Jut random things I write

started and continued, story - 4

When she finally got to the stage in the centre of the Square, she could still feel every eye and camera staring at her like they were inspecting a puzzle looking for where to fit their piece. Gordon had been watching her the entire time along with everyone else, but he was determined to make this into a newspaper headline so the thrust the micro phone in Cora's face and asked "Was she a sister, cousin, daughter?" Cora didn't really feel like she had the option of whether she got to answer because of the tone of his voice and the fact that everyone who could hear them was holding their breath. "I promised her I would come back" she mumbled. "What was that? Come on into the microphone –"he encouraged her, "I promised her I would come back..." she said her voice barely above a whisper but the microphone projecting the sound throughout the Square and sending it echoing through the streets, "And," she mustered all her courage, "I will."

Cora and her four teammates trapesed offstage in grim silence as all the eyes of the people in the crowd watched on solemnly. If the previous events had ever happened before, no one knew about them and there were already many adults crying in the crowds but now almost everyone had been reduced to a tearful mess. Cora spied her mother over her shoulder and turned her head grimly away – not looking back until she was relatively safe inside the hospital lobby. The usual drab hospital décor had been stripped off the walls and replaced with colourful depictions of the Guardians battling the demons a few decades before when the world had been riddled with evil until it was so corrupted and twisted that war had broken out across the globe. And in the aftermath and new race had risen, one built up entirely of survivors. People from all different races, ethnicities and backgrounds rose from the ashes as one and – against all odds – put aside their differences to create a new future.

Suddenly gun shots ran out across the Square and people screamed outside. The ground shook and part of the ceiling fell on top of Laura Croft just to Cora's left. More bombs rained down over the buildings and left smoke trailing upwards from the fire and chaos that ensued. Amidst the panic and alarm of the Square, a man dressed smartly in a white suit was dropped off onto the podium by a shiny black helicopter. He picked up the microphone, which Gordon had dropped when the first bomb went off, and the microphone stand, which had fallen over when part of the hospital had collapsed, and positioned them in-front of the camera still on the building. Somehow it was still streaming the live footage to every community in the world and Cora had a feeling that's what the man wanted.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," his voice cut through the shouting like a knife and everyone was immediately silent, "for years we have suffered out here in the fields, labouring away to serve the Guardians while they sit in the luxury and safety of their homes. We have suffered in silence, in vain, in bitterness. Now it is the turn of the people to rise and fight the demons that are our Guardians, a different type of demon. We have the numbers, we have the anger and we have the power!" everyone let out the breath they didn't know they'd been holding,"so what do you say? Shall we fight? Raise your hand if you are with me!".

 No one moved, which was surprising because everything the man had said was true: they had been suffering for a long time and they were angry. But still no one moved. After a minute the mystery man cleared his throat and spoke again, "Well then have it your way, but now hell will climb up from the soil and drag you down to your graves. You. Had. Your. Chance."

The helicopter circled back around and dropped a rope ladder crackling with electricity. The man – whose suit was now a bit grey because ash was raining from the sky – held onto it and was frozen in place as the helicopter flew upwards and away. As soon as they disappeared over the horizon and mummer broke out and questions hurried through the mass of people who had regrouped during the speech. Everyone was wondering who that man was and what he meant by 'hell will climb up from the soil and drag you down to your graves'. He couldn't have meant it literally, of course not.