153. Visiting friends, 4

(Rose)

I reach that town again. It looks ruined and abandoned like every other, but I recognise that one. And I know someone trustworthy and friendly lives there.

I'm home really.

The flower buds on my chest are slowly blossoming and my right eye can now tell that something is happening within. She's sleeping for now, but soon she will wake up.

I cross the ruins, the empty streets and then the fortified area. I see some dry leaves falling around. Autumn is there but it still feels rather warm.

I see no one around so I reach their house and knocks. I hear no answer and go in. Everything is quiet. They're not here. Maybe they went on a n expedition somewhere around.

I pull the dictionary from a shelf and set it ready. Meanwhile, I'll tend to the garden in the square they locked.

A familiar sound stops me before I leave the house. The little bell sound. Their slightly glowing pale rosebush is looking like a charm, healthy and growing. Mine isn't answering yet.

I clean the garden and do simple helpful tasks as I wait for their return.

Night comes. I'm still alone. I hope they're alright and begin looking for a clue about where they went.

Given the inside of the house, they left a few days ago at best. They took some weapons with them. And perhaps tools.

I end up finding that the tractor they use to work the ground stalled. Its mechanic is broken. They probably went to other cities trying to find spare parts. Tough.

I left a note in the living room saying I was there in case they come back while I sleep, in order not to scare them.

On the morning I try to find where they went. I can't find tracks, but I have a trick now. I can see flows in the world I couldn't before. The only thing is I don't understand what most of them are, but it may help.

I climb onto the roof of the tallest house around the block and look around carefully.

I can guess the swamp in the distance. They built something there it would seem. Beside that, empty roads, woods, fields, ruins stretching into the distance.

I don't see anything unusual. That's unfortunate.

I go up there regularly through the day and during the next night, trying to see something that would give me a hint.

I'm worried. I can't find them.

~

I spent a few days there and gave up. I harvested some of their vegetables and stockpiles them in their network of caves. I couldn't do much more without them.

I helped myself with a change of clothes, a handgun and a few spare clips. On second thought, I take only one spare clip of ammunitions.

I've seen on a map where the nearest city is and I'll go look up there.

I saw my face in their bathroom mirror. I'm not as freaky as I was right after my battle, but there still is something slightly off about my face. The skin rejuvenated by the magic water is very clear and the colours are slightly too pale. Besides that, the white hair and the scars, it's me. It's still me.

I leave town and go toward them hopefully. I hope they're alright.

~

I found a working bicycle in their garage, amongst other things, and other working bikes. I go on the northern road like that. The old road is still great for such a vehicle. I ride peacefully across the empty sceneries.

I ride until I can no more because my butt hurts too much and my legs get weak.

Then I walk. Then I ride again, all day long.

I make camp for the night on the outskirts of the next city. I make a rather strong and visible fire, just in case.

In the morning, I'll go in town and yell their names.

~

I wake up rather cold with a strange feeling. As if someone had gently embraced me. I'm alone though. Only the slightly moving things are there.

I go toward the city, sweating a little despite the cold morning. The place is deserted. I call their names. I hear no reply.

Again I try watching from heights for clues. I wait up there in vain.

I'm giving up. I don't know where they went or are. I wish I could see them.

I spent a day waiting and searching in futility. I return to my camp outside for the night and will leave on the next morning.

During the night, I dream of flowers again. I see flowers blooming. I hear voices. I don't react. I'm too busy looking at some buds opening in my dream.

~

On morning I feel similarly as yesterday, as if someone was sleeping next to me, and holding my hand.

Except this time, it's true.

I realise immediately that it's Zeslinry who snuggled under my blanket, for some reason. Why didn't she wake me up?

I shiver, I tremble and begin to cough horribly, forcing her to wake up, unintentionally.

She's trying to hold me down. I feel weird and cold. My throat is numb and I'm hazy.

Herbs are growing around me or is this still a dream? I'm sweating. As she puts the palm of her hand on my forehead, I realise it. I'm heavily feverish. I'm ill. And my sweat does make everything alive around me grow profusely and fast, making my friend panic as well now.

I manage to stand up with her and collapse a little further. I remember she did try to wake me up now, I recall her voice. The fever held me back in my bad dreams.

A moment later, we're walking back toward her home. My status deteriorates rather rapidly. Quite as rapidly as I healed before I guess.

Maybe the remaining power of this water now helps those bacterias my flower saw within me, or any other germs I couldn't see coming.

Zeslinry still looks genuinely happy to see me. She helps me carry my bag and the bikes. She used one too, that she somehow folded and put onto her back as if it was nothing.

On our way, she shows me where we can see my footsteps. I left a trail of wild grass growing behind me somehow. It looks as if I was spreading clouds of vivid spores as I go. Which may not be that far from reality.

She found me. This makes me smile in amusement.

We can't really talk, but do communicate as we are good friends and happy to see each other again.

She laughed at my hair. She stared in disbelief at my regenerated fingers on my left hand. It was even more than you think my friend.

She hasn't changed on her side. Still cheerful and healthy.

She helps me on the way back as my disease gets a violent and sudden hold of me. My fever worsens by the hour. And my sweats still leave strange marks behind. Maybe the water is finally backfiring at me in a way.

When I spit something awful on the ground, and we see a sunflower grow in seconds from it, it still makes the both of us laugh merrily. This is quite ridiculous, I can't deny that.

As I walk more slowly, we make another camp for the night aside the road. I'm shivering again and now understand why she came to sleep against me before. I guess this does keep my back a little warmer. Confused also, but the fever is beating me.

~

I hear a voice, a coarse voice asking me for a choice. Which one? The voice threatens me. Which one!

I have no clue. I'm scared. Poisonous flower buds are opening around me.

I break up in tears and cry for help in my dream.

I want Blume to return to me quickly.

~

I wake up with Zeslinry sleeping against my back. And grown wild herbs all around us, growing rather happily.

I feel something moving against my breasts.

The flower buds and stems are moving a little like baby snakes. Blume is getting closer to waking up. That rejoices me greatly.

I also have some black spots on my chest skin, here and there. I didn't notice them before.

Zeslinry seems happy anyway. We get back and resume our walk. I prevent her from drinking from my flask filled with that special water. I can't explain why, but I think it wouldn't be wise right now. She trusts me and don't push it.

We're out of water but finishing our travel in maybe an hour or so. I'm sweating like I've never before. My clothes are damp as if soaked in water. My breathing makes strange sounds.

I'm evacuating that odd water from my body, I now think to myself. Maybe I'll lose my arm again.

Zeslinry helps me walk and says comforting words I think.

Ly sight gets blurrier by the minute now. My head is on fire.

I'm glad I had a chance at seeing her again before I pass out.

And I'm reassured now, because I know Blume is about to come back.

I missed her.

~