Chapter 15 Canyon County

Kristine – Age 18 (POV)

Nathan – Age 12

February 18, 2008

6:30 PM

Arcadia Bay, Oregon

Prescott Estate

9 years earlier…

Today was my eighteenth birthday and tonight's my initiation into the Herd of Whales. I stood there in my room in front of the mirror getting my jacket and slacks on. Every founding family member enlisted to herd gets initiated when they turn eighteen and tonight was the night of my instatement. I had to look sharp for the initiation into my family's secret society. Mom, Dad, and Nathan were all waiting for me in the house to dress for the ceremony. Aunt Joanna would be there with the rest of the herd members to instate me as a member. The rest of my family in the house would be watching.

I looked amazing in my formal fashion. My parents always pick the best clothes for me to wear on occasions like this. Just as I'm finished dressing in my bedroom mirror, Mom walks inside to check if I'm ready.

"Kristine, honey," said Mom. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, Mom," I said. "I just got done getting dressed. How do I look?"

"You look amazing, Kristine. Our first child after all these years in our life being made a member of the herd."

"I'm still nervous about this, you know. I don't know if I'm ready."

"Of course, you're ready, sweaty. Your father and I have spent years training you for this day and Joanna will be proud of how much a valuable member we've trained you to become. And soon Nathan will be a member when he's old enough to be. You'll do fine."

"Caroline, you there?" Dad asked from the halls. "Is Kristine ready?"

"Yes, Sean," replied Mom. "Our daughter's ready for the moment of her life. I'll bring her in now."

Mom gave me on quick pep talk sentence before leaving my bedroom.

"Now, you know what to do," she said. "You walk down there with a smile for your aunt and everyone down there and you'll do amazing. Okay?"

"Okay, Mom," I said. "I'll be ready."

I walk out of my room with Mom to see Dad and Nathan in the hall all dressed for the occasion as well. They both look happy for me.

"There's my little girl," said Dad. "All grown up to a proud member our society."

"Hey, big sister," said Nathan. "Even though I'm not ready to be a member yet, I am happy for you as Dad said I should be."

"Thanks, Nathan," I said. "Thanks, Dad. I am honored to celebrate the end of my birthday with this initiation Aunt Joan's prepared for me. I really appreciate it."

"Well let's not just stand here out in the hall," said Mom. "Let's get down there. Joan's waiting."

I walk downstairs with my family to see the people of the herd gathered in the atrium of the household where the front door was. I could see everyone in the herd, both men and women, dressed formally in their suits and wearing whale mask over their eyes. All lined up single file left and right with Aunt Joanna standing front and center behind everyone else. Walking between two rows of people I never knew is something I'm not used to, but at least Joanna is family I can reckon with.

Mom, Dad, and Nathan stand back on the stairs to watch the ceremony and my initiation into the herd. From what I knew, I would have to say and swear my oaths, get my mark burned into my arm, and put on my mask to make myself an official member of the herd. I professionally walk down the aisle of people with my mother, father, and brother watching to approach my aunt before her so she can make me a member of the Herd of Whales.

I now stand close enough to her face to face to start the initiation and begin the ceremony. The both of us putting on a light smile for one another.

"Kristine Matthew Prescott," begins Aunt Joanna. "Daughter of Sean and Caroline, sister of Nathan, and niece of Joanna, the children of the herd are gathered here today to inaugurate the Prescott heir to the Herd of Whales. Kristine, do you solemnly swear in the name of the herd, to sustain loyalty to our society?"

"I swear," I said with my hand up.

"Do you swear to never unveil the secrets of our cause?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to never identify yourself as an acolyte to the herd?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to remain unevidenced that our secret society ever existed?"

"I swear."

"And lastly, do you swear upon our mission to never disclose our righteous cause to the top-secret history of the supernatural power and phenomena that has only ever been known to the Herd of Whales?"

"I swear."

"Then it is time."

A man in a whale mask, who was a herd member, pulled out an iron with the Herd of Whales symbol on and pressed it into a burning press to make my mark on my arm. I roll up my sleeve so my mark can be ironed on. I knew it was going to sting, but it only for a few seconds. Joanna took the iron from the man so she could iron my mark herself.

"This may hurt a bit," she said.

I hold as still as I can and keep my arm straight as the burning iron approaches my skin and burns away as it touches my upper arm. I bite my lip and silently grunt the pain of the ironing, then the woman in the whale mask removes the iron away from me once the Herd of Whales mark is marked. I take a look at my arm to see my mark ironed into my burnt skin and then I role down my sleeve to cover the mark. I could still feel the pain a little from the burn, but I had to remain professional for everyone around me.

It was now time for me to wear the mask. I turn around and face the crowd of herd members for my aunt as she was preparing to place my mask over eyes and nose to be instated into the Herd of Whales. I fold my fingers together and stand straight for Joanna as she prepared the final step for my initiation.

"In the name of the herd," said Joanna holding the mask. "In the name of whales, children of the herd, I present to you our next heir and my beloved niece to our sacred society on behalf of my blessing. Kristine Prescott, loyal heir to the Arcadia Bay Herd of Whales."

Then my mask is on. Then we all say our slogan.

"May the herd guide us all," said Joanna.

"May the herd guide us all," said everyone repeating after her.

Kristine – Age 27 (POV)

Cayce – Age 31

David – Age 49

July 21st, 2017

3:02 AM

Canyon County, Idaho

Caldwell Farmlands

Present day…

"Kristine," said Cayce. "Kristine!"

I jerk myself wide awake from the dream I was having by Cayce who had woken me up on the helicopter. I had fallen asleep on the ride to Idaho since we had to wake by midnight tonight given the mission starting at double zero.

"We're here," said Cayce.

"Already?" I asked yawning. "I was just beginning to get my beauty sleep."

"I think you've gotten plenty, Prescott," said David. "We've reached Canyon County. We're approximately twenty miles from Caldwell. We'll be arriving at the LZ shortly."

I can see the passenger doors between us were open. Seeing the countryside of farmland, pastures, and small homes from two hundred feet of altitude. What the state of Idaho was known for.

On board the chopper was me, Cayce, David, Flint, and Logos. Cage, Heard, Mason, and Newblood on were on a separate chopper flown by Lynch. Our chopper was being flown by different pilots. David was in charge of the team on this chopper. Cage was in charge of the group divided.

It had been a little more than a few hours since our last mission rescuing the MIT kids and retrieving the Eternium back at the MIT. I wanted to start this mission a little later but had our orders from Penske to begin sooner. I had managed to get only a few hours' sleep before our next task began. At least the students and the Eternium were both safely aboard the Oregon. And HQ was back online again to guide us through since they went offline hours ago back in Cambridge.

The mission at this moment was to save any and all surviving civilians stranded in the middle of the ConDef activity happing in the county and find a hidden script somewhere under a church in Canyon County according to intel. Caldwell was under lockdown due to the enemy presence in Canyon. I'm no psychic, but I got the feeling we'd be stumbling upon more former Blackwell attendees on the mission if I'm right or wrong. Odds are fifty-fifty.

Everyone else on board was awake for landing. Flint was playing Mustard Party 2 on his phone he brought with and Cayce was looking at me awkwardly. He turned his head away before I could notice anything. But I already had.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" I asked.

"I don't know," replied Cayce. "I've been staring at you watching you sleep for a few hours and – never mind. Forget I said something."

I already knew Cayce was flirting, but I didn't care. Somehow, I always knew I was growing on Cayce here and there. It didn't matter. For now.

"Yes!" Flint shouted. "Finally broke my record on Mustard Party!"

"How long have you been on that game, Flint?" Logos asked. "Is that why you brought your phone?"

"And awesome. Just in time before my phone's dead."

Suddenly, an alarm goes off on the chopper that's missile warning. Just when we're about to land.

"What the fuck is that?" Cayce asked.

David looked outside the chopper to see a missile firing out of nowhere and headed straight for the chopper. Ready to shoot us out of the air.

"Incoming missile!" David warned. "Hang on!"

Then the missile hits the tail end of the helicopter and we're suddenly spinning out of control with our aircraft on fire and the pilots shouting "mayday". The five of us hang on to something with our seat belts tight enough to keep us from flying out of the chopper. I can feel the turbulence rushing through my nerves. This was the third time since Seattle and San Fran that I had to experience a crash landing. This was getting way too old. In a matter of seconds, we eventually hit the ground floor and I go black from the crash.

After the third and utterly unhappy landing I've experienced yet, I wake up in the grass out of the chopper that was now DOA and on fire seeing it totaled down. As my sight was returning normal, I could see David helping Cayce and the rest of the team off their feet. It'd be safe to see assume the pilots were killed in action if they were still in the cockpit. David notices me getting up and runs over to me to help me up. I take his arm with no injuries made for myself. Nobody else appeared to be injured either.

"You're still in one piece," said David as I took his hand. "Get up."

All of a sudden, the downed helicopter explodes like a claymore. Burning down even more so than before the explosion caused by the wreckage. Happy landing or no, this mission was being continued on foot.

"Come on," said David. "We need to get moving before the search parties get here."

"I swear," I said up on my feet. "That's the third crashing I've barely survived through in two fucking weeks! Next time I'm riding a chopper with flares, Commander."

"Shit, I broke my phone," said Flint. "That's like my third one ever!"

"I told you not to bring it," said Logos.

"Casualty report," asked David.

"Only the pilots are dead, sir," replied Cayce.

"Shit me. Alright, our window's not far from here. Let's move out."

"Valor Two, this is HQ. AC-130 gunship support is on the way, but it'll take some time before they will be in a position to assist. Over."

"Copy," replied David. "Valor Two out."

"An AC- 130, huh?" Cayce wondered. "Haven't worked with one of those since Portland."

"Alright, Valor," said David. "We all know what to do. Our mission stands. Cage and the rest of Valor One should have landed by now. We meet up with them, find any remaining civilians for rescuing, and get to that church where our so-known script will be. Let's move out."

Note: So there's that. The beginning of my next portion of David's side story from Kristine's point of view this time. Featuring another backstory segment involving her that I've decided to add in this episode for a reason you'll come to understand later forward. By now, I know you're all guessing which other familiar characters this segment of the side story will be involved this time. And I bet you know who. And I used Mustard Party 2 from Captain Spirit in this chapter too! Lol.

Shout-out to all my readers of the Life Is Strange 2 teaser that just dropped a few days back and the reveal we'll be receiving later this month that'll likely be shown at this year's Gamescom. Also, there's an upcoming fan film adapting Before the Storm titled: "Dawn" that I'm looking forward to seeing too! A teaser for that just dropped on YouTube today! The creators of that fan film also made their own fan adaptation of the original game a while back as well. One that's titled "What if?". Named after the first title that was being developed for the original game's title.

Until next time, stay tuned and golden!