text: * This story mostly occurs a month before this story and shares the main characters.* * This story occurs several decades before this story and shares none of the characters.* * This story mostly occurs a few days before this story and shares the main characters* *None of the stories to be read to understand this story, but they provide context.* The line starts to tighten; Tim has his first catch of the day. He starts to reel in the fish with a smile on his face. The fish fights back. It tries to swim away from the boat pulling the line with it. Tim moves the line with the fish to avoid snapping the line. The fish must be a big one like a catfish. His family would be so proud if he brought home a catfish. After a long battle, he finally has his catch, and it is a smallmouth bass. Tim sighs as he sets the meager fish down. How can he ever hope to join a fishing crew if he can only catch small fish. Patience is widely stated to be the best way to catch a fish, but Tim is sure there must be other aspects to the craft. Tim sits and daydreams of catching the largest fish in the ocean and providing food for his family. The sun is descending through the sky, and Tim rows back to shore. He places the boat in its spot on the docks, and Isaac, the dockmaster, takes care of ensuring that it is protected. Tim takes his fish into his village. He passes by several fishing and hunting parties with larger catches of meat. Tim conceals his smallmouth bass with shame as he walks up to the meat storage center. "Hey, Tim, how's it going?" Velma says. The smell of food is enough to bring a smile to anyone's face which is why Velma has a reputation for being the most cheerful woman in town. Her joy is powerful enough to cause the corners of Tim's mouth to rise. "I brought you this?" Tim looks down as he places his sorry excuse for a catch on the table. Velma smiled as she picked it up. "Awesome," she set it behind the counter and gave him five dollars, "I am sure your family will appreciate it." "Okay," Tim ran out of the meat storage center. He couldn't help but feel looked down upon by her. He runs back to his house and finds his mom crying at the table. "Mom?" Tim asks as he walks towards her. She looks at him with fear in her eyes. "I hoped you would come back later," she says, "Tim, please sit down." She brings him over to the couch and sits next to him. She rubs his face before embracing him in tears. Tim hugs his mom awkwardly. "Tim, at the start of the Mieran War, some of the more paranoid villagers hid landmines surrounding the village. It was a huge controversy that happened long before you were born. After weeks of fighting, we finally got them to remove the mines," her lips shake as she continues, "We thought they removed all of them." The wind shakes the car as Tim drives through the storm with his mom and neighbors in the backseat. Without access to the proper monitoring equipment, they have no idea that they are in the middle of a hurricane that has just made landfall. They are well-aware of the branches that the wind is using to strike the windows. They are also aware that their village has been destroyed, and without access to any emergency organizations, they have no chance of rebuilding it. A large branch hits the front window causing the car to briefly swerve. Tim concentrates on the road. He feels his fathers medallion on his chest. He has to save his family. They will survive. He hears a window crack behind him. "What the hell, man?" Stephen walks to the edge of the shore. Tim is floating in the middle of a lake, "We have been looking everywhere for you." "Shh, I have become one with the water," Tim says. "That lake could be contaminated or something," Stephen says. "Then, I will truly become one with the water," Tim says. He hears a splash from the shoreline. "Marla!" Stephen says. "Come on. The water is fine. We deserve it," Marla says. "No thanks. I will stand watch," Stephen says. Tim and Marla splash in the lake. Stephen sits on the edge watching. "Hey Stephen, if you aren't going to join, be the judge of our contest to see who can hold our breath longer," Marla says. "Whatever," Stephen shakes his head. Tim and Marla go underwater. Tim was raised in the water. He knows that he can beat her. He closes his eyes and imagines himself in the air. He feels the water shift when Marla emerges. Tim comes out to mock her, but he feels something missing. "Guys, I lost it," Tim starts to panic. He dives back into the water to look for it. "Uhhh, what is going on?" Marla guards her face from the splash as Tim emerges. "I need to find my medallion," Tim goes back into the water. He tries to open his eyes to look for the medallion, but the murky water impedes his vision. He panics when he comes up. He needs his medallion. He feels a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it is okay. I got it," Stephen holds Tim's medallion in his other hand. Tim grabs the medallion and hugs Stephen. "Thank you," Tim says. "No problem, now let's get out of the water so you don't lose that," Stephen pats Tim on the back. The three of them move out of the lake. Tim holds the medallion and stares at it. It is all he has left of his community. He has to protect it.