063. Revolution, 5

(Zeslinry)

Along our countless nights on the road, we learnt a lot more about each other and our respective pasts.

My parents vanishing, and the pressure of the unknown but obvious defeat terrifying most countries of central Europe.

My journey across from the south of the island mainly. How I wanted a solitary piece of fertile land... On my own.

Myls is so young, she should have less to say. Furthermore since the white day and its aftermath stole most of her childhood memories. Sadly she still had quite a lot of weight to share coolly, almost distant from it.

We would find our city eventually. And by the time we will settle in our burg, she'll reach the end of her set of stories.

~

As an infant, she had faint memories left of journeys in a plane mostly. Her parents and brother often lifting her, so she could look outside to the land or the sky.

She was quite fond of looking at the world outside.

The plane was rather narrow an apartment, no matter how luxurious it must have been. It was their home for a long time. At her age, so long she was cared for and clean, there was no concept nor understanding of things such as luxury.

She didn't start talking from an early age, but she was showing intelligence already. She recalled her parents congratulating her more than once over what she could build with her toys, piling them into audacious yet stable architectural wonders.

She had good intuitions on the matters of science.

Her older brother began teaching her mathematics before she could clearly speak.

At this age everything was fascinating, so long it was explored with someone caring.

And their plane travelled around the world most likely. She never really knew their itinerary nor country of origin, if there even was any. The plane flew across Europe most likely.

What I could never ascertain for sure, was where her parents stood in the long lasting war. Not that it mattered anymore to neither me nor her.

I wouldn't be surprised they fled to Scotland a few years prior to me, because they foresaw the unavoidable defeat of the last princes at Intemporelle.

Anyway, they settled in a remote corner of this rather empty land, although Myls still lived inside the plane for a while longer.

Her parents vanished for other affairs, and she was cared for mostly by her brother. She wasn't allowed outside before she eventually talked and asked for it herself.

Not so long after, her parents changing their stance, she was frolicking in the nearby fields and meadow, albeit under the watch of her brother or mother.

Not far from the plane, a house was being restored. A few people and machines she had never seen were building what should become their house from now on.

A not too distant town was providing workers and supplies. Myls's parents provided money and possibly other services in exchange.

Myls never went to town or its little school. Her parents took turn teaching her, with the help of their computer room. And Myls was smart, and curious. Her medical exams were also always good.

She recalled being congratulated there as well, and being given toys and treats for her results. She didn't recall being a very expressive child but still remembered feeling happy back then.

Her peaceful few years flew by, her parents mostly absent to build their new little financial empire. Her brother a teenager conflicted between home studies, field studies, the town, and caring for either their home or his little sister.

Myls recalled feeling lonely at times. Their home's domotics computer was of limited help sometimes. For a child alone in a wide house, alone at dusk and night, that wasn't enough.

She could recall that searing pain when all along lengthy afternoons, no matter how much she ran and even yell along the house, the only voice to reply was that of their computer system.

She had a few hard times as such. But on and on, things were alright.

She grew rather well no matter what. She was already pragmatic and resourceful.

And then came the white day.

~

Myls remembered her parents looking disfigured and sick. She remembered things on fire in the house as if they had been attack by bandits.

Her brother died first in pestilence while her parents grabbed her to take her away in hurry.

They rushed toward the town that was equally in disarray. Most people had already died along the way, and the others had noticed how ominous things tended to follow grief.

A train was being surrounded by a mob, as if it had been a lifeboat in furious sea. Through her family priority, Myls was carried on board among the first people allowed. She had been terrified by everything happening on that day; and a panicking crowd was a new peak of emotions and scare.

She recalled soiling herself but that even her mother then refused to care for her about that. Her parents and many others filled the train which shortly after began to move, heavily. The panic outside followed, clinging onto the machine as much as they could as if it was meant to save them.

Inside as well people remained restless, not so sure that was the case anyway.

Masks and hopes were casually dropping. Purified air changed nothing.

People in lab coats were looking paler and sharing terrible news with the new lords on board.

No one was safe, and in Myls's words, the plague followed them.

It caught up with them.

Fleeing fast in train changed nothing. People coughed, vomited and died that morning. Some machines weren't working and the medicinal doctors were overcome by things that just were turning irrational to them.

The escape boat devolved in a coffin and death trap before anyone could do anything about it.

Alarms rang. Emergency brakes were pulled, and the train stopped on its tracks in the middle of nowhere.

Pestilence and stench were rising inside. Those who still could run or walk just tried their luck outside.

Awful things were rattling along the fleshes and floors inside.

Myls recalled seeing her parents along the unlucky ones, unable to leave before it was too late inside.

In glorious headaches and fright, burning from her own fever and shocks to her mind, Myls jumped out last.

With pain and freezing thoughts, she had a last glance back to that weird rolling house now left behind. She was the one abandoning her family to its demise, as the plague was growing and coming after her.

She just ran, confused and lost, without nothing nor anyone left to rely on.

~

Now as Myls shared these early memories to her life, we were camping in a house. Since we could settle in buildings with doors and sometimes still clean beddings, it was no longer camping really.

I had managed to start a fire inside a chimney even, which I had spent some time clearing out from accumulated gunk before.

Myls was seating peacefully, looking at the dancing shades and lights along the walls.

For me too, this was the first evening now in a real house since that dreadful tome. It was a moment of hope for the comfort we wanted to reach again steadily.

Z - It's been a long time for you, since you last sat in a proper house.

M - Probably as long as you.

Right, but I wanted to sympathise. I ruffled her hair as if to admit she was right and got me.

Z - Was the hardest part that start?

She shrugged, unable to say.

No matter the hardship that ensued, I think it was.

~