Chapter 6 Welcome To The Black Parade

"Welcome to the Black Parade' is a song by the retired and broken up band My Chemical Romance and is actually one of my favorite bands. If I could get my hands on some of their records to put on my record player I'd probably be happy for the first time in forever.

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The death of Sgt. Calvary basically sent a shockwave throughout the Insurgence world. I mean- he was one of the undead's that we went to for everything we needed to cover up. He was the bridge that kept peace between the two worlds. Everyone respected Calvary and he was the undead we all agreed not too touch back in the day.

And by peace I mean the public never finds out there's a secret world of silver eyed folks and the police make up excuses for unexplainable shenanigans-

Also... I can't stop thinking about Miss. Gordon- Ayla.

That whole situation made no sense. It was like the universe was playing a trick on me, bringing the practical cataclysm that got me stuck in this world into this world. Insurgents don't just kidnap people we are decent enough to have a protocol I know that, and we certainly do not commit cannibalism like what that stray did to poor Calvary.

Not like I would lose much more sleep than usual, but the whole event kept me up at night. The situation made me pace throughout my room and earn complaints from the people downstairs. The fact that I saved her... I did something right and maybe all I did was postpone the inevitable but I did something good and helpful. Thinking about the small win made my stomach do backflips... we don't win very often around here.

The whole point of this rebellion was to keep people on the Insurgence's radar away from that terrible place. When we got here... basically nothing happened. The war between the bases is cold, all we can hope is to stay hidden. We don't have the numbers or resources to compete with the brute strength of the other base. However, the dream of what the rebellion was supposed to be still resides in our thoughts and after what happened... I almost have hope.

I saw Ayla at the funeral, walking, talking, alive and unharmed. I hadn't heard anything about what happened to her since the day I found her so it was slightly relieving to see her in a semi-normal setting. I don't know why that crazy Insurgent went through such great lengths to get her and keep her unharmed for that long but something just didn't add up. I mean- he literally took her over state lines what was his motive?

Or at least... it didn't. It didn't make sense until Reece pulled me aside during the funeral and asked me to meet him at a parking lot at a strip mall just down the highway. I didn't really have a relationship with Reece, especially since his caveman wife got me kicked out of school at literally eight years old... so this admittedly did slightly freak me out. I was frequently at the station to let them know any whispers in the Insurgent world but like I said, our war is cold. There's usually nothing to report. I just check in and go over protocols.

When Reece drove up a couple spots next to me, I stepped out of my car and leaned against the door waiting for him to come to me. I could see Ayla asleep in the passenger side and wondered why she was even allowed to go to the funeral considering all the not so fun people that were there.

When Reece approached me I could see his shoulders were squared up tightly as if to hold in some tension. His eyes were sunken in and hollow, there was no life behind his brown eyes. Part of me felt sorry about all this man must go through, and I waited to raid his thoughts out of respect for whatever he needed to personally tell me.

"Jackson..."

"It's Jack," I said a little too harshly. I'm not a mean person, I can't even stand the sound of people yelling, but I can't deny that I obviously hold a grudge.

His posture fell, "Um... Jack..." He sighed, "I have to ask you something, to get something together for me and Amanda."

I felt my eye twitch. "Help you?" I tried to calm the anxiety in my stomach, all these harbored feelings I had toward this family was climbing up my throat in the form of either word vomit or actual vomit.

He nodded sadly, I noticed he had permanent frown lines. "We're not going to be alive much longer."

I blinked, "Excuse me?" I looked down at the man who seemed to be falling apart right in front of me, hunching over and letting his head hang in shame.

"We've tried our best to keep her safe please believe me," he croaked. "Everything Amanda put her through... god... every time I didn't speak up-" His voice was crescendoing but it quickly broke before he was full on yelling at me in this parking lot. My heart had stopped and my stomach sank, I was extremely uncomfortable let alone confused.

"Two regular weak people could not possibly keep her safe." He straightened up and I noticed he had tears in his bloodshot eyes, "They found her, she's been found out and I see what it's done to her physically. They know she's out there and they're looking for her right now."

I didn't say anything, I knew exactly what he meant.

"I... I understand," I slowly nodded which made him nod earnestly. "The Insurgence tracks their targets for weeks until they finally strike and suddenly someone ceases to exist. Whatever happened with Ayla is extremely abnormal and breaks protocol but I don't exactly know what you want me to do about that-"

"Take her in!"

I sucked in a harsh breath, out of the corner of my eye I saw Ayla looking out the window.

"Take her in?" I whispered.

He grabbed my arms and pulled me closer, "Please Jack I'm begging you, let my death mean something. Keep her safe."

I'm not sure I'm capable of keeping anyone safe.

"I know what your sister had wanted to do with the rebellion and I know that the current head of the base has ran you guys to the ground but that dream can still be achieved. Let her be the example."

His words began to fade away as I zoned out, reliving his words with flashbacks of tears and screams and too many close calls. I have wanted to make the rebellion a safe space for those who are targets for so long... just as she wanted. I hate sitting there doing nothing but playing errand boy as our leader ruins my sister's legacy. I wanted to play an active role in avenging her and earning some common decency amongst my peers, but would I do it by just listening to a stammering man begging for me to protect his daughter?

Now the next part, I cannot tell you. I'm sworn to secrecy. I heard it in his thoughts before he had said it and that alone almost made me throw up on the spot. I have my reservations and fears but as soon as he said the next part, I had to agree and shut him out quickly. That information isn't safe in an unguarded undead mind. I now believed what Mr. Gordon had said: he is going to die soon.

I knew what I had to do but the thought of getting it done made me nervous. We've never housed an outsider within the base before. Mr. Gordon is riding on me getting this approved by our head leader but our head can't even handle all the problems going on within our own base, like all these people randomly freezing. And was I even cut out to protect a human life? I got her out of that situation once but to house and take care of a whole human for who knows how long? I'm bad luck...

But I accepted. And now? I have to share a room.