2 The End of Innocents

When John awoke he was in his room he had a sharp pain in his knee and shoulder. When he stood up he fell to the ground his legs were bruised from the events from the night before.

What happened to me last night

John stood and found his boots on the floor next to the door he bent down but he collapsed to the floor. John groaned as he put his boots on and tried to stand. John groaned as he stood he nearly fell to the floor again but he caught himself. He opened the door and went outside.

When he walked out he was blinded by the sun. When his eyes adjusted to the sun he saw people carrying bloody sheets over to the burying ground. John followed them.

When he reached the burying grounds he saw a fresh grave. The events from last night really happened. John froze he got chills down his back as he tried to remember the events from last night.

"Ugh, what happened last night"

John said to himself then he walked over to the two men, they were burying James he stood there in silence as the two men buried James in a shallow grave. One of the men turned towards John.

"Hey John you should get ready to go, the boat can't leave without you"

John walked back to his wattle slowly he was trying to remember what happened the night before. He was thinking as hard as he could then it hit him it appeared right back in his head like it just happened a few seconds ago. It felt like a sugar rush inside of his head all of the knowledge of last night was following through his brain.

John remembered everything that happened the shadow that scared him with his demonic laughter. John remembered the two glowing fireflies

"Wait no they were eyes"

John whispered to himself, so no one else could hear him. John remembered how it wanted a friend and how it wanted his fear. It wanted the fear of everybody in Roanoke.

John tripped over his numb legs and fell to the ground hard. A few people came over to help but john said,

"I'm good, I don't need help but thanks anyway"

They stepped back as John forced himself up onto his feet and continued walking. As he continued to walk his memories came back he finally remembered what happened to James he had every little detail of James corpses if John had a piece of paper and some ink he could write out exactly what happened to James what had happened to his body his missing arms one of his hands on the bed looking like he was being snacked on. John remembered James shattered skull how he had stepped on one of his eyeballs. John tried to remember if he ever got a good glimpse of what killed James but he didn't it was too dark for him to see.

John finally got to his wattle he walked in and started to grab some things like paper, ink, and some feathers. As John was about to walk out of the house, he saw some papers on a table, he walked over and picked them up. One of the papers fell on the floor, John bent over to pick it up. As John picked it up he looked at the paper, John didn't recognize the piece it wasn't of any animals he had drawn in his time he was here, it was of a man. It was a picture of the shadow he had seen outside of Roanoke. He studied the picture of the shadow man, he seemed to be wearing a heavy raincoat and a disfigured mask, the mask would have a scratch down the middle of it and the mask having dirt covering the sides of it. The thing that creeped John out the most was a solid black figure with red eyes behind the person.

"How did I get red on this in the first place"

John was so confused it creeped him out. John put the picture in his pocket and left.

John was heading towards the dock when he was stopped by Fred Carter. Fred was a big guy like 6'1 but for a big guy he is very noisy, he just has to know everything that goes on in Roanoke he makes it his job to know but not only that but he would write it down and share it with everybody but worst of all he would always bother John.

"Hey, John"

John didn't want to talk to Fred right now but he didn't want to be rude.

"What do you want Fred"

John really didn't like Fred he didn't hate him but he just didn't like talking to him that much because he gets ignoring really fast.

"What happened to James last night and why did you faint"

John was about to walk away when his eyes met Fred's eyes he looked startled he also looked concerned and worried.

"I don't know Fred I'm sorry but I do think it has something to do with this boy"

John held up the picture he had of the person that had scared him the night before. Fred looked at the drawing that John held in his hand.

Whoever scared me that night must have killed James

John studied the paper as he looked at the facial features it appeared the man was more in his teenage years, maybe around sixteen or seventeen. How was this kid able to kill James without getting injured. John looked up at the sky, it was a pale blue...it almost seemed sad.

"Does that boy have anything to do with James being dead"

Fred asked. John responded with,

"I don't know but if you do see him try to talk to him"

John gave Fred the picture and started towards the docks.

Even the sky seems sad today

John looked all around him. He didn't want to go but he had to, he had to go because if he didn't, then Roanoke would fall, so as John walked through Roanoke as he did, he looked at the buildings as he passed for one last time. He tried to remember every little good thing about Roanoke, all of the fun he had here and all of the friends he had made. John said his goodbyes and gave a few people hugs. As he waved his last goodbyes he began to cry.

"Today is a sad day"

John said to himself then he came to his friend Dean's wattle he was tempted to go up and say goodbye but that would be sad for him and Dean. Dean had been his friends since they were kids he would stick up for John and John would stick up for Dean. Dean was 5'7 or 5'8 he was a muscular man who would try to protect anybody even if they do harm to others. Dean believed everybody has a good side to them, and that's what makes Dean, Dean.

As John reached the docs he had seen Jeff Harris, Oliver Gray, Jj Ross, and Jack Towers sitting there waiting for him.

"Hey John you finally made it"

John walked past them to the ship. John packed his stuff onto the ship as he did, he looked overboard to wave goodbye to Roanoke. As he was waving he saw Dean waving to him. John waved back as the tears dripped down his face he turned to the crew and said,

"Men let's get back here as fast as our little legs can take us"

John didn't realize that this would be his last time seeing Roanoke as a happy place full of people.