The Month Of May

Chapter 29

I WAS FROZEN IN FEAR AT THE REAPPEARANCE OF ANOTHER GIANT TITAN AMIDST WALL SINA.

Another one...another attack...more people were in danger. More people were in danger-

My family-that titan was near my house! My mom, dad, Annie-I had to move. I had to move. Running to where we kept our gear during training, I quickly suited up into my gear, hurriedly fastening my gas containers and swords. As soon as I finished, I dashed outside to swing toward the Titan; from what I could tell, it was getting closer to my house-! No, no-!

"Stop!!" My own voice resounded loudly through the air. I hardly even noticed that it was my own voice as I propelled myself forward. My neighborhood was destroyed...Buildings were crumpled over, domiciles destroyed as people ran, screaming. The Titan's foot was right over my house-

-before it moved and continued onward.

My house was untouched.

My house was...untouched?

I was too frozen in shock to move as my gear propelled to a stop. I tumbled onto the ground, still as a statue, even as the world and people whirled around me and the Titan ravaged in another direction-

"Armin! Get your act together," A blonde man with stubble on his chin snapped as he forcefully helped me up. Ah-Hannes? He was a friend of Eren and Mikasa's parents-and a member of the military as well. "We've got to help evacuate!"

"But-we need to stop it!" I finally managed to speak. Now that I was up close, I could get a better look at that monster. It had blonde hair and icy blue eyes with the same skinless features as the other Titan. It was noticeably shorter than the other one. A chill went down my spine. "We've got to do it-"

"No. Levi and the others have got it covered," Hannes said curtly. Sure enough, I saw the more experienced members speeding toward that Titan. "It's our job to evacuate. Got it?"

"...Yeah."

"Good. Head left, I'm going right!"

He was going toward the direction of my house. I hesitated. I wanted to tell him no, that I wanted to go that way and make sure my family was okay, that Annie was okay, but...I was frozen once more.

I was scared that something might have happened.

A wave of smoke suddenly swept over the entire area. It emitted from the Titan, and I had to cover my nose and mouth just to breathe through it. As the fog cleared, the Titan was...gone.

How-?

"Help, please-!" I heard the cries of a man to my left, and I promptly hurried over. His legs were stuck under his crushed house. Without a moment to waste, adrenaline kicked in as I lifted the rubble off of him, allowing him to slip out. Blood was tricking down his head.

"Thank you. But my wife, she's in there..." He croaked. I glanced back over to the rubble; I could see large bloodstain and a hand sticking out. Crap. No...This can't be happening. I rushed toward the scene before using all my strength to lift. There was considerably more shambles and ruin over this. I could only lift it up a little bit. Damn! Damn, damn, damn, why aren't I stronger? If I was stronger, I could do it...!

The debris suddenly began to move as the guy I had saved helped me lift. Together, we managed to push it off, revealing the body of his wife.

The body of his wife...

She was bleeding profusely, glass shards embedded in her skin as crimson blood trickled from her legs. One hand was clutched over her head while the other was reaching toward freedom. Her husband sobbed before turning her body over. Eyes closed. Body still. Pale as a ghost.