The 5th Wave - White Queen

Part 5

„Remembrance could be a dangerous trap since time heals nothing. Truly nothing."

We heard the noise. I knew that they were coming. From above, I could see the military convoy with those ridiculous school buses roaming nearby. I didn't know what would be better – to lie low and have faith in the impossible: that they might not come in here. Or to willingly give my life into their hands.

Then, I thought that there must be an intermediate solution. We wait inside, but no more hiding. I woke up the kids one after another. I didn't understand why this wrangling had to occur in the middle of the night, but I couldn't do anything against it.

When they kicked the door down and got inside, I got really insecure. I hated this helplessness and vulnerability.

I moved back and told the kids to sit down on the huge carpet, which was placed in the middle of the living room. Before that, I swiftly lighted some candles. It was gruesome to wait for fate deciding what to do with us in that half-light.

They'll be here in seconds. I had a bad feeling, but there was no escape. Even if I could run away, what about the others? They were just as frightened as me, although they could hardly understand anything of this. People came-and-went. If somebody got sick, I took him/her to a remote place, in order to stop the spread of disease. However, the dead still outnumbered the living. Most of them didn't even get to live 8 years. Only they could remain in the institution, everybody else either left or died. I didn't have the guts to leave them nor did I find a better shelter. The doors were strong and the walls were high. Still, we were running out of essential supplies like food and medicine.

They were already coming upstairs. I had no time to buckle up. The door opened, and the first thing I saw was the barrel of a machine gun directly pointing at us.

I swallowed and glanced at the children again. I put my finger to my lips as a remembrance of the fact that no matter what happens next we must stay quiet.

In full combat gear, with a helmet and a mask on, came our first guest.

We probably looked kind of surreal to them. Six children and their babysitter who herself was barely an adolescent.

The first one was followed by a whole squad, and it immediately made me abandon my crazy ideas. I yielded and waited for them to make the first step.

My fellows were gossiping about the military collecting orphans and taking the survivors into refugee camps where is no sickness or starvation and everybody is safe. I suspected that we were about to be taken too, but I wanted to delay it for as long as I could.

My worries affected the kids and one of the little girls burst into tears. The tension could be cut with a knife, so I had to intervene.

- Mandy, stop crying! – I goaded her.

I was afraid that my armoured friends were not fond of crying children.

- Everything will be okay, these soldiers are only here to help – I said to her, but it was not very convincing even for me.

- Am I right? Have you come to help? – I asked the soldier standing closest to us.

This finally broke the ice. He took off his mask and smiled.

- Of course! – he replied immediately. He was a little too intense which he tried to compensate with a smile, but it just made it more bizarre.

- I'm Corporal Branch – he introduced himself. – We want to secure the kids as soon as we can – he said with confidence.