SHEPERD

Remember Who You Are

After the meeting in the church, Hope fell into a uncomfortable, deafening silence in the truck. All of Marcus’s attempts fell short at starting a conversation. He wanted so badly, to know what the conversation they held in the church was about. But, Hope had given up on all forms of communication towards her brother.

He had ruined things far too well as it was.

He lied to her.

He tricked her.

He did all the things, that she would never even dreamt of doing towards him.

As Hope sat, in a similar position against the passenger door as she had when she first arrived at the church, she couldn’t help but replay the entirety of the conversation with the Seed’s in her head.

She was a normal young woman. As far as she knew, she had never noticed any indication that she was even remotely ‘special’. And she walked into the church, they immediately acted like she was supposed to save them from something. That she was their only hope.

Figuratively, of course . . . or maybe not?

She wasn’t sure what she was feeling after the meeting. She was obviously feeling an uncontrollable anger towards her brother for lying to her and breaking - what she thought - was an unbreakable bond between them. In the matter of a few days, he managed to loose all the trust she had for him.

But, on the other hand, she felt a sense of acceptance? Loyalty? Devotion? Towards the Seed family. She didn’t know. All she knew for sure, was the fact that it was a similar feeling she had felt when she was in the army. When she was in the service, she felt a strong bond held together with all of those feelings.

It made her miss it and most importantly and also most confusingly . . .

It made her understand the Seeds.

Her thoughts were eventually cut short to the sound of her brothers rough voice, cutting through the silence like a sword.

“Are you okay? You seem-”

“I’m fine.” She cut him off, dryly.

She heard a brief sigh come from his direction and as if on cue, the truck rounded the ranch’s road and parked in front of their front door. She quickly exited the truck, not saying a word to Marcus and stormed into the house.

She had a piercing headache from the ordeal her brother had deliberately put her through as well as all the events from the rest of the day. She quickly went to her room and crawled immediately into bed.

Welcoming the comforting darkness . . .

                             . . .

                             . . .

BOOM . . .

The familiar sounds of grenades exploding and the sound of her assigned squad running frantically around her. Opening her eyes lightly, she looked around the small medic tent.