The Cadet's Origin

Chapter Four - The Dressler Estate

Kenna woke up screaming. The Titans were coming to get her. They had already killed her family. She was screaming bloody murder. All she wanted was her mother. She heard a loud noise against the wall. Kenna held onto her pillow and blankets for dear life. She kept screaming.

"It's okay, dear," Miss Mary's voice broke through the screaming. She wrapped her arms around Kenna and pulled Kenna into her lap. She began to rock Kenna back and forth. "You're not in Shinganshina. You're safe. You're in Trost. You're within the walls."

"The walls already fell," Kenna cried into Miss Mary's lap. "Nowhere is safe. I want my Ma. I want my Da. I want to go home."

"I know, dear," Miss Mary said as she ran her hand through Kenna's hair. "I know, and I'm sorry that you can't go home. I know that I'm not your mother. I know you want her and your father to be here instead of me."

"They're always in my dreams," Kenna cried. "They're always looming. They're going to get me."

"As long as I'm here, nothing bad is going to happen to you," Miss Mary rubbed Kenna's back. "I promise nothing bad is going to happen to you, okay." She hugged Kenna just a bit tighter. "I'm not going anywhere. It's okay." Miss Mary began to hum a soft melody. Kenna's heart hurt as Miss Mary hummed. It reminded Kenna too much of her mother.

Eventually, the morning did come. Miss Mary didn't leave Kenna's side once. Once the sun started to stream in through the curtains, Miss Mary pushed Kenna's hair out of her face.

"Do you want some breakfast, dear?" Miss Mary asked.

Kenna just nodded. Miss Mary got out of bed with Kenna and went to the kitchen. Kenna sat at the table while Miss Mary made a fire. Miss Mary put a pot over the fire and put some water in the pot. They waited for the water to boil. Once it did, Miss Mary put some oats into the water.

"I'm sorry I don't have more," Miss Mary said as she served Kenna a small bowl of oats.

"It's fine," Kenna said as she stirred her oats. "This is already more than I expected. Besides, it's not going to get any easier to get more food." She took a bite of the oats.

"I wish I could disagree with you," Miss Mary said as she sat across from Kenna. "But, I won't lie to you, you're a bright girl after all."

They ate their breakfast in relative silence. After they finished breakfast, there was a knock on the door.

"MARY!"

Kenna looked towards the door. She shot up and ran to the door. It was her uncle's voice. Kenna opened the door and ran right into her uncle. Kenna wrapped her arms around her uncle's middle and held him tightly. It took a second, but her uncle put his arms around Kenna.

"Mr. Dressler," Miss Mary said as she walked up to them. "You're alive! I feared that the Titans had taken you from us."

"The Garrison wouldn't let me leave," Karl said as he walked into the door with Kenna. "It's been a hell of a week between dealing with refugees and doing emergency modifications of the wall. I wanted to go the estate to find the two of you, but when I heard that the Garrison wasn't allowing anyone to leave the city limits without a military escort, I knew I would find the two of you here." He pried Kenna off of him as he went up to Miss Mary. "How bad has it been in the streets?"

"I've taken to keeping the both of us inside unless absolutely necessary," Miss Mary admitted. "The military keep some of it under control, but thievery has run amuck. People are scared and resources are running out."

"Mary, Kenna, grab some bags," her uncle instructed. "I'm getting the both of you out of Trost."

Kenna looked at Miss Mary. Miss Mary nodded at Kenna. Kenna ran up the stairs to go and grab her things. Kenna put her bag and her father's bag on the bed. Kenna grabbed a bag that Miss Mary had given her and started to put some clothes in it. Kenna packed up as quickly as she could. The entire city of Trost was making Kenna go crazy. Everywhere she looked was a reminder of everything she had lost. She wanted to go to a place that she had never been. She wanted a place that held no memories.