(Solmonath 28, 56 / 4:58PM)
The silence was all Luke could do as he remembered the scene many times in his head…
When he looked to see if his mother would see him go, he saw the man he thought was cool with, murdering his mother in cold blood.
The piercing gunshot caused everyone to panic, including the conductor at the time.
(Conductor) Bring in the anchor! … we’re leaving…
That was the last thing the conductor told the crew members, leaving the rest of the passengers to either jump on the boat, into the river or try to find whatever means to get out of the city.
As the boat traveled throughout the city canals, everyone felt a sense of relief wash over them.
Except for Luke…
Luke remained to say nothing as if he was shell-shocked from the whole experience. Clinging onto his legs and putting his head on his knees, he curled himself up to try to get rid of all the horrible memories in just the span of a couple hours…
(Random stranger #1) Poor kid. Do you think he lost his parents?
(Random stranger #2) From the looks of it, I say he saw some nasty stuff. That’s not good for a kid his age…
As others commented on the anti-social Luke, who just wanted to be alone, arguing amongst the crew members and the conductor commenced.
(Conductor) What do you mean we can’t stop in Clastgade? We barely have enough fuel to get over there so why are they canceling our—
(Crew member #1) Conductor sir, please listen to this.
As Luke was near the door of the conductor’s room, he managed to overhear the news coming from inside, despite being a recluse.
The sounds of radio static were loud and bearing, causing the crew members and conductor to clean their ears to listen through.
(Guy on radio) static—I repeat! Clastgade is overrun! I repeat! Clastgade is overrun—static—what is that white ugly bastard doing—static…
(Conductor) No way…
(Crew Member #2) Castglade is just 300 miles northwest of here…
Silence and dread fell as the conductor and crew members heard the shocking news of what was left of the radio transmission from Castglade. It was starting to spark fear and worry amongst everyone in the boat.
(Random stranger #3) If castglade is being hit the same as us? Then does that mean?
(Random stranger #4) Is Ticia being invaded?
(Random stranger #5) Is this the end of the world?
Everyone started to panic, as they were left in the dark. Trying to find more radio stations that connect around the country, they linked their radios to other cities in the country of Ticia.
(Woman on radio) Please, whoever is out there, save us—static—my child is missing! Please help me save my child—static—I don’t want to die! I don’t want to—static…
(Conductor) Where was this transmission from?
(Crew member #3) Visily Harbor sir, 600 miles northwest from here…
(Conductor) … get me to all the radio stations that connect to every city from here to Fort Damns, Lake Lofney, and Greathedghe!
(Crew member #3) But sir, our radios only connect to the Naamah forest region, we wouldn’t be able to hear other—
(Crew member?) Here you go, sir…
One of the crew members gave the conductor a black radio set. Upon seeing the way it was structured and how it was handcrafted, it looked as if…
(Conductor) You aren’t a crew member, are you?
(Crew Member?) No sir … I’m a rookie agent from the FUC … I got on board this boat to escape the chaos that’s all…
(Conductor) hmm? Well what reason do I have for kicking you out, so I guess I’m stuck with you…
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Plugging the wires into the control room, the black radio set then started to spazz out so much, causing many people’s eardrums in the room to swell with pain.
Followed by the curiosity of everyone on the boat…
Luckily, the rookie agent managed to get a read on the many areas and radio stations that he wanted to check upon for any readings of overruns or attacks.
(Conductor) Check any radio stations in the Azazel subtropical region, and search for cities like Saint Nick, Ward Bay, and Lake Loffney.
(Crew Member #3) Coming up in just a second.
The turns radio controls keep shifting as the crew tries to see if there’s whatever's left of Ticia, but the radio transmissions say otherwise.
(Guy on the radio) Run! Run! Run before the blue monster—static…
(Crew Member #3) That’s from Saint Nick, only 450 miles southwest of here…
(Conductor) Give me Ward Bay.
(Crew Member #3) Ward Bay coming in now, reaching the radio tower 750 miles southwest from here.
(Woman on the radio) Where’s the military when you need it—static—we shouldn’t have completely defunded the Ticia military—static—get your ass down—static—
(Conductor) Shit … get me cities of the Angharad valley!
(Crew Member #3) Coming up sir!
(Rookie Agent’s thoughts) Maybe I should've been stationed at Lagefor then Clastine…
Cities like Tringho and Armadillo Wells were reporting the same things as what was reported in Ward Bay.
Other regions were reporting other instances all over the country, like the Ebony Tall Tree region to the north and the Liberia Autumn forest to the west. The city of Ridesta in the Ebony region was also attacked as well as the city of Saint Giselle in the Liberia region. It was now known that Clastine wasn’t the only one who was brutally hit with despair.
(Conductor) Son of a bitch…
(Crew Member #3) But the cities such as Lake Lofney, Greathedge, and Fort Dams report nothing particular going on, which meant that some of Ticia weren’t attacked…
(Rookie Agent) But Fort Damns and Greathedge all bordered near Kepputha, and Lake Lofney borders Haxouburg…
(Conductor) But still, this all happened less than 2 hours ago…
(Rookie Agent) Can it be that we were invaded by the east then?
(Conductor) You think we were invaded east of Clastine? The easternmost city of the world—
Then came the message heard around the world…
(???) My fellow citizens! Today is not a day for rejoicing, for it is a day of remembrance.
(Conductor) Is that the President Reed of Kepputha? What’s he doing in the Tician radio channels?
Everyone on the boat came to hear the message heard across all radio channels. Everyone was so worked up that even Luke, who still was recovering from trauma, looked to see the radio message heard around the world.
(Rookie Agent) It’s classified, but I think he initiated the Protocol TerraMessenger…
(Crew Member #3) I thought it’s supposed to be classified?
(Rookie Agent) I don’t have much to lose now, declassifying protocols is the least of my worries…
As the crew members and conductor take the agent’s word for granted, everyone continued with listening to the radio, their ears perched against the radio waves that carry solace and reconciliation.
(President Reed) I’ve received news that the country of Ticia was strategically and mercilessly attacked by forces we cannot comprehend. For it is a day that we, by the union of ordered governments—
Something was pulsating light coming from the fiery city…
As everyone then decided to look at what was going on, their eyes opened wide as the orange flamed monster stopped playing with its toys and started to look up in the sky.
Since everyone was on the outskirts of the city, they saw most of the buildings in the downtown district completely destroyed, and in the center, the monster looked lonely as her fun time was over. The light pulsating more and more as if it was …
(Conductor) Sweet Noah the gardener…
(Crew member #3) What is that thing doing?
(President Reed) Our Tician brothers are going through hell on Terra just to survive, but my citizens, do not treat these your Tician brothers harshly, for they—
The pulsing of the beast continued to marvel at everyone on the boat on the outskirts of the city, the pulsating continuing more and more, as if …
Luke saw this pulsating and in a surprising twist …
(Luke’s thoughts) I’m hungry…
Depressingly, he saw in his pocket a raisin, almost resembling that of a black banana seed. Ingesting it. He didn’t know what to do, since he thought that it would be nice to eat something, considering that he hadn’t eaten lunch or dinner, and had half a plate of breakfast.
But when he tried eating the raisin, Luke noticed that he couldn’t eat it, since it was too hard, so he decided to just swallow it like a pill. As much as it smelled like blood, he couldn’t find a taste or sense to describe the flavor, but that wasn’t important—
Because when Luke ate the raisin, Luke dropped down, holding his stomach tightly, writhing in uttermost pain and agony.
(Luke’s thoughts) Aah, it hurts! It hurts! It hurts!
His stomach hurt so much that he curdled up like a ball. His eyes closed them shut, trying to bear with the pain and such.
(Conductor) That monster is pulsating more and more…
(Luke’s thoughts) Someone! Mom! Please help me, the pain…
(Conductor) Oh shit … everyone get—
(President Reed) Have been through hell and back—
(Luke’s thoughts) It hurts—
Then came light…
Light so bright that it shined brighter than any day in the history of Clastine as if it was …
Something brighter than the sun …
Light so bright that when the unfortunate saw they—
(Conductor) Aah! Aah! My eyes! My eyes!
Everyone on the boat felt as if they saw white more than they should’ve seen…
(Random Kid #1) Mommy. Mommy, where are you?
(Random Mother #1) Tracy? Tracy? Are you here?
Kids started bawling as they couldn’t see their parents, parents worried and panicking as they had managed to lose sight of their kids… as for Luke…
(Luke’s thoughts) What happened?
Luke managed to overcome the pain, but with a stroke of luck, his pain caused him to not open his eyes to the flash of super bright light…
(Luke’s thoughts) Uh no …
Everyone on the ship was disoriented of some sort, as if they didn’t know what was in front or back of them, except for Luke. Kids, parents, toddlers, elderly, no one was able to see walk normally as if someone blindfolded them—
Then came the shockwave…
The intense wave hit the boat, with so much force that it almost turned—
No, it capsized the boat itself…
Thus, Luke fell, a ship sinking to the bottom of the river…
Followed by all the people who didn’t know what was happening at that moment, which …
Made it their last…