Date: September 11
Place: Nagoya, Japan
[Rei]
After a few minutes passed without the constant fear of their growls and stomps, the kids started to let their cries out, silently.
"It's okay now," I patted each of their heads as they loosened their grip on me.
It was too cramped in this place to properly inspect them and converse. "Let's go somewhere more spacious, is that alright?" Their fear was too transparent not to notice.
"Don't worry, I'm here," I gave them a reassuring smile and they hesitantly nodded, snots dripping down the two boy's noses onto my trousers.
I slowly opened the door, inspecting the hallways with my flashlights.
Stepping out, I still had the girl in my arms while the other two kept holding the helm of my shirt this time.
We tip-toed towards the store just next to the staff room. But a hand was sticking out the entrance. I put the girl down and kneeled to their level. "I need you two to hold onto him and close your eyes," they were quite reluctant to follow my orders when I put their tiny hands onto the older one's clothes. "I promise you, it's going to be fine," I gave a soft smile.
"And I need you to hold this for me," I took the drained flashlight from the older one and put it aside as I gave him mine. "You three are doing great," I ruffled their hair as the smiles slowly came back from them.
"Shut your eyes and stick close," I whispered before entering the store with the oldest lighting my way. I glanced at him, trying his hardest to swallow his fears as his tearful eyes lit the lifeless and ripped-apart body of a human that was lying on the entrance.
I held my hand out, a signal to stop and they obliged. Some of the water bottles were at the counter, along with some crackers which I didn't hesitate to pick up and stashed inside my bag.
I quickly scanned the areas where they were still around my peripheral, and found a storage room at the very back. I signaled to follow me as they slowly walked towards the corner where I stopped them again.
I peeked through the circular window on the door, slowly opening it. "Open your eyes now," I whispered, holding the door open for them as they slowly and quietly ran inside.
They bundled up, hugged each other, and finally let out their cries. I only stood by the door, guarding the outside while they continued whimpering.
"Hi guys," I contacted all of them.
"Rei!" They say in unison, my ears rung at their timbre.
"What happened to you?" I could hear Noel and Kikoe's bag dropping from shock.
"Are you alright?" Cedrick's breaths were more steady than the last time I held a conversation with him.
"I found some survivors, I'm sending you my current location," I also snapped a picture of the three kids smiling through their tears and shared everything with them. "The loud shot earlier was probably another civilian. I'm planning to check those and leave the children here to hide," Cedrick was the first to oppose.
"It's too dangerous, you heard those number of unOrdinary," he disputes.
"That's the more reason to hurry, they sure are in grave danger as we speak," I slowly came back to the other three after I heard their stomachs rambling and gave them the bottle of water in my bag, along with the snacks and rations I prepared for myself.
"How's the situation up there Noel? Kikoe?" I sighed at the sight of them gobbling everything.
"We're halfway through the first shop," Noel replied. "We can probably teleport the kids with us after we finish," his suggestion made my lips curl up while the kids looked at me confused.
"Why is is talking to herself?" The tiny boy's eyes were full of curiosity as he asked the oldest one.
"Is she crazy?" I could hear them whisper amongst themselves.
"Just eat," the eldest said.
"Sounds like a plan," I nodded. "Cedrick, you sounded like you were in trouble until earlier," I pointed out as he hasn't really reposted anything yet.
"I ran into some slick unOrdinary," he gulps down some liquid.
"Slick?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as one of the kids offered me my rations back. I politely declined and signed them to eat it too. "You don't mean there's a buffed one, right?" a sudden thought came to mind.
"I don't think so," he threw the bottle aside. "I've got it caged," he boasted. "I think I only need a few more minutes to find that damn wires," he was suddenly sounding pissed.
"Alright, good luck everyone," I ended the call and focused on the ones in front of me. "Everything alright?"
They only nodded, still trying to finish their meal. But I noticed the eldest making them eat and leaving nothing for himself. "I've got tons of questions, can you answer me truthfully?"
Somehow, my nice-smile attempt made them wary all of a sudden. The two little ones hiding behind the boy. "Are you one of them?" his piercing eyes full of will to live and protect the ones behind him.
"One of who?" I murmured. "If you guys are alone here, we have a place where you can live more comfortably than here," I offered, but still not letting their guard down. "We have a shelter far away and much safer than here," I showed them some holographic pictures from my watch.
They stared at the unusual technology and were more fascinated than afraid now.
"Wow!" the cute little boy was about to crawl to me, followed by the girl but the eldest grabbed their hands and stopped them midway.
"Big brother told us not to trust strangers," he frowned, shockingly shielding the kids who were behind his skinny arms.
And that was when I noticed that they were practically skin and bones.
"My name is Rei," I showed them a holographic ID. "I work for the government and I'm a leader of a group that was sent here to rescue you," I omitted some of the parts as I lowered my head on the floor to bow. "Is there anything you want to ask me?" I confronted them again and gave the brightest smile that I could.
"That way I won't be a stranger anymore," I explained more after seeing their guard easing up.
"Big sister Rei," the girl emerged from the boy, trembling and uneasy. "Are we going to die?" her cracking voice made me crawl and grab their tiny bodies to hug as comfortably as I could.
"No, no" I repeated multiple times. "Of course, not."
My head started to hurt and memories some memories came flooding in.
**start**
"We're going to get out of here," I gripped their tiny hands as their lifeless body slowly turned cold.
"I'll get you out of here," the black smoke engulfed my surroundings as a distant voice pulled me back to my senses.
"Girl, move your butt, they're catching up," a hoarse but deep voice in a panic says.
**end**
But it was only multiple bodies of children and me in that horrid area. Everything was in flames, pools of blood sinking into my clothes and skin, shouting from all over the vast ground, glistening lights from bullets shot, and endless screaming from fallen people.
Where could that distinct voice come from?