(A continuation of the incomplete Saviors in the Shadows. RIP my fav story, hope this becomes a good replacement.)
“The Morning After”
Donavi Qulline, Emili, Fortuna
March 12, 2022
Even though it was not monsoon season yet, the morning rain poured down hard on the small, inland Emilian village of Qulline. The reverberation of the heavy raindrops on the sheet metal that made up the walls and roof echoed throughout the small convenience store that sat at the edge of town. It was a calm, rhythmic sound, however Larisa was more focused on the small portable television in front of her to pay any attention to the downpour outside.
“Tsk, c’mon and work you damn box,” the shop owner muttered to herself. No matter the angle of the antennas or the limited number of channels she switched to, all that the screen returned was static. Eventually with a disgruntled huff, Larisa pushed the television aside and collapsed backwards in her chair in defeat. It was not only the TV that she could not get working either, ever since yesterday evening all her devices were unable to connect to any broadcast. At some point, an incomprehensible voice came over the radio, but neither she nor her husband could make out what was being said. Even more weird was that her neighbor, Beatrice, was having the same problems. With no clue on what was causing all these issues, Larisa concluded it was some electrical issue or something with the broadcasting stations, and as expected it would take a while for whichever government department was in charge to resolve the problem. All she can do for now is sit and wait.
“I’m sure Isobel could figure this out,” she thought to herself. Her eyes wandered about her small shop, glancing from the semi-stacked shelves to the flipped sign on the glass door that informed anyone passing by that she was open for business. Being so far inland and away from most traffic on the island, Larisa only received a handful of customers a day. It was mostly residents of Qulline who came by to stock up on food and supplies for the week. But sometimes she saw newer faces such as odd couples from Destino coming out to “experience” the island wilderness or boys from the nearby military outpost looking to snack on something sweet, anything really was good enough for them over whatever they’re usually served. Besides that, her days were rather mundane yet peaceful. Unbeknownst to her was that today the most unbelievable guest would show up at her door.
The bell above the glass door rang as the entrance to the shop was slammed open. Larisa jumped in her seat and gasped as the rain and wind followed in behind a dark figure who stumbled into the store. Just as she was about to reach for the rifle underneath her counter, the man came to a complete stop before collapsing with a heavy thud onto the cement floor. Carefully glancing over the countertop, Larisa got a better look at the man: he had short, rain-soaked black hair, a long jet-black coat, and he was breathing heavily through painful gasps. It took her a moment before a wave of recognition flooded over her whereupon Larisa rushed around the counter and fell to her knees next to the man.
“Gerardo?! Gerardo are you okay?” she exclaimed shakenly, lifting the man off the floor with great struggle and seating him against the front of the counter. This gave her a better look at him, recognizing the dark uniform of the Regulatori underneath the coat, a bounded leather folder gripped in his right hand, and a dark red spot on his abdomen that his similarly crimson stained left hand was covering.
“Unus have mercy! I-I’ll be back, hang on!” Larisa quickly rushed to the back storage room, fumbling in the dark before she found pieces of cloth and a couple towels which she immediately brought back to Gerardo.
“Um uh, k-keep putting pressure here,” she stuttered as she put a handful of cloth onto the wound and placed his hand back on top. Using a towel Larisa carefully dried his soaked hair and pale face. With much effort, his eyes fluttered open and he stared back at her in confusion.
“Miss Larisa?” he asked in a hoarse, near whisper voice which she responded with a nod. As she wrapped a towel over his shoulder and returned her attention to the wound, Gerardo’s eyes wandered as he looked around the store. “How did I end up here?”
“You just wandered in. I thought you’re supposed to be in Destino.” Larisa attempted to remove the coat, but it was too soaked and heavy, and the smallest of movements seemed to cause him much pain, not even considering her frailness in comparison to the larger, younger man. She remembered a time when Gerardo was just a toddler. Being Beatrice’s son, he would come over often to play with Larisa’s own daughter, Isobel. The families were so close to each other that the two kids often joked that they were siblings and Larisa too often treated Gerardo as a son. It was now hard to comprehend that the young, sweet boy she remembered fondly was now this man currently dying on her shop’s floor. “I need to get you to a doctor. What happened to you? Were you shot?”
“Destino… I was in Destino, huh…” By the bagginess underneath his eyes, Larisa could tell he had been up all night. It was a few hours between here and Destino, however telling from the mud and vegetation that clung to his coat and boots, he had been on foot for a while. Reaching over to a small refrigerator next to the door, she pulled out a bottled soft drink, opened it with a pop, and placed it to his lips. The sugary beverage seemed to help clear his mind a small bit as his breathing calmed and his eyes became clearer.
“What happened to you, Gerardo? Where-,” she paused, afraid of the question before continuing, “where is Isobel?” The boy seemed to stare past her as he contemplated for a moment before speaking.
“I… I don’t know. The office, the whole city, went dark all of the sudden. That’s when the shooting started. W-we were killing each other, I killed…” His right hand let go of the binder and came up to his mouth as he gagged. Larisa placed a hand on his back to help calm him, but her own mind began to wander towards the worst possible scenarios. After a minute, Gerardo attempted to continue his recount. “It was pure mayhem, Miss, pure mayhem. By the time those of us who survived stumbled into the street, the Army showed up. But instead of helping us, that’s when they too-.” Gerardo again gagged and he let out a loud wail, his breath again picking up pace. Bringing him into an embrace, Larisa shut her eyes tightly as tears began to form. Although shrouded in secrecy, she remembered how Isobel told her a couple years ago that both her and Gerardo were chosen to be officers in the same Regulatori unit. Her daughter was so happy to be given this opportunity to serve her nation and the High Commander in such a prestigious position alongside her friend. Even though she had little information, Larisa now assumed the worst based on Gerardo’s account and his current state physically and mentally.
“Let me contact Beatrice real quick, we can-,” as she was about to reach for the phone on the counter, she paused upon remembering that all communication was still cut off. “Damnit. Alright stay here, the doctor’s office is a couple blocks away. I will be right back with help.” Going back around the counter, she grabbed her raincoat and hurriedly put it on. She carefully stepped around the wounded man, but before she went to the door a hand grabbed onto her ankle.
“Wait! They’re not far behind. If they find me here or with you, they will kill you as well.” Gerardo’s voice was much clearer and commanding than before. Larisa watched in shock as he mustered what strength he had to pull himself back to his feet while using the countertop as support.
“K-kill me? Are soldiers still after you?” Larisa asked, her voice beginning to shake once again.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be here. I’m only putting your life at risk,” was all he responded with as he stepped towards the door.
“Gerardo no! You can’t go out there in your current state!” She pleaded, stepping in front of him, but he simply pushed past her and placed a hand on the door handle. Just as he was about to open the door, he paused before turning back towards the distressed woman.
“Hold on,” he said as he reached into his coat, revealing a pistol and a badge which he placed on the counter. Gerardo next pulled out a wallet, opening it to reveal more money than Larisa has ever seen in her entire lifetime. “Take this. The money is all yours, I just ask that you get rid of everything else. The enemies of the High Commander are numerous, none of them should get their hands on that.” He pointed at the leather folder on the ground before shoving the wallet and its content into Larisa’s hand.
“W-what is happening…” She was completely petrified, barely holding onto the wallet. Her mind was racing so fast that she was unable to hear the distant sound of an approaching truck engine, something Gerardo caught notice of.
“Shit, they’re already here. Stay here and stay hidden,” and without any other words, he stepped back out into the rain and began making his way further into the village at a hurried pace. Before she could shake herself into action, the recognizable shape of a couple covered trucks entering into Qulline from the north came into view through the glass. The truck in the front came to a stop and a dozen or so soldiers poured out from the back and began sprinting in the same direction Gerardo went. All that Larisa could do was grab all the items he left behind, stash them under her counter, hide in a huddled position, and wait. Hide and wait in her shop until the sounds of shouts, shots, and rain subsided.
The television finally began to work once more, the static replaced with the morning national broadcast to inform the Fortunan Empire and its subjects of the most somber news for the nation: the High Commander is dead.