Desolate (under reconstruction)

Chapter 15: The Order of The City

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Location: National Guard Armory, Hibbing, MN

Date: August 12th, 2136

Objective: Plans of Attack
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    It has been two weeks since Chris and I had agreed to lay out the plans for the winter attack. Today is the day that we are to meet. It's all set; the strike team will be laid out and decided today. It will only be entrusted to the 'original group', meaning me and my friends. Not the new survivors that we took in two weeks ago. They won't even know. It would be a risk to the mission. And that can't happen, not on something so important.
    I put my journal down, hiding it in a drawer by my bunk-side. I locked it tightly, before leaving my room. I still had no armor, as I had given it to Ender to repair from the battle with Magnus.
    With my AA-12 strapped to my back, Daniel and I walked down the flight of stairs. The four people I was in charge of commanding were in their accommodations still. After all, it was 5 in the morning. Daniel was not at all happy about this, not being the type to rise early.
    "We must be quick and silent. We want to be back before they are awake." I whispered. He merely nodded tiredly, walking along behind me as we got out to the ATVs. I got on first, starting the vehicle. He then sat behind me, holding on when I started forward, onto the highway.
    A memory dwindled on the back of my mind. My mother, before she was leaving for the service, was sitting in my room with me. It was early in the morning, and she wanted to say goodbye before the military was to come pick her up. She had decided to read me a story before she went. Like every 5 year old during that time period, my favorite story was titled 'I Am'. It was about a boy, trying to find out who he is.
    "The boy looked at the lion pride, and said loudly, 'I am not like you. I am not strong and fast, and I walk on two legs, not four..'. And with that, he left, looking high and low for people like him. After many days, he stopped at a river to drink some water. 'I have not found a creature like me... the lions were too vicious, the deer were too timid, the rabbits too fast, the turtles to slow, the birds able to fly... I won't find anything like me..' he said with a heavy heart. But ere, in the other bank of the river, stood a creature. With long, black hair, and two legs. No claws or sharp fangs. Just like the boy. 'W-what are you?' He asked. The creature responded 'I am like you. I am a human. And we have been waiting for you.'" My mother read to me, before closing the book, putting it on my bedside table.
    Looking up at the ceiling, daydreaming about the story, my mother just watched me.
    "What are you thinking, sweetie?" She asked.
    "Why does the book end there? It could talk about what happens next." I replied.
    "What do you mean? He found his kind." She seemed rather confused by my remark.
    "But do they accept him? Does he leave them? What happens?"
    "Well, he stays with them."
    "But it doesn't say that in the story.." I said.
    "The ending is whatever you make it out to be. You control the ending and beyond in this story, just as you do in life, Hunter.." she said, rubbing my head softly, "you control your ending. There are factors in life you can't predict or change, but you control how you react to them. Life is only as great as you make it out to be. Remember that." She said to me.
     "I-i will, mom."
     "There will be people in this world who will tell you who you re is wrong.. they will tell you to move out of the way of who you are... but that's when you have to plant yourself like a tree, and say 'no YOU move'. Because who you are, what you stand for, is who makes you a great person... my son..." she went on.
     There was a knock on the door. My mother stood up, grabbing her 2 suit cases. I got off my bed, and hugged her tightly.
    "P-please don't go..." I said.
    "I have to, honey... I have to fight for what I stand for... I love you. I'll be back, I promise.." she said, hugging me back.
    After 5 seconds, there was another knock on the door. She let go, as did I. She had tears in her eyes, as she waved goodbye, and left. I looked out of my bedroom window, watching in the dim light of the morning as she loaded her bags into the car. After loading them into the trunk, she got into the car, and it drove down the road, out of sight. It was the last time I ever saw her, before she died in the war.