Nocturne ➸ Ben Parish

13

I TRIED TO KEEP that woman, Constance, away from me. I didn't need
another person to worry about. The walk back to Urbana seemed too calm. Everything seemed too good to be true.
     "Why didn't you come back?" I broke the silence.
     Constance was still trailing behind. There was no way she could hear me.
     "It was too risky." she responded.
     I scoffed, "It's all about the risk, isn't it."
     "Poundcake is dead." Ben added.
     "You left us. You said you'd be gone for a few days." I ignored him, "You lied to us."
     "You know that's not what happened." she was suspiciously calm.
     "Marika didn't want to leave you guys for that long." Constance caught up, "She had to. She had to lay low."
     "There's another thing!" I shouted, "You wouldn't tell just anyone your real name!"
     She didn't respond.
     "You don't abandon people that need you. You fight for them. You fight with them, no matter the risk." I forced myself to look away from her.
     She was too skinny, too clean. I couldn't bring myself to say anything else.
     "Where is he?" Ben screamed.
     He was searching the coffee shop. Dumbo. I ran to the panicking soldier.
     "Someone took him!" he continued.
     "You don't know that." I replied.
     "You really think he got up and walked away?" he snapped, "He's paralyzed from the waist down for God's sake."
     "We'll find him." I reassured him.
It didn't take long for me to find him. He was laying face down on the pavement about a block away. He was about to reach the forest. He crawled.
"Ben!" I yelled.
He was there within seconds.
"He was looking for you guys." Marika looked down at the teenager, "Let him know that he found you. Tell him he succeeded."
My voice cracked as I spoke, "We're here Dumbo. Zombie and I came back for you. Just like we promised."
His breathing slowed. Is he giving up? He can't. Not now. I watched as his chest stopped moving.
"Dumbo?" Ben shook him.
He's dead. Marika, Ben, Nugget, and I were all that's left of Squad 53. Everyone else was dead because of us.
I got up with tears in my eyes and started digging a grave with my hands. He's not going to be left here for the crows. I'm not going to let him be picked apart. Ben joined me. Dumbo was one of us. He deserves a real grave.
Eventually the hole was deep enough for the big-eared kid. We set him down in it and then filled it back up. I stuck one of those mini American flags into the dirt when the grave was filled. I leaned back against Ben.
"He was thirteen." I stated, "He didn't tell us, but his birthday just passed."
"He was from Pittsburgh." Ben added.
"I didn't know him too well." Marika took another bite out of a power bar I had taken from the safe house.
"I didn't know him at all." Constance sighed, "Poor kid."
Iwondered how long it would take to dig a second grave for her. There's no doubt that Ben would help me.
"We should keep going." Marika told us.
I nodded, helping Ben to his feet. We trailed behind.
"There's something wrong with Constance." I whispered, "There's no way someone as loud as her lived this long."
He looked at her as she walked with my sister, "Why is Ringer protecting her."
I shrugged, "All I know is that something is wrong."
"We shouldn't take her to the safe house." he said a little louder.
"I swear if she tries anything I will kill her myself." I responded, "And I'll make sure Ringer doesn't stop me."
I could hear voices ahead. I narrowed my eyes in order to see who it was. Nugget, Megan, and Cassie were waiting outside of the cabin for us. I motioned for them to go back inside. Thankfully, Cassie actually listened to me and brought the kids into the house.
"What's going on." she asked me as I walked into the house.
"I want you to hide Megan and Nugget in one of the back rooms." I pulled her aside, "Ringer brought someone."
She nodded.
"This is Constance. I saved her back in the caverns." Ringer told everyone.
"Hello!" the woman smiled.
When Evan walked into the room, her expression became more serious. She watched his movements. No. This cannot be happening. She came here for him. She came here to kill him. She's a damn silencer. What does that make Marika.
"Hello Evan Walker." she said.
She stole my gun and grabbed me, pressing the barrel to my temple.
"Everyone put your weapons over there." she ordered, "Or I'll shoot her."
Ben was the first to do it.
I struggled against her grasp, but it was no use. Everyone had their guns in a pile next Constance. Well, everyone but me. Mine was being held against my head. She traced the 'N' I carved with her fingers.
"Evan Walker." she smiled again.
Cassie stepped in front of him.
I nearly escaped, kicking the soft part of her knees. She shot a glare at me before throwing me to the wall. Blood trickled down from the wound from the hotel.
She threw my gun aside. Wrong move. I crawled to it. She was too focused on Evan. Everyone else was watching me.
Ben made his move, tackling Constance. I stood over her now. The gun that was once used against me was now aimed at her.
"You messed with the wrong people, lady. This is our planet and you can't have it." I told her before pulling the trigger.
This is our planet. We'll fight for it until we win or you wipe us out.

EDITED

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