Chapter 1
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
11th of September, 2001
In the house of Blue Ranch, a family of six was living their usual everyday life. Nathen, the father of Josh and husband to Gadriel, was sitting in the living room watching the news on the television in his armchair. Gadriel and Hadremial were seated at the dining room table behind the couch, engrossed in conversation about military tactics. Naomi, a friend and comrade of theirs, and Abrarial were also seated in the living room on the couch, watching the news with Nathen and his family.
The room quieted as the news suddenly flashed a breaking news banner regarding a tragedy.
Nathen grabbed the remote to the TV that was sitting on his armchair beside him and turned up the volume so everyone could hear what was happening. Everyone in the room watched intently as the journalist reported while they witnessed replays of the two towers engulfed in smoke. Gadriel cupped her hand over her mouth as her eyes widened. Her brother Hadremial stared aghast at the display of horror. Naomi and Abrariel, with whom she served on another planet, were also shocked to see the events unfolding on the screen. Abrarial was sitting on the couch watching little Josh drawing on a sheet of paper with the TV humming in the background. She had heard about the two towers; however, once she glanced at the television, her attitude changed from loving and caring to the most insecure person one could ever meet. She closed her eyes briefly. She was spinning into madness, and the memories of the horrific war she’d endured a few years ago came rushing back. Without a word, she ran into her room in a panic. Once she shut the door. Hadremial attempted to follow her. But she was too quick to block the door from the inside, as she tumbled her dresser to the ground.
“Abrarial?” Hadremial called out from the other side of the door. “Come on, girl. We can talk about it. We both fought the same war.”
There was no response from Abrarial as she frantically searched for a weapon inside her room. She didn’t want to talk about it. What for? What good would that do?
Tears began streaming down her face as the memories poured into the back of her eyes. The heart-wrenching motion picture of the previous war that she, Hadremial, Gadriel, and Naomi had experienced played and replayed, continuing to haunt Abrariel; she couldn’t pause it.
Naomi looked at Josh, wondering if a five-year-old child would be affected by the disturbing scene on TV. However, his eyes remained focused on the piece of paper in front of him. She soon noticed an orange flag with a white X in the middle. A flag that she and her comrades once fought for. Her chest swelled with pride yet quickly faded as she knew it would be nearly impossible to return to her home planet and reclaim her country.
Once Abrarial found her high-tech assault rifle, which she hadn’t used in a while, she sat on the edge of her bed and positioned the rifle barrel toward her face. Her thoughts were suffocating her as she searched for a way to end this. She didn’t want to endure it any longer. A faint voice crawled into her headspace, pulling her away from her nightmare.
“Uncle Hadremial? What happened to Abrariel?” the young boy questioned with genuine concern. Josh had been worried for Abrarial when he saw her run into the room in complete panic.
“Just wait, little guy. Abrarial just needs some time to herself. Go back and draw, and I’ll tell her you want to play again,” Hadremial reassured him. Footsteps followed soon after.
Guilt immediately consumed her, and she allowed the rifle to fall beside her. She gave herself a moment but still shook from the trauma she had experienced on her home planet. She was only nineteen years old when all that happened. A planet called Kannilia, which she once called home, and a civil war that would threaten the lives of her kind, including planet Earth.
