Hope (Based on Call of Duty Ghosts) (Final Book of the Faith Trilogy)

Chapter 4- Who Are You?

Two Months Later

I sat on my knees.

The stone in front of me was dry and newly carved. It held two dates, one of birth and the other of death. Above the dates, carved deeply into the precious stone, sat a name. One I would remember forever, no matter what happened.

Keegan P. Russ

My lips, painted with red lipstick, quivered from holding in tears. Occasionally one of my green eyes surrounded by liner would twitch with the effort too.  My hands squeezed my thighs tightly, controlling myself to not sprint away from the pain.

"Face your pain, Hailey," I whispered. "Face what's bothering you."

In the cool air, I heard my lips part for a deep breath to release. It felt good, the fresh and natural air, circulating through my lungs. I wished I never had to leave.

"I miss him grandma," a small voice cried out from a ways down the aisle of graves.

Looking to my right, I gazed longingly at a little boy and an older lady. They held hands, looking at another soldier's grave. The boy, around six or seven, had tears welling in his little eyes.

"I know sweetheart," the boy's grandmother rubbed his back comfortingly. "Things will be better soon."

As the two turned to leave the soldier memorial, I saw the little boy look back twice to the grave. My flat lips turned into a small frown and I looked down at my gloved hands, making my curled hair fall into my face slightly.

You aren't the only one feeling pain, little one.

I stood up to my thoughts, brushing off my skinny jeans and brown leather jacket. Looking up, I noticed a few other people in the memorial. It was eerie and silent in the memorial, the ground damp from the last rain. My boots made small sloshing sounds as I walked on the thin layer of wet grass.

"Going so soon?" a voice asked from behind me.

Stopping and turning, I narrowed my eyes to a woman leaning on a grave. She was playing with her black-painted fingernails casually. Her eyes happened to drift to me, gazing calmly at where I stood.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"That is none of your business," the woman stood up straight and walked towards me. "Let me get a good look at you."

"Why?" I snapped, turning around in the circle she walked around me.

"I've been waiting for you, Hailey," the woman stopped back in front of me, her eyes gentle.

With green eyes and brown hair pulled into a ponytail, the woman looked dangerous. Her eyes were painted with eyeliner and with silver and gold eye shadow. With a narrow jaw and well-built body, the woman was only slightly taller than I was.

"What's your name?" I demanded.

"I will tell you," the woman looked around, "but not here."

"I'm not leaving the town again," I commented. "You either tell me or go away before I force you to."

"Good luck with that," the woman spoke mischievously.

"What?" I tilted my head.

My stomach launched back into itself as I was blown sideways back into the fence of the memorial. Groaning with pain, I rolled onto my stomach and shook my head. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the woman walking towards me.