The forgotten memories
===Spring year 2020===
It was school time. Currently the students of "XXX" school in Hokaido were in the middle of their classes. In year 4 class 2, next to the wall sat a girl with short back hair and green eyes is a sailor-like school uniform. Yes, this was Ann before the Gastrea pandemic. She was focused on the lesson, the teacher was writing some mathematical exercises and she was writing them down without a mistake.
Ding-Dong-Dinnnn~
The bell rang and classes ended. A girl with long light brown hair, tied in a ponytail ans somewhat latino-looking skin walked next to Ann's deck. Ann was packing her books in her backpack she wasn't paying much attention to what was happening.
"Hi, Ann!" (girl)
"WAAH! Don't scare me like that Chacha!" - Ann complained to the girl.
This was Chacha, Ann's best friend since childhood. They might have been the polar oposites but they liked each other a lot. Chacha was good in sports and loved going out or to compete in some sport tournaments, you could tell by her already tanned skin. She was amazing, considering that she was 10. The thing was she wasn't good at studying, she got average of 45-50 points at tests.
On the other hand, Ann wasn't that good at sports. She prefered to stay at home and read than play games outside, she liked to do quizes, went to spelling contests and such. Her skin was a pit lighter color than that of her other classmates because she didn't go out as much.
They had PE next and for this class they had to go to the hospital to have their medical checkup after spring break and get their medicine shots.
(I know. It's bad that kids have to take so many shots while they're young. It's for their good bit I hated it too when I was a kid.)
"Are you ready, Ann?" (Chacha)
"Ugh..." (Ann)
"What? Is something wrong? Does something hurt?" - Chacha was worried.
"No, I'm fine, it's just that I don't like needles." (Ann)
Their turn to be checked came. The check was standart- weight, height, the basic stuff. Then came the time for their shots. Ann was scared and didn't want to go to the nusre. Chacha looked at her cowering friend, puffed up her chest and went bravely towards the nurse. She gave the nurse her hand and without any fear got her medicine shot. Chacha turned towards Ann and pointed at her.
"It's not that scary. I got shots every day, when I got very sick last winter, without being afraid but you can't? What's up with you? You are supposed to be the smart one, right miss chicken?" - Chacha told Ann while scowling.
"I'm not miss chicken!" (Ann)
"Then prove it or I'll call you that!" (Chacha)
Ann took a deep breath and gave her hand to the nurse. After getting her shot she pointed at Chacha and said:
"See now! I did it! Serves you right Chacha!" (Ann)
"It wasn't that scary, wasn't it?" - Chacha asked pleyfully.
"No, it's as scary as it was before! I just didn't want to be called chicken, that's why I did it!" (Ann)
"OK, if you say so." (Chacha)
===Summer year 2020===
"Onii-chan! Hurry up! We'll be late." - Ann shouted at a tall boy.
"Coming. You don't have to shout that loud." (boy)
The boy was her elder brother, Yago. He was only 11 although his height. He was a lot taller than normal 12 year olds. He had a bit curly black hair and black eyes. He wore a T-shirt, shorts and sandals, carying a bag and a beach umbrella. He and Ann were going to meet Chacha and her parents at the bus stop near their home. Ann was also carying a bag with a lot of stuff in it. She wore a one piece dress and had put her swimsuit under it. If you haven't guessed, they were going on a two day-one night trip to the beach.
Chacha's parents and she waited in their car for a while before Ann and Yago came.
"Are you ready for the trip kids?" - asked Chacha's mother.
"Yes!" - they answered together.
"OK. Fasten your seatbelts, we're leaving!" - Chacha's dad said.
After a few hours they finally reached their hotel. It was a cheap but very cosy one. They were put in one apartment. After unpacking their thingscthey left for the beach. It was a great day. Small waves washed the shore, the sun shone, not a single dark cloud in sight and a light wind was blowing. The girls went for a swim while Yago sat on the beach, sunbathing with Chacha's parents. After a hour, he got bored and went to play some beach football.
The girls were having fun, spashing each other with water, diving to search for seashels...well only Ann dove actually. The only sport in which Ann was better than Chacha was swimming. Chacha couldn't swim at all. She had to stay in the shallow because she forgot her swimming board. Chacha got out of the water to go see her parents. At the same time Ann had a bad idea. She went deeper into the water but while swimming her leg cramped. She started to struggle to stay on the surface, her cramped leg constantly caused her pain.
On the shore her brother saw her odd behavior. He realised she was in trouble.
"I'M COMING ANN!" (Yago)
He jumped into the water and swam. He reached her quickly and pulled her on the shore. Chacha, her parents, the other people and two lifeguards went rushing towards them to see if they were fine.
"Ann, how are you? Do you feel bad or something?" (Yago)
She coughed some water out and took some deep breaths of air.
"No, I'm fine Onii-chan..." (Ann)
"You shouldn't go so deep alone!" he then scolded her " Understand?! There HAS to be someone with you!"
"Yes, I understand. I'll be more carefull, I promise." (Ann)
"It's fine." Yago hugged her "As long as you learn from your mistake, it's fine. Just don't repeat it, kay?"
"OK. I love you nii-chan! You're the best!" - she said and squeezed him tighter.
===Autumn year 2020===
Almost nothing interesting happened that year, except Ann's brother moving to another school. Since he became 13 during summer, it was time for him to go to middle school. The middle school he moved to was a bit farther than Ann's from their home but it was the best middle school in town. Ann was a bit worried for her brother but it was fine. He quickly found new friends and joined the school's karate club.
===Winter year 2020===
(I don't know the Japanese school system, so it might be a bit wrong here.)
It was winter break. The students didn't have school and were out playing. This year the snow hadn't started to fall, yet. It was unusual to not have snow by New year. It was very cold but the holyday spirit warmed up the people walking on the streets. Early in the morning of 31-st December. Ann was the first to wake up. She quietly snuck in her brother's room, went next to his bed...
"Onii-chan! Wake up!" - she shook him.
"WHA-what's happening?!..." he looked around frantically " Ann! Don't wake me up like that!"
"Hehe :P. But it's no fun the other way." (Ann)
He glared at her but soon smiled.
"So, why did you wake me up?" (Yago)
"Let's surprise mom! It's New Year's eve tonight after all! But... I really wanted dad to be here." (Ann)
"Don't worry, we'll call him later today! You know he has important work in the government, don't you?" (Yago)
"Yeah...I know. But still..I want all of us to be together today!" (Ann)
"OK! Let's not think about such things today! It's a holyday after all! Let's surprise mom!" (Yago)
They carefully entered their mother's room, reached the side of the bed and stopped.
"Ready?" (Yago)
"Ready!" (Ann)
They jumped on the bed with a loud shout.
"GOOD MORNING MOM!"
"AH!"
Their mother was surprised and a bit scared at first but when she saw them she smiled.
"Good morning to you, too. What's the reason for this surprise, huh?" she grabbed their hands, pulled them closer and started tickling them "Tell me or I won't stop!"
"HAHAHA! S-stop! We'll tell, we'll tell!" (Ann/Yago)
"OK, spit the pebble."
"It's New Year's eve! We wanted to surprise you." (Yago)
Ann shook her head enthusiastically for YES.
"Oh, I see then you'll have to be punished for scaring me."
The kids looked puzzled. They wondered what punishment would they recieve.
Their mother lightly smiled and said "I'll ticle you to tears! Muahahahaha!"
"Kyaa! No! Mom became evil!" (Ann)
"Run away brfore she gets us!" (Yago)
They chased each other for quite a while before their mother caught them and ticled them untill tears from laugh formed in their eyes. By the way theis mother was a foreginer. She was Irish but came to Japan to study. Here she found her first love and husband, Renji Hayato (Renji is his first name so...yeah.) He was a good looking japanese man with short black hair, black eyes and gentle look. He's working as a secretary in the government right now, so he's not at home because he was called by his superiors.
She, Katty Hayato, was a beautiful woman, slightly under 170 cm, curly brown hair and emerald green eyes. He had a nice voice and good sense of humor. Despite her being thin and weak looking, she was quite strong. She went to fitness every weekend.
Back to the story!
Ann and Yago were having breakfast with their mother when the phone rang.
"I'll get it!" (Yago)
He went to the phone and answered.
"Hello. Yeah, it's me. Yes...Yes, that sounds great!...Um, I'll ask mom. MOM! My friends invited me to go out and play, can I go?"
"Why, yes! Of course you can go! As long as it's not after six it's fine." (Katty)
"She said yes...OK, I'll be waiting! See ya later!" -Yago closed the phone.
"What did they say?" (Ann)
"We'll meet in front of us in 11 o'clock, then we'll go somewhere to play." (Yago)
"Good. I'll give you some money if you get hungry. Just remember not to get separated, don't talk to strangers and" (Katty)
"Stay away from dark alleys and suspicious cars, I know." (Yago)
-Time skip-
It's eleven o'clock in the evening. Yago had returned safely and they had dinner at home. They also called their father to hear how's he been. He was also doing well. A bit tired but when he saw his family's smiling faces all negative emotions flew away. They talked for a good half an hour before he was called back to work. With a goodbye and a promise to meet in two days, he hung up. Little did he know that after that he won't see his family whole again.
Ann, Yago and their mother left for the near shrine to make wishes for the next year. At the shrine were a lot of people gathered and waiting to make their wishes. Yago met his friends, Ann met Chacha and Katty met some of her friends and neighbours. They happyly talked intill their turn to make a wish came.
'I wish for health and luck. I want next year to be as amazing as this one!' - Ann thought and threw her coin in the box.
After that she asked her mom to buy her a very colorful pinwheel from one of the booths. Katty bought her a green one with red flowers on it, she also gave her and her son a 'Good Luck' charm she got from the shrine. While they waited for the others to make their wishes and then head together to the plaza to see the fireworks up close, Ann ran around with her pinwheel up high and the charm around her neck. Suddenly a strong, cold wind blew. The pinwheel spun so fast that it flew away, leaving the girl with only a stick in her hand.
"Ah!"
Ann ran after it to have her mother attach the wheel back to the stick. She got into the groud and disappeared somewhere.
"How long do we have to wait? It's almost 12 o'clock!?" (Yago)
"Just a little bit. Chacha and her mom will come soon and then well go together." she looked up at the cloudy sky to see something white falling "Ah! Look up! It's snowing!"
More and more snowflakes started to fall.
"isn't it beautiful, Yago, A-nn...! W-where's Ann?!" (Katty)
Chacha and her mom came to see Katty and Yago frantically looking around.
"What happened?" - asked Chacha's mom.
"Ah, Rinne-san! It's Ann, she disappeared. I just took my eyes off her for a moment and she was gone! We have to find her!" (Katty)
"OK, we'll also help! We'll split up and
Screech! (car tires screeching) Crash!
What was that?" (Rinne)
ROARRRR!
Everyone looked at the place from where the sounds came. Far away in the distance a huge crab-like creature came out. Everbody stood still in shock. It was chewing something. With a horified looks they realised what it was - it was a human! This was one of the first Gastrea.
Screams and cries of terror followed soon after. People started runningand pushing each other, trying to ger as far away as possible. Katty and Rinne grabbed their children in their hands and ran towards the closest police station. On the way there they saw a lot of policemend and military people going somewhere with a lot of weapons. They ran without looking back despite the sound of shooting, screaming and occasionally seeing a glimpse of a monster. In front of the police station were a few trucks with people going in and being driven away by the policemen. Rinne and Chacha managed to get on the last truck. It's engine had started and it had started to accelarate. Katty managed to get her son on it.
"Give me your hand! I'll pull you up!" (Rinne)
The truck accelarated even more, making it almost impossible for a running person to keep up with it.
"I can't leave my daughter alone!" Katty refused to take Rinne's hand.
"What are you saying?! Take my hand right now!" - Rinne was angry.
"Yago!" Katty threw her mobile phone in her son's arms "Call dad and tell him where you are! I'm sure he'll come for you!"
"What about you, mom? Don't leave!" (Yago)
"Don't worry! I'll take another truck when I get your sister! Rinne, keep him safe!" - Katty then ran back to where they came from.
"NOOO! MOM! D-don't leave, please!" - Yago tried to get down but was stopped.
"Let me go! Let me GO!" (Yago)
No matter how huch he struggled he couldn't free himself from Rinne and Chacha's grip. Rinne wouldn't let him. The truck was already moving too fast for a person to get down, also she had to keep him safe because her friend told her to.
-A little before the truck's departure-
Ann was running, she had heard the roars, explosions and gunshots earlier. She realised she was lost and frantically searched for her family.
"Mom! Onii-chan! Where are you?!" (Ann)
She was in an unfamiliar part of the city and didn't know where to go. There wasn't a person in sight, which scared her even more. She heard a sound behind her. She looked behind and saw a huge lizard-like Gastrea a few metres up on a concrete building's wall. The girl ran away from it but the monster had noticed her. It chased after her. She ran and ran untill...she reached a dead end. The creature cornered her, it got closer and closer. Then it shot it's giant toothy maw at her.
"Waaah!"
She managed to jump away but the creature got her leg. It's teeth sunk in the girl's flesh.
"AAAAAAAAAAAH!" - she screamed in pain.
The creature was about to start eating her when the sound of many people running reached the girl's ears. The monster dropped her to the ground head down. She hit the concrete and sharp pain paralyzed her whole body. After that, it was all just a blur for the girl. Someone came, a lot of people. They started shootong at the monster but it didn't work, it just regenerated. After that were the screams, the crunching sound, sound of helicopters and something being shot. The tall building behind the girl was hit with a rocket.
BOOOOM!
The building's wall started to crack. It fell apart, piece by piece. It slowly tilted to one side and then with a final crack it colapsed. The last thing the girl's hazy eyes saw was huge chunks of the building falling towaids her. Concrete, pieces of broken glass, destroyed furniture and steel fell on the girl.
"Ann, NOOO!" (Katty)
It was the end. Her mother had somehow managed to find her but it was too late. Katty lost all her strenght and fell on her knees. She then started crying uncontrollably, not caring for anything. She didn't ever try to run when a Gastrea came to her and then ate her.
===Winter year 2021===
Yago, Chacha and Rinne safely reached "YYY" shelter. Yago's father was there, waiting for news about his wife and children. When he saw Yago he was overjoyed, he hugged his son as hard as he could. He expected his wife and daughter to come but they weren't there. He understood what had happened from Rinne but still waited for them to come. He waited and waited but they never came. They were driven to one of the refujee camps and stayed there. Soon the monoliths were built and the construction of "New Nejireyama" city began. Although they tried to, Yago and Renji never forgot the day they lost Ann and Katty.
After years, New Nejireyama almost reached Tokyo in development. Renji had left his old job and opened a small shop in the centre of the city. Yago on the other hand joined the 'Public Security' he became one of the many company directors in the city, giving Promoters and their Initiators jobs. His agency became one of the top 3 in the city. He even sponsors all kinds od research on Gastrea, be it for weapons to kill them or a way to cure people, if it meant that there won't be any more Gastrea he would help with whatever he can.
'I'll find a way to destroy all Gastrea and take revenge for you!' - Yago thought and tightly squeezed the Good Luck charm his mother last gave him, ten years ago.
===A little back in time, Spring 2021===
In Hokaido's remains. A place now abandoned and full with traces of fierce battle. The rubble left from a building, that was once destroyed bu a rocket exactly at New Year, started to shake slightly. Small rocks started to fall as the upper part slowly rose up. Then, with a burst from under the rubble a human-like figure appeared. It was a girl with short black hair and ruined clothes, it was Ann. The figure was hideous. Broken limbs, cut skin with some glass still poking out from it, a missing arm and a twisted piece of steel piercing the head. Just like a scene from the walking dead. The figue pulled the steel out with it's only arm and threw it away.
TSSSSSSSSH! Plop. Plop. Ding. CRAck!
Smoke rose from the wounds as they healed and the glass fell down, her limbs returning to normal and a new hand growing on the missing one's place. She stood motionless and murmured "I... have to...find...Who? Why? Whrere?" her originally blood red eyes slowly returned to their previous green colour. She looked up and asked herself "Who am I looking for? Where? Why? Is it important?" . No answer came to her mind but she knew deep in her heart that she needs to, she HAS to find them! Whoever they might be. She got down and walked along the deserted streets looking around.
Currrr~.
Her stomach growled.
"Hungry...?"
From behind the corner a Gastrea came out. It was exactly the same lizard-like Gastrea that attacked her at New Year. For some unknown reason, was it because it remembered her or because of something else, it ran towards her with it's mouth wide open, ready to chomp her head off. The girl didn't flinch, her left arm lightly cracked and transformed. Long claws and scales grew as her arm became longer.
CRACK! Sploosh!
The Gastrea fell on the ground, dead.