Only Skeletons Remain

Chapter 32: Back To Where We Started

June 2018

Miguel stood on the battered porch of his family estate, his face weathered with lines of worry and sorrow. The devastation from Hurricane Maria was evident everywhere, but the hardest part was saying goodbye to his grandchildren. Harper, Liam, Micah, and Andrew stood before him, their suitcases packed and ready for a journey they neither asked for nor wanted, but knew was necessary.

Harper, now twelve, held her youngest brother Andrew's hand tightly. At nine, he looked bewildered, clutching a worn-out toy car. Liam stood next to Micah, who was now ten, both trying to put on brave faces but unable to mask their sadness. The sky was overcast, mirroring the somber mood.

Miguel took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice. "Mis queridos nietos, this is not a goodbye forever. You are going to a better place, a place where you can have a future. Things right now are hard, and I want you to have every opportunity."

Harper looked up at her grandfather, her eyes filled with tears she refused to let fall. "Abuelo, I don't want to leave you. I don't want to leave home."

Miguel's heart ached, but he knew this was for their best. He knelt down, looking each of them in the eye. "I know, Harper. But your parents would want you to have a chance at a better life. You'll be staying with your Tío Mateo and Tía Yolanda in California. They will take good care of you."

Liam piped up. "But what about you, Abuelo? Who will help you rebuild?"

Miguel gave a sad smile. "I will be fine. I have friends and family here who will help. And one day, when things are better, you can come back and visit. I want you to focus on your studies, on making a future for yourselves. Make me proud."

Micah hugged Miguel tightly, tears streaming down his face. "We'll miss you so much."

Miguel hugged him back, his own tears mixing with the rain that had started to fall. "And I will miss you, mi hijo. But remember, no matter where you go, you carry our family with you. You carry our love, our strength."

The rumble of the approaching bus echoed down the street. Miguel stood up, straightening his back. "It's time."

The children gathered their bags, each step toward the bus feeling like a step away from everything they had ever known. Harper paused at the bottom of the steps, turning to look at her grandfather one last time. "I promise we'll come back, Abuelo. We'll make you proud."

Miguel nodded, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "I know you will, Harper. I know you all will."

As they boarded the bus, Miguel waved, his heart heavy but filled with hope. He watched as the bus pulled away, carrying his grandchildren toward a future he could only dream of for them. The storm had taken so much, but it hadn't taken his hope. He stood there, long after the bus had disappeared from view, praying for their safety and success. 

The siblings were excited as the plane descended toward the tarmac. Harper glanced out the window, seeing the skyline of an American city slowly coming into view. Liam sat beside her, headphones on but lost in thought, as Micah and Andrew bickered a few seats back. They had been on a long flight, and the idea of exploring the States made everything worth it.

As they finally stepped off the plane, the crisp air hit them. However, something felt off. Harper's instincts, heightened ever since she began having visions, kicked in. The airport, which should have been bustling with life, was strangely empty. The fog, thick and unnatural, clung to the surroundings as if it didn't want to let them go.

"Is it just me, or does this feel wrong?" Harper murmured to Liam as they walked toward what should have been the terminal.

"Definitely not just you," Liam replied, his calm demeanor masking a growing unease. His abilities sometimes stirred in the presence of the unseen, but now everything felt hidden.

Andrew, barely nine but already sharp-eyed, glanced over his shoulder. "Where is everyone?"

The fog grew denser, swirling in front of them, thickening into a wall of mist. Harper's heart began to race. She had seen this fog before—in her dreams, in fleeting visions of something old, something sinister. She could feel her skin crawling.

"Liam, Micah, Andrew!" Harper called out as the fog enveloped them, dragging them into a strange haze. The sound of their footsteps on the pavement began to echo, though the airport they stood in vanished from view.

And then, as quickly as it appeared, the fog parted.

What lay before them was unlike anything they had ever seen: towering walls, lit with an eerie neon glow, stretched high into the sky, cutting off any sense of the outside world. The architecture was sharp, jagged, and industrial—twisted into strange forms that defied logic. The neon signs above the gate flickered menacingly, and the air felt thick with dread. The city was silent, too silent.

"Where are we?" Micah asked, his voice tight with fear. Andrew moved closer to his siblings, eyes wide. He moved to cling onto Liam's arm, looking around nervously.

Harper's breath hitched in her throat. She had seen this city before. The city with the stone wall. The City of Neon Lights. The very city Fenrir had warned her from getting close to.

DEMA.

"I don't know how we got here," she whispered, her heart pounding, "but we need to get out—now." She stared at the huge stone wall, swallowing thickly. She could feel the danger radiating from this city.

Liam looked up at the towering structures, feeling a coldness seep into his bones. "It's like it's waiting for us."

The siblings stood frozen for a moment, the weight of the city's presence pressing down on them. There was something ancient here, something watching. The wind blew gently, carrying with it a distant whisper they couldn't quite hear, but somehow it felt like it was calling them.

Harper grabbed Liam's arm, her fingers trembling. "We need to go. I've seen this place in my visions, and it's not somewhere we want to be."

But as they turned to leave, the gates of DEMA creaked open on their own.

The four siblings turned around to stare at the open gate, and she was met by a large wolf-creature. She pushed her brothers behind her as she stared at the wolf creature.

"I will not hurt you," the creature said gently, slowly padding towards them. "My name is Sacarver."

Harper blinked a few times. "What are you?" She asked, glancing over her shoulder at her brothers before turning back to the creature.

"I'm a bishop. I'm here to protect you." Sacarver said. "You've suffered a great loss, and I was sent to comfort you."

Harper didn't trust this creature, but she felt a pull luring her closer. Maybe they'd find sanctuary here. She took a few steps towards the bishop. "You'll keep us safe?" She asked softly. "Me and my brothers?"

Sacarver nodded her head. "I promise to keep you safe, tira." She moved to sit down to make herself smaller.

"That language you speak, what is it?" Liam asked, not having moved from where he was with the younger brothers.

"In time, you will learn, but let's get you inside. It's going to rain tonight." Sacarver stood up, using her tail to gently corral Harper towards the towers.

Liam and the younger brothers followed after her, quietly talking to themselves. As Harper walked closer to towards the towers, she heard a deep voice warn her in her head:

'Run away, run away.'