Revolution Of The Forgotten

Bearing Burdens

I stood in front of the bunker. I found food and had wood that Afia found earlier today. Everything was good. Except for one thing. Two of our people were now dead.

I didn't know what I was going to say to Rune and Ezra. I couldn't just tell them that I murdered Afia. I will just have to tell them that both people were killed by a Mollark. That I managed to survive the ordeal.

With a heavy heart, I knocked on the bunker and stood there for several seconds before hearing it unlock. Rune had opened the door. Her eyes scanned the surrounding Area.

"Where is Mira..?" She asked, and I paused. I couldn't bring myself to say that she was dead. I couldn't do it. My eyes fell to the floor, my grip on the bags tightened. A silent understanding formed between Rune and I.

She cleared her throat, moving to the side to allow me inside. I thanked her quietly and walked down the steps, back inside the bunker. I put the crops and wood down. I was greeted by Codie, who ran to me and gave me a big hug.

"Desmond you're back!" He shouted. He had the biggest smile on his face, and I couldn't help but forget all about the murder I committed and focused completely on the child.

"I am! I went on the best adventure, little man. I wish you could come with... You would have loved it." I told him all about the adventure I went on. All the things I encountered and all the villages I came across. He watched in awe and it made me proud to tell someone these stories. To be seen as a hero. Even if I was the furthest from it.

We were able to eat well that night. We used the firewood to light a fire and cook some raw mutton from a lamb Rune hunted earlier while I was gone. It was the best meal I've had in awhile.

I remember when Mira and I would go hunting. It was so much fun. We would return home with so much food and cook it up. We gave ourselves a big feast. Well– when we didn't have to give the food to the nobles.

I didn't sleep well that night. My whole world was shattered. I had nothing left to live for. Mira was dead... That reality slowly seeped in. She was dead. She was dead... Mira– someone who was so full of life was dead.

I felt like pinching myself to make sure it wasn't a dream. But I knew it was reality. And I had to get over it. But there was this hole in my heart. I didn't know how to fix it. I looked around the bunker. Laying next to me was Ezra. He looked so peaceful sleeping. And that gave me some peace.

He was all I had to hang onto... He came back for me. He risked his title for me. He did it all for me. Why was I pushing him away? He clearly cared for me, did he not?

I shook the thought away. He was a stranger. That's all I see. I felt so lost... I need any signs that I was still alive. For the first time, I prayed. I closed my eyes, put my hands together and prayed. I prayed for a new future. I prayed for Mira to come back. I prayed for a way out.

The next day, we all collectively began walking again. Rune was quiet the entire trip. Her lover was dead. I couldn't imagine losing Ezra the same way... Except Ezra wasn't my lover.

Our feet echoed through the silence of our walk. Every so often, one of us would say something. But the conversations never lasted long. Everyone seemed to be in their own world.

As we walked, I had time to think. What was my purpose here? What was I meant to do? I know I was supposed to be a role model to others. But I couldn't help but worry as we creeped up on extinction.

My feet were aching from the walk. I felt like we were walking for days. It was incredibly hot that day. The children kept complaining. We ended up resting near a lake. We deserved a break.

The children splashed around in the lake, laughter filled the air. I sat under a tree, closing my eyes. I enjoyed the shade. Ezra joined me moments later. His eyes focused on the children before looking over at me.

"It's been a crazy few days, hasn't it?" Ezra asked. I looked at him, raising an eyebrow. It has, hasn't it. So much has been lost and so much has been gained.

"Yeah... It has." I whispered, focusing back on the children playing. We were in a secluded area and Rune assured us we would be safe for a few hours. Ezra nodded, stretching a bit before sighing.

"I can't believe it– Mira and Afia were so young... I couldn't imagine dying at their age.." He said quietly. I felt myself freeze. They were young, weren't they? So young. Afia and Mira didn't get a chance to explore the world. Mira wanted to leave England. She wanted to see the world. But never got the chance.

And Afia will never be able to grow up. And that was all my fault. I felt guilt rushing in like crazy. I killed someone. A child. And he would no longer experience the end of this apocalypse... Because of me.

"Right.. It's a cruel world." I answered, feeling my heart beating quickly again. Guilt. That's all I felt at the moment. Suddenly, I felt his hand on top of my mind. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. My eyes quickly focused on him again. My face felt hot and I felt like I was going to explode.

He offered me a kind smile, his eyes soft. "We will get through it together, okay?" He whispered. I felt my muscles tighten. I felt so tense and frozen that it almost hurt. My breathing was shaky. Why was I feeling this way over him?

I nodded at his words though, feigning a feeling of calmness. I couldn't let him know I felt this way about him. I had to be calm and collected. I wasn't supposed to feel this way. I didn't deserve to feel this way.

We spent the rest of the day there. Rune built a few shelters from logs and leaves. Ezra and I built the fire, taking turns with tending to it. We were on night watch for a few hours. Rune and Oddek would take over before sunrise.

"The stars are so bright tonight..." Ezra pointed out. I looked up at the starry sky. He was right. They shined so bright. It was such a beautiful night.

"Yeah... Mira always lit up the room when she walked in... why not light up the sky, too?" I answered. Silence. We both watched the sky. The fire crackling offered comfort in the silence between us.

Neither of us talked for a long while. We didn't find a need to. We were content with the silence. It felt nice to listen to the fire. But after a while, the silence gave me room to think about everything I've done. The murder. My mind kept going back to the murder. I killed someone with my own hands. I became the very monster we tried so hard to hide from.

I decided it would be beneficial if I spoke. So I did. I turned to him again, and asked something I was genuinely curious about. "Why did you leave the safety of your family to come for us?"

Ezra looked over at me, his eyebrows furrowed as he cleared his throat. Slowly, he sat up, looking into my eyes with an expression I couldn't understand. He cleared his throat, shrugging before speaking.

"My parents' view on the whole thing angered me, you know? They often spoke as if everyone meant nothing. I couldn't survive with them with that guilt that people were dying because I couldn't do my duty as prince and protect my people."

The way he spoke, it made me feel a certain way. I nodded, leaning my head back against a tree, watching the smoke rise in the sky once more.

"What would you do if your father was still in front of you now?" I asked. I heard Ezra scoff. He shuffled around where he was sitting,

"Trust me, Desmond. He wouldn't be alive if he was still in front of me right now. He doesn't deserve life." He whispered. I nodded. It was a valid response given the circumstances. As the flames rose, a thought came into mind.

"What if we hunt them down? Lead a Revolution? Get justice for being left behind and forgotten?" I suggested. Ezra looked like he was serious considering it. He didn't speak for a second, trying to gather his thoughts.

"So like– the Revolution Of The Forgotten?" He asked. I nodded. Revolution Of The Forgotten. That's what we were going to do. And it was going to be one hell of a revolution. It was time for the Monarch to lose their power. Once and for all.

The rest of the night, we strategize on how we would attack and when. With Ezra's knowledge of their whereabouts, there was no way we could lose. Finally I had a purpose. Let's just hope I don't screw this up...