Fear

Chapter 10: The Survivors

The massacre in Shiganshina doesn't last for more that a few days. By the end of the first day, half of the drafted rookies were dead. Even with their vast numbers from Wall Maria's refugees, nearly all of the remaining survivors are dead. It turns out that even with the full six month training camp, the rookies never stood a chance. Out of the surviving soldiers, most retreated after in the first hours after the top 10 left the wall. The rest retreated within the first few days, ready to be charged as a deserter before camping out with the decaying bodies- the freshest of them starting to bloat as they decay. By day eight, supplies were nearly gone and the remaining fighters had lost their will to live, only a seldom few sticking around.

I barely survived the first day being out there. I got lucky that the sun set just as I was being picked up by that titan. Apparently, without sun-light they just... deactivate. Its strange, but I'll take what I can get. After that, it was easy to cut myself out of the titan's hand and grab Michael. I never realized, but I am a lot stronger than I thought... then again it could've been the adrenaline.

I managed to scrounge up some wood from nearby debris to start a fire. This let me cauterize Michael's arm, which stopped the bleeding, but it came with a heavy stench of burnt flesh and the visual of melted skin that sent me up chucking some of the little food we had. Even worse, it started showing signs of infection within the next few days and without Michael awake it was nearly impossible to give him food and water. After the 3rd day, I had run out of food and water completely.

After that I had no choice but to start looting the husks of houses during the night. For the most part, the houses were well-stocked and void of any traces of humans. Of course a few houses had the decaying bodies of those that decided to end it before the titans did- their bodies hung the ceilings like a twisted parody of a chandelier with maggots and flies crawling out of the various crevices. I got in and out as quick as possible, but not before throwing up what little I had in my stomach.

More than anything, I just wanted to go home and go to sleep or just wake up from this nightmare. Just... Anything but this.

Despite how sickening roaming the streets was, the supplies gathered was enough to give us a few more days to live. A few more days and I just might get used to the stench of sour blood and bodies decaying in the scorching heat.

On day 10, Michael finally woke up for a few hours, before going back into a painful sleep, now with a fever. Even so, he began to stand and move for brief periods of time, and to eat and drink on his own.

Finally on day 14, our salvation came.

The scouting legion had been coming back into the wall. We barely managed to catch up to them. It took two extra tanks of gas scavenged by nearby corpses. Looting the corpses brought a whole new feeling of sickness to me. I don't bother looking at the faces--I don't want to recognize them, but I throw up anyways.

For once in our lives, Michael doesn't tease me for it. I don't know whether to be thankful, or if I wish he would've just for the sake of normalcy. Still we push on, Michael slightly slower as he struggles to adjust to only having one arm.

We manage to catch their attention by opening the gates, something we've seen the Garrison do when allowing the scouts back in when we were kids.

Of course, the opening of the gate startled the scouts and put them on alert. We tried our best to come out as non- threatening, but we were thrown harshly to the ground. I don't know exactly what happened, but Michael passed out and that left me to be questioned.

"Who are you? Why were you in Wall Maria? Where did you get that gear? Is there more of you?"

Question after question. My savior came in the form of the new Commander. At least, I assume he was the Commander. The man was tall and blond, and the men holding us down called him by that title.

The trip to back to the walls was more than relieving, and for the first time in that past 3 weeks I slept easily and dreamless-

"Gabriel, the Commander would like to speak with you." Quietly, Gabriel begins putting away his journal into the green military satchel- no one bothered to tell him not to bring it on the mission- they figured it'd be his fault if he died and no one else's. Jokes on them though- most of them are dead now.

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Gabriel stands to follow the female soldier. She introduced herself before-hand, but Gabriel has been distracted at best. He's been there a full day now, but he still hasn't bothered to ask the girl her name again. There probably wouldn't be a reason to- what's the chances that he'd see her again? She's a part of the survey corps. Besides that, as soon as Michael's better Gabriel plans on going back to the refugee camp with Eren, Mikasa, and Armin.

"Um-" She shifts from one foot to the other, " you can follow me."

Giving a quiet hum in response, Gabriel follows examining the woman. She's short- more than a full head shorter than he is, and she's rather thin making her look even smaller. Other than that she has blonde hair and big brown eyes.

'She's kinda cute...' The blood starts rushing to Gabriel's face as he listens to her idle chatter. 'Not much older than I am, I don't think. Maybe a couple years?' Gabriel shakes his head. There's no point thinking about someone that would probably die soon anyways. 'She's more Michael's type than mine anyways...'

Now that he's looking away, Gabriel takes notice of the hallways. The walls seem to made of brick, and is fairly clean- a faint scent of some cleaner lingering behind. Other than him and the soldier (Whose name he still doesn't remember. It starts with a 'P'... maybe Patricia?) that halls are almost entirely empty, holding a somber air about them. Gabriel doesn't want to think about why, instead he just follows the girl to a ordinary looking door.

"The commander's through here." She says, giving a tight smile before walking off to who knows where.

For a moment Gabriel pauses, should he knock? Usually Michael would take the lead in situations like this.

'What would Michael do...' Before he can question himself further, the redhead knocks on the door- the noise incredbly loud in the quiet hallway. 'Shit! Did I knock too loud? Can I get in trouble for that?! I should've just turnt tail and ran-'

"Enter." Taking a deep breath, Gabriel grasps the door handle and opens the door as his heart races.

'The rest of my life sits in front of me. And now... I sink or swim.'