Chapter 2: Realization.
Fire and smoke rises from the city before Melissa's eyes. The Acme Bridge is gone.
"…Oh no….no…Matilda!" Melissa cried hysterically.
Melissa vaguely hear a scream of terror that sound much like her own voice from afar. She feels as though the Leader's gentle smile is moving, moving farther away from her.
Melissa then remember that every now and then, she'd tells her daughter the story of the night 764 years ago, a night when the sky was radiant with shooting stars. That night, her ancestors made countless wishes together. 7 centuries ago on July 3rd, 2009, an asteroid called Ulysses came into Earth's orbit and disintegrated into millions of pieces, which poured down on the land below. As her ancestors watched the shooting stars that night, fragments from the asteroid rained down on the northern European nation, Estovakia, damaging a great deal of their infrastructure and devastating their economy. Soon after, the news reported that their nation had fallen into a civil war- one that would last for 7 centuries. Eventually, the internal strife was brought to an end when 'The Generals' came into power, in the midst of hardship, the citizens of Estovakia were convinced that the only way they could recover as a nation was to rely on a military government led by these 'Generals'. Before long, they went so far as to invade their own planet, at the American sector of their neighbor, the Planetary Republic of Acmetropolis. The Acmetropolis military of the occupied sector was forced to retreat to the Hawaiian Islands far to the west. For Melissa, she thinks about her husband, a fighter pilot, and that how he also hasn't come home since.
Anyway, Melissa was on a bus for days to reach a refuge camp until the bus broke down, so she walk on. While walking, she's unable to think. All she can do is follow the others. Ever since she and the others came to the twisted remains of Matilda's school bus, her soul has left her. She is empty. While she's walking, Melissa notice some Acme tanks are parked at the approach to the bridge.
"Move! Move! Let's pickup the pace people!" the sergeant that was standing on the top of the tank said. "There's a train still runnin' on the other side of the river! She goes all the way out to the edge of the sector line! We've gotta blast this bridge before the enemy gets a hold of it! So move it or lose it, people!"
Once Melissa passes the tank, she sees the wreakage of a jet that was shot down. On what's left of the nose…she can make out some writing…'Melissa'. It's her name. What a cruel twist of fate for her to see this. Her pilot husband, who had left for work that day with the same loving look on his face as always…He had painted her name on his angel. Melissa then go into the crowd on the train, and endure two weeks of depression before finally ending up at a refugee camp at the Canadian sector. Melissa don't know any of the names on the mission list. Her compatriots, who have now become refugees, gather around a single radio to listen to the broadcast. Even though the station is broadcasting out of Acmetropolis, occupying forces have taken complete control of the airwaves. The Estovakians must have completely overtaken the capital, Acmetropolis. Melissa sits at the steps and covers her face while listening to the broadcast.
"…And although newer parts of the city have suffered considerable damage, the Arch and Acmetropolis University have escaped relatively unscathed…." the Estovakian broadcaster said.
However, the announcer went on to say that the university was robbed of countless antiquities that once were elaborately displayed in one building stripped bare.
"As the Estovakian military, it is our sworn duty to govern this crumbling sector of this planet, and get it back to its feet, starting right here in Acmetropolis. I've found a group of street children in front of the Loonatics' HQ here where the area has literally been reduced to a slum. Step on up here little girl. What do you have to say about all this?" the Estovakian broadcaster asked.
"Go dance with the angels, mister!" a familiar voice was heard.
Melissa's ears were not deceiving her. That voice belonged to her daughter, Matilda.
That's the end of this chapter. You will be hearing a lot 'Dance with the angels' in this story. Please review.