Loch looked out over the crowd, the entire cafeteria filled with most of the Clan. The only ones not present were those on guard or other duties, and they’d get their turn soon. There were a lot of people. He recognized most but not all. But they all looked at him, Ed and Kristin. Clearing his throat, Ed raised his hand, the general murmuring dying down.

  “Hello,” he said, speaking loudly so his voice would carry through the cafeteria. He gave it a couple seconds, making sure the last people speaking stopped. “We’d like to welcome you to Clan Brady’s first Winter Solstice Celebration. I know it’s not much and some of you were probably used to more elaborate christmas celebrations but the world has changed,” Ed said, his tone dropping a bit. “We have all lost people we knew, people we loved and even things that we were used to. It’s a new world now.” His tone brightened as he continued talking. “We are all survivors. We may have lost but we will endure. This is the first celebration of that. The celebration of the people we lost but a celebration of our survival. Now before we begin the celebration, Lord Lochlan has some things he’d like to say.”

  Ed stepped back and Loch stepped up. He looked over the crowd, smiling. Ed had done a good job. There was a reason Ed had continuously been elected as Selectman for the town. He would have done good at the State level as a Senator or in the House. Maybe even Governor someday. Loch doubted his words would be as good.

  “As Ed said, we have all lost people we knew and loved. The world was taken from us but all of you, all of us, and people all over the world, we are alive and we will thrive. We will rebuild. The world will never be what it once was, but it will be something new, something we can all be proud of. Each of you in here, those still outside, we will be the architects of this new world. The last months have been hard. The next months and the next years will be hard. But we will endure. You should all be proud of yourselves.” Loch paused, looking around the room, feeling all eyes on him. “In the spring, we will erect a memorial outside in the yard. That will be a celebration of remembrance but for today, this is a celebration of survival. That we have survived and we will continue to survive.”

  Loch motioned to Kristin, who turned around and picked up the crate. She handed it to him. Loch held it over his head, shaking it a bit so everyone could hear the jangling of the small objects inside.

  “Inside here are trinkets, mementoes and just things. But all of these things were picked by you. They could have reminded you of something you lost. It could be something you loved. Maybe it’s just something you thought was cool or funny. All of it is meant to bring comfort, to remind us of what we lost but also remind us of what we are living for.” He set the crate down at a table in front of him. “One at a time, come up and pick something. It can be anything. It doesn’t have to remind you of the past. It could be something that inspires you for the future. Or just something to decorate your space with. Then when everyone is done, we want you all to mingle. Go and talk to someone you haven’t before. Talk about why you picked the object you did. Maybe trade with someone else. Later the kitchen staff will bring out some treats and drinks but for now, come and pick up your object.”

  Loch stepped back, waiting. At first no one moved, unsure of what to do. He could see people were nervous, some looked uninterested. No one was moving.

  ***

  Piper sat a couple rows back from the front with her friends. Both her dad’s and Mr. Turner’s speeches were good. She liked the idea of picking something from the crate. But did anyone else? No one was moving. She looked around, waiting for someone to get up. No one did.

  She could see her dad take another step back. He looked defeated, sad.

  That wasn’t right. He and Mr. Turner and Kristin were trying to do something good for the Clan.

  Piper stood up, feeling everyone looking at her. She wanted to sit back down, not liking all the attention, but instead she stood straight. Piper walked up to the front of the room, pretty quickly but she tried not to run. She reached the crate, seeing her dad smiling at her.

  Looking down into it, Piper started looking for the object that spoke to her. As she looked, she could hear other people standing up, footsteps as they came closer, the presence of someone standing patiently behind her, waiting their turn.

  ***

  The final person in line took their item, leaving a dozen or so miscellaneous trinkets. Loch motioned to Kristin, who only took a couple seconds to pick something. Ed was next, taking a good minute. He pawed through everything, searching for just the right item. Finally he was done, walking off into the crowd, heading straight for his wife. Loch doubted he’d mingle with others. He also wondered what Ed had picked. Loch couldn’t tell from looking at the last few items.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  He wasn’t sure what he was looking for. There were some pieces of jewelry and he thought about grabbing something for Kelly, but held off. No one else was able to grab anything for someone that was missing. He knew Kelly was alive, the others didn’t, but Loch had no desire to tell anyone that. Let them have their hope.

  Loch smiled as he found the perfect thing. The small figurine was only about an inch and a half high, made of diecast metal. It was from one of the game’s Piper used to play a lot, but an animal that Harper had really liked. A strange animal, a cross between a cow and a mushroom. Red with white spots and a mushroom growing out of its forehead.

  It was perfect. A connection to their pasts but also the strangeness of the animal was a connection to their present and the varied creatures the Connected System threw at them. Loch had no intention of trading it, but he still wanted to mingle and talk with the Clan.

  He made his way out from behind the table, walking toward the first group. The Clan had dispersed, small groups forming. He was glad to see that it wasn’t just people that had known each other before, or were rooming together now, but a good mix. People were shaking hands, introducing themselves. As he walked he heard stories of life Pre-Connection. There were some tears, talking about people they had lost or didn’t know what had happened to. He heard laughter. The one thing he didn’t hear was anger. There were a couple of complaints, but nothing major.

  “Lord Lochlan,” a couple said, stopping him.

  “Please, just Loch.”

  They looked like a husband and wife. About his age. The man had some gray in his brown hair, which had grown longer, his shaggy beard without any gray. It didn’t look like a style the man normally wore. He looked uncomfortable. The woman had blond hair, with some streaks of gray starting to show. It was long and curly, falling loosely across her shoulders. Others joined them.

  “We just wanted to thank you,” the wife said. “This place is safe. It may not have the comforts we were used to, but it’s far better than being outside or in the wilds.”

  “You all are as responsible for that as I am,” Loch said, reaching out and shaking everyone’s hands.

  “We saw you fight when those….,” the wife paused, shaking. Her husband put his arm around here.

  “When those gaunts attacked,” he finished for her. “You were amazing. Your power was just so…”

  Loch shook his head.

  “I have power but there are others that fought just as hard and didn’t have the power I do. The guards and others in the Clan. My power is for the Clan.”

  “And that's what we thank you for,” one of the others said. “I was in Pittsfield with Jeremiah and Josh,” he said, face kind of changing at the second name. “I’ve seen what those with power are capable of. Not everyone in your position is as nice and level-headed as you are.”

  “Thank you,” Loch said, nodding. “I appreciate it. Anything I do is for all of you. Come spring, we have big plans.”

  “I’ve heard about some of it,” the first man said, smiling. “I volunteered for the building teams. I was never a good DIY guy, but I’m willing to do my part.”

  There was a chorus of agreements from the group gathered around. Loch thanked them all before moving on. It took him a couple hours to make his way around the gathering. Drinks and treats were brought out, most people enjoying it but some already having left.

  The thanks piled up, making Loch uncomfortable. Some were happy with the celebration, as small as it was. They talked about how their holidays had been so big, filled with family, and how it felt nice to have something to celebrate again, even if it was just a silly little trinket and an hour or two spent with strangers.

  There was lots of excitement about the spring and the planned construction. Lots of people volunteering to help, looking forward to homes and more semblance of what they had lost. Loch lamented the loss of the old world with others, sharing optimism about the future with some.

  “I think that went well,” Ed said.

  “Yeah,” Loch agreed.

  He was at the table again, with Ed and Kristin. The cafeteria was mostly empty. A couple people had stayed and were playing board games by candlelight. Harper and Davis sat in a couch that had been brought in, set up in a corner with some other chairs. Piper was playing cards with a boy, who kept glancing up at Loch nervously. Loch did his best to not scowl at the poor kid.

  “We should plan more community events like this,” Kristin said, looking in the box. “Not with the trinkets and such, but just larger gatherings. Barbecues and that kind of thing. I wish there was a way to confirm the day that Loch claimed the Holdstone. That would be a good one to commemorate.”

  “Just pick a date,” Loch said with a shrug. “Maybe wait for spring and use the groundbreaking on the Bow Lake Fields project as the anniversary to celebrate.”

  “That would be a good one,” Ed said. “Once that gets going, that’ll be when things really change for the Clan.”