ACCUMULATE

A whole month has already passed since SPECTRE has officially joined their community, their town has since increased in size and power. The infirmary has been upgraded and now can host more people who are injured or sick. A proper building for a school is built and the strength of every committee has increased ten fold. The Director who's name is Jean Prowler is working mostly as a veterinarian and sometimes would help with Dylan on the main hospital. Woodville has also increased in the area that they control, the forest that are around them has been cut down but they have replanted more trees within the weeks.

They start to train young adults in the community. Since both towns have increased in size their workforce needs to follow. They created a gunsmith from the sheriff's office's armory in order to maintain or manage their weapons. It has become one of the most important part of their town in order to feel security. The farms has become much bigger and there have more animals. They have new stables because they have domesticated horses that is from a nearby farm, they were left to die. All their past tension has been resolved.

Toby visits his brother for some talk.

'Hey, Lizzy is Harry here?' Toby waved to Louanne who is being carried by her mother, mumbling off as her mother holds her down. She pointed her to where Harry is who is helping on chopping wood.

Toby headed outside and approached his brother. Harry stopped chopping the wood.

"Don't you think Its a bit early to chop firewood?"

"I, well let me do my thing okay?"

"Sure"

Toby grabbed the second axe and put a log up and he sliced down. The brothers start to talk about what might happen in the following months, despite hating the topic Harry is still on with the conversation.

"Well, hopefully we'll survive"

"....."

"We are rebuilding a community and we have no idea when and where the enemy will attack"

"Right"

"How are Natalia and her, siblings I guess?"

"Good, them and Zachary and Sam are getting close"

"Crazy"

The two brothers held their conversation on a pause as they chopped more wood.

"So, what's your plan Harry?"

"What?"

"I mean, if we fail our defense and we need to find somewhere else"

"We wo-"

"Think about it"

"...."

"answers?"

"Maybe we try our best to migrate north to Canada"

"Really?"

"Or some place cold"

"Michigan"

"Back home?"

"Yeah, home"

They continued to chop wood. The conversation came to another awkward pause. To break the silence Harry says something.

"Its been a while since we had a real bro to bro moment"

"Yeah..."

"Its fine, we have people, a community to take care... even if our civilization lives on these way... its fine"

"We did something"

The brothers continued to talk until Tobias brought something that made Harry feel 'off'.

"So, mom and dad... I never made it to the... funeral"

Harry hit the log off the tree stump and sat down. He patted to make Toby sit down with him. Harry took his time to start the conversation.

"They were... happy"

"....."

"When they knew their time was up"

"...."

"They told me to not tell you... to go to the funeral"

"Because they didn't want you to stop doing your service... technically you could have leaved but.... they didn't want to"

"What's with them"

"Right?"

"When you got hurt that one time soo bad, Dad had to push me away and played with me"

"They never wanted us to be sad about one another"

"What do you mean?"

"They told us to get jobs that would show how strong and capable we are... jobs that would strengthen us"

"Probably, they might be angry that a soldier is crying"

"They might have thought that they do not deserve those tears because.. because of how we were raised"

The two brothers reminiscent about how they were treated when they were children. They were not abused by their parents, nothing of that severity. They were neglected by their parents because of their jobs. Their jobs are service typed careers. Their late father was a Fire Fighter and their late mother was a prosecutor. Their jobs highly demanded them to be on duty majority of the week. They had Harry and Tobias in between their early 20s. The two brothers connected more with each other as they only had each other to be with, they always get jealous of their friends who has a strong bond with their parents.

By the time their parents' work has lessen was the time that the brothers are already preparing to leave out of their house. Tobias has been enlisted to the army and Harry went to college on Delaware. Harry met Elizabeth through the internet who lives on the state. The brothers vent out their anger and regrets to and for their parents.

"You done?"

"Yeah, I'll go to the town and talk to, what ever see how we are doing before winter comes"

"Sure, I'll go Lizzy, I have nothing else to do"

"Sure"

Tobias said his goodbye to his brother and family then headed to the center of Washington. The town is busy as always, mainly for the preparation of winter. The upcoming expected 'attack' so far is the least of their expected because there has no been sign of a problem. They continued to live normally as nothing is happening, maybe they died out or something. SPECTRE is still on edge as they know that there will be an attack, despite this they are also trying to live normally among the people.

Tobias headed to where Zachary and Sam are, the new school. He arrived as their class has been dismissed. Clearly the relationship between the 3 has turned into a familial one, a father to these children. Samantha shows him a drawing of something, instead of being proud of seeing how her effort has come through. Instead he felt sad.

"What's that?"

"My drawing?"

"Can I see it"

'Here' She handed her drawing to Toby, the drawing shows a person being dragged by a group of people. It was clearly the night when Tobias saved the kids back at Denton. It was their mother being eaten, but for her it only looks like she was being.

"Tickled?"

"Yeah"

"How can you say that?"

"When those people were tickling mom she was screaming"

"....."

Someday Tobias will tell the two of what really happened. Zachary understands what has happened but never sees as it as it traumatized him. Zachary refuses to talk about anything or think about anything that can be connected to that event. Natalia and the other kids called Zach and Sam to play with them.

"Nat can I talk to you for a bit?"

"Sure"

"What's up"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, since they arrived and their true intentions are known, I feel much more safe"

"Good"

"Feel safe?"

"Sort off..... Well, its fine who cares"

"We do, we can't let you lose your head during this time"

"Thanks... go.. the kids are calling you"

Tobias waved at them as they walk away to play.

DECEMBER

"Take em"

FGHE has started their plan to attack on Washington and Woodville, they seem to have taken 4 people from both towns. On the remains of the census-designated place of Sperryville, the council and the 4 heads of SPECTRE has been asked to go that place. They are all in thicker warm clothes.

'Where's Harry?' Tobias asked.

"No idea"

Something thrilling is about to happen and it sends continuous shivers down their backs. Everyone is on edge as they looked around the skeleton of Sperryville, a place where they got some of the materials for expansion. Out the corner of a street 9 people came out and Harry is one of them. As Toby was about to run a bullet was fired in front of him, he halted. Harry seems to be carrying something, he put it to the ground and slid it across them.

*Can you hear me?*

'.....' Someone shot again.

"Yeah I do"

*Good, give us the girl*

"Why?"

*We need her*

"Fuck Off"

As soon as he replied they killed one man right beside Harry.

*The way we will be shooting is random... anyone will die... you better answer properly*

"....."

They killed another one.

*We don't have much time*

"....."

*Come on. what are you?*

Tobias heard a fast clicking obviously a ticking a bomb, will both of his arms and strength he threw the device in the air and it exploded. They all started to scatter while Tobias grabbed and then dragged Harry who seems to be knocked out into a building. Despite being destroyed the device seems to still be responsive.

*Look again* The device switched off with a loud click. 'Look again' he thought. As he looked back to where the people were standing all 8 , the thin layer of dust starts to settle. The 8 people seems to be laying o n the ground, as seconds pass he sees that their backs are wounded. Shot dead.

His eyes widens refusing what he say, and in the dust 4 men appeared with their guns. More appeared and they all moved to where the council members and SPECTRE heads. They all aimed their rifles at them.

"Like I said, look again"

He looked over to his brother on his arms. He moved his hands which felt wet and so he checked. He swallowed what little bravery he has and looked over to his brother.

"We might not say what killed him, but the one who threw the device is responsible for half of it"

His mouth trembled, and the snow starts to fall on to his face.