Side Note: This short story has NOTHING to do with the Books or the upcoming new game "Gears of War 3". This work is from my creativity, so all characters named are Copyrighted by Epic Games. The rest is mine.
I stared at us.
Maria and I in this old ass photo that looks like it was taken decades ago, but in fact this was only 12 years ago. I didn't recognize myself in it; I've aged so much in the last couple of years, especially during my searched for her. I'm just sitting here. I couldn't really watch the reality that was outside the Raven's doors any longer. Jacinto, the only piece of land that we had left, now destroyed.
WE destroyed it.
Gears.
The ones that were suppose to set things right after E-Day, but look at us now. I see why the Stranded hate us.
"Hey, Dom. Are you going to be okay?"
That was Marcus. I recognized that emotionless voice anywhere. I nodded. His eyes got soft for a moment, as if to show some emotion, which was a first. Could it be because of what we just did or because of me? With Marcus, you couldn't tell what that man was thinking. The only person that would really know would be Anya. God knows how much emotion he'd let out with her.
"I just… You know. Maria… God damn it!"
I got up from where I was sitting and punched the steel wall of the Raven with my bare knuckles. I didn't noticed the blood that was coming out of the multiple cuts I managed to get as a result. Marcus just tapped my shoulder lightly,
"It wasn't your fault, Dom. Stupid grubs were just too quick for us."
He was right. Even if I was given more time to search for her, no one would fucken tell me where she'd gone to on that day. I finally walked towards the raven's edge, looking out at the never ending sea, with her on my mind. God, I couldn't even give her a proper funeral.
I failed as her husband.