Pyrrha: A New Beginning

Episode 13: Returning Home

The candles danced aggresively, lighting the halls of the Stadium in a pathetic light. The walls had been plastered with countless newspapers and faded images. Thousands of candles burnt away in the silence of the night and knelt in the midst of them was an elderly figure. The elderly woman had her hands clasped tightly around a cross as she rested her forehead into her wrists and her lips could be seen muttering something silently to herself. One could assume it was a prayer of hope or maybe it was something bigger than that. Not a lot of people indulged themselves, correction, wasted their time in such practices. The ancient religion this woman followed was often frowned upon and an understanding could never be reached by people of this generation and the last. The people of her generation often had trouble following the ways of her religion because of the horrors they'd seen and many people who did follow the religion could never fathom why her deity would force such a cruel life on everybody. How could a deity, who was so loving and merciful, do that? The facts just didn't add up and there was little evidence that good faith would lead to any form of salvation, but there was still comfort in following the way of the religion, in how a celestial glory could be achieved through death.

Ave sat around a campfire. Tears were just beginning to dry on her face. She had been crying. She was mourning the deaths of so many familiar faces. Of how such a tragedy had befallen upon her and how Glaster had left her behind to fend for not only herself but the handful of survivors from Hyde Park.

About a few dozen other Stranded sat around the fire, all thinking to themselves, but none of them batted an eye to Ave. She guessed they were all too used to seeing someone dealing with heavy loss. Lanterns were also around the Stadium, illuminating the place entirely, making it a comfortable are to be. It had a small generator which illuminated the path to the toilets. Even though the Stranded didn't have a real home, they still had a sense of civility. A couple of the younger men were breaking apart some tables and stockpiling it nearby.

 

It was strange to Ave being with Stranded again. She felt that she was a part of a community before, or even a town. She didn't feel that Hyde Park was a Stranded camp, because it wasn't. It was a close-knit group of people. A family. 

The Stadium felt like a city in itself in many ways though. There were hundreds of people staying here and there were massive barricades that wrapped around the entire perimeter. She had noticed there were snipers perched in makeshift towers, just in case, but it wasn't until you walked into their range that you noticed them.

The true culture of a Stranded outpost was evident here. Every room was converted into a bedroom. Most of them were filled with old bunkbeds and filthy matresses that were scavenged from the surrounding city. The Stranded were popular for their scavenging because they used anything and everything while wasting nothing. For instance, Ave had seen a man gluing bullet casings to the end of a doll he'd been making, but a lot of people spent their time differently here. Some people read old magazines for the zillionth time and Ave had even seen a woman sweeping the floors. Usually during the night, though, most of the people would gather in one of three areas with a bonfire in the middle and enjoy good company with a hearty meal. Otherwise you would find most people sleeping. The Stranded had really made a home for themselves here.

However, there was that woman, all alone by the million candles deep in prayer.

 

"Are you okay?" Ave asked respectfully as she approached the elderly figure, being cautious not to disturb her too much.

"I pray for the safe passage of all those I know." The woman replied with a shrill voice. "Alive or dead, I hope they reach their destinations safely."

Ave held her hands in front of her respectfully and bowed her head, unsure of what to do in this situation.

"Please, you've been here for hours. I don't mean to intrude, but you should come join the others. Get something to eat, at least." Ave pleaded. The woman dropped her hands down reluctantly.