September 15, 2009. It's been three years since it happened, and even now I still can't believe it. I stand at the edge of a cliff, and in the distance I could see a large city, its inhabitants happily going through their lives without a care in the world. Hard to believe that there was a time where that city was nothing more than a barren wasteland. And in my eyes that was all I could see, the horrible image of what this city once was.

I couldn't bring myself to stare any longer. I turned around and made my way down the cliff. There was somewhere that I needed to be. I rarely take this path due to how risky it can be to go out in the open, but today was worth the risk. Today marked the anniversary of when it happened, and I'll be damned if I didn't pay my respects.

The path had changed over the years, the grass was long and the trees were high, but I wasn't complaining. Add that with the camouflaged cloak I'm wearing over my head, and it was the perfect cover from anything above.

You might be wondering, "Who are you trying to hide from?" Well, I'll answer that question later. Right now I still have a ways to go before I reach my destination, and I'd rather get there sooner rather than later.

I press forward for several minutes more before I reach a break in the forest. Right now I stand in front of a large river, maybe twenty feet wide. This part was always tricky, there was nothing dangerous about the river itself. No the danger was in how open the area was, the blue water and gray gravel that surrounded the opening contrasted with my cloak. Because of that anything in the sky would be able to pick me out with little trouble. I walked up to the closes tree to the river where I took a knee, I then turned my sights towards the sky.

Empty…

This was good, there were several rocks sticking out of the river, just enough for me to use to hop across it. I gave the sky one final scan before I took in a deep breath, and then I took off running towards the water. With one jump I reached the first rock with little trouble, I then placed my sights on the next rock and the rock after that. But when I reached the middle of the river I had to come to a full stop.

It was faint, but I could hear something. It was a very familiar sound that has taunted me for the past couple of years. I looked in all corners, I didn't have time to go back, and I wouldn't reach the other side in time, not with the speed that these things move. So I only had one other option, I took in as deep a breath as I could, and I jumped into the river.

I swam down until I touched the bottom, and at that point all I could do was look up, and wait. I couldn't hear the sound anymore, but I knew it was there. Seconds past with nothing happening, and for a moment, I thought it was clear. But then I saw something, a large shadow moving over and blocking out the sun.

That's it, just keep moving, I thought to myself, but just to my luck, the shadow stopped, and worse of all, it stopped right over me.

All I could do was wait as a hundred questions filled my mind.

Did it find me? Am I going to have to take it down? Here, of all places? What if there are more?

With every second that passed, more of these questions filled my head. And if the stress of the matter wasn't enough, my breath was starting to run out, soon I'd have to go up for air, and when I did, it would spot me.

I covered my mouth and nose with my hands trying to hold off whatever breath I had left for as long as I could. And just when it seemed like I wouldn't be able to hold off any longer, just before I was ready to go up and wish for the best, the shadow moved again. I watched it for several seconds before the shadow disappeared, and several seconds more before I finally moved. Kicking off of the ground I sped towards the surface breaking through the water.

"Buah!" I gasped as I took in the sweet air again, it took some time but I finally managed to catch my breath again.

"That was too close for comfort." I said to myself as I laid there in the water staring up in the sky. While it was a close encounter, I didn't have time to lay there and consider how lucky I was to have gotten out of it okay. So I straightened myself out and swam the rest of the way over to the other side of the river. Once out of the water I dashed the rest of the way as quickly as I could until I was once again hidden under the tree line.

I let out a sigh of relief now that I was in the forest again, glad that there was only one of them in the sky this time.

Almost there.

The next place I passed on the way was somewhere I knew all too well, an abandoned trailer park. I don't know what happened to the people who lived here, for all I know they could be living in the city now. Three years ago this was the scariest place in the world to me, a literal "no man's land".

Now it's just a memory…

With another sigh I pressed forward, leaving behind the ghost from my past. Soon I reached my destination; it was a large cave hidden by well-placed rocks and vines, an entrance you'd never notice from the sky, just how we wanted it. When I stepped into the cave I reached for the unlit torch that hung on the wall, and with the flint in my pocket I lit it.

With the torch lighting the way, I moved forward into the cave. Inside were many tunnels, almost all of them leading to dead ends or right back to the entrance, this was by design.

We needed to make sure that no random wanderer would happen to find the cave and discover what we hid inside. It's just too important to risk anyone being able to happen across it. I walked through each tunnel without a second thought. I knew the right path by heart, repeating it in my own mind every single day for good measure.

Soon I reached the opening in the cave where they were waiting. The opening was lit by a small opening above, just big enough for the sun to shine down on the two figured below it. Two tomb stones that were engraved by my own hands.

These graves belong to the bravest warriors I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Three years ago they made the ultimate sacrifice so that I could stand here today. Three years ago, they taught me the most important lesson of my life.

"It's been a while, Corey, Drew."

My name is Eddy.

Three years ago, these two gave their lives in battle so that we could live on.