False Confidence // Jacqueline JacQuay's L O R E

The Aftermath

JacQuay couldn't believe it had been a year since she first lost the world she once called home. The pain was so raw and fresh that it felt like it happened just yesterday. Memories kept flooding her brain and haunting her in her sleep the longer time passed. Kirsten, the fire, her mother and not being able to see her dad and sister. 

She touched her bright red cape. It was the only thing she had left. Looking at her present day surroundings though, reminded her that she was not the only one who had lost people. There were others as well, who went through the same loss and pain. They all had to run away from the dangerous things of their world. Mysterious creatures that she herself hadn't seen before yet, but the survivors with her referred to as "monsters". 

A light knock on the door made her leap from her spot in the room. The door opened and a tall man with light brown hair walked in. His shirt and clothes were dusty, and his polarized sunglasses off his eyes and on his head. "Jack?" 

"Hi," she said, looking away and back at the notebook and pen in her hand. Writing down everything she had been through was one of the main things that helped her get through this. She remembered everything so vividly- it was surreal and painful and hurting her head-

"Nightmares again?" He asked her, going to the corner where she was sitting in. Hiding from the world in this tiny underground bunker which the two of them and bunch of others called home.

"Yeah," Jack whispered. She knew she didn't need to say anything more. This wasn't the first time. "But Llogan, what are you doing here? It's usually Taiya who comes here."

Llogan looked at the little hummingbrid with pity and for the first time since he walked in, Jack noticed that he was holding something. In his hand was a plush toy of an avocado. 

Her eyes widened in surprise. "What's this for?"

"This is for you." He put the avocado plushie on her lap. 

"You know I don't like avocados," Jack said, slightly giggling at the memory of when Llogan first gave an avocado. She immediately spit it out and said she hated it. 

"Well I don't have anything else for a chi-" Llogan stopped himself from saying the forbidden word. "-anything age appropriate for you."

"You can have it, I don't need it."

"Jack, I know what it's like to lose family, too." And for a second Llogan looked lost in a memory. 

Jack fell silent before quietly asking. "They died too, right?"

"To the monsters, yes."

Jack wasn't sure how to respond. She'd personally never seen a monster- frankly, none of the adults had let her see one, and whenever one was nearby, someone would always cover her eyes and ears. She didn't know why everyone felt the need to "protect" her. She felt old enough to take care of herself (which is why she refused to let anyone call her a child, even though she was only nine-and-a-half).

Thankfully she didn't need to answer, as there was another knock at the door. "Anyone in here?" Taisiya, another one of their group peeped in. The wolf-shifter was quite motherly and tended to be the one who spent the most time with the little avian.

"Mommy Taiya!" Jack squealed. She dropped the avocado, the notebook and pen and embraced the newcomer.

"Kids," Llogan muttered under his breath. Aloud he asked, "Why do you care so much when Taisiya walks in but not when I do?"

"Because she's my mommy," Jack retorted. 

"For the last time, I'm not your mom," Taisiya scolded. "I only came in here to check-in on you."

"Exactly! That's what mommys do!" Jack wings fluttered a bit, a sign she was a bit frustrated. "You and Daddy Dre-"

"Stop calling me Daddy!" A sudden thundering voice interrupted Jack mid-sentence. A draconian with dark green scales gracefully flew down from an upstairs area to the doorway. Taisiya and Llogan waved to Dre.

Jack pouted. "But you just act so much like a daddy-"

"If he's your dad, then Caspian's not my brother," another voice coming from behind Taiya argued. Behind Taiya and further out stood the Toolbelt Twins, Caspian and Colleen, called so for their engineering skills and how they never take their toolbelts off. 

"Why are you all here?" Jack asked, confused.

"Aww, can't we all spend some time with my not favorite hummingbrid?" Caspian joked.

"Hey! Jack here is going through the nightmares of family loss," his sister nudged him.

"I mean...aren't we all?" Taiya asked. 

Silence filled the air, each remembering what they each had gone through. Everyone each of them lost. The pain was very real, no matter how hard they tried to mask it.

"Group hug?" Colleen suggested. They agreed and went in for a big embrace. Unfortunately they couldn't support each other's weight and toppled onto the ground, laughing.

And despite today being her one year anniversary of losing everyone she ever knew, Jack was grateful that she had people to be there for her.