The camp bustled with activity.
Located on the small plateau the covenant had shelled the seventh armoured division from. The camp was a well defended fortress even if it was hastily built and there were fox holes for the men and barracks for the officers, as well as a mess and triage unit. It might have been a bit spartan but it was the first true sign that she was on the UNSC's side of the line. Comparatively, it was safe for her to relax a little, and she found herself buoyed by the fact that she would finally get some rest.
She and Jack helped the remaining men to the medical tent and saw them patched up and fed before attending to anything else. There was an eeriness to the place, as though it was on edge, and ready for an attack. When Maddie mentioned it to Jack, he simply shrugged, apparently too tired to notice that morale was low. Duggan and Grayson sat away from them as they wolfed down a hot bowl of pasta with some kind of sauce that was pretending to be traditionally Italian.
It made Maddie miss Earth. She knew what real cuisine tasted like, but the ultra-high calorie MREs had their own special charms. They were also packed with enough sugar, fat, and protein to make her forget that she even cared about its derivative nature. She ate slowly as she always did, waiting until she felt full and downing a half-litre of cool water.
"Do you think they'll have a shower set up?" she wondered aloud.
Jack snorted, "you've done this all before, Harper, you already know the answer to that."
Maddie sighed, "Let a girl dream, would you?"
"No can do, Ma'am. Momma didn't raise no liar." he grinned.
Maddie screwed the top back to her canteen and smiled back at him. Sleep still threatened to overtake her, tugging at her eyes with a curious urgency. "Is your mum back on earth?" she asked.
"She is. Never left the lone star state all her life."
Maddie frowned, "wow, really?"
"Yeah, she never was one for adventure, they're all still back there."
"Anyone special waiting for you?" she asked, rising to her feet.
Jack blushed a little, "there could have been..." he said a little evasively, "but I didn't win the war as quickly as I thought I would and she moved on."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Maddie said, taking his plate for him and placing it on the massive pile for the cooks to clean.
"Don't be. I made my decision, just like you made yours." he took her outstretched hand and pulled himself to his feet. "I wonder what might have been but extinction sort of overrules personal plans, doesn't it?"
"doesn't it just?" she said, slapping his back playfully. An image of her father flashed through her head and Maddie swallowed, shaking it from her thoughts. Her dad wasn't the only one whose life had been ruined by the war. Even in her direct family, it had changed everything about almost every one of them, from Eliza forced to grow up before her time, to Preston and Alex, and… of course, Maggie.
The pair of them put on their helmets and walked out of the mess tent and across the camp to the Command tent, where Denning, Seer, and Katya stood huddled around the table. Several other captains were present also, sat on chairs looking battered and exhausted. Seer himself seemed relatively unscathed, only tiredness held him in its grip as he looked up at Maddie and Braeburn as they entered the tent.
"Ah, there you are. Captain Thomas filled me in on your little excursion, that was a lot of pressure you soaked up for us." he said thankfully.
Denning scoffed, "The Ides did most of the work."
Seer held up a hand, sharply cutting Denning off with a swift movement that commanded respect.
"Regardless, it means that we are only slightly behind schedule." He stood a little straighter, "HIGHCOM informs me that the offensive is going well, and that Solar Fields will fall in the next few days. We will be joining the attack in 8 hours but before that, we need to evaluate our losses and rest up. It's been a long day and I understand that tensions are high" he glared at Denning, "but we've come through it all together and I'm proud of all of you."
The other officers nodded, but those of Fox Company remained static, each of them glaring at another. Katya glared at Maddie, Maddie stared at Denning, and Denning chewed his lip, looking directly at Speer and avoiding Maddie as though she were the plague.
Braeburn coughed.
"Companies A through D lost around a quarter of their strength when all was said and done, is that correct?" Speer asked the other Captains, who nodded or murmured an affirmation back at him. "E Company was hit hard. We lost the Captain, and almost a third of our operational strength." Speer seemed to swallow, "Where does Fox stand, Captain Denning?".
"Second and Third Platoon's operating at around ninety percent, Sir." he looked at Braeburn, who stood tall and ready for the punishment coming his way.
"First Platoon is down to eight men, Sir."
Denning fumed, "Eight?!"
Braeburn nodded.
"EIGHT?!" he seethed, "I give you some of my best men and you throw them away over what, exactly?"
Braeburn looked to Maddie, who folded her arms and stood by her friend. "It's classified, Sir."
"Great." he said, swearing under his breath, "Sir, I warned you this would happen."
"Quiet." Seer replied sternly, his hand swatting at the air as though Denning were a fly. "I saw Lt. Harper and Lt. Volkovskaya in action. I trust their judgement, regardless of what they are allowed to tell us. From the report I received from Captain Thomas, First Platoon more than made the Covenant bleed for each man they lost."
Jack nodded at the Major, who sighed.
"Still, this doesn't help our situation at all." he rubbed the bridge of his nose, "tomorrow we will push towards the financial centre of the city. Once taken, we will be rotated out, so stay sharp and stay on task. I'll have the relevant orders sent around ASAP. Dismissed."
Everyone filed out, save for Maddie, who waited for a chance to speak with Seer alone. Jack looked at her as he left and nodded, knowingly.
Seer sighed when he realised Maddie was still present and hung his head.
"I will tell you the same thing I told Denning. We don't have the men to replace either of you." He said, his voice lacking tone and vibrancy.
"He questions me at every turn, disobeys my orders, blames me for his mistakes and now you're tell me he's leveraging Denning to have me thrown out of the unit? This is beyond insubordination. Sir."
"What would you have me do?" He growled, "I'm not going to side-line a squad leader with a decent record when we have no one to replace him!"
Maddie groaned, "Sir, his service record post-Skopje wouldn't get him a position shining the latrines and you know it."
"Of course, I know it!" He snapped, "but goddammit, Harper, there's no one left! The only reinforcements we have are up in orbit with the rest of the fleet and they can't get close until we take the city! The whole UNSC is stretched and frayed to the point of disintegration! I can't even get a desk jockey to sign off my damned reports."
Maddie chewed on her lip in irritation, "so, what would you have me do, Sir?"
Seer didn't say anything, he just stood there as rain pelted the tent.
"Because at some point he will cost the unit lives and if your worry is replacements then I can assure you there are men in the unit that would keep them alive a lot longer than he could." she continued, "the longer he stays with us the more trouble he will cause. I assume you've seen the helmet cam?"
Seer nodded.
"Then Sir, get rid of him as soon as possible. I don't care how long it takes; some people are too much trouble."
Seer held up his hands in defeat, "alright, alright." he sighed. "Nothing will change until the reinforcements join us, though. We really, genuinely can't afford it. Understood?"
Maddie agreed, "I understand sir. I'm glad you understand too; ONIs mission is too important to be jeopardised by the incompetence of a disgruntled Sergeant."
"I've been trying to get rid of him for a while anyway." he said in a state of resignation, "if you could get your boss to lean on Colonel Zhou and expedite the process, I would appreciate that. Splitting him from Denning's command will stop the Captain playing politics so openly as well."
"It's about time he had someone else do his dirty work." Maddie nodded, unfolding her arms.
"With a bit of luck, he'll be promoted out of the unit" Seer smiled, "try to make him look good if you can, will you?"
"I'll do my job, Sir."
Seer chuckled, "Well then, sounds as though I have nothing to worry about."
"Not at all, Sir." she replied, winking at the major. She was dismissed and journeyed out into the camp, searching for a quiet spot to call Drake from. It was mostly quiet now. Guards patrolled the area but they left her alone when they saw her uniform and rank. She found herself at the edge of the camp, facing away from the city. The plateau was steep here, and the edge of it ran to the plains below in an almost vertical decline. Lowering herself with grace despite her fatigue, Maddie sat on the edge as rain fell harshly upon her.
Her fingers ran along the side of her helmet and activated the comms uplink attached to her helmet. Walsingham calibrated it to the approximate location of the Enigma in orbit and called Drake. When he answered, she told him about Davenport, his attempts to meddle in their affairs and get her kicked from the mission.
"I can lean on Zhou only so much." he said, evasively, "Denning is a well-respected and connected man. It will be hard to dislodge his enforcer regardless of ONIs reputation." he said, apparently as tired as she was.
"Who is Denning connected with that makes him so influential?" she asked, incredulously.
"He's from Reach. Huge military background, family from all branches, friends in HIGHCOM itself." Drake listed Denning's friends in a list that seemed to last forever.
"And he's got the skills to back it up" Maddie sighed.
"Exactly." Drake replied, "silver spoon or not, the man is a good commander. The best thing I could advise is making Davenport a liability to his success. From what I can tell, their relationship is based on convenience and not a sense of loyalty or camaraderie."
"I can't exactly do that without it costing men." Maddie groaned. "On Skopje, all you had to do is wave your hand and you could magic us a solution."
"Skopje was four years ago, lass, I don't have the kind of pull I used to. The UNSC is on the brink of collapse and they care less and less for our games with each passing day." Drake's words were dark and just another indication that the war was well on its way to being lost.
"I'll see what I can do, but it looks like grinning and bearing it is my only option for now."
"Sounds like you have things in hand though, good job so far, lass."
Maddie smiled, "Thank you sir, but I haven't achieved anything just yet."
Drake laughed, "Same old Madeleine. Okay, Jade has a report on the artefact so I better get going. We'll talk tomorrow. Good luck, Harper." he said, dismissing her.
Maddie sat in the rain for a while, thinking about Davenport and Katya. Katya hadn't made a move against her just yet and that worried her. If Maddie mishandled the situation with Davenport, she might use their rift to exact her revenge. It was a mess that could easily spiral out of control and Maddie knew it.
She pulled herself to her feet and began the short walk to her tent, weaving through the camp with ease as the rain pattered heavily on the plating of her helmet. Light glowed from some of the tents, including Fox Companies command tent, where Jack and Katya stood just inside the porch, looking out at the city. Jack smiled as he noticed Maddie approaching and waved her over. Katya seemed to tense, which Maddie expected, but she was surprised that she had relaxed around Jack given his friendship with her.
"We were just enjoying the show." he called out with a smile, nodding behind her.
Maddie glanced over her shoulder at the city of Sol Field's. She pulled off her helmet and stood beside the pair as they watched the city burn in the distance.
"Been a long road getting here, eh kid?" Jack said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"It has." Maddie nodded, staring as a skyscraper exploded on one of its sides. She worried for a moment that the Chalybs HQ would be destroyed but it soon passed. That was out of her hands for now. She was also too tired to really care.
"You know each other well?" Katya asked, nonchalantly.
Maddie tensed but Jack nodded, warmly.
"Most of it is classified but yeah, we met a long time ago."
Maddie didn't like Katya knowing anything about her, but the bigger the deal she made about it, the more Katya would latch on. She was, after all, a wolf in more ways than one.
"On Skopje?" she wondered aloud.
Maddie closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I uh, don't know what I'm allowed to say, Kat, so I'd better not open my mouth" he laughed, glancing at Maddie, who was fuming behind a mask of indifference.
Kat? He's already making nicknames?
"Oh, I was just wondering if the rumours about the Sirens of Skopje were true." she added sweetly, picking at her nails as though it weren't as loaded as everyone knew it was.
Jack went to speak but Maddie cut him off, she'd had enough of the probing and tried to change the topic.
"Duggan and Grayson mentioned it earlier, said it was some rubbish out of ONIs propaganda wing."
Jack scratched his chin. "Yeah, that makes sense" he said, picking up on Maddie's ruse, "it is a pretty uplifting story. Almost too perfect to be real, right?"
Katya wasn't letting it go, she folded her arms and her piercing blue eyes traced the covenant AA fire as it streaked into the sky. "You are from Skopje though, and you know the Lieutenant from Skopje."
"And he can tell you it's a lie."
"Sergeant Davenport seems to think it's true" Katya shrugged, "I've seen his files, you were in the same unit, rescued a civilian female and an ODST, who was killed, from behind enemy lines with one other individual whose name and rank was redacted."
"Davenport isn't exactly trustworthy." Jack sighed.
"His report is."
"Drop it, Katya." Maddie said, at last. "You can snoop all you want but there's nothing to it. It's all fluff. Section Two garbage."
"You didn't sound so sure just now." Katya said, turning at last to face her. Jack stepped back a little, unsure of what to do. "I am starting to think that there's a reason that all the people you pissed off and fought with are here. First there's Drake, who knows you well enough to requisition an axe for you, then there's Jack, Davenport, and the Nazari's, who you apparently have run into before." She sneered, "then there's me, the fool that's around to make your life difficult. I'm being kept in the dark, aren't I?"
Maddie said nothing.
"Aren't I!" she repeated.
Jack forced himself between them. "Hey! Stop it, both of you." he paused, waiting for either woman to move, "Now, I don't rightly know what's going on here, and frankly, I'll be damned if I'm getting involved with it. Tomorrow, we gotta lead men and women as part of a unit. ONI or not, we're responsible for seeing those people to the end of this campaign and back to their families."
Strangely, it was Katya who relented first. She stepped backwards, muttering in Russian to herself as she retreated back to her bed, pushed into the corner tightly.
"You two were getting on well." Maddie hissed, quietly.
Jack frowned, "How was I supposed to know you hated each other that much?"
"I turn my back for one second and you're already calling her Kat."
"It's just what I do, you know that." he replied, tersely.
"Jack, we're not dating, this isn't about jealousy. It's about the fact that I have one friend I can rely on." she said, trying to take a more diplomatic tone, "I messed the bed when it comes to her and I'll have to fix it but until I do, please, please please have my back, okay? I really need it right now."
The outburst softened Jack and he seemed to relent, the tension melting away as an explosion lit his face from the distance. "Just do it quickly, yeah? She's pretty nice and I don't want her getting the wrong idea" he chuckled, turning in for the night.
Maddie groaned but wished him good night, she stayed up for a bit, brushing her teeth as the rest of the camp finally settled down. Finally, she turned on her heel and undressed, her body finally giving in as sleep took her, dragging her to bed and demanding a long deep sleep. As she pulled the blanket over her, she noticed Katya. She was curled into a ball, still in her armour and clutching a combat knife tightly in her hand. Katya was a light sleeper, Maddie had heard as much, and seen it for herself at times but the way she curled up like that, it didn't seem right to her.
That's before you even consider the knife.
She clutched it like a mother to a new-born, possessive and determined to protect. Too tired to worry about it now, Maddie pulled the blanket up to her shoulders and let sleep take her.
}{=}{
December 25th 2550:
Windsor, UK
Earth
16:33 hours local time.
Eliza groaned, patting her engorged belly with a radiant satisfaction as she relaxed on Grandpa Joey's favourite leather armchair. The smell of butter-basted turkey, cranberries, and potatoes roasted in goose fat permeated the air like a thick syrupy fog and the table remained piled high with the food they just couldn't manage to eat. Though dessert had been originally been mentioned as a joke, each person in the room now sat in their own portion of the living area, surrounded not only by a mountain of wrapping paper, but also a plate of thick, rich pudding that added an aroma of berries, sweet nuts and custard to the fog.
"I'm so glad you could make it, Alex" she said, snuggling under a fluffy blanket he had bought her, "I was worried I would be stuck with the swot all day."
She glanced over at Maddie, who in addition to the mountains of wrapping paper, was completely snowed-in by a stack of papers. Maddie looked up and smiled, poking her tongue out at her sister.
"Me neither" he sighed, standing up slowly and walking towards the fireplace. "I think we have the swot to thank for that, though." he added, stoking the flames.
Eliza pouted from beneath her bundle. "Honestly, I don't know what she sees in you." she teased, laughing as Maddie flipped her off. "Then again, Parangosky is ancient. She probably thinks you're her daughter."
"Hey, she sent you a present" Alex said, returning to his chair, "she must like you too."
Eliza shrugged, "yeah, a bit odd seeing as we've never met."
"It's probably bugged," Maddie joked, her eyes still glued to her work.
Eliza didn't find it very funny. She began to rummage around for the gift she'd been sent, frantically ruffling through the sea of paper and gifts around her. Her haul was extensive, a testament to Eliza's ability to make friends and leave an impact on their lives. Biscuits from the old lady a few floors down, masses of coats, shoes and dresses from her girls at the boarding school, as well as food, given to her by the congregation of the local church. Eventually, she found it, a small packet of half-eaten Mint Chocolate Buttons in a box. It was still half wrapped and had its golden label limply hanging from the tattered green wrapping paper.
Maddie couldn't help but giggle at her sister as she gawked at each remaining treat, scouring them for signs of tampering.
"You might have already eaten it" Alex grinned, winking at Maddie.
"Don't even!" Eliza exclaimed, looking at her fingers, "should I throw up?"
"Well, she's already heard you call her senile, it's a bit too late to stop her finding out." Maddie said, shrugging.
"I didn't say senile!" Eliza jittered, frothing slightly at the mouth out of panic.
"Ancient isn't much better though, is it?" Alex replied, thoughtfully stroking his chin.
"Ugh, right, I know you two are joking, but we all know what she's like. It's not exactly out of the realm of possibility." she sighed, putting a chocolate into her mouth.
Quiet returned as Eliza settled down with a book and Alex began to clear away the table. Maddie watched them both for a moment, taking in the atmosphere, the closeness, and the sensations around her. Maddie looked eventually, and after almost forgetting she had ever been given anything, to her own pile of Christmas loot. She was happy, warm socks, small memento's that could fit in a locker on a ship. She wore a set of cute pyjamas that Eliza had bought for her, they would never see her through a tour but they were so comfortable that she wished she never needed to take them off.
Maddie frowned then because the memory wasn't right, she was stood up, getting dressed for a winter walk. She had fallen asleep in reality, but in this dream… she was going out, apparently. Her hand outstretched and the door in her grasp, she pushed it open with a click, a swoosh, and a clunk, as it latched behind her.
}{=}{
She stood on a wide and sprawling plane. The continent seemed to unfurl before her, with all geographic markers gone from sight. There were no roads that she could see, no plateaus, no hedgerows, and no cities. It simply sprawled into the distance ahead of her, a neatly manicured law that graced the crust of the planet for eleven thousand miles. Only a single object marked the scene as anything other than totally surreal. Far off, in the distance, a lone mountain stood tall. It reached into the sky like a giant beacon, as though it were yearning to leave the flat plain behind it. The sky that the mountain clamoured for was bright and blue. Puffy clouds were sporadically dotted about the vista in a way that looked as though they had been placed there.
Maddie took a step forward.
What she noticed first was her bare legs, stepping out from under her. She didn't have time to take that in, though, because the second thing she noticed was the loud noise that seemed to follow her. She felt cold in her nakedness, though there was no natural breeze to chill her spine, only a trillion eyes fixed on the back of her head. Maddie swallowed and turned slowly.
Her eyes widened, she let out a yelp. Stumbling backwards away from the scene, the mass followed in step with her. With each inch she moved, they followed. She hadn't been wrong. She hadn't felt a chill. Maddie had been watched. Not by a trillion eyes, but by a trillion humans. They all stood watching her, naked as she was, and with faces filled with anticipation and eagerness. Panting, her bare chest heaving, Maddie froze. There were too many to truly count. She had never seen so many people before, spread out into the distance she felt as though she were looking into the faces of the entire human race. She swallowed hard and slowed her breathing.
I'm…
Her eyes widened again.
"Another dream. This is another dream! Not like before but a vision" she gasped. Maddie had once been visited in her dreams by ancient spirits. Though it was apparently more scientific than that, Maddie had felt it the best way to explain to ONI what it was that she had seen. Mostly, her dreams had delved into her past. Her strained relationships at home, with her sisters, and her parents. They had also been orchestrated by one of the Covenant's own gods. The forerunners, ancient aliens of immense power had a gift to give her. The first, known as Bornstellar-Makes-Eternal-Lasting, had directed her to Meridian in the first place. She felt a presence in the crowd and Maddie searched it for anything that might seem remotely alien.
Nothing.
Of course, this could all be a trick. There had been a second spirit, one that had not revealed itself to her but had been deeply interested in her.
Maddie swallowed again and tried to summon the courage to speak. "B-Bornstellar?" she called out, nervously.
Nothing.
Maddie waited for a moment before turning on her feet. There, in the distance was a figure. It walked towards her, standing impossibly tall with warlike features and grey skin. Maddie felt as though she knew it somehow; she felt no fear as it approached and no shame as she stood before it in nothing but the skin, she was born in. It seemed to almost glide to her. The being was resplendent, clad in an armour a thousand times more complex than even a SPARTANs. It had red accents and a squished nose, giving it the air of authority that an alien warrior should have.
"Bornstellar." she said, breaking into a grin.
"Reclaimer." her replied, his voice ethereal and aloof.
"You never returned my calls" she said, raising a brow.
"You weren't here to answer mine, Reclaimer."
"Are you going to be less evasive this time?"
"Unfortunately, not, Reclaimer. Though, I would like to congratulate you on making it this far, I know that you have been faced with many trials since we last spoke." he stared at her almost knowingly. Though Maddie believed him, she got the feeling he was incapable of truly understanding what had driven her since Skopje.
"I'm running out of time to find your gift." she said, folding her arms. She didn't need his congratulations, she needed information.
"Indeed, you are, though as I have said before, it is not mine to give." he replied.
Maddie groaned, "then what? I need what you know."
"You need what he knows." Bornstellar said. "Listen closely, Reclaimer. This is the last time we shall meet. The imprint ends here. Should he accept you, as I believe he will, you shall never hear from me again in this way."
"I'm still so confused." Maddie replied, almost begging.
There was a rustle behind her and Maddie turned, watching as a strikingly tall figure moved in the crowd. She looked back at Bornstellar; a nervousness overtook her as her posture crouched a little.
"He is here." the forerunner replied.
"Who?" Maddie asked.
"I am Bornstellar's guilt." a voice said.
At once, the plains receded and the world spun. Maddie yelled out in terror as all the people evaporated or disappeared, leaving her to tumble upwards into space.
"I am rage."
She fell, dropped like a stone, falling hard and fast towards the surface of Meridian.
"I am the light in the dark, the hope anew. The last General, the last warrior. I am the spirit of revenge, the cuirass that guards against those like him."
Suddenly Bornstellar appeared before her, clamped in shackles made from light. He knelt before her, looking up with resignation on his face.
"Trust him, Reclaimer."
Maddie's jaw fell open as the forerunner cried out in pain.
"Trust him, look what he is doing to you!" Maddie cried, "Hey, stop it! I need him!" she shouted at the spirit that circled the pair of them.
"No." said the voice, whispering in her ear, "you don't."
Maddie felt something in her hand all of a sudden. It was a pistol, small and crude by forerunner standards, but as Bornstellar knelt before her, slowly stripped of his armour, she knew it was all she needed.
"Trust. Him."
Maddie hesitated. She saw in his eyes the need and the desire for her to believe him. Maddie swallowed, lifted the gun, and pulled the trigger.
Rather than die, Bornstellar dissipated.
"You are a ruthless one, aren't you? Didn't question it even for a moment." He laughed.
The world fell away and Maddie screamed. She fell downwards in a spiral of confusion and terror before striking the floor hard.
"Who are you?!" she shouted, holding her hand up. The gun was gone.
"I already told you. I am Bornstellar's guilt."
"That doesn't help me at all."
"Then look around, child, look and be helped."
Maddie did as she was told. Finally, she was underground. It was a cave, and she was dressed in full recon gear again. Thankful to be dressed, she followed the narrow passage. With each step, the light grew. It flowed from some kind of hall in the distance and the closer she got, the brighter it became. The walls shone brilliantly, embossed with ornate decoration and lights that seemed to flow into the chamber.
Maddie paused. "What is this place?"
"This is where I'm waiting for you."
She swallowed, "waiting for me? You're alive?!"
It laughed.
"Follow your instincts. You are a reclaimer for a reason."
Maddie pushed on, slowly but surely reaching the entrance to the hall. The light was blinding now and Maddie could barely open her eyes as she took a deep breath and stepped into the room. All detail was scrubbed from existence by the pure brilliance of the light. Maddie forced them open despite the pain and tried to focus on the one thing she could make out: a faint silhouette.
"Is that you?" she asked, trying to get closer. No matter how much she stepped forward, she seemed to go nowhere. The figure was perpetually out of focus and reach.
"You're every bit the fighter he promised." the voice sounded proud. "Do not give up, child. Do what you were born to do. Find me. Learn. Reclaim."
"Where are you?" Maddie cried, almost pleading with him, "just tell me so we can leave this planet."
"To be human is to struggle. I am where all things lead. In the depths of the highest heights. I am the last, and you shall be the first."
"You want me to find you on my own?"
"It is not impossible. Nothing is. When you find me, I will prove it to you."
Maddie gawked, ready to complain. Though it might have been easy for her to do so, she realised that the forerunner wanted her to show her strength. He wanted a display of human courage, ingenuity and intelligence. As she thought such things, a warmth lit in the belly of her chest. It was the burning smouldering beginnings of a flame that would never die so long as she lived.
She felt passion, history, and culture. She felt familiarity, the unknown, and desire. In one splendid moment, the light consumed all. Maddie felt rage and betrayal, retribution, revenge, happiness and despair.
The spirit seemed to relish her emotion. They were in tune, a moment that became a crescendo of expression.
Maddie felt alive.
She felt human.
As she woke, Maddie didn't just feel the warmth of the sun poking through the tent. She felt resolved.
For the first time in a long time...
Maddie felt hope.
Didn't think you were getting one this Friday, did you?
Just want to say thanks for reading as always, it steel feels great to share the stories in my head and have people let me know that they genuinely enjoy it!
Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, one that puts a nice bow on this torrid and eventful year we've had.
All there is to say is thank you, again.
And that I hope you have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!
God know's it can only get better!