It Started With Cherry Blossoms

Sam

I'm keeping it together for Lily and Michael 's sake, but this is not good. Commander Highland is always good about keeping promises and being composed, so something serious must have happened to come now.

Knock knock. Commander Highland is here. I push my glasses up my nose, a nervous habit of mine (but surprisingly calming) , and open the door.
  A short,thin, person walks through the door. The commander is dressed in all black, from head to toe,with only two small openings for the commander's eyes, dark and cold. Highland's voice comes out in an average tone, not high enough to be a woman's, not low enough to be a man's.
   "Good afternoon, Lily. Boys, always nice to see you." Lily looks hesitant to speak. Oh no, I forgot to tell her- "Good afternoon, Commander Highland sir...er...ma'm?" Michael and I cringe.
    "S-so sorry, commander," I hurriedly apologize. "I simply forgot to tell Lily here, I mean, it just slipped from my mind that-"
   "Yes, yes, Samuel, it's quite all right. I know you've always had a bit of short-term memory loss." The commander is known for giving out insults that are meant as compliments.
   The commander addresses Lily with a much gentler tone. "Lily, dear? No one, aside from myself, of course, knows my gender. Or, in fact, my true name. I, as the leader of the Insurrection, have an absolute secrecy policy, for mine,yours, and the organization's safety."
   I think that was supposed to put Lily at ease, but she just looks really angry, and a little bit curious. Fortunately for me, she decides to be polite. Mostly.
     "So, most honorable commander," she begins, her voice dripping with sarcasm, but admittedly her words are polite, so what can ya do,"if you don't mind my asking,why did you do us the great honor of visiting us two weeks early??" I can't help but smirk. That girl has sass, and I'm pretty sure she's repressing her true potential.       Commander Highland, however, doesn't seem to notice. Suddenly, the commander's eyes become sad, suddenly reminding me of my mother's on that last day.
  "Ah, Lily, there is something you should know. We had you removed from your apartment and kept safe here, and we sent a team to bring your mother to HQ today. However, when we got there-", Lily backs away slowly,eyes widening. She fears the worst, and I'm afraid, so do I. "No. No,no, nonnonononon no!" Commander Highland nods slowly. "I am deeply sorry, Lily. We did the best we could do, but when our team got there, Mrs. Fey was nowhere to be found." When the commander finishes the word "found" , Lily is already out the door, sprinting to her apartment. The poor girl is in denial. Michael runs after her. I follow after them, but when I get there, Michael has his arms protectively around a sobbing Lily, stroking her hair softly.
And then I see that our fears have been confirmed. The bookshelf is on the floor, and the apartment is in tatters, and there's blood on the floor and the kitchen counter.
It's like that old English saying, not used often in 2034.
This roller coaster has officially gone out of the frying pan, and into the fire.