102. Homecoming, 5

(Rose)

Our travel foes on. It feels like we really are the only ones left on Earth. We met no one. And nothing.

There's just us and the horses carrying us. No dog, no bird, no insect. As if all the fauna had fled, or vanished.

Since there's no one but us, it's a good thing that we get along quite well now.

We're crossing a bigger city now. There, something looks rather different. It's still a ghost town, but the architecture of the remaining buildings is nothing like we've seen before.

It's tall. It's not made of wood anymore. It's different...

We recognise what things are, or were, but not their kind or age.

We're not sure about where we are...

I've heard of these tanks, these armoured vehicles with heavy canons. I never thought they looked like that. It's like passing through a fair of scientific oddities, except that everyone is gone. The wonders are abandoned.

Ann saw something moving. A dog she thinks. We try to follow it through the damaged streets and collapsed buildings.

We find a metropolitan station; its gates open to the subterranean world.

A place where night remains all year long doesn't make us eager to go in. But we might as well find some light and take a look inside.

We tie the horses at a street light pole, and go separate ways to search for some lamps. We will meet in two hours.

There's a warm and comforting mood when I'm along Ann. But there's a refreshing and thrilling atmosphere when I'm alone again. I enjoy both today.

Walking through the unknown, feeling quite better now, ready to face what could appear. It feels good.

Let us see what curious things this strange world has to offer.

I follow a street. It held shops I can guess. Clothes, bags, items I don't recognise. Tools probably. Glasses.

One is overflowing with a jungle, trees filling it. Maybe it held gardening supplies? Then there's a bank.

I'm lucky, I find a police station just next. They must have something useful.

I open the door. It falls off against the dust and some rubbles.

I think there are gunshots impacts against some walls. It's quite empty, though very dusty. I venture through offices, with desks and office supplies. I expected not to see this much stationery in a police station.

I find the cells. They have glass windows rather than metallic bars?

I look around. I find some keys. I finally find an equipment closet. I couldn't get in the armoury though. Not that I truly wanted a weapon, but I was curious about what they had in storage.

I find electrical torchlights and batteries. I also found some protective gear. I'm curious about these modern armours, but I'll settle with the heavy gloves. I don't need anything else.

I'm on my way out. Perhaps my eyes are playing tricks on me, I think I saw a swarm of snakes crawling quickly into shadows, away from me. When I enter the next room, I have the same impression. Something is fleeing from my sight as soon as I step in.

I reach outside. Nothing changed outside. We can only hear the wind through the streets. I look behind me. While I step away from the fallen door, I see the shadows inside starting to turn alive.

I think there is something inside that likes neither noise nor light. And I have better things to do than bothering it.

I go to meet Ann. She found some food, and a curved sword. I think it's Asian but I'm not sure. I take a look at it, but it's never been sharp and looks fractured so we give it up. She wanted to help.

We go to the metropolitan entrance. There is an unexpected noise inside. A deep pipe noise. Maybe underground wind, or water?

There is also a growing forest of mushrooms on our way down. Some are taller than us, it's impressive.

There are carvings on the walls and random scribbles. Nothing comprehensible.

I see some smaller mushrooms torn out here and there. Hints of nibbling. And some stains that might be feces. There might definitely be a living being here.

We expect a dog or rats. I wonder about that thing that looked like a hundred snakes in the shades. Whatever wefind might help us understand where we are, or more probably leave us a bit more confused like usual.

It's worth a try.

We look around. We find nothing. Baits don't work. We try waiting in the dark for a while, quietly.

It works. Something appears. We can barely see it obviously. It's huge and moved silently, slithering maybe.

It has the shape of a huge snake I think.

We begin to move away, and it comes at us rapidly. It's flowing through the empty space like a flood. We lit our lamps and scatter the darkness.

It shrieks and is suddenly vanishing. A large black thing suddenly becomes transparent. Its shadow is still there behind , and moving. It's flowing away like sentient ink spread against the walls.

Is the beast just a shadow? It flees the light, forming a legged body and running away from us. A kind of dog escapes us.

Around us, some remaining black strings all over the walls are silently crawling away to hide.

We leave the strange beat in peace now. A living shadow, able to change its shape upon the situation, is not something we would be wise poking too much.

Though it certainly is far unlike anything we've encountered before.

We both prefer to move on, so we leave.

While riding, I feel something weird on my left hand. The bandages are stained. As I take a look beneath it, something moves. I'm scared and scream a little. I shake some ink off. Two black worms formed by it disappear instantly into the ground as they reach it.

I rip the bandages off in panic. One leech is still attached to my wounds. I try to brush it away. A part of it flies and escape. The other part is opening my wound and it hurts. I'm scratching it in smaller bits, all scattering.

The few last ones, thin like hair, slip under the flesh next to my broken finger bone. I see the ink spread and colour the flesh a little darker. It spreads further and the stain under the flesh disappears...

We look at my hand with a little of worry. I don't feel anything, but it went inside my body. Maybe I'm poisoned? I hope it doesn't...

It happened so quickly... It only took a few seconds for all this to happen. Maybe my fate is now settled...

I'm a bit scared. I hope I'll be okay... At least I don't feel any pain from it yet.

I feel that I may have a sword of Damokles above my neck now. I may.

There is nothing else for us to do about it. Ann helps me putting the bandages back. She's looking a bit pale, but then we resume our travel nonetheless.

At least the horses were not scared by that thing...

They are the only living thing that still feels familiar in this land.

Ann and I ride along.

Parts of my mind are still confused and trying to find the way forward. My heart is still fluttering.

My deeper roots are still only aiming to return home. No matter the fears. No matter what is happening.

I need to return to you.

~