(Rose)
As expected, the wolf slept there without bothering us. It only enjoyed the fire warmth. And sothing from my wounded hand. Perhaps the black ink from before. I think my flesh looks healed from that now. It looks even better actually.
Ann and I are packing up. We don’t want to bother the impressive beast, no matter how curious we are about it.
When we’re about to leave, it’s looking at us. It’s strange, I feel like the one being most curious about the other party was the wolf. Was it curious about us? It’s looking at us go in silence. Then we’re going and can’t see it anymore.
We resu our journey after a few very odd encounters... It was nice this ti, because it was interesting and not threatening our lives.
The sll of that creature is lingering on . It slls a little like forest and berries.
We reach a bridge over maybe a river, a very tall and long bridge. Below is no water. Only other roads and railroads behind a fence. Another train got off tracks and crashed there. But it seems to have happened many, many years ago.
There is no one else. Everything is quiet as always.
R - It feels like we’re the only ones left in the world...
Ann seems to ponder about it. She doesn’t reply. What is there to reply?
A - I think I wouldn’t mind... Would you agree for to stay with you if we find out we truly are?
She really likes . I begin to feel the sa way, I think. It’s funny how I could hardly stand her when we t. Maybe she changed a lot in a way that pleases more, but perhaps not that much... I think I’ve grown up.
R - I think I would like that, even if it wasn’t the case.
Even if she wasn’t the last person on Earth.
R - I didn’t like you very much at first. But now that I know you better, I would be glad for you to stay with .
She looks touched. I’m embarrassed.
R - Please, don’t ask to say anything more now...
She laughs. She says that she liked seeing sothing soft behind all my cool and wildness.
I’m a thorny rose.
That’s what my parents used to say.
I’m bringing a woman ho with .
Now I feel proud of it for so reason. Perhaps because it’s the first ti that I have feelings for soone who isn’t from my family.
We do live pretty secluded. Not that we weren’t happy, but...
Now the world suddenly beca wider.
~
We reach a new modern city. Sky scrapers as they say, lots of glass and tals on the ground level of buildings. They don’t use wood anymore in the town centre.
Many abandoned vehicles of various shapes, colours and state of decay. So still look pristine, other like just unburied ruins of an ancient civilisation right beside the forr. It’s chaotic.
We find evidences of life. Of human life. Trails, barricades barring streets entirely.
A small trail of smoke in the sky from a camp fire. And we hear chanical noises. It’s coming from behind the sudden mound baring the street.
We leave our horses and climb it. It looks like it’s ant to stop big wild beasts, or cavalry, not invading footn.
We find a park with a stream. A big chanical vehicle with a giant shovel is scooping so of the ground and then putting it aside. It’s an impressive utility or farm vehicle digging for sothing there.
The woman inside the cabin stopped her machine. The noise stops. She gets out. She’s wearing a pair of trousers, that’s funny and interesting to see.
I call out to her and begin to climb down. She looks surprised and on her guards. I’m pretty confident and saw nothing ominous so I get closer, showing my hands. I repeat that I would like to speak.
Her right hand goes for a gun at her waist. I step back.
At least the monsters were straightforward, but she’s scared. I tell her that I have nothing. She steps a bit closer and so do I. Ann is behind I think.
That woman looks tired and scared. But she also seems happy to see us altogether.
I begin to explain myself but she cuts and talks in a language I don’t understand.
She’s not speaking English. From what I know of German and French, I don’t think it’s either. Ann tells she thinks it’s Polish. It doesn’t help unfortunately.
At least, I offer to shake hands with a genuine smile. She accepts with tearing eyes and says sothing again. We present ourselves, showing ourselves.
Rose. Ann. She mimics us. Her na probably is Zeslinry. Not quite a typical British na as far as I know; but what do I know for sure today?
I try to ask what she’s doing here. She invites us to follow her.
She has crops and vegetables growing in the park... She’s trying to build a farm.
We’re impressed, and bewildered. Why in the middle of a city? The ground is probably poor.
She shows us the way around. We try to speak but can’t understand a word of what the other is saying. She seed to react to the word English. She has an idea.
We pass rows of big tomatoes and reach a house where smoke leaves the chimney. She calls soone. A girl opens the door. She has black skin. We’re surprised. Zeslinry tells her sothing about us, and it contains the word English. The girl repeats it with surprise. What is so surprising about it?
We enter a house filled with so many furniture and items, we don’t know where to look. The dining room has couches; she invites us to sit. We do.
A mont later, the girl cos back with a small but very thick book. I saw the word English written on its cover. An English to foreign language dictionary. It looks used. They speak about it. Zeslinry receives the book and the girl goes to search for sothing else upstairs.
Zeslinry searches her words. She writes a few down on paper.
What a peculiar way to communicate we have. But at least we might...
Her words are ready. She tries to speak them and show us the sheet. We communicate slowly like that, with the book in between.
Z -Where you from? Go where?
R - England. Ho. West.
She looks troubled when she understands our answer.
Z - Alone?
R - Yes...
Z - Monsters?
She’s pointing at my hand.
R - Yes.
Zeslinry shows she has a prosthetic foot...
Z - Weapon?
R - No.
There she looks even more surprised.
Z - need weapon?
We hesitate. Should we? Ann thinks it’s safe now, even though we encounter new things. We nod negatively. We ask sothing then...
R - What happened?
Z - Where?
R - World.
Z - Cataclysm. White day.
Now we are bewildering. Ann asks the question I didn’t think of.
A - When?
Z - Three years ago.
Three years ago? We look at each other with Ann, stunned.
We’re three years into the future?
We skipped that much ti?
But then...
R - People. Where?
Z - All dead.
My heart starts to ache... I’m dead worried about my sister...
R - Survivors?
Z - Few. Us, you, monsters.
R - Why?
Z - White day. Unknown. World change. Nature change.
So it truly is a different world in the end...
And that tragedy did spread beyond our fears.
R - London?
Z - Dead.
R - Paris?
Z - Dead.
R - New York?
Z - Dead... All dead. Sorry...
I want to cry. I’m worried about her...
R - Must go ho. Find sister. Worried.
Z - Today rest. Tomorrow, good luck...
Before I know it, I’m crying in Ann’s arms. I’m so worried. I need to see her...
I told her I was gone for a few days, just a short week...
How long could an unexpected detour be?
Not three whole god damn years! I’m crying heavily. I can’t control myself. I feel so awful abandoning her...
I need to see her... Ann tries to console as best she can and I keep crying over her.
I cry. I cry. I cry. The world is dark. I scream more than I sob. I feel lost. I feel like a child. I am wounded. And all I can do is cry.
I cry. I cry until I pass out.
~
It cannot be...
Three years late...
It’s killing .
~
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