Off The Beaten Path

Just A Seamstress

The basement was weirdly damp. Incredibly dark.

The torches did their best to light the vast, empty space but failed somehow. As though this dark wasn't normal dark. And it wasn't - the depression and sorrow seemed to be feeding the shadows making them stronger, lingering, infiltrating. The carts and horses that survived were left to one area, away from the people to avoid stinking the whole place up. Officers who were assigned to follow them out to Wall Maria were handing items down to people who had survived. Blankets, food, clothes, meager fighting gear. Bernell's boys had found two other children - out of the dozens that had been sent out - to play with. She was glad to see them distracted. A mother with an infant strapped to her breast smiled and promised to keep an eye on the children if Bernell would gather supplies. She had agreed happily; needing the silence. Her mind felt so dead.

She was just a seamstress. A tailor. She wasn't built for grand adventures, no matter how much she had dreamed of being beyond the wall. Her mind buzzed over that word, tripped over it.

Wall.

Her whole life, caged. Penned. Like livestock waiting for the slaughter. The idea made her skin prick uncomfortably against her dress. She shuffled forward as the line moved slowly, weary. Everyone was bone weary. Did no one else see what they had done; humanity of as whole? Could no one else see that the protection the human race had relied on really just was a death sentence waiting. If the Colossal Titan hadn't stopped, if all the walls had been brought down...

"Here."

Her eyes snapped up, her mind trailing off - losing the train of thought like a child would the string of their kite; just watching, helpless, as it sailed away. She rubbed at her cheek as the man smiled, handing her seven packages. She frowned, inspecting them.

"This one is much larger...?"

He nodded, "We were able to get a little extra bedding for the kids. Officers get the cots, most of us are sleeping on the ground. A lot more survived than was originally planned." He leaned forward, "you're partially to thank for that. You were amazing out there."

she shook her head, stepping back. "I didn't..."

He shrugged. "Anyway, people are waiting. Move along."

Bernell nodded, stiffly making her way back to the children. Every muscle in her body was screaming, tense. Every motion brought an aching kind of burn to her limbs. She hadn't thought she was out of shape, not until that exact moment anyway. Gabriel ran over and jumped onto her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She grunted, her body shooting pain all over.

"Get off!" She whined, tight lipped, eyes closed.

He dropped down, looking at her with confusion in his eyes. "I missed you Mommy."

She looked at him again, smiling softly. "I know buddy I just-" Her eyes trailed over the specks of dried blood clinging to his skin, crusted in his hair. "I just-just am really tired. That was a hard trip."

He nodded, his little face turning serious as he grabbed a few of the packages and handed them to the other kids. Bernell made her way to the mother, handing her the larger of the packages left.

"A little extra for you and the baby." She nodded towards the kids, "Thanks for watching them."

She smiled, yawning, "It's nothing" She blinked slowly, her blonde hair cropped just below her ear lobes. She looked cleaner than most of the others. "It gives me an excuse to sit and relax. Getting here was so hard. I'm so tired. I'm so..." Bernell nodded, "Sorry. I'm sure you're tired too. But these guys mostly entertain themselves." Her brown eyes dragged over Bernell. "Why don't I watch them a bit longer while you go change? You look..."