Chapter 11
They landed on Angel Island at eleven fifty, so they had ten minutes to converse with the others who were assembled. Isaac was wearing a black suit and tie, Karen, Mish, and Dragoon were well cleaned, and Dem had his hair combed back with an ungodly amount of gel holding it in place. Marcus was happy to see that Dem and Dragoon were both well behaved.
A large group slowly congregated around over fifty caskets. Each was covered with an American flag and surrounded by flower petals. A picture of each casualty with their names in gold lettering was laid upon the upper half of each casket. Marcus was not nearly foolish enough to enter the procession; he was too large. He chose to bow his head above the casket of Jason, his dead friend. Liz did the honor of kneeling to the rest of the men and two other soldiers, both of which she made friends with on the boat-ride to the island when it was held by the enemy.
Isaac walked and kneeled before every casket. His face remained neutral throughout the entire ordeal. As he and Liz walked, the other titanicus watched the procession move forward.
Thomas joined the march. He sat beside every casket and said some inspiring words that made everyone near him tear up. It was only on the casket of Jason that he began to cry. Marcus realized that he had many friends who died in Vietnam, but most of them he never knew before the draft. Jason, however, he had known since high school and lived as friends after the war for over fifty years. This was the casket of his best friend.
Mitch joined the procession as well. He was dressed in white robes with green and yellow cloth flowing down the sides. A cross was hung from his neck and a bible was pressed neatly under his arm. Marcus looked at him and Mitch said, “As I told you before, I gave advice to the brats at home. When you spoke to me of your crimes a week ago, that was your confession. Now, I go to give the eulogy.”
Dem’s lower jowl started to shake, and Mitch said, “If you have sorrow, you would only honor them by letting it show.”
Dem would have responded, but to everyone’s surprise, Dragoon was the first to honor the dead. He sobbed like a child who lost his first pet, Marcus thought. Mish leaned close in an attempt to comfort him, but Dragoon fell to the side and leaned against Dem’s leg. Dem shrugged him off, but Dragoon fell sideways and knocked Dem to the ground. Marcus realized it was a well-concealed attempt to knock Dem to the ground. Dem saw it too, but Dragoon had him in a tight embrace. Until he did something, Marcus would let him stay.
A few minutes later, he gained enough control to stand and walk back to Mish. Mish leaned her head over his and they leaned close to each other. Marcus turned away from the action and searched the process for Liz. He heard her say, “You still have no idea, do you?”
“Are you ready?”
“Yes, it’s too heartbreaking here for me. If I’m not careful, I might turn into Dragoon. I guess you were right; I can never truly love someone because they will all die one day.”
As Marcus took flight, he said, “I never said that; I said that you can never become attached close to a human outside of the youngest living generation. Still love your family and friends for what it is worth. Now that we are away from the procession, what is it you wanted to talk with me about?”
“It’s Mom, I’m worried for her.”
“What is it exactly that makes you worried, little one?”
“It’s just…she doesn’t seem to be all there. She almost never talks, never smiles, and spends a lot of time staring off into the distance. I’m afraid she might snap and do something dangerous.”
“Tell her to leave Treasure Island and make way for the tunnel on the south side of Yerba Buena. I will speak with her.”
“Is that wise? She has no idea what you look like and we haven’t told her who you are yet.”
“We have little choice. While our father had little family and you and I are our only siblings, she had three brothers, two sisters, and her mother was still alive. On top of that, the last time she saw her son he was surrounded on all sides by two thousand undead. For all of that to end in a split second of your life…she may be considering suicide. Tell her of my request and let us see if she can save herself.”
Marcus landed at the division line between Yerba Buena and Treasure Island. Liz leapt over the wall separating the two and Marcus walked over to the tunnel where he promised to stay. He waited over three hours before he smelt a familiar scent approach him. Marcus closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.
His mother walked around a corner, yelped at his sight, and dived behind a tree. When he made it obvious that he would not react, she looked over the tree at him. His mother moved with deliberate slowness around the tree and looked at the massive beast before her. She was obviously afraid, but she knew that Liz traveled from coast to coast with the creature; she had to at least thank…whoever it was.
She walked all the way around the tree and slowly walked closer. His mother was twenty feet away when he stopped breathing. She did the same and the world was silent for a full minute before she took a breath in.
Marcus knew that she was there, obviously, but he wanted her to approach him on her own. He wanted to know if his mother was still strong-willed enough to walk up to something that could easily rip a cruise ship apart. He also wanted to see if she still had trust for Liz, who had asked her to visit him. When she was brave enough to make a noise, he opened his eye. He did it slowly so as not to startle her, but still quickly enough to keep him from looking sleepy.
She said, “Um…y-you wanted t-to s-s-see me?”
“Yes I did. Liz told me she was worried for your well-being. I care for her, as I do for you.”
“Y-you care for me?”
She seemed to be filled more with a mix of awe and speculation than fear after Marcus revealed his caring for her. He said, “Tell me, would you like to know the fate of your son?”
She walked closer and said, “Is he alive? Is he with you?”
“Patience is a virtue.”
“Screw that; where is Marcus?”
“Do you remember his friend, Demetrius?”
“Well of course I…” she trailed off as she realized who she was talking to. Marcus leaned toward her until all she could see was a single giant eye. She embraced – or tried to embrace – what was left of her son. He told her, “I am only a shell of who I once was. Only in memory am I your child. But the memories of my family are the greatest I hold; I will never let them go.”
A large group slowly congregated around over fifty caskets. Each was covered with an American flag and surrounded by flower petals. A picture of each casualty with their names in gold lettering was laid upon the upper half of each casket. Marcus was not nearly foolish enough to enter the procession; he was too large. He chose to bow his head above the casket of Jason, his dead friend. Liz did the honor of kneeling to the rest of the men and two other soldiers, both of which she made friends with on the boat-ride to the island when it was held by the enemy.
Isaac walked and kneeled before every casket. His face remained neutral throughout the entire ordeal. As he and Liz walked, the other titanicus watched the procession move forward.
Thomas joined the march. He sat beside every casket and said some inspiring words that made everyone near him tear up. It was only on the casket of Jason that he began to cry. Marcus realized that he had many friends who died in Vietnam, but most of them he never knew before the draft. Jason, however, he had known since high school and lived as friends after the war for over fifty years. This was the casket of his best friend.
Mitch joined the procession as well. He was dressed in white robes with green and yellow cloth flowing down the sides. A cross was hung from his neck and a bible was pressed neatly under his arm. Marcus looked at him and Mitch said, “As I told you before, I gave advice to the brats at home. When you spoke to me of your crimes a week ago, that was your confession. Now, I go to give the eulogy.”
Dem’s lower jowl started to shake, and Mitch said, “If you have sorrow, you would only honor them by letting it show.”
Dem would have responded, but to everyone’s surprise, Dragoon was the first to honor the dead. He sobbed like a child who lost his first pet, Marcus thought. Mish leaned close in an attempt to comfort him, but Dragoon fell to the side and leaned against Dem’s leg. Dem shrugged him off, but Dragoon fell sideways and knocked Dem to the ground. Marcus realized it was a well-concealed attempt to knock Dem to the ground. Dem saw it too, but Dragoon had him in a tight embrace. Until he did something, Marcus would let him stay.
A few minutes later, he gained enough control to stand and walk back to Mish. Mish leaned her head over his and they leaned close to each other. Marcus turned away from the action and searched the process for Liz. He heard her say, “You still have no idea, do you?”
“Are you ready?”
“Yes, it’s too heartbreaking here for me. If I’m not careful, I might turn into Dragoon. I guess you were right; I can never truly love someone because they will all die one day.”
As Marcus took flight, he said, “I never said that; I said that you can never become attached close to a human outside of the youngest living generation. Still love your family and friends for what it is worth. Now that we are away from the procession, what is it you wanted to talk with me about?”
“It’s Mom, I’m worried for her.”
“What is it exactly that makes you worried, little one?”
“It’s just…she doesn’t seem to be all there. She almost never talks, never smiles, and spends a lot of time staring off into the distance. I’m afraid she might snap and do something dangerous.”
“Tell her to leave Treasure Island and make way for the tunnel on the south side of Yerba Buena. I will speak with her.”
“Is that wise? She has no idea what you look like and we haven’t told her who you are yet.”
“We have little choice. While our father had little family and you and I are our only siblings, she had three brothers, two sisters, and her mother was still alive. On top of that, the last time she saw her son he was surrounded on all sides by two thousand undead. For all of that to end in a split second of your life…she may be considering suicide. Tell her of my request and let us see if she can save herself.”
Marcus landed at the division line between Yerba Buena and Treasure Island. Liz leapt over the wall separating the two and Marcus walked over to the tunnel where he promised to stay. He waited over three hours before he smelt a familiar scent approach him. Marcus closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.
His mother walked around a corner, yelped at his sight, and dived behind a tree. When he made it obvious that he would not react, she looked over the tree at him. His mother moved with deliberate slowness around the tree and looked at the massive beast before her. She was obviously afraid, but she knew that Liz traveled from coast to coast with the creature; she had to at least thank…whoever it was.
She walked all the way around the tree and slowly walked closer. His mother was twenty feet away when he stopped breathing. She did the same and the world was silent for a full minute before she took a breath in.
Marcus knew that she was there, obviously, but he wanted her to approach him on her own. He wanted to know if his mother was still strong-willed enough to walk up to something that could easily rip a cruise ship apart. He also wanted to see if she still had trust for Liz, who had asked her to visit him. When she was brave enough to make a noise, he opened his eye. He did it slowly so as not to startle her, but still quickly enough to keep him from looking sleepy.
She said, “Um…y-you wanted t-to s-s-see me?”
“Yes I did. Liz told me she was worried for your well-being. I care for her, as I do for you.”
“Y-you care for me?”
She seemed to be filled more with a mix of awe and speculation than fear after Marcus revealed his caring for her. He said, “Tell me, would you like to know the fate of your son?”
She walked closer and said, “Is he alive? Is he with you?”
“Patience is a virtue.”
“Screw that; where is Marcus?”
“Do you remember his friend, Demetrius?”
“Well of course I…” she trailed off as she realized who she was talking to. Marcus leaned toward her until all she could see was a single giant eye. She embraced – or tried to embrace – what was left of her son. He told her, “I am only a shell of who I once was. Only in memory am I your child. But the memories of my family are the greatest I hold; I will never let them go.”
Chapter 12: Family Nap
|