TEN YEARS, The Kenny Ackerman Story BOOK TWO~ FUTURES, by Melly O'Hara

WALLS

CHAPTER 4 WALLS

"Well, shit, yeah!  O'  course I'm gonna wait!" Kenny chuckled, as though he'd just heard the punchline to a joke.
I shook my head in surprise at his levity. Open mouthed, I began to question him. But before    I'd had a chance to speak, he waved away the non- existent words and continued on, "Hell, Owl, wadda ya think? That I'm gonna take ya for my bride, an' then bugger off an' become a fuckin' titan?! Geez, if'n that were my plan, I wouldn' bother marryin' ya  - I'd jus' give it another four years or so, an'  then seek ya out for another  'tumble' in the hay!" he winked, squeezing me tight.

Punching him in the ribs, I held my tongue, and managed to remain calm enough to wait until his laughter had subsided, for the rest of his speech.

"I loves ya, Jas. An' I'm gonna marry ya. There's no woman I ever met that has wormed their way inside a me, like you has. I may be jus' a piece o' crap, shit-kicker. But in ya, I seen a glimpse o' that peace I've been searchin' for. I see it in ya eyes. An' one day, I  WILL  get that serum. I'll find where it's hidden. An' I'll get my peace o' mind. But not now ", he reassured me.
Not 'til ya can face the facts o' this life square on.
Not 'til ya pain has turned ta anger.
That much I   CAN  promise ya.
'Cause it will, Jas. It will".

And it did. And then to fear.

The day Wall Maria was destroyed by the Colossal Titan.

We'd been married for nearly three years the day Paradise fell. The night we spent in the stables, the night Kenny kept no secrets from me, and asked me to be his wife; seemed like a distant memory, when faced with our own destruction. I remembered how we'd left the barn together; waking up Pastor Nick, who married us there and then. In his nightshirt, in his chambers, abruptly skipping over the unnecessary parts of the ceremony, so he that could get back to sleep. And how we stood there,  in our crumpled clothes, straw clinging to our hair, smiling like idiots; just happy to be man and wife.
And for the past three years we'd been happy, living in his quarters, adjacent to the main Palace.

Walking to the Royal stables, through the Palace courtyard on that Spring day, I stopped to gaze at the sky; clear and blue. The forgiven sun gently shining, warming my face, the burgeoning pink buds on the Cherry Blossoms. All was beautiful, secure, safe.

Without being aware, without warning; the frenzy came, and it was as if I were in the eye of a storm. Around me, the courtyard filled with panic. People of all ranks, were running to and fro; seemingly without purpose. Children caught in the mayhem, tripping over the legs of strangers; crying for their mothers.
Whispers and snatches of conversations reached my ears, "Have you heard?.......Is it really true?......No!......It's just a story by the Marians to get closer to the Capital!.....Wouldn't put it past them!....No!....It's a real Titan!.....A hundred feet tall!....Right through Wall Maria..."
And the screams of women panicking, "My children!.....Where's my Amy?... My brother and his wife live there......Oh God.....Oh please, no..."
And the men putting on their bravado like it was an armour, "Well, at least it's a long way from the Capital....We'll be safe here..... Unless they open the gates to Wall Sina....Nah, the Queen wouldn't allow it...."

And that's when it hit me. The Queen must have assumed her Titan form, and for some God forsaken reason, attacked Paradise. Attacked her own people.

My mind raced. Kenny. Where would he be? Pushing through the throng of people, I ran to  the Palace and into the  Palace halls. Not caring that I hadn't used the servant's entrance, I ran through the arched corridors; resplendent in their ornate, gold leaf trim and scarlet carpet, so soft that it felt like walking on moss. Here too, the stampede of people and their fragmented conversations continued. Surreal, as if in a dream, I heard their panicked choir of voices as they barked commands at each other and buffeted me from person to person, in their eagerness to make their way to their desired destinations, "Summon Zachary!...I want him here right now!.....Assemble the Council...Is anyone doing anything about those Scouts?!.....Who's in charge of them anyway?!....Where the HELL is Pyxis?!.....Where is that dog?!....Has he gotten the Royal family out yet?!......Uri and his strays....I don't know why the Queen keeps him around....It's his damn job!....Paradise is under attack!......Make sure he gets them to safety....Are they all assembled?....Meeting in the jade room, now!"