On that one fateful day

That one fateful day

Day 1

My name is Alexander Fernandez or simply “Alex”. Up until this point my life has been pretty calm, until they showed up. It was a day like any other, mother was doing ordinary household chores, my baby brother Isaiah tottered around the kitchen with a little stuffed bear, my father was at the Garrison barracks where he worked. Meanwhile I ran some errands buying food down at the local market. Everyone around me began to look up at walls, it peered over the walls looking down at us, the walls were 50 meters high and yet this….thing was tall enough to  look over it. In a mix of horror and fascination I looked on, gasping in shock when a resounding bang rang in everyone's ears, a large hole now gaping in the once impenetrable wall. The pieces of Wall Maria the size of houses rained down all around me as I sought refuge under a vendor's stand. That's when they poured in.

It was by the grace of God that I wasn't crushed by the boulders or eaten by them as I made my way home through the chaos. They got there first however, all I found was my silent father holding a wailing Isaiah standing over the mutilated remains of my beloved mother, my eyes stuck on the horrible image that would forever stain into my memory.

A look of relief washed over Father’s face as he turned to face me, the look instantly vanishing as he said “I-I got here too late, thanks be to God you got here safe and sound…” Father looked back down at the remains of his wife, Isaiah’s eyes being covered quickly by his hand as he bowed his head and mumbled his last goodbye. “Alex, move. We have to go, now!” Father said suddenly with haste, rushing over with Isaiah and taking my hand. The run for safety was terrifying as I watched them devour brave men who fought to the best of their ability, screams and cries echoing in my ears as my feet almost tripped over a stray body. After what seemed like an eternity we arrived at the docks, my father helped me onto the last boats, carefully handing me Isaiah. He looked at me, his eyes almost grey with fear, “I'm so proud of you Alex, take care of Isaiah. You protect your brother, your mother and I love you both very much. I have a duty to fulfill son, do not forget what your mother and I have taught you...” Father trailed off, his hand resting temporarily on my head, then Isaiah’s. I pleaded with him as the boat began moving, my voice wailing but strikingly quiet compared to the unimaginable noise around us. Father simply smiled sadly, standing there as he cried in front of me for the first time in my life.

When I could no longer see the man who raised me, I noticed a group of kids next to me. A boy about my age with dark brown hair, another with a bright blonde bowl cut and a girl who had raven black hair. The girl was attempting to comfort the boy named “Eren” with quiet words, her own hands shaking as she held the small brunet. I felt blank as my arm hooked around Isaiah’s shoulders, my weak attempts to comfort my brother sounding dull to my own ears. Isaiah looked up at me, his large brown eyes terrified, “b-brother where is mum? W-what’s happening?” He whimpered, causing me to kneel in front of him and hug him tightly, for I didn’t know the answer to either of those questions, or I chose not to know.  I had begun to envision how Isaiah and I would survive without an adult to care for us, the world suddenly seeming much more dangerous now that we were seemingly alone. I was brought back to reality as Eren gripped the railing and declared he would kill them all of them, whatever ‘them’ he dared to declare such a thing to was, I didn’t really want to know. These were titans, the monsters that killed my family and took away our freedom were man eating horrors. The thought alone let rage boil in my body, making me hug Isaiah closer and look back at the burning, screaming city. In the heat of screaming, crying and wailing was the first time I vowed revenge upon all the titans, I would kill them all.