Ascension

Lorelei

When I woke up I was covered in foul smelling vomit. I vaguely remember what happened last night. Elijah was sitting over my bed, reading.

"Lorelei! You're awake." He smiled.

He almost leaned down to kiss me but then thought better of it. He pulled me up and got me clean clothes to change into. I took them gratefully and went to go take a shower.

As I walked through the room and everyone seemed to be coughing up the black vomit that stained my shirt. I looked around the room and everyone was sick.

I walked to the nearest person and sat down beside them.

"Excuse me but what is happening?" I asked him.

He looked up at me and he was crying. His irises were black and it was scary.

"What's happening miss, is an epidemic to which you appear immune too." He coughed into his arm.

I shook my head looking down at my shirt.

"Demon." He muttered.

"Excuse me?" I asked him.

"Demon!" He screeched.

He launched himself at me and began pulling at my hair. I shoved him off of me but he just kept coming for me.

"Why does this always happen to me?" I mutter under my breath.

"You say something Succubus?"

"You know, I've been called a demon before but never have I been called a succubus." I laugh a little masochistically.

You know I've had kind of an off day. I ended up shoving him into a wall and he collapsed. Don't worry I made sure that he was breathing before I took a shower.

When I got out of the shower Elijah was waiting for me all dressed in his uniform.

"Where are we going?" I asked him.

"We are reporting for duty Commander." He smiled.

He led me to the stairwell where America was addressing the army with a sleeping Eden in her arms. Oh Eden looked awful, I felt so bad for the little boy. He was clutching his mom tightly and let out bellowing cough.

My heart almost broke for the little four year old. When America's speech was over I walked over to her and grabbed Eden from his mom. He curled up in my arms. He still felt warm but he definitely wasn't as sick as others in the building.

"Is Eden going to be okay?" I asked America.

America nodded and took her baby back.

"You need to go get in your squad Lorelei." America told me.

I smiled at her one last time and walked to my squadron. We filed out of the building and I had only just realized how small our army was now. We had maybe 10,000 people.

We took cover near a bunch of rubble that used to be a sky rise. I had three changes of bullets and I was ready to take out Brights. We waited in the darkness for hours. Soon in the distance we saw little blue dots.

"Guns ready." Our general told us.

I loaded mine and balanced it on a pile of rocks. These Brights won't know what hit them. I cocked my gun and calibrated it a little.

"Don't shoot until you can see their pupils." Our superior told us.

The Brights were getting closer and I got a pit in my stomach. I had never done this kind of fighting before. However we had the advantage of cover and a sloping hill.

"Don't get reckless with your shooting soldiers."

His words didn't take in my head. I was dead focused on the figures walking up the hill. I breathed deeply and took in our surroundings knowing very well this could be the last day of my life.

Am I sad I'm in a fight that I can't possibly hope to win? Not really. I've been around in this world for far too long and I've seen the world at its worst. I can't even imagine it at its best.

Who knows maybe I'll die a hero. Maybe they will remember me and do a whole unit on the teenage Commander in history. I just hope this is a chapter in history that will never be repeated. I would happily die to prevent that.

Then my conscience slipped into my thoughts.

What about Elijah?

It would be selfish for me to die now. If there was one thing I learned was that I definitely am over dramatic about a lot of things. I can't die just because I've been sad for a while. What would Elijah think? Now that I am his. How awful am I to think that?

The Brights are close enough that you can see their figures now. I want to start shooting but I remember the general's words to not shoot until we see their pupils. As the begin to walk up the hill leading to their hiding spots I begin to worry for Elijah.

He is the only one who can make me happy and he is in this dangerous situation with me.

I look around our set up trying to find him. I finally do spot him but he is on the front line.

"Elijah." I called out soft enough to not give our location away.

"I'm with you until the end of the line." He mouthed back.