Chapter 5: Family Matters

Hey y'all! Next chapter up and ready! It's concluding on Lyra's past, so I'll be switching POVs for next chapter after this one. It's rather sad, so hope you all like it! Until next time, PEACE!

Chapter 5: Family Matters

            Reluctantly, Lyra entered the abandoned building that, in its past life, used to be known as the Shedd Aquarium. The area was thought to be a perfect place for a base of operations and a shelter for refugees. It was a glass building, so lurkers could not hide there. It had ample space, so many could live there. It had adequate protection, so no one would be harmed. Or so they thought.

            Being a glass building meant lurkers could not hide there, but it meant that it could be broken into just as easily. And with their speed and power, the lurkers made quick work of the refugees there. Almost everyone perished. Those who got out either turned to lurkers or went mad. Except for one. Lyra.

            As she entered her past home, she could hear the distant screams of her family being ripped apart and see the blood of her friends being spilt on the floor. Everyone in her group believed they would be safe under the military forces that were located there, but they too had been torn asunder by the claws of those dreaded monsters. Guns could only do so much and the noise only attracted more predators. This place was a graveyard waiting to happen, but the people living there realized it too late. With that, it achieved its purpose of becoming a home to those poor souls that died that night. However, almost no bodies were left, either entirely devoured by lurkers, or turned into such.

            Even though this aquarium was a place of pure horror and sorrow to Lyra, she knew she had to look around. She thought sooner would be better than later, since who knows when she might meet the same fate as those that were once around her. With all the refugees dead or gone, the area was a gold mine of supplies waiting to be picked by a lucky scavenger. Food laid everywhere in vast quantities, as well as bottled water. Ammo and weapons littered the place, left by the grunts protecting the camp. Finally, and this was the most important thing in Lyra’s eyes, blank journals littered the floor everywhere. Lyra was an artist, in both written and drawn works.

            She jumped for joy in her head, ‘Thank god! Finally! Something goes right! I was starting to run out of paper.’

            She quickly went to work around the entrance of the aquarium, careful not to step on the fallen shards of glass that littered the floor. She filled her pack to the brim with food and water, as well as blank journals that she could use. To her joy, she also found a couple CDs in a backpack. As she emptied it of its contents and took the priceless pieces of music, Lyra saw the design of the bag.

            It was small and pink, with butterflies on the front of it. There was also a tag on the outside, reading the name “Alice”. The backpack couldn't have belong to anyone more than five years old. Five. Years. Old. So young to have met such a terrible fate. Lyra couldn't help what she saw in her head.

 

            Sights of a young girl seeing her father carrying her as he runs, only to be jumped by a lurker. The little girl falls hard onto the tile floor, as her father screams helplessly. She runs. Quickly more lurkers follow her, scratching up the father and tile floor as they leap on and around their feasting brother. Fresh meat is all they can think about. Tender, young, so fresh. A lurker jumps in front of her, cutting off Alice’s only chance of escape. Soon, she is encircled by several other lurkers. Alice falls to the ground, crying, scarred, alone… Saying something like “Daddy… Daddy, please… Please help!!!” Then, they attack as she lets out one more hopeless cry for her fallen father… And it’s over.

 

            Lyra then notices, next to where the backpack laid, a blood stain plastered onto the floor. She then begins to cry tears of sadness and loneliness for the unknown child. Alice and Lyra were similar. They were alone, being teased by the lurkers, and when they scream “Daddy!” no one comes. The thoughts of her own family make their way into her head, but she puts them aside as quickly as they came. Then, she picks herself up, since she’s the only one that can right now. She wipes her tears away and begins to make her way deeper into the ruined attraction. What she doesn't realize, however, is that the further she explores the aquarium, the more violent her memories of the place become.

            She traced most of the massacre’s path, the parts that were embedded in her mind anyways. That man died over there and was eaten quickly. He died over there from a mercy killing. This family died in each other’s arms, embracing each other in their last precious moments. Before she knew it, she came to gray colored door in the back of the aquarium with two parallel lanes of blood coming from its bottom. Out of all the scenes that she remembered, this was the most gruesome. The memories quickly broke through her mental barrier, images of faces flashing in between peaceful smiles and agonizing, blood gurgling screams. Then she remembered.

 

            The night was still young, only about 8 o’clock in the evening. Everything, for once, seemed peaceful and Lyra was taking a stroll along the barricade that blocked the glass walled aquarium from the terror filled city. She knew they were safe, so a walk under the moonlit sky was a well-needed change in her daily life. Soldiers barked orders to “protect” her and the rest of the survivors in the building day in and day out. So breaking a little protocol and being out at night didn’t seem like such a terrible thing to her, but to her “protectors” it was probably a crime worthy of death. No one would kill the colonel’s daughter, though.

            Having her father as the colonel in charge of this camp had its perks, and this was one of them; being able to do whatever she wants as long as it doesn't endanger more than herself. She’d defiantly get a yelling filled lecture from her hard a*s dad, but it was worth it. Walking under the stars reminded her of more peaceful times. Of times when a simple walk wouldn't be considered treasonous.

            A simple walk. Maybe by herself, maybe with someone else… Someone she loved. But, she put the thought away, wanting to be by herself and not thinking of things that could ruin her peaceful stroll. However, that did not last much longer as she heard a loud whisper behind her.

            “Lyra! What are you doing?!?”

            She instantly knew the voice. Only one person had that voice: her rule-following, goody-two-shoes brother, Peter. Once he got her attention, he lightly jogged over to continue their conversation… Which would defiantly be more of a lecture.

            “You know you can’t be out here at this time! What if someone caught you?” questioning, though he knew fully what the answer would be.

            “Then dad would bail me out and lecture me like you are right now.” She replied smugly to her militaristic brother.

            “It’s still too dangerous to be out here. What if lurkers attacked?!?”

            “Well for one that’s impossible. And two, if it was possible, I’d run for the hills. Simple as that!” She added her most innocent looking smile after this.

            “Ugh… What are we gonna do with you…” he sighed with his fingers on the bridge of his nose. “You know full well there aren't any hills in Chicago!”

            He continued on with the joke much to Lyra’s pleasure, she knew he would. Once she flashed him that innocent smile of hers he couldn't stay mad at his sister.

            “Then… I’ll run to the lake?” she questioned innocently enough.

            “Then you’d drown.” Her brother countered in a very matter of factly tone.

            “Not if I have a boat!”

            “But then… but then… um…” 

            “Ha! You don’t have anything to combat that!”

            He really didn’t, it was a brilliant idea to escape the lurkers. But if he let his sister know that, he wouldn't hear the end of it. And he would die of humiliation before letting his sister be right.

            “Yea, well… I outrank you so I’m right!” he said, surprisingly proudly for such a bad rebuke.

            “That’s what you always say when you lose!”

            “So? Rank means I win in this family. You know that!” he taunted her terribly with this. In a military family, rank did mean a lot.

            “Okay, fine. But I know I’m right. End of story!” she made a fake, angry face at her brother.

            When he saw that, he could do nothing but make a suppressed laugh. Lyra soon followed suit. Everything felt normal, everything was how it was supposed to be, everything was right with the world. Then, that peace was broken by a terrifying shriek. Following the terrible noise was a gut-wrenching scream… And gun shots. That could only mean one thing.

            Dread filled the siblings’ bodies as more screams, shrieks and gun shots filled the once still air. They knew that the perimeter was breached. And nothing could stop what was coming in from the other side.

            “We need to find dad!” both of them turned to each other, arriving at the same conclusion at the same time.

            Both quickly sprinted towards the center of the complex, knowing if they were to find their father, he would be there. They made a side trip to the makeshift armory that was behind the aquarium close to where they were. When they arrived, almost nothing was left, save for a few pistols, 9 mm rounds and one rifle. Peter grabbed the rifle and several rounds of ammo, they would need it. Since Lyra had little training with firearms, all of it being with pistols, she let him take it willingly and went for a simple 9 mm pistol. She quickly grabbed the gun along with four other clips and several extra rounds of ammo.

            After they armed themselves they sped towards the center of the aquarium, witnessing several massacres on the way and seeing blood and bone cover the halls. The area they were running towards was just around the corner, but a lurker blocked their path forward. Peter and Lyra were able to kill the lurker rather easily, shooting it several times till it fell. It was the shrieks that were coming from behind them that made them worry. They quickly ran towards the center, but it was not enough.

            The lurkers quickly caught up to them as they just entered the sheltered area surrounded by several guards. Several shots rang around them as they ran towards the open steel door. As they were just inside of the door, the men guarding it were quickly overrun. The door was locked behind them by the few soldiers inside, blocking anything from coming in, for the time being. Lurkers were attacking and trying to break the door down as soon as it was locked. And the door was losing the battle. The strength of several lurkers was enough to break down the strongest of doors.

            They turn to the door, not able to believe that they made it. Then, Lyra heard her brother curse under his breath. She turned to ask what was wrong, but before she could even ask she already saw what had made her brother swear like a sailor. A gash, shaped like a claw, covered most of his calf. That could only mean one thing: he was infected. Once the soldiers inside the room saw this, they quickly aimed their guns at Peter. He would only have about a half hour before the poison took him over, if he was lucky.

            “Well, guess I’m out of the game” he said jokingly.

            “Put your guns down! Put them down! We’re the colonel’s children! Where is he?!? He’ll vouch for us!” she quickly pleaded with the guards.

            The guards looked at each other with horrified looks. They were nodding at each other and shaking their heads, like they were deciding on something. Then one soldier stepped forward with a solemn look on his face.

            “If you are who you say you are,” he began slowly. “Then you should know. The colonel �" your father �" was by the gate when the compound was run over. We’re certain he’s either dead or one of them. I’m sorry…”

            Lyra couldn't move, let alone breathe. Her father… Dead? How could that have happened? She didn’t know, but she couldn't lose both her father and her brother in one night. Peter was the first to respond to this, angrily punching the wall next to him. Tears began to fill his eyes as his sadness began to mix in with his anger.

            “I-I… He’s…” he stuttered as he didn’t know how to begin, then he looked up at his grief-stricken sister. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that… you’ll have to continue alone…”

            She turned to him, sadness written all over her face, and looked at his leg. Tears began to well up in her eyes as her voice began to choke.  “No… No, no, no, no! You’re going to be fine, we �" we’ll… we’ll stitch it up and you’ll be fine…!”

            Lyra finally lost it, bursting into tears. The door was beginning to receive dents and give in.

            “No… You know that there is no way to save me… Listen,” Peter began, putting on a mask of strength and courage “you need to be strong and continue on. The hatch that we have for scenarios just like this, you need to take it and get away from here. Find that boat. I hate to admit it, but it’s a brilliant idea.” He tried to give her a reassuring grin.

            “No! Don’t ask that of me! I can’t leave you, I can’t lose you and dad in the same night! I can’t… I just can’t…” she tried to plead with her wounded brother. “Please, don’t ask me to leave you… Please!”

            “I’m not asking you to, I’m telling you. Leave Lyra, save yourself. Dad, mom, and I will be with you and protecting you. I promise.”

            “But…”

            Before she could continue her sentence Peter yelled at her, “I’m ordering you, go now!”

            She stared at him in slight disbelief, then said hurtfully, “Fine, I’ll leave… I don’t need you anyway! I-”

            One of the guards, the one who told them the grave news, interrupted “We need you to leave now, or you’re going to end up like your brother” he looked back at him, “We’ll make it quick and painless. I swear.”

            Still looking at her brother with her hurt eyes, Lyra began walking towards the sewer passage out of the aquarium. “Okay… Thank you.”

            As she went down the passage way, she looked back one last time at her poisoned brother. The last sight she saw was one of the guards aiming his pistol at Peter’s head. The last sound she heard when she was in the sewers was the gun shot that signaled her brother’s death. It echoed in her head far too long, giving her a painful pang of pain every time it reverberated in her mind.

The door finally gave way, trapping everyone else who was left in the room. She only got out of the trance because of the new sounds that were coming from the world up above. Screams, shrieks, shots fired… Death. All of those sounds were coming from the small room that she was in only moments ago.

            Lyra followed the sewers towards the open air, getting lost several times but eventually making her way out. She looked back into the tunnel, vowing she would never go back into that building ever again. But of course, she lied to herself.

           

            She was there, coming back for the first time since the incident. She’d hoped that the memories wouldn't come back to haunt her, but they were there. Still painful, still saddening. Lyra walked into the room that was her brother’s final resting place. There, she found his corpse, untouched due to the poison that was in his blood at the moment of death. His flesh was rotting away, leaving only discolored bones and decomposing organs. Everything just fell on her at once and she collapsed on her knees to the ground.

            “I’m so sorry…” She began as tears started to streak down her face like rivers. “I didn’t mean what I said… I’m sorry I couldn't save you… I-I wasn't strong enough… I wasn't able to do anything… I’m so sorry!”

            Nothing made her feel as tired and distressed as seeing her dead brother had. It was a feeling equal only to recognizing your own death. She missed him… She missed them, her family. Peering through her tears, she looked at her watch. It showed 5:30 P.M. It was time to go. She took one more solemn glance at her brother.

            She whispered, “I will live on for you �" all of you. I will make it so your lives weren't wasted, so you didn’t die in vain… I promise.”

            With that, she left; finally leaving behind her memories. Finally leaving behind the pain. Finally ready to continue on with the life that her family fought so hard to keep. Ready for anything �" anyone �" that would come her way.

 

            Only death can make one think

            Of the future that they have.

            Then they’re ready to travel onward,

            Awaiting life’s plan for them.

            Be that light in the life

            That loved one’s left you,

            Be the one to do

            Everything they could not.

Author's Note

Looking for any and all critiques, give me any ideas or comments y'all have. Thanks!