Hero - Book One - Journey To The East

Chapter 19: A Real Hero

Hero

The blaring sound of the alarm shocks me awake.

How long has this alarm been blaring? Where am I?

And then it dawns on me. Emily lives here.

I hop out of bed and swiftly search all the rooms.

Ain't nobody here.

When I dash outside, I see a crowd of people and chaotic scenes, and my heart starts racing.

Swifters grab their kids and rush them inside while the elders say goodbye to the youngsters.

They're armed and in a hurry as they dash to the walls.

What's going on? Do the Freaks attack? Have they already gotten inside?

Falcon! I need to find him.

Finally, I reach the parking lot and feel a wave of relief when I see Falcon in his regular spot. I waste no time and grab my trusty crossbow and arrows from the trunk.

I make my way toward the nearest wall.

A line of armed individuals stretches before the stairwell, creating a tense atmosphere. I'm barging my way through the crowd, getting dirty looks and hearing disapproving whispers.

Once I reach the top of the stairs, I see the whole thing.

The sun makes the sky red, and the salt flats shine. A young man stands to my left while an apprehensive, overweight man watches the gate to my right. Both clutch rifles in their hands.

The gate swings open, making a thunderous noise, and unveils a never-ending line of wagons. The vehicles' rooftops shine like diamonds, and their engines roar.

People armed with spears and rifles hang out of windows.

In awe, I whisper, "The warriors of the Swifters. A Silver Fleet."

This means war is about to go down.

I'm scanning the scene, hoping to spot Emily and her parents. With all the crowds, it's nearly impossible to tell who's who.

They might be in town, caught up in all the excitement.

I fight my way back through the crowd.

Once I reach the ground floor, I sprint toward Falcon. My thoughts whirl through my mind in a maddening whirlwind. The jungles, my mission, beckons me. But most importantly, I need to find Emily.

Where could she possibly be in this mess? Does the city have a sanctuary where she can go for safety? Did she join the fight?

I put one foot in Falcon and...

"Hey, you!" a familiar voice calls out.

Sweat trickles down my back.

There she is, in the same attire she wore when we initially crossed paths. She now wears her scarf in a way that only covers her mouth and nose. She's wearing new sunglasses with brown lenses that hide her big brown eyes.

"Where are you going?" she asks, her brows furrowing.

"Where am I going?" I reply, pointing at myself.

"You're joining the fight?"

Join the fight?

"Uh, yeah," I lie. "No, I mean-"

"Good, "she interrupts, her voice filled with relief.

"Where were you guys? "I ask.

"Before the alarm, we wanted to wake you up. I left you a note and waited for you at the town centre... Then the alarm went off. So I returned to our house, thinking you were still there. You weren't there either, so I thought of Falcon. "