It All Came Falling Down

sixteen

    I looked to the side at a pile of stone and bricks when I saw it. Something too familiar that I would never, ever forget— something that sent almost all of the missing pieces of the puzzles in my memory back in their place: the mortar strike, relocation, rape and genocide, victory march, and the torture and… and, something else, still missing from that picture, but it was mostly complete. But this thing— this was drilled into my mind forever, and I couldn’t stop looking because it caught my eyes with a pretty shade of colour. Right there in front of me, protruding from all that rubble, was a sight that made my heart feel as if it had stopped. There was none other like it: a pair of little, soul-stirring green boots.
    “Oh God! No, please! No, it can’t be!” I took off to the side, and my partner followed suit. I started digging through the debris. “Help me!” I shouted with a sore throat. Grabbing stone, glass, wood, and whatever the hell was in that heap of trash with my bare hands, I ignored every cut and scratch that formed on my skin. I tossed it all aside, hoping to reach the bottom— to reach Lurissa. And at last, I had exposed a small, pale hand that was crushed by the heavy materials. It still held tightly what remained of a rose: the stiff stem smoothed with cut thorns and some of the bud still intact. I could imagine her holding one of those beautiful flowers tightly as she slept while the sky rained hell and an artillery shell exploded where she laid peacefully by herself. Or maybe she had awakened at the sounds of the Resistance invasion, but her strong personality kept her sane and still when a mortar or Esdrusian explosives landed on the house she was living in. 
    “No… Lurissa,” I cried, taking the stem out and holding her cold hand in mine. I rubbed the dried streams of blood on it and touched the fingers, praying there was a chance for her to wake up. “You’re fine,” I told her. “I am here, like I said I would be.” The tears burned my eyes when they flooded them. I had promised to find her soon in that field hospital a couple towns from here, but I did not come soon enough. If only I had known she was in this very location earlier, I could’ve saved her. The men in Daven’s company, me included, swore to protect her at all costs. But I failed that mission, and because of this, she died. “Darling, you are safe now,” I wept out loud when I knew all hope was lost. “You’re in a better place. This was my fault, but God will watch over you now.”

    I was on our way out of the diabolical site. I had kept my head down the entire time and did not say a word. My battle buddy decided to give me some space and time alone and headed back to the dropoff location. We did not find any other survivors, but I cared less about that. We didn’t encounter any Anfarian survivors either, fortunately. Otherwise, I’d end up having to shoot and kill people who did not deserve a bullet. I stopped and stood still for a minute.
    “Kanston?” came the sweet voice of a lady. 
    I turned to my left and looked up. Standing there was that beautiful woman who pulled me out of the debris after the artillery strike— the one who seemed to recognise me and had a desire to care for me. And with all the questions she asked, I pulled my knife on her. But she was no longer covered in dust and ashes and ragged clothes like she was then. She wore a clean white top with a short black skirt that drifted gracefully as she hurried over to me. Her shoulder-length hair was combed neatly to one side, but she did not wear her spectacles, which I recall knocking off. 
    “Hey,” I greeted with a smile. “Hero, right? Wow, you look—”
    She wrapped her arms around me and embraced me gently. “Oh, I found these in someone’s closet. Surprised that thing was still intact after all of this.”
    I laughed. “I was just going to say beautiful. Or maybe mesmerising. Beautiful and mesmerising,” I complimented, wrapping my own arms around her waist. We were close; our eyes gazed off into each other, and her body was warm. She laid a kiss on my lips, and it was the most wonderful thing I have felt since years ago. 
    “Hey comrade! Daven’s boy! Corporal Wyllis!” came the unusually cheerful voice of my battle buddy. “Where are you?” The soldier emerged from around the corner of the intersecting street. “There you are! Oh, getting laid I see! Haha!”
    Hero turned around and glared at him while I rolled my eyes. “Do you mind? I’m going to shoot your ass when I get back,” I said. 
    “Ouch, sorry to ruin the moment, lover boy. But we gotta head back man! And you might as well bring the girl with you, because we’re celebrating! We just received word from HQ that the war is over!”
    “What?” Hero and I asked in unison.
    “Yeah, you heard correctly. The Resistance surrendered. The war is over baby! It’s finally freaking over!”
    “Oh my gosh!” I looked at Hero happily. “I can’t believe it! It’s finally over!” I laughed and pulled her closer.
    “Yeah, I guess it is. Not going to lie, this was not how I expected it. I pictured death, destruction— and while we have all of that, there’s still some uncertainty. What’s going to happen to Anfaria, for example? I’m damn sure Esdrusia will establish a pro-Esdrusian government.”
    “Sure, that’s a possibility. But on the bright side, our strife of seven damned years is over. It feels like another life, doesn’t it?” I said, looking at Hero and not letting go of her. 
    She grinned brighter than ever. “Yeah, it does. Maybe you don’t remember, but I did tell you that if fate ever brings you and me together in another life or another time, I’d love to be with you. I’m ready and excited that we are together here and now, and perhaps even in the future world with no war.”
    “Hmm. I believe you, my dear. I’m going to head back now. Do you care to join?” I said, breathless by her words. My heart skipped a beat, and I was taken away by her beauty, as well as her bold, sweet, and courageous character. I thought I was in love— so, so much love.
    “Man, of course!” chimed in my battle buddy suddenly. “Let’s go! We haven’t got all day!” 
    “Hey, comrade?” I turned to him, holding back giggles. “Do me a favour and shut the fuck up.”
    Hero placed a hand on my cheek and caressed it for a bit. She fixed up the collar on my uniform coat so that I would look neat and possibly even handsome to her, like a dearly missed soldier returning from war. “I’d love that,” she told me with a chuckle. Releasing her embrace, she took up my left hand and squeezed it tight as we began to walk through the quiet cobblestone streets with the afternoon sun shining its light and warmth all over and the daily breeze cooling down the heat.