Jessie continued to cry over her boyfriend’s body. She never heard the scream of her name, nor the impending footsteps of enemy soldiers. She could only focus on Dion, her boyfriend.

She had begged him not to go out into the street, but he did anyway. She’d always loved his curiosity and stubbornness though, on that day, it was what she loved that had gotten him killed.

She had stayed in her parents’ house, where they had both been visiting when the soldiers began their invasion. She had watched intently through the window as he approached the soldiers. His hands had been raised to show no ill intent. Jessie’s eyes had remained so focused on Dion, she almost missed the soldier stepping out of formation to raise their weapon at him.

Jessie’s father had muffled her screams in his chest when the blast rang out. He held her in his arms and tried to shield her from the atrocity that just occurred.

She fought against his hold and managed to get out of the house, all the while her parents were screaming for her to stay.

She had sprinted to the street to be with Dion. In her mind, if she was going to die, she wanted to be with him.

He was already dead when she arrived, a small part of her knew that. But that didn’t stop her from attempting to stop the bleeding or begging him to wake up.

She hadn’t noticed when Gregory rushed to the scene, nor when he checked Dion’s pulse.

Suddenly, she felt an iron grip on her jaw as her head was lifted. She thought she was about to be shot too and winced away from the grasp. The mysterious hand didn’t let go of her, it merely held on tighter.

“My name is Gregory. I’m Caledornian. If you don’t come with me now…” he trailed off as he glanced towards the soldiers.

Jessie didn’t follow his glance. She was still unaware of the impending closeness of the soldiers.

Jessie stared at him, tears still streaming down her face. She didn’t understand the words he had said. It felt like she was drowning. The world around her was muffled and blurry, the only thing she knew with any certainty was that her hands were sticky.

She watched as the man sighed. He moved towards her and she was too numb to respond. In an instant, she was scooped up and thrown over his shoulder.

Looking down, she saw Dion and she knew couldn’t leave him. She kicked and punched the man holding her, attempting to claw her way back to Dion.

Her valiant efforts to be released were for nothing though. The grip on her tightened instead of releasing or loosening but she continued to fight as Dion’s body got further away.

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Her body was suddenly tossed. She landed against a plush fabric, but her head hit a hard surface. She took a quick glance around and realized she was in her parents' car.

The man who had picked her up sat next to her, slamming the door shut with haste.

“Drive!” he yelled at her parents.

Her father immediately slammed his foot on the gas, setting the car in motion.

Jessie panicked and went to open the door that would lead her back to Dion. When she pulled the handle, nothing happened. The door remained shut.

“Sorry, kiddo. Child lock,” her father told her in a morose tone.

Jessie’s panic only grew as she tried to open the door. Again. And again.

With fresh tears staining her face, she spun around and looked out the rear window. She hoped to see Dion one last time, but instead all she saw was a sea of red soldiers.

Jessie gasped. She had no idea they were so close, nor that they had continued marching.

The sudden realization that if she had stayed with Dion, she’d have been dead hit her like a ton of bricks. Her chest heaved and her head started to throb.

She had to leave behind the only person she’d ever loved. But, she almost lost her own life in a moment of desperation. Jessie’s heart raced at an unsustainable rhythm. She felt lightheaded as the armed soldiers continued to march.

A gentle hand laid upon her shoulder.

She looked up to see her mother’s bloodshot eyes gazing back at her. Seeing her familiar face, Jessie started to normalize her breathing. She tried to calm down, but her thoughts still ricocheted around her skull.

“I’m so sorry, love. So so sorry,” the older woman choked on her words, releasing a sob.

“D-Dion,” was all Jessie could say.

“I know, kiddo. I know. We’ll keep you safe now,” her father spoke up.

“Wha-what do we do now?” she quietly asked, shocked by the shift her day had taken.

“Get the fuck out of the country,” a deep voice said beside her.

Jessie’s eyes jumped to the man next to her. She had forgotten he was in the car. She had almost forgotten who he was at all, but she remembered the fight she had put up while he attempted to save her life.

“And go where exactly?” her father queried the stranger. “We have no money and no family outside Caledorn.” With every word his voice strained more.

“I…” Jessie started, ignoring her father’s stress. “Th-thank you.”

The man looked at her, the stress and concern evident in every crease upon his face. He sighed before responding, “I know you probably hate me for what I did, but I panicked. I’m sorry.” He hung his head lower when he apologized.

Jessie didn’t respond because a part of her did hate him. A part of her would never forgive him for forcing her away from Dion. But, another part of her respected him for saving her life.

“Jesus, John! What’s that?” Jessie’s mother squealed, pointing to the road up ahead.

Jessie glanced through the window to see a massive barricade with tanks and soldiers up ahead. She panicked, assuming they’d be trapped on the street with the enemy flanking both sides.

“’Bout time Caledorn got their act together and started defending itself,” the man muttered under his breath.

“Wh-what?” Jessie asked.

“The uniforms. They’re blue, not red. Caledorn army,” he responded while pointing at a group of soldiers.

Jessie felt the tension leave her shoulders as she sagged back into the streets. She felt safe for a moment. Relieved, she turned to nestle into Dion. She stopped short, realizing she could never find comfort in him again. Fresh tears welled up in her eyes.

Her family car approached the barricade. A soldier waved them to a halt.

“Evening sir, I’m Corporal Brady Young. Please make your way through the barricade and evacuate the area immediately,” the man spoke in a calm manner as if he wasn’t fazed by the war at all.

Jessie found herself glaring at him as they drove by and through the barricade. She was angry that he seemed so much more prepared than she could have ever dreamed of being.