchen.<\/p>\n
Zara formulates a well-thought-out plan. She asks John where onions are kept. She asks John. John points to the storage room.<\/p>\n
Zara enters the storage room and immediately sees the onions sitting on the shelf, but leaves them.<\/p>\n
Zara returns to John as he is cooking. She tells John she can\u2019t find them. John tells Zara to watch the food as he goes to look for the onions himself. As John enters the storage room, Zara quietly follows.<\/p>\n
Seeing her opportunity, Zara slams the storage room door shut, locking herself in the storage room.<\/p>\n
John bangs his fist against the door, demanding to be let out. Zara feels guilty but knows she has no other choice. She takes her opportunity and runs towards the back door.<\/p>\n
She runs towards the border fence. The guard soon spots her and raises the alarm.<\/p>\n
Zara reaches the border fence and climbs over. Her heart was pounding as the guards chased her relentlessly.<\/p>\n
After running for miles, she had made it out. She was finally free.<\/p>\n
A few years have passed.<\/p>\n
Zara is living a happy life with her new husband, Josh, in Femlediah.<\/p>\n
Zara ran for MP and won her election. Eventually, she rose through the ranks and became the country’s Prime Minister.<\/p>\n
Once in office, she orders a military invasion of the enemy state, where she once lived. Her goal is to liberate the women living there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This story is about Zara Khan and her struggle to leave an abusive marriage and to find a new life in the nation of Femlediah.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":2368,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[124,123,121],"series":[],"class_list":["post-2356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-short-fiction","tag-adventure","tag-superhero","tag-zara-khan"],"yoast_head":"\n