Marching Boys

Prologue

The day had been a sunny one, sided with warm weather and a cool breeze. The local team was winning and fans were crowded around screens of every size to cheer them on. Alice, never one for sports, anyways, slipped out the back door as her younger brother loudly whooped at yet another score. In comparison to the energy inside, the back porch was quiet and calm, the slowly setting sun painting the backyard in a orangeish pink hue. She leaned against the porch railing, breathing in the summer air. It was refreshing, the distant smell of newly cut grass and the creek on the other side of the street tickling her nose.

“I almost don’t have the heart to interrupt you when you look like that,” a voice spoke up, startling the young girl as she placed a hand over her heart, wide eyed. The new arrival chucked at her overly dramatic reaction, hazel eyes twinkling slightly in amusement.

“‘Natalia Garcia,” Alice chuckled, smiling softly upon recognizing the other, “You know better than to jump out at me like that.”

“Sorry. I keep forgetting the French in you is a big sissy,” Natalia teased, stepping up to her and wrapping her arm around the other’s middle.

“Jerk,” Alice stuck out her tongue in return, “What are you doing here, anyways? It’s almost dark.” She nodded in the direction of the sun descending below the horizon.

“Snuck out to see you, Babe,” she smirked, mischievously. Alice laughed, resting her head against Natalia’s shoulder.

“You know, I can’t help but think you would have snuck out even if you didn’t have someone to come see,” she accused, playfully.

“Now, why would you think-“ Natalia was cut short by the sound of a gun going off - followed by a scream - making the both of them snap their heads in the direction it’d come from. Alice was the first to recover from the shock, disentangling herself from Natalia to rush inside.

“Mom!” Alice yelled, screeching to a stop in the living room where her family had been peacefully sitting moments before. Two of her three brothers crouched down to the side, cowering. The moment she came into sight, the third one whip around to aim the fated weapon they’d heard seconds ago at her. Her final brother, a young teenage boy name Jaques, stood behind the trigger, finger hovering over it.

“Don’t move!” he shouted, forcefully, “Or I’ll shoot you three, too!”

“Jaques,” she gasped, eyes widening in horror as their mother lay bleeding out on the floor, “Lemme help her! You have to let me help her!”

“Stay put!” Jaques trained the gun on the two others, the youngest of them beginning to cry.

“Let’s talk about this…” Alice attempted to reason, reaching out a tentative hand towards him, “Just give me the gun and-“

“No,” he replied, “I am here as a messenger.”

“A messenger?” Alice repeated, doing her best to remain calm. She hadn’t noticed when Natalia had followed her inside until there was a hand on her shoulder. Jaques’ eyes narrowed.

“You’ve brought sin down upon this whole family,” he explained, aiming his hateful glare at Natalia. The hazel eyes that returned his furious blue ones were void of anything, “I was contacted by God’s people. Told how I could save myself. I am phase one.”

“What?” Alice questioned, confused, “Phase one of what?”

“Of the final judgement,” Jaques let a sadistic grin cross his face, “The end is nigh. God’s Militia is ready.” He brought the gun to his own temple, ignoring Alice’s protests, and pulled the trigger.

A second shot overpowered the screams of terror of her youngest brother, something sticky splatting lightly across her face. Jaques fell to the ground, motionless. The gun clattered to her feet, leaving behind it’s ominous warning of more to come.

“Oh god,” Alice felt weak, unable to move. She barely heard Natalia’s voice behind her, speaking into her cellphone with one hand and the other gripping her shoulder tightly.

On the television, the local team scored their winning point, cheers rising up from the fans present at the game. For once, no one in that household was cheering along with them.