THREE, WALL MARIA HAS FALLEN!

THE GROUND SHOOK violently causing the trees and homes to shake with it. Everything vibrated. The people fighting to keep their balance eventually surrendered, falling onto the hard ground. While some failed others succeeded, their bodies running away as a large shadow appeared over the high walls.

A cold shiver ran up through every single one of their spines, a void forming where their stomachs should've been, and their flesh turned into a chalk-white losing all color to it. Their pulse beating into their eardrums as they stood rigid.

The shadow belonged to a different-looking Titan. It was much scarier than the abnormals, it had steam flaring out its head that had no skin just raw muscle framing its face, it was taller than the walls that kept Shiganshina safe, its hands fit perfectly on top of them. The people who submitted to fear could only gape at the monster. Their bodies shutting down, they had never felt this level of terror in their lives- praising those who had the strength to run and save themselves and their loved ones.

The temperature had suddenly become warmer than usual. Perhaps it was because people were fleeing to get themselves on the ships which caused stress, or was it the hot steam that was being released by the large Titan who had human-like eyes making the temperature drop.

After a moment of just being stared down by it, another one smashed through and created a hole into the walls. This one, however, didn't look the same as the other one. It had some type of armor protecting its muscled body. It had eyes that glowed yellow, blonde hair rested upon its head. The hole created a gateway for other Titans to enter and leave as they wish. To eat people. By the end of today, there would be no one left.

Humanity was cattle.

While this tragedy was occurring, the homes near the destroyed walls were damaged and had crushed the people inside them. Some couldn't move, others died on impact. And Somehow, a young girl who was crying frantically just a second ago was still alive but paralyzed with guilt. She couldn't move. The muscles around her gorgeous silver eyes began to twitch as she stared at her grandmother's corpse that had been flattened by the fallen roof.

Fleur was conscience-stricken by the sight of Mary's lifeless eyes staring back at her. The girl's body grew so tense to the point of trembling. She couldn't do anything to save the only family she had left or if there was a way, a miracle, to revive Mary back to life. All she could do was stare in numbed horror.

She couldn't think straight. She'd been frozen ever since she saw Mary dead, hearing the woman take her final breaths. She should've left, evacuated, to go board one of the boats that were planning to flee deeper into the walls, she wanted to be able to get up and run like others, she really did but she just couldn't. Her legs wouldn't budge. How did she survive?

Mary wasn't the kindest. That Fleur knew. But that didn't mean she had to die in such a horrible inhuman way. No one deserved that. Not even her. Even after the misery, she put the girl through, Fleur didn't want her dead because there were rare times where Marys's tenderness shined through under the facade she'd created over the years.

Who knows maybe that's what Fleur wanted to believe rather than accepting that the woman was a horrible person inside-out.

"I shouldn't be alive." She mumbled, looking down at her trembling hands in disbelief and denial, not wanting to accept that fact that she made it out alive, "Why am I alive?"

She wondered if her father ever felt like this when returning from missions- an immense amount of heavy guilt. It rested on her shoulders, wrapping itself around her neck like a snake completely suffocating Fleur. She was overflowing with shame, contemplating the 'if only's and 'I should haves'. How would Dean deal with knowing he survived but his comrades didn't? She couldn't even begin to imagine the weight of his shame.

She knew the world was cruel but how much crueler could it get than this?

A creaking sound came from above Fleur distracting her from her thoughts. She slowly glanced up, dry tears staining her rosy cheeks, there was a long wedge of wood ready to drop on her. A bit of sunlight shined through the caved-in roof. It directly hit the girl like a spotlight. Dust particles floated in the air.

The sun is still out, she thought to herself. It must be at least or past noon, this nightmare couldn't end any faster.

That's when she finally heard the haunting screams coming from the outside of her demolished home. The quickened steps, the sound of wiring zooming through the sky -building to building- that belonged to the Garrison regiment. The troops continuing to rescue and gather any survivors. The loud booms of the cannons going off making Fleur flinch.

After spending so much time in her own head she finally realized what was going on. Reality had sunk in. People were running with their heads cut off trying to not get eaten alive by Titans, not thinking rationally.

Could you blame them?

"No." The girl breathed out lowly as she shut her eyes, her heartbeat beginning slowing down. It was finding its unique rhythm again. She could either sit here and be Titan food or find a bit of strength within herself to get up and escape. Just enough to get her to safety.

Fluttering her eyes open, she took one last look at her grandmother. The battle of whether to stay or leave was a hard one. But staying wouldn't do much for her unless she wanted to end up dead and she didn't. That's the last thing she wants.

She somehow survived. Which'd be a waste if she sat here counting the hours go by.

Fleeing is the best option. Her only option.

At first, Fleur hesitated scared to attempt to push herself off the floor. She looked through the cracks and crevices of her destroyed home that held so much memory to find an opening that her body could fit in between. Everything was piled on top of each other. It'd be difficult to move anything considering she wasn't the strongest. Plus her wounded hands wouldn't be much help, it'd just add more pain.

If she were to move anything to free herself she had to be smart about it. One wrong move and game over.

Then, she spotted an outlet. Nervous but determined to escape she cautiously crawled to the cranny. Her timid hands shaking each time she lifted and placed them onto the warm ground- knees scraping against the rough surface as well. The heavy stomping that could only be caused by Titans became clearer and heavier as she progressed to get closer.

The light at the end of the tunnel was becoming visible. It burned brightly, almost blinding, making Fleur squint as she tried to adjust to it. Her clothes are now covered in dirt and muck and her face just as filthy.

Reaching the end she had wiggled her way out resulting in more scrapes. It was fine though. As long as she made it out alive. Fleur gave herself one final push grabbing onto the first solid thing her hand could reach. Standing steadily on her two feet her eyes quickly darted around, soon the panic resurfaced, and anxiety stabbed her gut.

Her fight or flight instinct kicked in and flight won.

Run run run.

The words repeated themselves as she found the strength to do so. Her legs that wouldn't budge before were now running without hesitation. This unexpected burst of adrenaline rushed through her veins. How long would it last? She didn't know. All she knew is that she needed to find safety.

Yeah, safety.

The girl had never been in a situation where she had to fight for her life. She's supposed to marry and grow old with someone, here, inside the walls without worrying if she'll live another day after today. And someday explore past the walls. To teach her future children how to knit- to tell them about Dean. This cannot be how she dies.

She had to think smart if she wanted to live out her foolish fantasies. They were too unattainable at this point. The easiest route to the ships was blocked by Titans and the destruction they had caused, so she had to take the hard path which was up the hill and filled with panicked civilians running up and down it. There were kids just like herself crying as she did once sitting beside their dead guardians.

A few meters away someone was getting eaten, no, not just somebody, it was Stanley. The bakery owner who'd give free food when Fleur couldn't get any from Mary. His shop at the corner of the curb was wrecked. His cries for help, for some sort of comfort, while being eaten alive were disturbing. It pained the girl that she couldn't do anything but to listen to him scream until he couldn't anymore, they became silent and strained. His blood splattered all over the pavement, staining it red.

All Fleur could offer was a solemn tear and paled face as her eyes stayed wide, she continued moving. She couldn't focus on anything else besides safety up until a strangled voice diverted her attention. It was coarse and loud.

"Hey! You! Come help us!" A boy shouted at Fleur, attempting to lift part of a fallen roof to save someone from under. Maybe his mother? There was a girl too, the one from the pond, the Beaumont girl recognized. Both their eyes were overflowing with tears. They looked so helpless and she couldn't do anything to be that aid they needed, because even if she decided to lift with them the outcome would be the same.

The boy's emerald hues seared into hers, he quickly realized that she wasn't stopping, which left him stunned. All three of them combined weren't enough and that's the sad truth. Fleur could only give a sad glance as she proceeded to run past.

Safety.

Karma must've been watching her closely. Testing her moral compass. She knew it was wrong and selfish to act blind toward the situation but its reality. She couldn't help everyone who crosses her path, it's just not possible.

Whether if it was karma or not there was no stopping hungry predators.

A shadow ten times her size emerged covering her making Fleur stop dead in her tracks. Everything went radio silent in her mind, heartbeat thumping louder than before as her eyes slowly looked up to meet a terrifying smiley Titan with its eyes already on its prey. She had lost her balance falling onto the ground being only able to stare at it. To say she felt powerless was an understatement. She was tired of crying at this point. There was no need for more tears, they were pointless. Still, they left her eyes.

It was then that her life began to flash before her. The few happy memories mixed with pages of sad ones, and she's left wondering what her mother looked like.

The Titan was getting closer.

And closer.

Closer.

She watched it as it did.

That's when an angel dressed in Garrison Regiment attire zipped past and scooped Fleur off her deathbed. It all happened so fast. One minute she was facing death for the second time today and now the feeling of flying shortly became a feeling she never wanted to let go of. This is what the birds she watched next to the fountain got to feel every day. A sense of freedom perhaps? Instead of being caged behind cold bars.

Why was she receiving so many chances at life? And again she knew, I should be dead.

"You're okay, kiddo, I promise." The comforting voice says as the trembling child held onto him. The reassurance made her feel secure... safe. She hung on tightly not planning on letting go until they were back on the ground. The wind caressed her delicate skin, it dried the tears that were hanging onto her long eyelashes.

In her field of view, Fleur saw a unique-looking Titan. It was running and carelessly stepping on everything in its path. It kept switching its attention from the hole it created to whatever it was destroying.

Then, it looked at her.

It seemed like time went in slow motion for a moment as Fleur stared into the glowing yellow eyes that belonged to the superior Titan. It was staring. It appeared to show emotion. More than the other abnormal for sure, when the hardened area above its eyes softened at the shock-stricken young girl. As her red hair flew in the opposite direction she was facing and the clear liquid glossed over her gray hues, all she could do was watch in pure fright.

Not an ounce of compassion for those who did nothing wrong in their lives, the innocent children, even stray animals didn't deserve to endure such evil.

Cruel world, Fleur thought.

The sound of boots hitting concrete dragged the girl out of her thoughts. Sharp blades whistled through the air as she felt herself being put gently down, specifically, in front of a boat that had a bunch of folks onboard- people were trying to get on forcefully and others just waited for their turn. Baggages were thrown off so they wouldn't take up space to allow more on board.

The traumatized child didn't move.

"Go on. You'll be safe. That'll take you and the others outta here." The kind man soothed, nudging her onto the boat. She didn't want to leave, not until she could muster up enough courage to thank the man for saving her life. She turned around meeting amber-colored eyes that belonged to her rescuer, which were strikingly similar to her father's. Fleur's face unconsciously softened at him, a familiar warm sentiment filled her up. Which was short-lived as she realized it was a bittersweet feeling.

"T-Thank... you." She murmured out before boarding not giving him a chance to reply. The man simply gave her a thin smile watching her enter the packed boat. He quickly returned to battle.

From the looks of it, she was one of the last groups to get on. Fleur took a look around noticing the same disturbing expression that painted her face on those surrounding her. The two kids from earlier were in front of her. Their shattered faces made her feel sick from her actions. Feeling ashamed of herself she looked away, the cracks on the stone ground soon becoming her friend.

She felt as if she had to apologize to them, like his mother's death was on her hands somehow. It wasn't though and she knew that. So why is she being overwhelmed with guilt again? This feeling wasn't ever going to go away, it'll always have a home in the back of her head.

"There was no other way, right?" Fleur whispered lowly not caring if anyone did hear her, trying to convince herself struggling to get rid of this guilty conscience, "I didn't... I didn't have a choice."

She was one of the few that were picked to cheat death. She didn't know why her out of everyone else or if it was even a good thing. Should she be happy? Were the exchanged lives for hers worth the price in the end? Or would they mean nothing and this hell would continue? A world free of Titans seemed impossible to attain considering what she's seen. She respected anyone who still had faith in humanity.

But then there was this anger swirling around inside her making itself comfortable where the despair once laid. The flashes of Mary that were fogging her head were no help either. It was all her brain allowed to think about, her dead grandmother being crushed, insides squished out like strawberry jam, and her cold amber eyes burning into the girl's memory.

That image wasn't ever going to leave. It'd stay with her forever.

The sun-set over tall walls, its beautiful yellow rays kissed the distressed people, some sat in silence having nothing to say, and others just muttered out unfinished sentences. Praying to some god.

Across from Fleur was a boy, the one from the market, who stared with his blue gems beside his grandfather in shock at the sight of the girl and his friends. Her mind seemed to be somewhere else, her body was unnaturally still, she chewed on the inside of her cheeks frantically. A habit? He didn't know if approaching her was a good idea or not.

So, he didn't. He put the roll of bandages back into his pocket. Giving her the space she desperately needed right now. He sat back down, knees to his chest, crossed arms laid on top as his head rested on them. He hoped his friends would recover and be okay soon. He didn't expect them to so quickly, obviously. He couldn't imagine what they've gone through today in this disaster.

Fleur, however, was not thinking rationally.

The thought of running was no more in her mind. Instead, the events of what occurred today clouded her mentality, it fueled something else within her. Maybe wrath? Revenge perhaps? Who knows but it lit a fire under her that no matter how much water you poured on it, the flame was neverending.

This feeling wasn't just spurred in Fleur. It resided within others too. She wasn't alone.