"Nothing is so painful to the human mind as great and sudden change."

― Mary Shelley

11•8

x

"Mikasa?" Mikasa's mother called, her voice carrying from the laundry room. Mikasa placed a finger on the page of the novel she was reading, saving her place as she looked up.

"Yeah?" She responded, reaching for the remote to mute the television.

Mikasa's mom came around the corner, toting a basket of clean laundry on her hip. "Has Dr. Jaeger texted you yet?"

Mikasa shook her head and her mother frowned, using her free hand to tuck away some flyaway hair. "Alright. I'm going upstairs to check on your father. Make yourself some breakfast if you haven't already."

"Okay." Mikasa nodded.

"His fever is getting pretty high... I hope they get here soon," Her mom mumbled as she headed upstairs, taking the laundry with her.

Mikasa turned back to face the television. A reporter was standing outside of the local hospital, blonde hair whipping wildly in the wind as she spoke. She watched the woman's mouth move soundlessly for a few seconds before turning the television off and returning to her book, tucking her feet underneath her. Outside, there was a distant rumble of thunder.

She went through a few pages, but soon she found it harder and harder to focus, her eyes drifting over the same paragraph again and again. Eventually, Mikasa gave up, closing the book and setting it on the coffee table.

She wasn't sure why she was so out of it. Her father worked as a nurse, so it made sense that he'd picked up something on the job, most likely the recent bug that was going around. Besides, Dr. Jaeger was an old family friend and a gifted doctor. Mikasa had no doubt he'd be able to help... yet something still felt off to her.

Her phone, laid out to her left, buzzed with a few texts, and she picked it up.

Eren:

Yo
We'll be there in an hour
My dad has to stop at Hannes house for a min

Mikasa:

What for?

Eren:

Idk. Buncha scientist stuff I don't understand

Mikasa:

Huh. Ok see you soon

"Dork." Mikasa mumbled affectionately as she hit send and pocketed her phone. She had a perfect view of the backyard through the living room's wide windows. The clouds were heavy and gray, thickly covering the sky. The same wind she had seen attacking the reporter was viciously whipping the trees. Definitely looks like rain, she thought to herself. She usually loved rainy weather, yet today it only had her feeling apprehensive.

Annoyed with her sour mood, Mikasa stretched and stood, scruffing her face a little. Maybe making some tea will calm me down, she thought, padding to the kitchen and grabbing the empty teapot from its place near the stove. She hooked the handle on the sink's spout and turned the hot water on. Leaning back against the counter, she crossed her legs, humming to herself as she waited for the pot to fill.

Dr. Jaeger didn't usually take Eren with him when he went on house calls, but Mikasa assumed Eren had either begged to come or Dr. Jaeger had brought him along to keep her entertained, since they were good friends. Either way, she didn't mind.

The teapot began to overflow and Mikasa quickly shut the water off, carrying it to the electric stove and turning the dial up to high. She took her time going through the cabinet that held the tea. Eventually, she chose her favorite, jasmine, along with a small porcelain teacup. She and her mother would pick the jasmine flowers from their garden and dry it themselves.

Mikasa was turning around to set the cup by the stove when there was a loud, sudden scream from upstairs. Startled, she lost her grip on the cup and it fell to the ground, the porcelain shattering on the tile and sending shards spinning across the floor. There was more screaming from upstairs, this time louder and more panicked.

"Mom?" Mikasa shouted as she wheeled around, running towards the stairs.

The screaming continued as Mikasa ran up the stairs, then it abruptly stopped. "Mom!" Mikasa yelled again, her heart pounding.

There was no reply.

x

Eren counted to three before throwing open the car door and racing out into the downpour, slamming the door shut behind him. Cursing quietly, he splashed through a puddle, water seeping into his socks. Taking a final giant leap, he landed on the Ackerman's porch.

"Hurry up!" he yelled to his father, who was still by the car, gathering his things.

Grisha slammed the trunk closed and rushed over to where Eren was standing on the porch, splashing straight through the same puddle. "Damn." He muttered.

Eren managed to chuckle at his father, even though he was still pissed about his wet socks. "You got everything, old man?"

His father rolled his eyes and began going through his bag. "I don't think I'll take too long, but you may want to talk with Mikasa in the mean time." He paused and flipped back through his bag, looking disgruntled. "Forgot my phone in the car. Wait here, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Eren grunted. His phone was already opened and his attention fixed on one of his violent games. Grisha sighed and braced himself before running back out into the rain, covering his head with his bag while he made his way to the car, which was parked on the other side of the street.

Moments later, the wind shifted and heavy raindrops started blowing in Eren's direction. Shivering, he flattened himself against the front of the house, but there was still no protection from the rain. What kind of shitty porch is this anyways? He pocketed his phone and knocked on the front door. After waiting a moment and receiving no response, he jammed the doorbell a few times.

"Damn, I'm getting soaked," he mumbled. Still there was no activity from inside the house. Maybe they couldn't hear the doorbell from upstairs? Eren thought, glancing back at his father, who was still shuffling around inside the car.

Eren reached for the door knob and was surprised to find the door unlocked. They probably unlocked it themselves, since they were expecting us, he thought, letting himself inside. He took off his soaked sneakers in an attempt to be respectful, and set them on the rack next to a pair of rainboots. Stepping forward, he glanced around the living room. It was empty.

"Hello?" Eren called, taking another step forward. "Mikasa? Mrs. Ackerman?" There was no reply.

He paused and frowned, realizing there was a quiet whistling sound coming from the kitchen. His heartbeat immediately quickened as his imagination flickered to a few terrifying images. Shit... Why did I let Armin convince me to watch horror movies with him last night? He thought, feeling his body begin to pump with adrenaline as he moved towards the sound.

An abandoned teapot was boiling on the stove, steam rushing from the spout. Taking a few more steps, Eren noticed the shattered glass on the floor and carefully avoided it. He stretched to turn the stove off and called out again, this time shouting, "Anyone?"

Silence.

Both of the Ackerman's cars were still in the driveway and Mikasa hadn't replied to any of Eren's texts or calls since earlier that morning. Even his calls to the house phone had gone unanswered. Eren had figured she was just busy, but this was worrying. Spotting the drying rack next to the sink, he hurried towards it and grabbed the biggest knife he could find. He didn't know what was going on, but he figured it didn't hurt to be safe.

Quickly, he pulled out his phone.

Eren:

Where r u?
I think somethings wrong
I'm going to check it out

He waited a minute or two, but there was no reply. Damn senior citizen still can't find his phone, he thought angrily. Frustrated, he gripped the knife tight and creeped towards the stairs, craning his head to see if there was something at the top. He slowly climbed them, keeping the knife poised in front of him. Pressing himself up against the wall, he peered down the hallway leading from the stairs. Just like in the action movies he told himself.

The door straight ahead was slightly ajar. That's Mikasa's parents' room, Eren thought. He hid the knife behind him, just so he wouldn't scare the Ackermans too badly if they were inside. Eren approached the door warily and nudged it open with his foot.

The only light came from the partially drawn curtains, which illuminated the room in a column that stretched across the floor. Eren stared at the figures on the floor for several moments before he fully registered what they were. "Shit..." Eren exhaled, surprised by how calm he felt.

Mikasa sat, crumpled and kneeling, beside her bloodied father. Dark red was seeping from his cracked skull and onto the white carpet. A metal lamp lay on the ground nearby, the bottom dented and spattered with blood. Eren pressed his hand to his face, as if that could somehow confirm that this was real. Taking a deep breath, he carefully stepped closer and crouched beside his friend.

Mikasa's eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the rain hitting and running down the window. The usual light in her eyes was gone, leaving behind a cold and empty stare. She didn't seem to register his presence, which made Eren frown. He hesitantly reached for her arm, his fingers brushing against her skin.

"Mikasa? Are you okay? What happened?" Eren's voice slowly rose from a choked whisper. Mikasa didn't respond. Carefully, he set down the knife, gripping her arm tighter and shaking her slightly. "Mikasa?"

Eren checked for any wounds, but besides the blood splattered on her face and clothes, Mikasa seemed fine. Her father, though… Eren clenched his fists and looked away. The scene was disgusting. Did she kill her parents? No, Mikasa couldn't… What the fuck happened? Where's Mikasa's mom?

There was a slight groan from behind the bed and Eren saw an arm grab helplessly at the carpet. He clutched at his chest, his heart pounding wildly. Stay calm. Eren steadied himself before rushing forward to help.

"Mrs. Ackerman...?" Eren stopped short, his eyes widening.

It looked like Mikasa's mother had been torn apart by an animal. The skin near her shoulder was completely shredded, and the gaping hole in her throat was still dripping blood. There was no way anyone could survive those injuries, but there she was, her milky irises gazing ahead with a stare as blank as Mikasa's.

"Ugghhr..." Mikasa's mom groaned, dragging herself upwards and stumbling onto her feet.

"Holy shit," Eren whispered as she turned towards him, clumps of torn-out hair dangling from her scalp. "Holy fucking-"

Mrs. Ackerman lunged and Eren barely managed to scramble back. She continued to advance, arms swinging as she tried to latch onto Eren. The discarded lamp caught on the back on his foot and sent him sprawling. With a yell, he threw his arms up in front of his face in a final effort to protect himself.

Mikasa's mother lunged again, snarling, and ended up directly on top of the prone Eren.

"Mikasa!" Eren wheezed, desperately struggling to keep Mikasa's mothers' snapping jaws away from him. "Do something!"

He heard a slight gasp from behind him and he twisted his head to try and get a better look at Mikasa. He could see her still kneeling on the ground, the knife abandoned beside her. "Help me! Get the knife!" Eren could feel her mother's humid breath and a string of drool that was dripping from her open mouth onto his face.

There was a scraping noise from behind Eren and he saw the knife lift off the ground as Mikasa got to her feet.

"I-I know it's your mom," Eren yelled as the corpse pushed closer to his face. "But you have to do it! You have to fight! If you don't… ugh! You can't win! Mikasa! Fight!" The words came out strained and rushed, and Eren briefly wondered how he had managed to think up such motivational words.

Eren felt his arms begin to give out as Mikasa's mother continued to bear down on him, teeth now just inches from his face. "Fight! Fight!" he screamed. "Mikasa!"

There was a dull thump, and the pressure was suddenly gone. Mikasa had shoved her mother aside. Eren let out a gasp and sat up immediately, looking over at where her mother's body had landed.

Mikasa stood over her mother, pinning her to the ground with one hand. Face blank, she stared down at her mother, who was struggling under her grip. "This is not my mom." Mikasa ground out, grimacing as she brought the knife down into her mother's chest, again and again, until her mother's blouse was completely soaked through with blood.

When Mikasa finally stopped, she was panting heavily, with her eyes glazed and hands trembling around the knife. Yet despite the assault, her mother was still struggling. Why is this happening? Mikasa thought, her whole body trembling. Mom… Why?

Her mother snapped her jaws again, hurling spit and specs of blood onto her face. Mikasa grabbed her mother's bloody neck and forced her back down, desperately trying to keep her teeth away. Eren's eyes darted around the room, looking for something to aid Mikasa with.

"Get back!" Eren yelled, turning to face Mikasa. "It's no use!"

Mikasa pulled away, scrambling onto her feet. Her mother grumbled and shifted her weight forward, crawling onto her knees. Mikasa gripped the knife, watching her bloodied mother rise. To her right, Eren was pulling on a corner of the desk.

"Mikasa! Move!" Eren yelled, breaking her out of her trance. She stumbled back as her mother lunged forward. "Here... I can't get it myself."

She ran to his side, letting the knife fall to the ground. Together, they pushed the desk forward. It slammed into Mikasa's mother and pinned her against the wall. Mikasa trembled, looking to see if her mother was in pain, but she was completely unphased, still growling hoarsely and struggling to get free.

"Let's get out of here…" Eren whispered, backing up towards the door and giving Mikasa's mother an anxious glance.

The moment Mikasa took her weight off the table, the desk started to slide away from the wall. Mikasa's eyes darted to where the knife was, and she stooped to grab it. Turning it in her hands for a second, she took a deep breath and faced her mother.

Mikasa stepped forward and plunged the knife into her mother's forehead with a sickening squelch. Her mother stilled instantly, arms falling limp as her groans were silenced. Carefully, she set the blade on the desk. There was a moment of silence. Only Eren and Mikasa's uneven breathing could be heard.

"I…" Mikasa began, then fell silent. Eren stepped forward to where Mikasa stood, at a loss for words. Their eyes followed the trail of blood all the way back to Mikasa's father. Rain continued to patter innocently on the window.

"Eren?" A familiar voice called from downstairs, the sound muffled by the distance. "Mikasa?"

The two made eye contact and Eren smiled shakily. "Let's go wash up, yeah?" He turned towards the door, taking Mikasa's hand and tugging gently. "Come on."

x

"What were you thinking?!" Eren's father yelled, face red.

"I was getting rained on! Did you want me to just stand there and get soaked?" Eren yelled back just as loud. They were standing out on the Ackerman's lawn, surrounded by police and paramedics. The rain had stopped, but the dark and gloomy sky seemed like it could open up again at any moment, and there were still faint rumbles of thunder in the distance.

His father paced back and forth, his hands clasped behind his back. "It was still reckless. What if you had been hurt?"

"What if Mikasa had been hurt? Is that any better." Eren balled up his fists. "I'm fine. We're both fine."

Grisha pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling deeply. "No. I'm... I was worried about you, Eren. Believe it or not, I'm actually concerned for your safety."

"I tried to wait after I texted you, but…" Eren swallowed and let his voice drop to a normal tone. "...you left your phone at Hannes'. If I hadn't gone upstairs… I would've been standing there for ages. Who knows what would've happened.

"I'm- I'm just glad the two of you are safe. We can talk about what happened some more later."

There was a brief moment of silence. "...What's going to happen now?" Eren asked, stealing a glance back at Mikasa, who was being questioned by the police on her porch. An EMT had wrapped a blanket around her, after checking to make sure she was okay.

They'd already questioned Eren, which had been bearable, but the small crowd of neighbors trying to snoop made him want to punch something. He was just glad the news hadn't shown up.

His father let out a heavy sigh. "I'm not quite sure. From what you said, it sounded like you two were only acting in self defense, but… I guess we'll find out soon."

Eren had to physically bite his tongue so he wouldn't snap at his father. It wasn't our fault. We just did what we needed to do. He let his bitter thoughts lose in his head.

Eren glanced up to see the two police officers who had been questioning Mikasa approaching.

"Both stories match up," the first officer said to Dr. Jaeger, with a heavy sigh. "It's crazy how people can just... lose it like that," The officer shook his head briskly and lowered his voice, "And that two kids had to go through that..."

The second, a much angrier and uglier looking officer, uncrossed his arms and let his face fold into an expression of sympathy. "Things are a little hectic right now with the squad and CPS. Does the girl have any relatives who live nearby who'd be willing to take her in? At least, until things are more stable."

"No. Her parents were her only living relatives." The words were sour coming from Grisha's mouth.

Eren's eyebrows pulled together and he gave Mikasa another glance. Her eyes seemed unfocused as her pale fingers clutched at the thin blanket around her shoulders.

"Real shame," The first officer looked behind him at the Ackerman's porch again and sighed. "Look, we wouldn't normally bypass the system like this, but the situation is... tough. I understand you were close with the Ackermans…?"

Dr. Jaeger nodded, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "We'd be willing to take her in."

The officer immediately looked relieved and his partner also visibly lightened. "Thank you. You're a good man, Dr. Jaeger."

Grisha accepted the compliment with a nod and put a hand on Eren's shoulder. "If you'll excuse us..."

"Yes, of course." The officers took a step back and Eren's father headed towards the porch.

"Thank God." Eren overheard the first officer mutter to his partner as they passed. "We don't have the time to drive that girl around with all these calls coming in."

Bastards. Eren thought, clutching at the fabric hidden in his pocket. He hurried to catch up to his father, missing the first few words between him and Mikasa.

"Dr. Jaeger… what do I do?" She asked, looking up. "I don't have anywhere to go."

"I've already made arrangements with the officers. You'll be coming home with Eren and I." Grisha said gently.

"...Home?" Mikasa asked, her voice wavering slightly.

"Yes, home." Dr. Jaeger smiled. "Do you want to get some of your things from inside before we leave? Karla is probably worried sick about us."

Mikasa briskly shook her head and Dr. Jaeger nodded, rubbing at the stubble on his chin slightly. "It's okay. We can go shopping and get you some things. Let's just go home." Grisha smiled softly when she nodded in response, although his smile was sad.

"Wait, Mikasa," Eren took a step forward and reached into his jacket pocket. "I have something for you."

Mikasa's eyes followed Eren as he held out a deep red strip of fabric. He took Mikasa's hand and wrapped the material around her wrist a few times before fastening it gently with a small knot. Their eyes met and Eren's cheeks flushed slightly.

"It's some of the fabric your mom was using for her quilt. I thought you'd want it, so you could have something to remember her by." Eren shrugged and pulled away slightly. "Let's go."

Mikasa looked down at her wrist, then buried her face in the crimson fabric, letting out a choked sob. It still smelled like her mother's perfume. With tears rolling down her face, Mikasa ducked her head and followed her friend towards the car.

Moments later, the sky resumed its downpour.