Memorial Day

This is another Naomi Quinn story from the Fallen Earth setting.

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5/25/2156

They say you never know what you have until it’s gone. It also works the other way around; you never know what’s gone until you have it. These resurfacing memories confuse me at times, infuriate me at others, and make me run the gamut of emotions faster than a pregnant bi-polar woman. It’d be nice if they would just appear in my head, clear and simple. I want to say that the dreams are getting old but I actually find myself looking forward to them. I don’t like walking through life with blinders to my past on. I’m fine with not knowing about anything else but knowing about myself is important.

Naturally, I had another dream. It was powerful while at the same time not. Usually the stronger dreams have an emotion force to them like a punch to the gut. This one had a mix to it, potent yet not at the same time. Overall I’d have to say I felt calming. It started by a lake.

If she had to define this moment in time, one of the last words she’d use would be calming. Sometimes jobs had a way of biting you in the ass. If you paid careful enough attention to what you were getting into you could avoid the grand majority of them all. However, there’d always be one or two that came by that you couldn’t detect. Perhaps someone set a trap for you or maybe things just didn’t go how they were supposed to. Either way they had a way of stressing the employed out something fierce, putting them on the spot and demanding some pretty crazy stuff that, had it been in the job description originally, would’ve demanded a much higher price.

Naomi ran across the field at a dead sprint, duster snapping behind her as the light breeze was accelerated with her rapid movement. A baseball bat hung in her right hand, trailing after her like a loyal companion ready to do as it was told. She’d taken off her hat before starting. Hats were always a pain to get, at least good ones were, and she didn’t want to have to replace this one for some time. Due to this, her light blonde hair flew behind her, the ponytail being the only force holding it in some sense of order.

The sky was a brilliant blue, so blue she almost thought it was fake. The summer sun bathed me in warmth, the tall firs and pines around offering shade under their protective arms. A soft, comfortable breeze lolled off of the lake to caress against my skin. I could hear people laughing, shouting, and playing in the sunlight and water. Splashes were accompanied by the sizzling sound of meat on a grill, the aroma of spiced meat slowly cooking to perfection filled the air.

I lay back atop a blanket, heels pressed into the dirt and sand of the lake’s beach. I had chosen this specific part of the beach because of the indentation into the slope where a large stone had fallen free, making it a wonderful lounging chair. It felt like a favorite spot as if I’d been there several times before. A cool bottle lay cupped in my hand, only to be sipped from occasionally.

Six meters ahead of her the door slammed shut, the man she chased throwing it closed behind him as he sought refuge. Sometimes people stood and fought, other times people ran. She usually didn’t run bounties or anything of the sort, however when someone threatened your life and livelihood if you didn’t then she generally agreed to the terms. At least they were gentlemanly enough to pay her for it as well.

Naomi raced to the door, slowing down just as she reached it. She didn’t kill all of her momentum however, instead she shifted her balance to one foot and brought the other into a door stomping kick to the section right beside the handle of the door. While she didn’t have much weight to her, inertia was a wonderful thing and kinetic energy made life easier all around. With a loud shattering crack, the old door exploded inward, the top hinge pulling loose.

The sun was starting to set, turning the brilliant blue into a radiant mix of reds, oranges, and yellows. A male voice called out that food was done and all the sounds of play turned to sounds of charging. You didn’t want to get in the way of the family and friends when dinner was called, so I just lay back and waited. There’d be some saved for me anyways, always was. I never ran in with the crowd when food was called, there were too many larger people around, too many arms in the way reaching for various things. Patience paid off at times like these.

After food was gathered, everyone moved off to the bonfire. I joined the crowd shortly after the last of those getting food. Someone was playing the guitar and others were singing along between bites. The beer was good and the air was still warm. It was a very relaxing atmosphere with one of my friends pulling me further into the circle with an arm around my shoulders.

The door clipped the man’s heel as he tried to run from the door. He’d been watching through a crack in the door, hoping that Naomi would run around to the back to cut him off. No one really expected her to be so direct, which she took advantage of at every opportunity. As the man tumbled to the floor she surged in bringing her bat to the ready. Her left foot pivoted to the side as she shifted her weight back, right foot pulling behind in a wide stance some might recognize as a batting stance.

As the man tried to climb to his feet while running, she shifted her weight back onto her right foot as small blue arcs of electricity raced up her legs, through her core, and down her arms. Just as he caught purchase on the wooden floor, her full and enhanced swing caught him in the shoulder with a loud thud and audible crunch. The force of the impact swung him around as it knocked him back to the floor and onto his back.

About half of the group turned in early comparatively. The only light available was from the bon fire, only four people left around it. The others had gone to the tents already to get an early morning in or just to spend some alone time with their significant others. My friends and I lounged on the logs they’d gathered from the shoreline near the fire, bottles of beer in their hands and stories being shared.

I remember laying my head against someone’s shoulder, a strong feeling of familiarity and affection glowing in my chest as I watched the flames dance. The stories were amusing, I laughed frequently before offering my own to the mix. Some of the stories were experiences shared with some if not all of the others which brought everyone together in sharing the memory, usually at the expense of one person to whom it might be considered embarrassing. I wish I could remember those stories.

Even with his shoulder twisted and broken the man still had some fight in him. He reached for his gun, shouting obscenities as he fought to push back the pain. That was a rebel Enforcer for you, however. They had the military training that told them when was a good time to bask in the pain and when it was smart to try to kill your attacker first. Naomi really had no problem with the Enforcers or the rebels so long as they kept out of her business, but you did what you had to do to stay alive.

Her bat smashed into his wrist as he reached for the pistol at his hip, the momentum carrying the blow to land against his side. Towering over him, she brought the metal bat down on him again and again, two blows to the head to knock him out sufficiently, the rest to the body to end it. She knew full well that if she didn’t kill him, he’d hunt her down later. More than that, he’d have friends. It was self-preservation more than anything else. If they weren’t so close to the Enforcer camp she would’ve just drawn her pistol and made it quick.

She stood over the body of the man she’d been sent to hunt, blood dripping off the tip of the bat as it hung askew from one hand. Her blood-splattered face peered over her shoulder and back out the door, watching the sun begin to set. She wanted to be far away from here by the time the body was found.

It’s memories like that I wish would come back to me in detail. All the little stories, all the faces, all the voices. I find myself missing people I can’t even remember, longing to hold someone who I’ve forgotten. Perhaps days like that will return and hopefully not just for me. People need times like that, times of carefree enjoyment and fun. One day, I’m sure.