Hearing the echoes
Madness grows


“Daddy! Watch me!” A small child called out to her father and a man laughed in the background, his voice deep and yet so filled with joy. It was a hot summer day and a small family was sitting on the beach-their summer vacation almost finished.

“I see you Persephone! You teach those waves baby!” The man called out to the five year old girl in her little pink swim suit. Her chubby little legs carried her towards the coming waves, but then she would squeal as the water came towards her and she would run back towards her parents.

The small family had traveled away from their home in Arizona towards the coast in California for a small summer vacation. The Jones family had been having a wonderful time, but they knew that soon enough it would be time for them to head back home-back where they belonged. Persephone, who was five going on twenty, was to start school in the coming fall and soon her younger sister Marguerite would be joining her a year later. They were a happy little family-content in their well off life that afforded them the ability to travel and get away for a small amount of time. The sun was beginning to set and soon enough the family would pack up, head back to their vacation home and then in the morning they would head back to their small Arizona town.

While Persephone played in the water, her tiny foot prints leaving trails behind where she was walking and her wild red hair flying around her face, little Marguerite was silently playing in the sand at her mother’s feet. The children were such opposites-even at this young an age-Maggie was quiet and content to just sit by and watch the world pass, but Persephone…she was a whole different story. She had to move, she had to yell and both her parents knew she had a freedom in her heart that would go unrivaled. They knew that one day they would have to work to control her-to get her to settle down a little bit so she would have some focus in her life, but not now…

Right now they were both enjoying watching their eldest daughter chase after the waves.


“You know she’s going to be a handful when she gets to be a teenager…” Perry’s father spoke as he smiled towards her mother and the two adults shared a look. Of course she would be-Persephone was a handful now, even as a five year old.

“I know, but hopefully Marguerite will stay calm and they can balance one another out.” Her mother spoke and Maggie raised her head at hearing her name, smiling brightly as her parents looked down at her.

“There’s been talk in the office-something is happening in Washington…powers from within are said to be rising up.” Her father spoke and her mother just looked out towards the horizon. A storm was swelling over the ocean and it was nearly time for them to head in anyways. Perry was still at the edge of the water, now with her tiny butt in the sand and giggling loudly.

“Is it anything we have to worry about?” Her mother asked and there was a hint of panic in her voice. Persephone’s father only smiled as he stood and began to gather their things-the storm on the horizon was coming closer and closer and they needed to leave before they got stuck in it.

“I don’t think so-Washington is always a mess. Come on Perry!” He called out to the small girl who was laughing as the waves crashed around her. Suddenly a seagull called out as it flew over head and Persephone clapped her hands and stared up at the bird as it flew past her.

“But it’s still light out!” She called over her shoulder and Persephone’s father only smirked at her mother as he left her to clean up and walked towards Persephone. She was still sitting in the sand and the storm was coming towards them faster and faster-time to go before they get caught in it.

“It is still light out, but do you see that storm that’s coming towards us?” He asked as he bent down, his hands resting on his knees as he dug his toes in the sand. Perry was looking up at him-her blue eyes filled with fear as she looked from her father and then back out towards the ocean.


The waves were beginning to swirl, rising higher and higher until they came crashing down against the sand to wash over her tiny legs. The sky, which had been cloudless and blue at the beginning of the day, was nearly black and Perry could see thick black clouds forming on the horizon and she felt a shiver run up and down her tanned arms. The sun had just been out and she had been talking to it-Perry liked talking to the sun, even though it didn’t talk back it was always there for her and always had a smile on its face. Now the sun was gone-vanished with the coming storm and Persephone cried out as a crack of thunder slammed down over the ocean and then a bolt of lightning raced through the sky. Her father had picked her up and Persephone noticed that her mother had Maggie in her arms and they were making a run for it.

The storm had arrived and their perfect day had been ruined…



“Persephone? Perry are you okay?” Persephone popped her head up and looked around, a small smile coming to her lips as she noticed Andy walking towards her. Odessa wasn’t behind him, which was strange because they were always together-best friends they claimed. This time it was just Andy, his long black hair blowing in the wind as he walked towards her.

“I’m fine, why?” She asked as she looked up at him from her seat on the wooden planks outside of the large bank building and Andy only smiled as he took a seat beside her. Everyone was out for the evening, getting some fresh air while they could-there had been more raids in nearby towns and it was getting more and more dangerous for them to be outside.

“You just looked lost in thought.” Andy mused as he nudged her shoulder and then held out his hands. They were dirty from building weapons all day-his nails filled with dirt and his knuckles were bleeding slightly. Something was coming-they were preparing for something, but no one was telling her anything.

“I-I guess I was. Just remembering that last summer before F.E.A.R…we had all been so free that summer.” She said and Andy just smiled at her. He could remember his own summer-he had been seven or eight and he would play outside until the street lights came on.

“We’ll be free again Perry…I know it.” He said, his voice deep and yet there was a hope in his tone. Andy was always filled with hope and Persephone couldn’t help but cheer up slightly at his words.


Persephone and the rest of the kids of Wickenburg had been with the Legion for over a week now and things were going smoothly-for the most part. The little kids enjoyed being around other’s their age, the girls were enjoying helping with the cooking, sewing and watching over the small children and the older boys had been ranked into helping build weapons and armor. Everyone was getting along well-except for Mark. Perry didn’t know what his problem was, but he complained about everything-it was too hot down in the caverns, it was too cold at night, he was tired of the food or lack thereof, he wanted to see some action and on and on. Persephone had finally told him to shut it, which had resulted in a blow up and crying children.

Persephone couldn’t understand people like Mark-people who were never happy, even when they should be. They were free from F.E.A.R-they were free from Wickenburg and that in and of itself was cause to be joyous. But no, not Mark-complain, complain, complain. Persephone had sat down with Odette one day after the fight, asking her why Mark was so angry and what the small girl told her seemed to make sense. Their father had been rather rough on Mark-beating him daily to take out his own anger with the world and that had turned Mark in to a very bitter and angry person. He wasn’t bad but he did have anger and trust issues that sometimes flared up when he was stressed. Perry could understand, but that didn’t make up for him being a jerk.


“Something seems to be troubling you Perry…” Andy mused as he faced her and she only smiled at him. The setting sun was making his eyes pop and the slight smirk on his lips was making her smile-Persephone hadn’t ever really felt much of a connection with anyone, except Reese, but there was something about Andy.

“I’m just worried about people…worried if this was the right choice for them to come here or not.” She said sadly and Andy only nodded his head. He knew who she was talking about-the boy who always seemed angry about everything and the same boy who was standing on the decking outside of the General Store-staring them down right now.

“Yeah, I know who you’re talking about. Look-I was angry too at his age and he has even more to be angry about. His family was taken from him-I left mine for a reason…a purpose. Just give him some time Perry…he’ll come around.” Andy said as he patted her knee gently and Persephone only smiled and looked off towards the center of town. There was a large fire going and Maggie and CC were standing beside one another, laughing as the children danced around them.

“I’m also worried about my sister…” She admitted and as Andy followed her gaze and noticed CC’s thin arm draped over Maggie’s shoulders protectively, he could also understand. Odessa’s mother hadn’t liked Andy at first, especially since her daughter left home to come join him in the middle of the desert.

“I know, but she has to live her life Perry…there’s no telling when it could end.” He explained as he stood up and held out a hand for her.


Persephone took the offered help and soon enough they were both walking through the town. Odessa was off by the side of the General Store, washing out pots and pans from dinner using the spigot and she smiled at the two as they passed. Andy stopped, dropping Perry’s hand as he walked over to his fiancé and kissed her lips quickly before moving on. The two of them walked silently through the town until finally they reached the very perimeter. There were two Legion Guards standing watch, spears in their hands and masks over their faces. They had to hide their identities because not everyone who had joined the Legion had lost their families.

No, most of them still had families back wherever they were from and they couldn’t risk the exposure. Thinking about that-Persephone knew that she no longer had a family…dream jumping had showed her that. She had been jumping every night for the past week and working with Jake had helped her identify the missing or the dead. All members of the Wild Ones were special, but Jake had the saddest power of all-he was The Mourner and that meant one thing…he could sense when someone had passed. Looking over all of the photos on the wall with her, Jake had been able to feed off of her powers and soon thirty of the photos had little black pins in their corners.

The screaming that had come from that room when they had seen that their loved ones were gone would haunt Perry for the rest of her life. Kids, teens and twenty-somethings had come out in tears, holding on to one another for dear life as they tried to seek out comfort. The worst part was that they had figured out Ella-who was Jake’s girlfriend-had lost both her parents in the past few days. They had been captured and Perry had managed to dream jump to the very moment that they had been shot, killed and dumped into a pit with other bodies. Ella still wasn’t speaking-she would only sit in her bunk and stare at the wall, her light green eyes bloodshot and filled with endless tears.

The jumping had helped some though-it had given hope to those who had lost hope but got it back when they had seen the small green pins in the corners of their family photos and overall the Legion was finding itself again. They were getting ready for another raid on HQ-this time to try and save those who Perry had identified as being captured, but alive. Persephone was going, as was Maggie, much to Perry’s hesitance. Maggie wasn’t a fighter, but it was clear by the way she looked at CC that the young girl would follow him to the edge of the world and back. She and Andy were still standing at the edge of town, both of them just looking off in to the distance.

Over the hill and down about ten miles was HQ-the place that they would soon be attacking. Andy had told her that it was a long shot, but he was hoping to rescue as many people as he could and take down as many Guards as possible. Before they had tried to sneak in, undetected and free as many as possible. They had succeeded in the past without using violence or force, but after the last time and watching Moira fall at the hands of a Guard, the Legion and the Wild Ones were ready to fight. A spear, daggers, knifes and bows and arrows were being collected from different sources and everyone was in training for battle. This is what it had come to…fighting was how it was going to end.

As Perry stood there, her leather boots digging in to the sand and the sun was setting over her head-she couldn’t help but smile. She missed home and she missed her parents, but this is where she belonged…this is where she had been meant to be. Andy stood beside her, his leather jacket pulled around him to keep him warm, even though one arm of it was still missing from his injury and she could see the leather straps from his pants swaying in the wind slightly. They just continued to stand there together and let the sun set around them, but silently they both were agreeing on the same thing.

F.E.A.R would not be going down without a fight and both of them knew…they would die fighting for their freedom.

Notes

Sorry it's been a while kids-high schoolers are graduating and that means one this for me...CAKE. So I've been working a lot this week and I will be working a lot next week as well. I will try and keep this updated the best that I can, but please stick with me as some really big things are coming.

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