The night it happened, at 3:45 AM., Elixia shook her son awake in a frenzy. "Wake up! Wake up now!" She tried to keep her voice as low as possible while shaking him. It didn't take long for him to wake up in a panic, expecting the worst. "Mama, what's wrong?" Although he knew the answer, his desire for a different one drove him to ask.
Elixia held her son's shoulders and looked into his eyes one last time; his breathing quickened, instantly knowing it was time. He heard a small group of people trying to break in through the front door, yelling and banging. They screamed for demands for money and food, and threats followed. He was sure the door would blow off its hinges at any moment. With every kick from the soldiers outside, the walls of their home trembled along with the people inside.
He couldn't move, frozen from head to tail as he felt the shockwaves enter his body. "Get up now, go to the basement, and get out through the backyard! They're coming!" Toranto had never heard his mother so afraid and determined, amazed that she was holding it together at a time like this. He immediately got up, grabbed his bag, and followed her to the basement. He grabbed his mother's hand on the way down, not wanting to be separated for a moment.
"Wait, I have to help your grandparents get out. Go without us, and if anything happens, I love you, Toranto." To his horror, she let go of his hand and left to aid her parents. "I love you, too," he said halfheartedly and resisted the urge to break down on the spot. He shook his head and watched her enter their room before running to the basement per her desire. His legs were heavy, his heart pounding, and everything within him wanted to turn back to be with his family.
I don't want to go alone! Can't I just wait for them? But Mama told me to go. She wants me to go, she wants me to escape, they want me to escape! I have to escape! But I can't move my legs, but I have to! I have to do this! They want me to do this! They want me to be strong! They want this! They want this! They want this! They want this! They want this! They want this! They want this! They want this!
He repeated to himself the desires of his family, for him to survive, he wasn't sure he could've made it down otherwise. Toranto quickly made his way to the basement tunnel and began running to the backyard. He made it halfway down the tunnel before turning around to the sight of…no one.
Where are they??? The banging, the yelling, the walls shaking, it never stopped. It was so violent that dust was falling from the ceiling of the basement pathway onto his fur and hair. But by now, he expected to see his mother and grandparents entering behind him. In reality, there was no one.
I can't just leave without knowing where they are!
Knowing this went against their wishes, he chose to stay and listen for them. He heard three sets of footsteps on the ground floor; they were running to the basement door from the other side of the house.
That must be them! They got out! They-
A loud bang echoed through the home as the front door burst open. From below, Toranto heard wood planks and nails from the barricade hitting the floor. He clutched his bag tightly enough to tear into it, pain emanating from his mouth as his teeth pressed together, his limbs shook violently as he listened to the events above him, mere meters away.
No…
Then, out of nowhere, his ears rang in pain as the shockwaves of an explosion quickly traveled throughout their home. It shook the home's foundation, dust raining from the roof of the pathway. The fear in his heart skyrocketed, trying to figure out what had just happened.
No…
He heard all three of their bodies hit the floor right after the explosion. He held his hand over his mouth, trying to steady his panicked breathing. It took all his willpower to remain underground, holding his legs back from sprinting to his family's aid.
No…please no…
His ears shifted toward the front door as the heavy footsteps of about five people poured in. Before he could do anything, his ears immediately picked up the sound of gunfire above him. Two shots, that's all that were fired. Stumbling over, he grabbed the walls of the basement. His heart was thrashing in his chest, his breathing was completely unstable, and he felt as if he could pass out at any moment.
Please no…please no… please no…
But, despite everything, nothing was louder to him than his mother's screams. A sound that resonated within his body like an echo chamber.
That's Mama's voice…
His fists clenched, gritting his teeth, the only thing holding him back was his mother's desire for him to escape. Even the ground beneath his feet began to contract, his emotions accidentally triggering a small earth charm. Upon detecting a change in the earth beneath him, he again tried to maintain focus and control his charm casting.
Above him, Elixia cried over the bodies of her parents, mourning the two people in the world who protected her for so long. She took the hands of her mother and father, refusing to let go. As she lay there facing away from the soldiers, one of them walked up to her: "She looks younger; she can still work." The man, covered entirely in military gear, stood over Elixia for a moment before slamming the back of his gun into her skull.
For her, the entire world went white for a split second before her vision tried to repair itself. Her mind was nothing but a haze, as a loud ring was all she heard. She looked down at her parents, still holding their hands, before everything quickly went dark, and her consciousness faded. Her thoughts returned to her only son, happy that he was safe.
In the basement tunnel, Toranto heard the gunfire, his mother's screams, and the sound of one more body hitting the floor. Footsteps congregated where his mother collapsed; it went quiet for a moment, and then he heard all the soldiers leave.
He stood there, not knowing what to think or what to do. So, he did the only thing he could think of.
Please still be alive…
Controlling his panicked state and focusing for a moment, he tried to locate everyone's souls. He closed his eyes and calmed his mind just enough to focus on the charm. With it, he could feel the souls of any living thing around him. Homing in on the space just above him, he prayed that everyone was someone still alive.
No…
Tears ran down his face; he felt it in clear detail, Roman and Pauline were dead. Their souls were quickly fading from their bodies, and there was nothing he could do about it. His mother's soul was nowhere to be found.
Grandma…Grandad…they're dead. And Mama's gone…how, why…please no…
He fell to his knees, and his tears hit the ground beneath him. His family was gone. He clutched the dirt, trying to gather the strength to get up and leave his home. His entire body was heavy, his mind was filled with nothing but true despair. But the only thing he could do was push forward, just as his mother wanted him to.
He wiped away his tears, tried to steady his breathing, and used what little strength remained to gather his composure. He picked up his bag and dragged himself to the cellar door. Climbing out of it, he took one last look at his home, knowing he would likely never see it again.
…bye
He ran, trudging through the snow, trying to get far away from anywhere he heard gunfire. He ran for over half an hour and, eventually, found himself deep in the middle of the forest. Far from any village, he sat below a tree to catch his breath and finally began processing everything that had just happened.
As the adrenaline slowed within his body, his mind calmed itself for the first time in a week. He laid his bag down and curled into a ball, his tail wrapped around his legs. Tears fell from both eyes, but there was no one to wipe them away.
…
He lost everything: his home, his grandmother, his grandfather, and his mother. The warm future he envisioned for his family was now a distant memory. It was all for nothing. The lifetime's worth of effort from his family and himself meant nothing now, as life was gone for him.
He held his tail close to his body, thinking of how he held his mother's tail as a child when he was afraid. It wasn't much, but any reminders of her were a blessing to him right now. He thought of his grandfather, who could always think of the positives in a bad situation. He tried to be like him, choosing to continue pushing forward for the sake of the family he lost.
He thought of his mother's last words to him: "I love you, Toranto." I love you, too, Mama.