Hanako Norene's Past

Chapter Three

As I continued running in the chaotic street, a large boulder came flying at me. Barely in time, Kazumi dove forward, slamming his hands against my back to force me to the ground. I didn't respond, or even act angry. I knew he had to that for me to even have a chance to live. After all, at that moment, I was being completely controlled by my anger and fear. Once we were both standing, we turned and looked at the boulder, frozen in horror as I watched it crushed several people running behind us. Large amounts of blood flew everywhere, layering the ground and buildings. A few of the severed heads of the people that were near the edge of the boulder laid on the grounds. Screams of agony and distress were heard from the people that had managed to survive that boulder and the people that witnessed their loved ones injured or killed by that rock. I was tempted to go back and help them, but I shook my head, my hands clenching into fists. I had one mission right now in my mind - get back to my mom and dad. Kazumi and  I continued running down the street, we ran pass corpses and crows already feasting on the fresh flesh. When the hill leading to my house came into view and I sped up. Once I could see my house, I noticed half of it had crumbled to the ground thanks to a large amount of rubble from the wall. But that wasn't all I saw. I saw my father standing beside my mother with an arm around her shoulders, trying to help her stand upright. Scratches and other wounds covered her body as she trembled, clutching one box in her hand - the scarf that contained all of Hanako's extra scarves. I ran towards them and once I was close enough I hugged them both, trembling in their grasps. "W-we'll be okay, right?!" I choked on my own tears, looking up at the two of them. Any adult seeing their child like this would be heart broken, and my father was no exception. I saw my mother drop to her knees in front of my, struggling to raise her arms up to place on my shoulders. "Listen, Hanako.. M-momma and daddy are not gonna be around anymore.. w-we have a mission.. As your parent... we are suppose to protect you.. P-please.., you two.. make it out alive!" I clenched my teeth in anger, looking at my mother. "But mom! I-i can't live without you! You're just leaving me like this?!" I felt my mothers grasp on my shoulders tighten as she exclaimed right in my face.

"Be strong, Hanako! Please! I don't have a choice!" Our eyes met for a moment before my mother leaned back and grabbed the scarves, shoving them in my arms. "Take them.. t-to remember us.. okay?" My mother smiled weakly, I questioned in my mind why she seemed so happy to be dying, right in front of her child.  I was still in denial of my parents last moments as I spoke. "B-but mom! We can get you all out of here alive!" My voice grew more and more desperate as two titans began marching towards the house from one direction.  "T-there's not much time left! W-we can do this.. trust me.. please!" Kazumi ran behind me and hugged me tightly, placing his chin on my shoulder. "Listen to them.. okay? We need to be strong.. i-it's their time." I lightly shoved Kazumi away, looking at my parents and Kazumi's father as they discussed what to do. "All three of us need to distract those two titans so the children can run." My father quickly turned towards me and Kazumi, pointing in one direction. "You two need to get out of here as fast as you can, understood?!" My bronze eyes locked on them all as my hands clenched into fists. "No! I'm not leaving you guys behin-" I saw a figure run past me - my mother. Quickly whirling around, I looked in horror as my mother ran between the two titans. "Hey big guys, look over here!"  The other two adults soon followed as I clenched my teeth. "I'm not letting her die!" I yelled as I jumped over the rubble near the porch, landing on the ground safely. I sprinted forward but stopped when two hands grabbed my mother. But they had come from two different directions. That's when I realized it was not the same time, two had grabbed her at the same time. I witnessed them tug at her body like it was a game of tug-a-war, muffled screams of agony filling the air. Suddenly the screams stopped, and a loud crack sounded. The hands separated, but nothing was in between. Not even my mother's body. 

That's when I realized that they had torn her completely in half. Blood splashed onto the ground, some of it landing on my face. My mother's insides fell on the ground, blood all over them. I stared in horror as each titan devoured the part of her mother they had gotten. "M-m-mom!" I stuttered, tears running down my face washing some of the blood away. I dropped down to my knees, unable to accept the fact my mother was dead, and my father was next. As Zachary and my father distracted the other titan, the other titan extended their hand down towards me. I couldn't move, I was frozen, frightened of everything. Once I realized that the titan had grabbed me, I closed my eyes, trying to accept the fact that I too, would die just as painfully as them. I relaxed my muscles, but that's when a soldier swung on by, their blades dragging along the flesh of the titans wrist to cut the hand off. However, the edge of the blade managed to swipe against the bottom of my left cheek and some of my forehead, barely managing to miss my eye. I yowled in pain as the soldier glided down, dragging me out of the titans hand. The soldier had already got Kazumi. I looked over the soldiers shoulder and saw one of the titans raise it's foot up. I extended my arm forward, screeching. "NO!" It was too late. More blood splashed onto the ground, along with insides. The head of Kazumi's father laid on the ground, a look of pure horror resting on it's face, despite already being dead.

After a few more moments, the soldier spoke. "You guys need to grab on to the edge of the boat, you'll get on." Kazumi and I were dropped near the boats. Managing to grab hold of the edge, I hauled myself in, taking a deep breath before grabbing Kazumi's wrist, dragging him in as well. I leaned against the wall of the room on the boat, my eyes wide in horror as I stared at the city. After a moment, I slid down to the floor beside Kazumi. I cried as I leaned against Kazumi. Within 5 minutes, her entire family had been ripped away from her, at the hands of those merciless beasts. I eventually cried myself to sleep after Kazumi put an arm around me.