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Innocence: Waking From the Dream (Part I)
Date: 23 June 2004, 3:14 AM
Prologue
I was no warrior when this all started, I was just a simple law student that lived in a one floor home in Oregon when these Covenant aliens attacked Earth. I did know, even though I never chose to admit it, that we were infact losing this war and each day there was a growing threat of the war, that seemed so far away, would actually hit home. There was no warning before the first wave hit us, all I remember were the bone chilling screams of women and children as blinding blue streaks of the aliens' hot plasma weapons sliced through the air and bombarded Earth. They targeted main cities and military compounds, including my home town Portland, Oregon, that lied helplessly below them. That was a day ago.
When the first volley hit, it wiped our entire local military compound, and hit many of the top surveillance outposts that were stationed here. Their aim was so precise and without flaw I shuddered at the thought of all of the other cities all over the world that had huge military establishments and training grounds that held so many families close to their parents, husbands, wives, and children that were stationed there, protecting what mattered most, protecting what was now lost.
I hid in my cellar as the screaming of sirens and vehicles echoed through the city as I waited for the pounding of their weapons to cease. I stayed there in my dark cold cellar, the smell of must and old cement hung in the thick air around me for many hours. In the dark hearing the explosion and screams on the surface and armed only with my hunting knife I cowered there, not moving. I know the screams will haunt me as I just waited for someone to come and find me... no one did.
November 11th, 2552
Portland, Oregon, Earth
I crept up from my celar and was greated by the rubble that once had been my home. My jaw slowly opened as I stood in awe at the damage around me. My train of thought was cut off as I heard a hum that sounded like a mufle engine pull up outside my house. I stood up straight and stayed quiet sweat began to form on my hairline. The soft sound of the engine slowed ans stopped its purple light washing over my home. I heard three clatters of feet as the passenger disembarked. I stood there in the shadows of my old bombed out home as I listened to the aliens outside speak in their native tongues. I tightened my grip on my hunting knife as the voices began to get louder. I stood as still as I could, trying not to make a sound. The dim purple light from one of their eerie hover vehicles poured through a gaping hole in my ceiling and seemed to crawl over the rocky ground that used to be home to the tacky green carpet in my living room.
The unusual voices seemed to carry on and echo through my small house. I slowly crept through the darkness careful to step silently over the rubble that lay strewn across the floor. I reached the archway that led out of my living room, I glanced to my right then to left scanning the innards of the dark house searching for whatever creatures might lay in wait. Satisfied, but still horrified, I slowly stepped out into my hallway. I felt my knees shake as the alien voices carried on throughout the hallway. I faced the doorway and I became dimly highlighted by the purple glow from their vehicle outside.
I peered out my doorway and saw distant bursts of brilliant blue eruptions and the large orange plumes of humanities own explosions dotting the night sky, over what was once downtown, about four clicks away. The large skyscrapers that had once towered over the rest of the city, and etched fine shadows on the features below them, were missing, it seemed like they were simply erased off of a picture. Large billows of black smoke rose from various areas in the city as well. I could make out the outlines of sleek aircraft belonging to both human and the unearthly aliens as they dove and swept through the night sky dealing death every which way. The sky they occupied was steadily growing to a midnight blue tint as the morning approached.
It was like waking from a horrible dream only to find that the dream... had come true. The sirens that had given us the little warning that we had ceased to sound. The roar of vehicles and reckless teen's drag racing along the street and drinking alcohol did not fill the empty time that it once did. I noticed a twisted wreckage of a car was still parked in front of a heap of rubble that was once a house across the street. I glanced down the street and saw a charred body lying in the street.
I wondered who the man was, I might have even known him, or her for that matter. I felt the top of my throat get dry and swollen as I felt sorrow wash over me like waterfall washing over its jagged rocks below. Just as the sorrow overwhelmed me it slipped away and anger took its place. tightening its grip on me, I gripped my knife tighter as I thought about all the helpless innocent people, much like the man laying on the street, had lost their lives because of these Covenant creatures, and for that I hated them.
Innocence: Memories (Part II)
Date: 25 June 2004, 1:51 PM
I wondered who the man was, I might have even known him, or her for that matter. I felt the top of my throat get dry and swollen as I felt sorrow wash over me like a waterfall washing over its jagged rocks below. Just as the sorrow overwhelmed me, it slipped away and anger took its place. Tightening its grip on me. I held my knife tighter as I thought about all the helpless innocent people, much like the man laying on the street... much like myself, that had lost their lives because of these dreadful creatures that lay in wait outside, and for that I hated them.
I shrugged off the thoughts and clamed myself down and began to focus. I looked back over my shoulder and saw my kitchen, which was, surprisingly, mostly in tact; even some of the old second hand furniture was still standing there still mocking me of my low income just as many of my colleagues did not a day before. I sighed and again was taken by my mind to wonder if any of my friends were still alive. I whispered a silent prayer to let god watch over Earth and its entire people, now that we need him more than ever. Thoughts rushed through me as I remembered my father preaching in his church back when I was still a little boy, back when there were no Covenant or alien race hunting us down and kill millions of innocence.
"All creatures of our God and King," the voices of people filled the church with such harmony that God himself looked down at us that day. "lift up your voice and hear us sing"
I felt my eyes start to itch as tears started to puddle in my eyes as I remembered my father, my mother and my sister all singing in unison. Just as the song ceased, I remembered my father broke the silence.
"But these natural beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption..." He read from atop his podium the sun washing over him displaying a rainbow on his face from the stained glass windows that bordered the large room.
My left hand drifted uncontrollably up to my chest and grabbed the crucifix that hang from my neck. I gripped it close to my body and glanced down at the ground. I couldn't stop the tears from coming, they poured from my eyes as I gave low whimpers. I thought if my family was still her and alive, if my dad had lost his face like just as I have so long ago.
If there is a God, I thought to myself where is he now, where is he when we need him most.Anger rose in me as the horrible thought of the Lord abandoning his people when it mattered most burned in my mind... Where is he now?
I looked up to the ceiling my gaze ripping through it. "Where are you?" I whispered to the air not aware of the creatures that still wait outside. My throat burned with every word. The crucifix still tightly grasped in my hand.
My knees became weak and I started to tremble, I willed my self to put the feelings aside that were clouding my judgment and wiped the tears and grime from my face. I noticed the death grip I had on my cross and quickly let go of the crucifix. I looked at my palm and noticed that the cross had imprinted itself onto my skin. I smiled slightly at the fact that I had been so lost in my thoughts I didn't notice that the cross nearly broke my skin. I rubbed it with my right hand, that was still holding the knife gently. I felt the divots in my palm where the cross had laid and winced slightly at the pain from the tender skin. I looked up and rubbed my eyes that stung from the crying and focused my mind on the growing threat of death lurking outside.
I glanced to my left and saw my living room, which unfortunately, did not have as much luck as my, intact, kitchen did. Nearly half of the roof was caved in and there were scores debris all around. Even my favorite leather couch was smoldered into nothing but a small hot clump of ash and melted leath as the strong smell lurked in the air. I forced my self to hold in a cough as the harsh smell of burnt leather swept through the air. I caught a mouthful of the foul stench, my gag reflex kicking in as I tried to hold my breath and cover mouth with my left hand. The air was forced from my lungs begging for air as it traveled out of me uncontrollably. My hand dulled the cough as my chest tightened from the sudden action.
Relieved slightly that my hands and dulled the noise I straightened up... just to be greeted by silence. I stood still for a moment praying that the creatures would start talking once again but the silence stayed as warm sweat began to form on my brow and my palm began to stick to the handle of the knife that I still held in my white knuckled fist. I stood in my hall, motionless in the middle of the corridor, not knowing what to do, my mind raced with fear as I tried moving into the safety of the darkness no more than three feet away from me, but my muscles were tense and stiff. I became confused because not a moment before I was soley intent on killing the aliens that had come and threaten my very survival, yet, I stood there frozen with terror, my brain refusing to work.
I started to panic as my heart began to race inside my chest. I waited for the aliens that wait outside to come in and kill me wheere I stood with whatever means they used, just like so many innocent people before me. I shut my eyes and kept them tight waiting for death to take me. Sweat started to bead down my forehead profusely as it felt that I had had been standing there frozen in my hall for years. I couldn't bare the silence and fear as my knees start to give way.
This is it, I thought to myself This is really it. Just as my thoughts had started to churn in my mind the loud chirp of their voices started chattering once again.
I snapped open my eyes and sighed with relief and cracked short smile. I looked up and mouthed a thank you to whoever was watching over me, if it were not God. I crept forward in the darkness. It seemed to welcome me with open arms as if it were embracing me and holding me tight. I rested my back against the cold, hard wall and I let my body slide down it slowly until I hit the ground. I wiped my sweat-drenched head with my sleeve and started to breathe normally once again. I lifted my left hand and laid it on the back of my head, running my fingers through my long dark hair. I scratched my scalp twice and slid my hand along my head and rested it on my face, gathering my thoughts and feelings and stowing them away. I shook my head, trying to focus as I slowly sidestepped along the wall and rested beside the doorframe.
The voices were louder now, piercing through the doorway. Ss the aliens still carried on in a deep conversation, I lifted my knife up to my chest and held it close. I tilted my head slightly and saw explosions over downtown still erupting.
Good, I thought to myself The Airforce boys still have a chance.
I stood there for a moment watching the spectacle above the doomed city. It reminded me of the 4th of July, when the UNSC forces stationed here would use large explosions and modified fireworks to celebrate former United States of America's independence.
[indnet]Of course all of the world was independent now, and it actually begun to amaze me how a war can bring such people together. I thought of middle school when they explained about the great World Wars that had happened so long ago. How many nations had come together to fight a common enemy.
So this, I thought as I felt a headache creeping into my head, this is our world war.
I nodded with appreciation that maybe mankind might have a chance after all, even with out "God" himself. We were, after all... independent. My confidence raised by my brief revelation, I slightly poked my head out the doorway, just enough for one eye to see, and peered around the corner.
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