Take Me Home

43. Autumn

The grass was wet with the early morning dew, sunlight peeking over the trees as it rose, shining and reflecting off of the dew drops as shoes crushed the grass, leaving brighter, greener footprints as they cleared the dew, leaving a trail of footprints through the sparkling grounds. It was cold, autumn arriving to turn the leaves of the trees around the area beautiful mixes of brown, red, and orange. With it, there was colder winds and it blew the leaves off of the trees, sweeping them gently to the ground. Two figures walked through the area, passing gravestones that were damp and cold around them.

Looking around the cemetery, Freya kept close to Axel as he walked beside her, both dressed in the long coats the nurse had given them. Her orbs scanned each stone, reading over names as they continued walking, searching. She gripped Axel's hand tighter, turning to look up at him. He stared straight ahead, his eyes wearing creases underneath, his beautiful green gaze hollow as he walked, his only arm reached out and his hand gripping hers. She looked straight ahead of her, letting out a shaky breath. The cold wind blew at them, causing her eyes to water and her lips to chap as the cold surrounded them.

They headed toward a few other people who stood, looking at a new set of headstones which had been placed in the ground a few days before, the headstones of the victims that had been lost in the attack.

Stopping, she looked toward them, her eyes narrowing in despair and pain as she realized most of them were nameless, only the small words, 'Unknown', inscribed into the stone. She stopped before one, staring down at it, her eyes traveling over the patch of dirt that they had buried someones body under. Lifting her eyes, she let them travel for a little while, scanning hundreds of feet's worth of bare dirt patches, stones sitting on top, the words unknown placed on the majority. Some of them had names, but most of them did not.

She saw other people walking around, studying and searching, their eyes tear stained and pained. They had lost loved ones.

Freya had lost Roger.

She looked over again at Axel, who still stared straight ahead. He blinked, noticing her stare and he turned his head, dark hair ruffled, hie eyes landing on hers as he blinked, the pain in them as sharp as the pain in her own.

"Let's go." She whispered, and he nodded, both setting off and walking past the other people. They walked further, knowing where to go.

They knew that they would find Roger.

Roger had died a hero, he deserved that. Freya teared up again as they neared. She hadn't wanted this to happen. Her heart twisted and her stomach turned as she pictured him, smirking and teasing her, his eyes humorous. He had been through so much and to end his life like this. And the message he delivered before he had left. A single tear fell, landing on her cheeks, rolling down and resting on her skin.

Axel walked silently beside her, no words to be said. She couldn't blame him. He blamed himself for the way Roger had died. He had told her everything, the way he had saved him. How Axel couldn't save him in return.

"Look..." Her words were weak and low, raspy almost as she pointed at a headstone in front of them.

They picked up their speed, walking over to it and standing before it, still.

Dennis Ace Taylor,

Loving husband, honoring soldier,

1916-1941

Died in service of his country

Freya blinked, shaking her head, her hair tied away from her face in a braid, her blue eyes torn. Ace had worked so hard to help them out. He had died fighting up in the sky, him and his plane had been sent down to the ground as he had attempted to defend them all from the attackers. The brave pilot gone, just like that. She pictured him smiling in the bar, blue eyes sarcastic but kind. Freya sighed softly, looking to her right and seeing more headstones. They were told that his would be around here. Roger's was nearby.

They continued walking, looking for it.

And then, she saw it.

She rushed forward, leaving Axel, and stopping before the stone which held his name. Staring at it, she clenched her fists, her body shaking as her eyes watered, tears spilling over. A low cry escaped her and she began sobbing, staring down with blurry vision as the stone. No, he didn't deserve to die. She would give anything to have him here. It was so unreal, seeing it there, knowing that he was no longer alive, that he was dead. That he had eventually breathed his last breath, that his heart had stopped beating.

He hadn't deserved this at all. He had dragged along, supporting her, helping her, watching as she tried to get Axel home. He had decided to put himself behind in order to help her.

He had sacrificed himself for Axel because he loved her, and because he knew she loved Axel.

She heard Axel approaching, his heavy breaths as he stopped beside her, his eyes staring down in brokenness at the gravestone. She looked over at him, her eyes filled with the unending tears as they stood before the grave. They had all been through so much, for this to end like this was hard to accept. She heard a noise from Axel and looked back up, seeing his eyes water as he dropped down, landing on his knees and staring at the stone, his hand on the dirt as he stared silently, holding the pain inside.

"He was a good person." Axel stated quietly, looking at the grave, his knees dampening in the morning dew, head down as he allowed the coldness of the ground to seep into his skin, his only hand brushing the cold, fresh dirt.

He began to weep bitterly.