The Fall
I've never seen myself. Never. But, then again, with these bandages wrapped tightly over my eyes, I've never seen anything but darkness. Isolated from humanity, I might as well go back to the Underground. But, there are things that I love. The smell of flowers flooding my nose, the sound of wildlife interacting, a fresh, cool breeze tickling my skin. Even though I can never look with my eyes, I can see the world just fine. I can feel it, life, death, everything. But...today...I only feel death.
Miloh followed the sounds of screaming, avoiding dismembered corpses along the way. She frowned as the ground shook violently, which she immediately recognized as footfalls. Large, heavy footfalls. She felt the sunlight leave her skin as something blocked it. She began to slowly walk backwards, as she heard the heavy breaths, and the metallic smell of blood attacked her nose. It was one of them. That was what the commotion was about. That's what demolished the orphanage. Crippling fear sunk grew in her stomach. Titans. She turned around and sprinted as fast as her legs could take her. Adrenaline pumping through her veins, she tried to avoid other Titans, focusing on the vibrations of the ground. Then, she ran into a dead end. She could tell by the close space, and the shadows that blocked the sunlight from her skin. She skidded to a halt, barely running to the wall. Miloh panted as she pressed her back against the wall, clenching her hands into fists. The ground shook in front of her. The smell of blood filled her nose. Miloh covered her mouth with her hand, trembling.
Death. All I feel...is death.
Her legs gave way as she slid down against the wall, feeling the Titan's predatory gaze on her. She reached for the back of her head, her fingers brushing against the worn bandage.
The sound of wires caught her attention, and her lowered her hand as she heard slicing, the sound of steam filling her body with relief. She heard footsteps approach her as she fell to her knees, her unkempt hair covering her face.
"Hey there, are you okay?" A voice asked. It was male, with a slight slur that showed he had been drinking. She inhaled deeply, probably before the commotion began.
"I'm fine." She said in a quiet voice. She looked up at him, even though she couldn't see anything. She heard his breath hitch at her bandages.
"I need to get you out of here.." She heard him mutter under his breath. "Okay, I want you to hold my hand, alright?"
Miloh meekly nodded, grabbing the man's calloused hand.
"Are you a part of the Garrison?"
"Yes, my name is Hannes."
"I'm Miloh. Miloh Ferreira."
"Okay Miloh. We need to go, okay? The boats are almost full and you need to leave."
"Okay."
"C'mon kid."
Miloh ran again, beginning to get breathless. She kept sprinting, trying to keep up with Hannes.
"Are we almost there?" She panted.
"Yeah, can you go a bit farther?"
"Sure.." She muttered, trying to steady her breath.
They kept running, and Miloh felt they would never stop. She began to get tired, her heart pounding in her chest. She hadn't exerted herself in a while, every since she got herself out of the Underground. But she felt the ground quaking behind her. And knew if she stopped running, death would catch up with her. So she didn't stop. Their footsteps echoed as they ran into the inner gate. She heard Hannes curse under his breath, and they stopped. Then, a pair of arms picked her up, and her carrier began running.
"It'll all be fine, Miloh," Hannes said, trying to soften the panicked edge in his voice, "You're going to be on that boat, and you're going to survive."
"Okay.." She whispered.
The sounds of chaotic yelling filled her ears, and she knew they had gotten to the dock.
"Hey! Hey! You've gotta let her on! Please!" Hannes yelled. She covered her sensitive ears, trying to block everything out.
"I'm sorry sir, but-"
"Have a little humanity! The girl's handicapped!"
Muffled voices swam around in her ears like poison. Hannes let her down, and she lowered her hands.
"Miloh, you can get on the boat. Don't be scared, okay? You're going to be just-"
An explosion erupted, and sounds of rock flying was heard. People screamed, and she felt her heart race. Something broke the inner wall. She pushed past people trying to get on the boat, tripping over someone's bag when she made it on. Her knee slammed against the wood. She clenched her fists, crawling over to the benches, using the density of the wood as a guide. She leaned against the benches, her fists trembling. This is the end.