The Second Forty-Seventh
Nicole Easterwood
Blue eyes piercing me, and always, to his advantage, making the guilt of leaving even stronger than it would be otherwise. His eyes, their grasp, is what wills me to stay, and his wrists wielding the scars of previous bad nights anchor my feet. But, I can’t be held under such spells when all that matters—the nation’s safety—lies in my hands, and who am I to handle something so fragile so carelessly? Who am I to deny him of a better life? He could have a life without the consequences of being abused due to my lack of recognition for authority. He could have a life without me. The words cut deep. Much deeper than what I thought was possible, but I cannot look back. I release myself from the sea, and I head out to the war. I only hope that Ezio can hold his own.
I wasn’t supposed to be the one to go. But with the way Ezio has been acting lately, I volunteered. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time, but even since two weeks ago since the time of assignment, I have come to realize that Ezio is never going to forgive me this time, and he is going to perceive my imminent death as his fault. His weakness being the burden I have been forced to carry. But I am not weary of what lies ahead in the next few days. I am only welcoming. For if I am to die, who better to die for than the one who laid his life down for mine so many times before?
“Lykke, are you awake,” Ezio whispers at me from the left side of the bed.
I wish he’d come closer. His hands used to be inseparable from mine during times like this, but now they’re out of reach, and Shroud day is nearing.
I crawl across the king sized bed toward him, and he inches back from me, like I am a leper.
“Ezio,” I whisper back, “you don’t have to scatter every time I try to establish any form of closeness.” He nears even further back and bangs his head into the oak table by the bedroom door. I see drops of blood making their way around to the scruff on his left cheek, and I jump up and run to his side. Ezio turns and begins to scratch vigorously at the red, wooden door.
“Ezio! Please stop! Come back to me!” I scream, and I can’t figure out if it’s the paint melting off the door, or an ever increasing stream of blood flooding its way down from the doorknob as Ezio is fighting to get away from me.
I remember when this house used to be filled with comfort, now all consumes us is terror. A place where love used to reign supreme and echo from the walls onto our faces, lies a black cloud that rains red and punctures all who try to fight it.
Ezio is fighting to get back to me, not away.
The scars on his arms tell me so, and whatever it takes I will not bow. I will do anything to get him back. If dying is what it takes, some drug, sheer euphoria will consume my every being with a whisper of love bestowed back upon us.
I can tell it’s Shroud day. Black berkas cover the faces of all commoners. They all know what is to come. War. They know who is to lead the covert kamikaze team. The woman in red. Red seems to be consuming everything right now.
I see Ezio in the front row. He’s wearing gold—the color of veterans. I could have been taking his seat. I could have let him die this time. But he’s unstable and suffering, and I love him too much to know I’d have to live without him. He’ll soon forget who the woman in red is, and he’ll drift further away from the home we created together. I know I’ll never see him again, and it is these last glances into eyes that glare only hate that are making my hands tremor the most.
I look away from Ezio, and I stare at the task at hand. The Bungals have tried to invade Pergian territory again, killing seventy-two, and leaving our dwindling population with a mere 982. The first forty-seventh were captured trying to protect the border. We have to fight for those who are left.
My name is Lykke Sorreno. I am married to Ezio Sorreno. We were both chosen for the first forty-seventh team to guard the boarder and protect the citizens of Pergia. We were both captured. The other seven in our squad team were slaughtered as soon as we arrived on Bungal grounds. Ezio and I were tortured, but we managed to retaliate for the slaughter of the seven others. Together we killed eighty-four members of the Bungal army. Ezio and I escaped. He was first in command. I was second.
I am the leader of the second forty-seventh.
We are on a suicide mission.
Our mission is to destroy the nation of Bungal.