Chapter 21. A bad memory

<< lovely (with Khalid) - Billie Eilish, Khalid >>

Outside of similar projections and images distributed around the military base of Zone 8, Love had never seen a Crazed vampire, but she had heard one, and she had heard the screams of anguish from those who had encountered one. 

It had happened shortly after Love arrived at her first foster home placement. An alarm had sounded throughout their cramped civilian district. Most commonly, this alarm would dip and swell to indicate an incoming storm that could pose a threat to human life, but that night one continuous blare from the siren resounded through the streets and the faces of every resident paled in terror. The single resounding note was used to indicate a threat to life that was not connected to a natural weather event. The people panicked believing a mutant swarm or perhaps a single large predator had infiltrated the outer zone, either through a breach in the wall or through the use of an abandoned sewer system. 

In response to the panic, the domestic military guards in the area had mobilised and began to usher civilians into the fortified Zone 8 shelter, for all those who did not have access to their own. 

For the home in which Love had been placed however, they had in fact been provided with a housing unit that included a large basement, which coupled as a shelter. This was mainly due to the families registration as a foster home, and the half a dozen or so children that they were already housing from the overflowing orphanage. 

The elderly man, who had been her first foster father, but whose face she could no longer remember, had stayed above ground alongside the couple's older son. Being in his early twenties, he was a fresh graduate from his mandatory military service and so, despite the pleading voice of his mother, he gently pushed her into the room with Love and the other foster children they cared for and bolted the heavy steel door closed. 

As soon as the door was shut, they could hear little of what was taking place outside and so for a while Love could only listen to the quiet whimpering of the other children and an occasional stifled sob that escaped from her first foster mother from time to time. 

And then everything had changed, in one moment two things happened in quick succession. First came the sound of shattering glass from above them accompanied by a shrill and inhuman scream. Second came the voice of her foster father, "IT'S INSI -" not even a full sentence escaped his lips before his voice was drowned in screams and the sharp bangs of bullets discharging from two guns. 

At this moment, their foster mother had cried out and as if moving with a will that was not her own, she reached for the door. Before she could attempt to unlock it however, a few of the older children had quickly jumped forwards, one grabbing her from behind and pulling her back to the centre of the room, whilst another clasped a hand over her mouth begging her to be silent. 

The other children huddled together at the back of the room, their hands over their ears as they stared towards the steel door, which suddenly looked as fragile as glass, in wide eyed terror. And Love stayed crouched in the corner of the dark basement, her eyes closed and her knees drawn up to her chest. She didn't allow a single sound or whimper to pass her lips as her arms wrapped themselves across her legs and her finger silently tapped against the back of her hand. 

When morning came and the streets were silent, Love had crept aboveground with the other children and watched in silence as the older woman wailed over the figure of her deceased husband. His face mutilated beyond recognition. A firm hand from one of the older children clapped over her eyes, and her view disappeared.

So no, Love knew little of the Crazed vampires, she had never met one, at least not that she could recall, but she did remember the sound. 

She stared at the projection still floating above the back of the Captain's wrist with a dark expression and answered his earlier question, "I know enough." She replied flatly, her voice devoid of emotion. 

The Captain nodded silently and the projection disappeared. 

"Alright. Then please step into the pod, when you enter you'll be allowed to choose your weapons. If I can make a suggestion, do not opt for weapons that rely solely on offence, you will need to defend, and the standard uniform we have lent you will offer little in the way of that." At this, the Captain stepped aside and entered a code into the nearest pod which slid open silently. 

Love took a small steadying breath to calm her slightly elevated heart rate and carefully stepped inside. 

"Good luck, Private Aikawa." Captain Hunter added, as the glass door slid closed behind her.

**