Vox Mentis

You jog toward the burger place. You think there must be soldiers about, but can’t see them. The choppers have retreated; you don’t know why. You circle around the block but see no one so you come at it from the front. Elise is there. A few bodies lie on the ground. There is a black-suited soldier but his helmet is off and he's standing with his feet loosely apart, not holding a weapon, looking around the town like he's vacationing here.

You keep the rifle ready and begin to cross the street. Elise turns to you. She has something in her hand. Her expression is strange.

“Hey,” you say. “El, it’s me.”