Chapter 11 : Commemoration
ELENA
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For a moment… I thought I was wrong. I thought maybe the doors opening meant something good. Maybe everyone was excited. Maybe the soldiers had returned safely. Maybe , No. I was wrong. The door didn't open. It broke open. The sound wasn't followed by cheers. It was followed by panic. Shouting. Running footsteps. Fear. My body froze. And then I saw it.
A truck. A full sized truck crashed through the entrance of the shelter. My mind stopped working. Everything around me slowed. The truck wasn't stopping. It wasn't even slowing down. It was still moving. Straight toward me. Thousands of thoughts appeared in my mind at once.
Why is there a truck? Why did it break the gate? Who is driving it? WHY IS IT STILL MOVING? WHY IS IT COMING TOWARDS ME?! I couldn't move. I couldn't even breathe. Then suddenly , A force pushed me away. I hit the ground hard. Doctor Briar had shoved me out of the way.
At the same time, Katherine and several other members rushed forward, dragging pieces of metal and heavy objects into the path of the truck. A temporary roadblock.
A desperate attempt. The truck crashed into it. The entire shelter shook. Metal screamed against metal. And finally Finally… The damn thing stopped. I sat there for a moment, staring at it.
My heart was still racing. Doctor Briar immediately turned toward me. “Elena, are you okay? You almost got crushed.” I looked up at him. “Oh…” I swallowed. “Well, thank you for saying that, but yes. I'm alright.” I looked at him. “And thank you for saving me.” Doctor Briar gave me a small smile. “You’re welcome.” I slowly stood up.
My eyes moved back toward the truck. Now who the hell is behind that thing? The answer came seconds later. The door opened. Hog stepped out yelling "The damn breaks WONT FUCKING WORK" . But something was wrong. He was limping. My eyes immediately went downward. His leg. It was injured. And not just his leg. His body had burns. Actual burns. His uniform was destroyed in several places, covered in holes. The same damage I saw from the acidic rain. I barely had time to process it.
Because then more people came out. Thomas. Dameon. Ian. Other soldiers.
And they weren't walking normally. They were carrying people. The injured. There were more wounded soldiers than healthy ones. My heart sank. Everyone looked exhausted. Broken. Like they were holding themselves together by nothing but willpower. Then I saw him. Ian. For some reason… I smiled. I didn't know why.
Maybe because seeing him alive after everything made something inside me relax. But he looked different. Tired. In pain.
Yet he acted like none of it mattered. He immediately helped carry the injured soldiers toward the medical wing. He didn't stop. Didn't complain. Didn't even acknowledge his own injuries. How is he still standing? Finally, after everyone else was brought inside, only Hog, Thomas, Dameon, and Ian remained. Caine stepped forward. His eyes searched the group.
Then he asked quietly “Where is Rhys?”
The entire area went silent. My heart stopped. Rhys. I completely forgot.
The answer came from Hog. His voice was heavy. “Rhys didn't make it.” Silence. A painful, unbearable silence. Then everyone broke. People cried. Some looked down.
Others covered their faces. Even though I had only known Rhys for such a short time… I felt tears forming in my eyes. Because I understood loss. Everyone here carried it. Everyone here had lost someone.
Thomas and Ian explained everything.
The coastal mission. The storm. The acidic rain. The swarm. And then… The giant.
My entire body went still. A giant infected.
Something that should not exist. How is that even possible? It sounded like something from a nightmare. A horror story. A fantasy. Except… It wasn't fiction.
It was real. And it was outside. My thoughts immediately went somewhere else. The Reestablishment. Could they be behind this? I didn't know. But after everything I learned… I couldn't ignore the possibility. Not now. Not anymore. But this wasn't the time. Everyone was injured.
Everyone needed rest. Caine turned toward the medical wing. “Check the refugees carefully.” The doctors looked at him. The refugee's looked really scared and everyone seemed a little relieved to see people being rescued I think that was the most refreshing thing about this place. Then Caine added, “Make sure they don't have weapons.” My eyebrows lowered. Weapons were not someone had normally although it would make sense because of the apocalypse there going on but ,The Reestablishment. They took everything.
Every weapon. Every resource. Everything. They took everything under them in the name of protection. I used to think they wanted safety. That they were trying to protect people. But now… I wasn't so sure. Maybe it was never about protection. Maybe it was about power. They wanted power over everyone and everything. Superiority. The medical staff checked the refugees. After a few moments, they signaled. Nothing. No weapons. Thomas stepped forward. “I already know they don't have anything. We spoke with them.”
Caine looked at him. “I know, son.” His voice was calm. “But it’s better to be certain.” Nobody argued. Because Caine was right. In this world… Trust could get people killed. My eyes moved toward Dameon. He was standing away from everyone. Alone. Caine noticed too. He walked toward him. At the same time, Doctor Briar began guiding everyone toward the medical wing. Because honestly… Everyone needed it. Especially the ones pretending they didn't.
Later…
The memorial began. The snow had not stopped. The cold surrounded us. But nobody left. Everyone stood together. Shoulder to shoulder. Because today wasn't about the weather. It wasn't about survival. It was about remembering. Those who didn't make it back. I stood among them. Watching. Ian stood at the front.
Alongside Hog and Katherine. Even after everything… He was still standing. Still carrying everyone. Still trying to be strong.
Then Caine stepped forward. His eyes moved toward Dameon. “Dameon.” Dameon looked up. For a moment, he didn't move. Then slowly… He walked forward. an placed a hand on his shoulder.
Thomas stood beside him. Everyone surrounded him. Because Rhys wasn't just his brother. He was ours. Caine spoke.
“Today we remember Rhys.” The wind moved through the shelter. “He was a soldier.” “A protector.” “But most importantly…” “A member of our family.”
Dameon's eyes trembled. “He gave his life protecting another.” Caine looked at him.
“He died the way he lived.” “Saving someone.” Dameon finally broke and said "all of them did" A tear slipped down his face. And nobody judged him. Nobody looked away. Because everyone understood. We all had someone we wished we could bring back. The ceremony continued. Flowers were placed. Names were spoken. Memories were shared.
And for a moment… The apocalypse felt far away. After everything ended, I heard someone call my name. “Elena.” I turned.
Mary was standing there. Confused, I walked toward her. She grabbed my hand gently. “Come here.” She led me inside a room. When I entered, I saw Emma. Valery. Diana. And several other members I still didn't know well. Everyone looked busy.
Mary smiled. “Alright everyone. I promised Ian I would make his favorite dish.” She looked around. “I’ll handle that while you all do the rest.” I blinked. What is happening?
Emma looked excited. “Alright, but where are we going to put the decorations?”
Diana answered immediately. “Since Ian is resting right now, we should set up his house. When he enters, he'll be surprised.”
I stared at them. Still confused. “What is happening?” Emma and Valery looked at each other. Then answered at the same time. “It’s Ian’s birthday!” I froze. Birthday.
I looked around. After everything. After death. After losing people. They were still celebrating life. And somehow… That felt like the most human thing I had seen since the world ended.
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