Space Suits

Alice narrowed her eyes and glanced around, absentmindedly. The sun was shining brightly in the space. Gigantic trees stood in a row with no view of the top. Raffi cast his red eyes at Alice.

"Let's get out of here. We have some time before the 'night'. Your wound needs medical treatment."

When she heard that, Alice scrambled away from the crack of the ivy-infested stone building… From deep within the crack, the sound of piercing laughter could be discerned.

"Huh… what's…?"

She asked in a trembling voice as she pursued the cat, and Raffi remarked as he walked through the trees.

"It's the Nightmare. Don't you remember?"

"Nightmare?"

"The Nightmare is the Nightmare. Just like who you are." Returning the question in a light tone as if it were a riddle, Raffi climbed up the fallen rotting tree. Alice followed, stepping over it.

This time, it was a forest that stretched on indefinitely. However, oddly enough, no sign of life was present. Not even a single insect was to be seen.

"You noticed?" Raffi said, stepping on a fallen leaf and halting. Then he raised his gaze at Alice. "Nightmare's staple food is the blood of 'living things'. This whole area's been hunted to the ground."

"Hunted…? Um, the rabbits have…?" When Alice posed the question, Raffi shook his head and resumed walking. The girl hurried to join him.

"No, it's not. Those are merely replicas. They are worker bees that gather blood. The problem is that the Originals are in command of the rabbits. They use the Seventh. The same as you." The black cat breathed in a series of obscure words. "It's blatantly horrendous, this area is the Hatter's territory. This time, you got it pretty tough."

"Mister… Raffi…? I, what am I supposed to do from now on…?"

"Just call me Raffi, Alice."

Alice asked in a low voice, and Raffi replied gently, the corners of his mouth twisting into a smile.

"For now, let's get away from the nightmare and head for the human settlement before the night falls. Once the sun goes down, they'll be on their own."

"Am… I being targeted…?"

"That's right. That's a roundabout way of putting it. Well, technically, it's your blood that's being targeted. Besides…" The black cat stated indifferently. "My ability is only 'talking'… I can't protect you. If you don't evacuate to a shelter for the night, it will soon be game over once more."

"…"

"There is still time before the demise of Apocrypha. The humans have medicines and medical equipment that may be able to treat your injuries."

The wound that had been gouged out by the circular saw was still leaking blood. When Alice looked at it with a face that seemed to be on the verge of tears, then she saw a stream flowing in her field of vision and let out a shout.

"Water…!" She gave a slight shout and ran off. But upon approaching the stream, Alice stiffened. What was flowing was not water. It was a black, coal tar-like liquid streaming with the sound of water.

"What… is this…?" She backed away, astounded. Raffi licked it tidily and then stared up at Alice.

"It's no good. This area is also contaminated. I doubt even your body can withstand it."

"What do you mean? Isn't this water?"

When she questioned him in a constricted voice, Raffi tilted his head and thought about it.

Then he crossed over the stream and started walking.

"It's contaminated water. It is considered water."

"Contaminated…? What's going on?"

"The demise of Apocrypha."

While having incomprehensible questions and answers, they eventually reached a slightly open area. It was a cliff, and at the bottom of the gentle slope… was a white dome-shaped building.

"The closest shelter from here is over there." Sniffing the scent, Raffi proceeded. "It looks like there are still humans alive. But I guess they probably will only last until tonight."

"Are there people around…?"

"Yeah. In the meantime, you'll have to hang on until we make it there. There ought to be some water there that's not contaminated."

Alice gave several faint nods. The soles of her bare feet had been slashed, and blood was flowing from there as well.

Her whole body was rigid from all the running around and fear. Her legs were practically screeching. As if fending off the fright and confusion, Alice struggled to keep up with Raffi as he started to walk around the cliff.

◇

After a couple of hours of walking, when the sun was slightly inclined, Alice and Raffi finally reached the white dome-shaped building, near where they were standing. Rubbing his cheek against the slumped Alice, Raffi said. "You did great. You're almost there. Stand up."

"I can't… I'm aching all over…"

It was then Alice heard the sound of several footsteps approaching and spooked out. She feared that the rabbit was ready to charge at her again.

"It's a human. Thank goodness. Let's get some help." Raffi said and looked up at Alice. "Unfortunately, I'm invisible to the humans. Nor can they hear my voice. Perhaps you could speak to them."

"Huh…? Aren't you right here…?"

"Indeed, I am. But the human senses are too vague for them to register my presence." When Raffi mentioned this, Alice noticed that the sound of footsteps had halted around her, and she lifted her face. Then she stiffened.

… It looks like a space suit.

That's what she initially assumed. Baggy white hazmat suits. A group of men wearing massive helmets was surrounding Alice with astonished expressions on their faces. One of them scanned the area, and hastily picked Alice up.

"You're safe now. Let's get you inside the shelter!"

It was a man's voice. At that point, Alice finally lost her consciousness, as if the tension that had been building up in her had ruptured abruptly.