by Silas Vale
Erile nodded. He wasn't surprised; Willow Grace had pioneered nearly half of the technology companies in his time. It was amazing what one woman had done during her life, especially a life in which more than twenty years were spent in the chaos of the zombie apocalypse.
"Lead the way, then."
Erile and Saythe followed Aisling as they approached the city, and finally, they crossed the city limits. They were officially in New York, or at least what had been New York.
Before the world went to shit.
They didn’t see anything more than a few Aurans on their way through the outskirts of the city, but they avoided those with ease. It only took about half an hour before they stood on familiar ground.
Well, Aisling stood on familiar ground.
She looked up at the house that had once been her mother's, and a dim spark of hope lit up in her chest. It wasn't nearly as trashed and ratty as the other houses were. The windows were boarded up, and by the looks of it none of them had been smashed.
She quickly ran up to the door and tried to open it. Locked.
She moved to the tree in the front yard, reached into a hole in the side of it, and pulled out a key.
Huh.
She ran over, unlocked the door, and shoved it open. "MOM?" She called throughout the house. "DAD?" She bit the inside of her lip nervously, not even bothering to scout out the house as she quickly moved to skip down the stairs and into the basement. "Down here!" She called to Saythe and Erile, jumping down the last couple of steps and running to a metal door at the end of the hall.
She took a deep breath and silently pressed a few numbers on the key panel beside the door. It clicked, and then unlocked, and Aisling shoved it open.
The room was dark. But at the door, the lights flickered on. The room still had electricity.
But it was empty.
Aisling visibly deflated, taking a step into the room and looking around. "… I guess that's it, then." She said softly, biting the inside of her lip. There was a note tacked to a table on the other side of the room, but she didn't seem to notice. All she could focus on was the fact that her parents just… Weren't there.
"Hold up, little lady. I think you're missing something big." Erile, always the observant one, had noticed the note taped to the wall on the other side of the room. He walked towards it and peeled it off, reading it quickly. A huge grin grew across his face.
"So there's still hope, at least."
He handed the piece of paper to her, and she read it to herself.
To anyone it may concern. I, Willow Grace, and my husband, Nych Grace, have relocated to an aquarium in the far north of what used to be New York. We heard that it was a safe haven, and if we are not back, we are either there, or dead.
That was all it read, but that was enough.
Aisling clutched the note, and for a moment just took in the look of her mother's handwriting again. It had been so long since she'd seen anything that had anything to do with her mother, so to be able to hold this note in her hands…
It filled her with hope.
She smiled, looking down at the note before gently folding it and putting it in her pocket. "… Let's stay in here for the night." She turned towards them. "It has electricity and heating. We'll be safe in here. Tomorrow we can head out and check out the aquarium… If that doesn't turn out-" She didn't want to think about that, and stubbornly shook her head. "We'll come back here. Even if a horde passes through, we'll be safe in here."
Going Home
The night passed quietly.
The next morning, they were up at the crack of dawn. Having a heated place to sleep… Well, it had become less important with the gifts of Erile's clothes, but it was still nice to be able to sleep stripped down and still be warm.
They set out for the aquarium that day.
"There'll probably be billboards for the aquarium!" Saythe had suggested, which Erile found absolutely brilliant. It was true; the aquarium would have been advertised before the world went to hell, so why shouldn't it still be advertised now?
"That's brilliant, buddy."
"… You're exactly right." Aisling smiled. "I think I remember where the aquarium is, but… That'll be really useful. Keep an eye out for me, okay?" She ruffled Saythe's hair, adjusting her backpack as she walked through the long-abandoned suburbs of the city. Most of the Aurans there had died out, or moved elsewhere, so thankfully it was relatively quiet. Aisling reached up with one hand and pulled her hair up into a ponytail.
She glanced back at the two with an amiable smile, before it faded slightly as she looked towards Erile. "… You doing okay?"
She was still worried about his fever, of course. It was nice though. Having someone care about your health and safety was pretty comforting.
"Yeah. The fever's pretty much gone by now, all I've got is a minor headache." If anyone knew the story, where he had gotten bit and hadn't turned, they would have called that a miracle. But Aisling and Saythe… They knew everything.
So they shrugged and carried on.
"Look. There's a sign!" Saythe pointed up at a large sign on a building, which spoke of the 'New York City Manhattan Aquarium, Open 9AM-8PM Daily". It was kind of a joke, seeing open and close times. No doubt everything was either open or closed these days.
The world had fallen apart. Or at least, their world had.
"… Right." Aisling studied the sign and hummed. "We're going to have to be careful getting there. So as of right now, no talking unless absolutely necessary." She wasn't taking any more chances with her son or Erile's life. She held her crossbow at the ready, shifting her backpack.
It would be a nightmare getting to the aquarium, but…
If her parents were there, it'd be worth it.
Thirteen minutes later. Thirteen. And there was a horde upon them.
"Run!" Erile screamed, his voice carrying over the hundreds of Aurans chasing them. He had picked Saythe up and was sprinting with him in his arms, with Aisling at his side. The aquarium was half a kilometer ahead of them, and they were keeping ahead of the Aurans.
But barely.
"That door better be unlocked!" He screamed, increasing his speed. Saythe was clinging to his shirt, and he knew he wouldn't be able to carry him much longer.
"Fuck fuck fuck-" Aisling cursed as she sprinted, holding the crossbow in her hands so she could peg off any that got too close. "If it's not- take Saythe and run. I'll hold them off for as long as I can!" She cast a brief glance to Erile, and sprinted towards the large blue building painted with pictures of fish and marine life.
She slammed into the door and screamed when it didn't budge. She grit her teeth, raising her foot and kicking the door in. It flew open with a slam, and she ushered the two inside before dashing in behind them.
"FUCK!" She shouted, a series of colorful curses coming from her mouth as she quickly slammed and locked the door so it couldn't be opened by the horde around them. She backed up through a second pair of doors, and quickly locked them as well so nothing could get through.
"… Oh my god." She panted, doubling over. "What the fuck. I haven't seen a horde that big in years." She looked up at Erile, and carefully took Saythe from his arms. "Hey kiddo, you okay?" She furrowed her brows. "We'll be safe in here until they go away. Don't worry."
The click of a shotgun being cocked sounded from behind them.
The feeling of a shotgun pressed against the back of his head was something unusual to Erile.
He held his hands up in the air, the hair on his entire body standing on end. Behind him was an older, short, stout man, with a serious look on his face that belied his experience with guns.
"I don't suppose you have a reason to be burstin' on into Bernard's aquarium, now do ya?"
Aisling gasped, grabbing Saythe and tugging him away from the man with the gun. She ushered her son behind herself and slowly raised her hands in the air. After a moment, she pointed to the dozens of Aurans that were smushed against the glass, desperate
to get to the people inside. "… That's why, sir. We were being chased by a horde." She bit the inside of her lip, looking him up and down nervously. "Please- don't hurt us. We don't mean any harm."
She hesitated. This place was inhabited.
"I'm looking for my parents." She furrowed her brows. "They left a note in their house saying that they had come here. Nych and Willow?" She asked, somewhat desperately. "Do you know them? Are they here?"
It looked like Bernard was about to say something. It really did, because he had taken the shotgun away from Erile's head and had opened his mouth to speak. But the door opened behind him, and he turned to check who it was.
It was an older man, holding a folder full of papers and thumbing through them all. "Hey, Bernard, we might have to cut power to the east wing. It's likely got a broken circuit because it's using twice the amount it shou-"
And then the man looked up.
And his orange eyes locked on Aisling's.
And his jaw fell open.
And the papers fell to the floor.
"… Dad?" Aisling's voice fizzled off into a pathetic squeak. Her lips parted in shock, and after a moment she raised her hands to her face as tears filled her eyes. "DAD!" She dropped her bag to the ground, running over and throwing herself into him with a sob. She buried her face in his chest, and hugged him tightly as her fists gripped the back of his shirt.
"… Is something going on?" A feminine voice asked from down the hall. "Nych? Bernard?"
"MOM!" Aisling lifted her head to shout, a wide smile crossing her face as tears rolled down her cheeks.
There was silence, and after a moment a woman skidded into view down the hall. "Aisling?!" She shouted, eyes wide. That was Willow Grace. "AISLING!!" She ditched the buckets she was carrying and sprinted towards her daughter and her husband as she flung herself into them with a sob. "Oh my god- Ais-" She whimpered, cupping her daughter's cheeks in her hands. "Y- You're alive- Oh God, I-"
Erile and Saythe stood in the background a bit awkwardly, considering neither of them had actually seen these people in person. They'd only heard stories and things of the like, but other than that…
"They're older than I pictured." Saythe whispered, and Erile concealed a chuckle. "Well they are your grandparents, buddy. They're supposed to be old." He whispered back.
Nych clung to Aisling like the lost child she was; he was absolutely sobbing, because Willow had designed him to be able to show the full range of human emotion. This was the farthest it had been tested, however, because his daughter had come back to him. His daughter had gotten through the apocalypse and now… She had come home.
Nych and Willow were absolute wrecks, but that made sense.
Aisling sobbed, clinging to her parents as if they'd drift away the second she'd let go. She had never thought she would see them again, now… She had her family back, and that was all that mattered.
Willow opened her eyes and furrowed her brows. "Hold on-" She grabbed her robotic arm, yanking it upwards to get a good look at it. "I- what happened to you?" She furrowed her brows, face creased with worry as she looked down at her daughter. "Your arm…" She bit the inside of her lip, glancing to Nych for a second before she gently brushed Aisling's hair away from her scar. "Your face." She said after a moment, studying the healing cut on her daughter's face.
Aisling laughed and sobbed at the same time, shaking her head. "L- Long story…"
It was Nych that first noticed Erile and Saythe.
"Honey." He said, alarm raising in his voice. He noticed the red hair. He saw the Grace features in his face, and then his eyes turned to Erile. A burning, scathing look crossed Nych's face as he eyed the man standing next to what he assumed was the newest in the Grace family.
"Who is this?"
The passion and happiness was still there, but there was alarm and potential anger otherwise.
Aisling sniffled, peeking out at her companions. She rubbed her eyes, and after a moment hesitantly pulled away from her parents to properly introduce everyone. "R- Right." She rubbed her eyes, gesturing to the little boy in front of them. "… This is my son."
Willow's lips parted in shock, and she stared at Aisling for a second before her eyes drifted to the little boy in front of them. "I-"
"… This is Saythe." She smiled, gesturing her son over. "And this is Erile, he's my friend." She gestured to him. She knew what Nych was thinking. "… He joined us a week or so ago. He's saved our asses at least three times now." She smiled at him, rubbing the back of her neck. "He's a good guy, don't worry."
The hatred left Nych's eyes, to be replaced with a sort of boundless sadness. "That means… The father…"
Nych got down onto one knee in front of Saythe, a sad smile on his face. "Hi… Saythe. I guess I'm your grandfather." The boy stared at the man in front of him for a little bit. He wasn't used to people telling him things like that, but eventually…
He threw his arms around the man's neck, a smile crossing his own face.
"Hi grandpa."
Willow hesitated, before she knelt down and smiled. "Hi Saythe. I'm Willow, I'm your grandmother." She smiled, glancing up at Aisling with a sort of sad understanding before gently placing a hand on Nych's back as she looked to the child who was supposedly her grandson.
Aisling sniffled, wiping her eyes and walking over to stand behind Erile. "… Thank you." She murmured after a second, looking up at him and tilting her head to the side. "We never would've gotten here without your help. I really owe you one." She smiled at him, tucking stray strands of orange hair behind her ears. "… Thanks for keeping him safe, too." She gestured to her son, softening somewhat. She was glad he was able to have this moment.
Now he could have a family like he always wanted.
It was then that Saythe did something strange. He whispered in Nych's ear, who after a few moments, nodded in a sort of semi-understanding. He then stood and took Willow and Bernard by the arms, and dragged them out of the room.
He closed the door behind them and then looked to Erile.
Both Erile and Aisling were shocked to see tears in his eyes.
"You're leaving now, aren't you? Right when we get here, where you could raise me as a father, you're going to leave? Right?"
Erile sighed. He knew this had been coming.
Aisling sighed, her heart breaking for the poor boy in front of them. She knew this would be hard on him, but she also knew that Erile needed to go. He had a job to do, whether he liked it or not. And truth be told, she didn't want to see him leave either. "Oh… Saythe…" She sighed, lifting a hand to her mouth.
This would be hard.
She glanced to Erile somewhat nervously. She wasn't sure how to explain it to this kid. "I-" She bit the inside of her lip, and sighed as she glanced away.
"Saythe." Erile said, dropping to one knee. "I know you don't understand. Hell, I wish I could stay, but… Your mom has a way to get your actual dad back now. And she loves him much more than she loves me."
His voice was sad, and it broke Aisling's heart to hear him sound like this. Especially after all he'd done for her and her son.
"But I'll try my very best to come back and visit, okay? Your mom knows I will, and now I'm telling you. My work is very hard, and I don't know if I'll be able to pop out in the right year, but… I will keep trying until I find you."
He hugged the boy, who hugged him back, tears streaming down his face.
And then Erile stood, turning to Aisling, with tears running down his face as well.
Aisling teared up, and then lunged forwards to hug him tightly. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, and bit her tongue to keep herself from sobbing. "… I'm going to miss you." She said quietly after a moment. "… If you ever get spit out in the right year again, please come and find us. I'm sure you know how to, considering you know so much about us already." She laughed softly, before it faded off.
She squeezed him tighter.
"… I hope you find your sister." She murmur
ed quietly. "And I hope everyone else you meet is kind to you." She pressed her eyes tightly shut. "Stay safe for me, okay? If you ever stop traveling around, and you need a place to settle down, our doors are always open for you."
Erile nodded his head, and pulled his helo-gun from his bag. "Here. Take this." He said, beginning to cry harder. He placed the gun into Aisling's hands and closed her fingers around it, gazing into her lavender eyes.
"You'll need it more than I do. And you have the soul-catcher. Shaun will be pulled out the next time someone travels from the Ea to the Vale to the Rith. Hell, that'll probably be me, but who knows if it'll be in the time where this machine is still active."
Erile knelt down and pulled out the machine they’d seen earlier; the one with a dial on it that had allowed him to tell them when he’d be leaving. Now, the hand was straight up, pointing towards a button on top.
He pressed it.
Immediately, his outline went fuzzy, and the two Graces had to wipe their eyes to make sure they were seeing clearly. He was fading, becoming more and more transparent with each passing second.
He held a hand up into the air, a sad smile decorating his face.
"High five?"
She blinked, before she sobbed and weakly held her hand up. "High five." She nodded her head, lifting the robotic hand and high fiving Erile as he faded away quickly.
"See you later." She waved, tears filling her eyes as she tried to ward off her emotions. He'd be okay. He'd be a lot safer out traveling through time than here with them.
And she wasn't sure what it was. If it was just her hoping beyond hope, or if it was her instincts…
But she felt like she'd see him again sometime later down the road.
Erile was fading. Fast. And then he remembered something crucial he hadn't told her.
She deserved to know when this hell would be over. When she’d get to live a normal life.