Chapter 1
That day started normal. My mother picked her herbs. I accompanied her to a home delivery. We were home in time for lunch. The day was like no other, though. Nothing would be the same.
“Do you know when father will be home?” I ask, smashing herbs in a small dish for my mother’s next patient, while my mother prepared food for our meal. Her identical blonde hair, dipped in berries and leaving a dark pink stain in the yellow color. Since I was born, she has been dying the tips of my hair in this way. She said it sets us apart. Father said it’s what attracted him to her.
“There’s no telling. They took a large loss this last run. I imagine this will go as badly. The numbers for the scouts are dwindling. No one wants to get eaten anymore.”
I nod, not looking up at her. We both know what isn’t said...that my father might not come back at all.
The house rumbles, stopping our movements. We look to each other before running outside, into the town square. Others have down the same, staring at the walls in horror. I barely get a glance at the large face peering over the wall before my body is being dragged away.
“Mom,” I struggle in her grasp. “Mom!” She doesn’t stop until we get home, her hands already shaking badly as she grabs a bag, filling it with various items.
“Mom! What are you doing?!” I gasp out, my hands grabbing her frantic ones. Her eyes look into mine, fearful.
“We need to go. Right now.” Her bag is full as I grab as much as I can into my own. Together, we run out, towards the interior gate. A man with dark hair and a rose on as his emblem, signifying that he’s from the Garrison division, stops my mother and I.
“Eve! Remain calm.”
“Dammit, Gracian, we need to evacuate, now. Right now, we are apples in a barrel for these titans. Do not fight me on this.” She stares him down before he finally relents, letting us through the gate.
“I’m doing this for Commander Erwin, remember that!” he yells after us, but neither of us slow to glance back. There’s a line waiting to get on boats, and my mother urgently pushes me forward, through the crowd.
“M’am, we are full!” a short plump man says, pushing my mother back. I don’t know why he gets to decide. He’s not from the military.
“Just my daughter, please,” she pleads with him, pushing my body forward.
“We already have too many!” He isn’t backing down, and I feel a sense of dread filling me inside.
“One more will not sink this boat!” she yells at him. “Do you know who I am?!”
A loud smack silences the crowd and I stare in horror at the handprint appearing on her check. My body lunges at him, but I’m being pulled away before I can get more than a kick at him. She goes to the gate of Trost, looking around in desperation. The wall is too tall to climb up and the gate remains firmly closed.
“Eve! Eliora!” We turn to see Gracian, a close friend of ours from the Garrison unit.
“Gracian! You have gear on you! Can you get my daughter to Trost?” My mother asks frantically, begging our close family friend.
He looks between us before nodding. “I can get you both there. Hold on.”
My body clings to him as he clumsily gets us to the top of the wall. My eyes widen in agony when the interior gate is smashed open by a different titan. I claw away at Gracian who continues to lower me down.
“Go get her, dammit!” I yell at him when he lets go. He nods, scaling back up the wall. I wait tensely, the minutes passing as if by hours. Then, finally hours did pass and the day turned into night.
I’m alone. Completely alone.
“M’am, what’s happened?” A hand grabs onto me, turning me around. It’s an elderly man, fear on his face.
“Wall Maria fell to the titans,” I reply, my voice hoarse. Is it from screaming? Shock?
“Oh no! Catherine! Come here!”
I turn back to the wall, as if giving my mother a final will to come over.
“Gunther, what is with all this yelling! You’re on my nerve! What-” the older lady’s voice trails off upon seeing me. “Miss, do you need help?”
I stumble over my words, looking between the elderly couple, before finally getting words out. “I think so. My mother is...g-gone.” I fall to my knees, tired, emotionally and physically. She comes over, hugging me to her, and I cling as if she could substitute for my mother.
“Go get Forest. He can carry her home.”
The rest of a night is a blur, a bad dream more-so. It’s not until the next morning, does it settle in what happened. Instead of my mother’s blonde haired self, greeting me good morning, wearing a usual plaid dress, I’m left to deal with a grumpy elderly man, arguing with the woman, Catherine. They both stop when I walk in.
“Here, have some seed porridge. It isn’t much, but it helps us through the day,” she says, having me sit down before a bowl appears in front of me. I take small bird sized bites so I don’t appear rude. I just don’t have an appetite.
“What’s your name, child?”
“Eliora.” I push the bowl away, not able to eat anymore without throwing up.
“Do you have any family left? That you could stay with?” Gunther says, though I can tell it’s so they can be rid of me.
“I think I have a father still alive.”
“Great!” He claps his hands together. “We’ll get a message to him—”
“He’s in the Survey Corps.”
Gunther stops, his face falling into a frown. He goes to speak again, but is interrupted by the door opening, Forest coming in. He looks my age, a light stubble along his jawline, and I can’t help but wonder if he’s their grandson.
“Oh good, you’re awake.” He helps himself to a bowl of food before sitting across from me. “What’s your name?”
I repeat my name, staring as he inhales his food.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Forest, in case you don’t remember. You were in shock last night.” He turns to the elderly in the room. “I got official reports. Wall Maria is completely lost. The ones that made it have evacuated into Wall Rose.”
“You can stay here, until you find your father, or if you don’t,” Catherine says, looking over at Gunther who nods. I smile gratefully to them, and to Forest.
“Thank you. For your hospitality.”
