Episode 7

Episode 7

Enear

The city that once phosphorus was now crumbling into dust. This was the greatest scenery Enear ever saw in his life. Unfortunately, it didn't tickle him a single pleasure in his chest. As if he forgot how to be happy. He barely felt anything.

He looked at Dycron while they were pacing behind in the group with distance. His yellow eyes were still sparkling despite the destruction of the buildings he once admired. Despite this doomsday that every kid would cry and be terrified. Instead, he called this an adventure. Was he really enjoying this?

Enear scanned the surroundings before Dycron could notice his gaze. The buildings were like rotten cheese, cavities revealing bent metals and ripped wirings. Some lights were blinking, exposing what's behind the darkness inside: trapped people soaked in black smelly dry blood, most of the bodies were losing parts, or a mere part. Those people who made this city lively whether at day or night, now, were all calm with their rest. This place was so calm.

No shuttles moving and beeping impatiently in traffic, no loud beats from the speakers of digital billboards, no one's wearing costumes shouting to promote their products, and no crowd of people: some in their smartwatch calls talking, some in a group of friends laughing. 

It's just them today, walking in the calmest state of the city under the warm orange skies as if it's already sunset. Enear might have not found his pleasure, but he realized that he found his peace.

The group stopped so they quickly hid behind the bumped shuttles. The building had lightning posters of flavored nutripack, glass shattered in the entrance, though the foundation seemed fine within its three story building.

"This is dangerous."

"Everything is dangerous. Having nothing to eat or drink in three days is already dangerous."

Dycron whispered, "Without Cerenovaxia, our body can only hold the rule of three: three days without water and three weeks without food. But now, it was a rule of twelve: Twelve days without water and twelve weeks without food. We just had our water so our twelve days of counting is being reset. I hope they can drink too."

"Hey!" 

They immediately stooped down behind the shuttle when a girl in pink hair turned to them and shouted.

"Yes, you two! Why are you hiding? Come and join us!"

"Someone followed us?"

"Yes. They seemed younger than me by a year. They must be shy."

"Yeah. Why are we hiding, Enear?" Dycron realized.

"I'm just following you," Enear replied. Being in a group has both advantages and disadvantages. If the majority is stupid, democracy would end up doing stupid.

Dycron stood up to show himself, scratching his nape. He peered at Enear and whispered. "S-Shall we go?"

"It will be safer with a group! So we could lend each other's arm!" the girl insisted. Her short pink wavy hair described her warm and charming personality, blended with her soft eyes tinted as pale roses.

Dycron hesitated until Enear stood up and moved. "I'm just going to get some supplies and leave," Enear said coldly, hand in his pockets. Dycron followed, then stopped in front of the girl.

"Thanks for inviting us. W-We're actually trying to catch up. We were just scared when we saw the situation of the building."

"You're scared to die yet you're scared to do the way of living?" The girl with straight black long hair butted in as he passed through them.

Dycron ignored her. "I'm Dycron by the way. And this is–"

Enear was gone. He's already at the entrance of the building, as well as the sharp-tongued girl. Both of them were analyzing the inside before coming in.

"Oh. He's Enear."

Enear stepped back a little. And the sounds of rumbling waved through the air followed by small shakes on the ground. 

The men jumped away from the entrance while the two only remained calm.

"I knew this was a bad idea!"

Then the shaking stopped and nothing happened, except for the sign card of the restaurant building nearby dropped and clanked on the ground.

"We're going to die! Let's just head back to the police!" The man chickened out and covered himself on the ground.

The sharp-tongued girl lost her patience "And you call yourselves men?" she glanced at Dycron. "Why is this group full of cowards?" 

Dycron averted his eyes in guilt. Hajia blocked his sight againsts her. "I'm Hajia and…" She quickly glanced at her friend. "Sorry for Reselda. You see, we all had hard times–"

"It's okay. I understand," Dycron giggled and stole a competitive glare to Reselda, like a kid sulking after stealing his toy. He didn't like her attitude. So cold. Tsundere.

"What was that?" Hajia asked him. 

He was caught in surprise. "W-What? D-Did I do something?" he fumbled. Until he realized that Hajia was looking at the logo embroidered in his black neon lined jacket.

"Isn't that the robotic exhibition?" Hajia asked as they started walking.

Dycron's eyes sparkled. "You know it too?"

"Yes! Maybe that explains why you seemed familiar to me."

An adrenaline rushed in his veins, hearts thumping in excitement and hands clenching in hyperness. "So you went to this year's exhibition? Why is my name familiar to you when I didn't win? There's no announcement of my name to make it familiar to you. Hmm.. then you saw my work, didn't you? Didn't you? Did you see my work entry there? The other options are cut out. That's the only possibility why my name is familiar! You saw my entry! How is it!?" he shouted.

Hajia gasped, mirroring his enthusiasm. "Wow! You're amazing! Though, I can't remember exactly what your work is. Uhm. It's a drone, right?"

"Nope! That's too childish! I made a reverse vending machine! But instead of money, they give you nutripacks! And there's a twist! If the person is a wanted criminal–bang! Webnets! And call the cops! It is to prevent people stealing metal scraps from infrastructures and trade for food!"

"Wow! How could it not win?"

"Yeah," Dycron sulked and clenched his jacket, "They said I'm disqualified for faking my age. At least they gave me this consolation prize." His down face turned into a bolt of energy in a second. "I'm going to be 18 next year so I could win this time!"

"If you don't die in hunger before your birthday," Reselda butted in when they got near the entrance. "Everyone. The path is clear."

"Not yet. Don't let your guards down," Enear whispered but still proceeded.

"He said not yet! Then why should we go inside?" The cowardly man protested.

"We're not forcing you to grab your own food. Just stay here and die," Reselda said as she passed through.

When Hajia followed, the man blocked her. "Hajia! Will you please lend me some? Wait. No," He turned to Dycron. "Grab me and this girl some, will you?"

"Huh?"

Hajia came in their middle. "There's no need to worry, Mr. Tonato. I can take care of myself."

"But it's dangerous, I swear! My family died in the same way!"

Hajia patted his shoulder. "Mister Tonato, calm down. I believe in you. I know you can do it. You're once a brave and strong father looked up to by your children. The meteor or the earthquake isn't enough to stop your courage. I know you're amazing, mister."

Tonato was as if poisoned by the sweet tea, courage ran in his trembling knees. "Thank you. I got it."

"Let's go."

The interior was filled with darkness, barely to see the domino wave of shelves, scattering grocery supplies on the ground. Some ceilings were randomly crushed on the floor, serving as wall divider of the building, leaving cavities above with tangled wires and metals. Fragments of cements were sprinkled everywhere.

"Eco bags here! Those who have no bags, there are eco bags here!" A girl in a green shirt and glasses announced.

Lights beamed from their watches as they searched and collected for loot with eco bags. Dycron grabbed ping pong balls, aluminum, plastic matchsticks and a small bottle of muriatic acid.

"Why are you picking irrelevant stuff? It will just consume spaces in your bag," the man in a business suit asked, while picking up alcohol scattered on the floor.

"I've waited for this time to come to loot these things and do what I always wanted to do," Dycron replied while busy collecting.

"What do you always wanted to do? Can't you just do that on normal days? You need room for food and water more than those things."

Dycron shrugged while zipping his bag. "I have more things to loot for my 50 bucket list of experiments. Imagine how much money it would cost if I do it on normal days." Now he faced the man who's just finished packing up. "How about you? Alcohol, bondages, needles… oh, are you a doctor?"

"More like, frustrated doctor."

"And why?"

"You see, people seldom get sick nowadays due to the mutation of our cell repairing system. So doctors aren't in demand anymore. But my brother didn't inherit the vaccine in his blood and I always wished I could save him. That's why I always wanted to be a doctor. But I chose to work in finance instead because I realized money would still be the first thing that could save my brother. Even if I become a doctor, without money for equipment and medicines, my skills would be useless."

The man sighed. "But now, it seemed the table had turned upside down. Money is just a piece of a number in this kind of situation," he said, tapping his bag to emphasize what he'd collected and smiled, "And I could get these stuff without money." 

Dycron laughed. "So you're like me afterall. You wasted your bag to have room for them instead of food." He lent his hand. "I'm Dycron, by the way. And you Mister?"

"You don't have to call me Mister. Just Ravio."

"Ravio, then."

"Are you waiting here to be buried alive in this building?" A woman holding her pregnant tummy interrupted them.

"Sorry, Hon. I'm almost done."

"Don't call me Hon," she clicked her tongue. 

"Mommy! Daddy! I saw chocolates on that corner!" A kid came in.

"Arcus! Didn't I tell you to wait outside?" The woman scolded the kid then frowned to his husband. "This is why I told you to be quick, didn't I? Now you're all dragging us here in this dangerous place! I knew we shouldn't go here in the first place!"

The man guided his family outside while explaining himself. "Hon. I told you, I can do it alone and just wait in the camp…"

When all of them were done taking supplies, they all went outside and made a count.

"I think someone is missing," one of the survivors said.

"Right. The girl with a green shirt," Dycron noticed.

Hajia glanced at Enear quickly and answered. "Oh. Hanna left a while ago. She said she needs to go to the comfort room quickly at the camp."

"I see. Let's get going then."

"Wait. Those people at the camp will surely beg for our supplies."

"Right! We put our lives in danger for this and they will get it for free? No way!" Tonato complained.

"Then we'll just guide anyone who wants supplies here."

"No! The supplies will run out quickly if we tell our source!"

"Y-You're right. We should keep this secret."

The kid butted in. "What's wrong with sharing, you guys? You're all damn selfish as if you own these things."

"Arcus! Your mouth!" his mother tried to discipline him.

Dycron agreed, scratching his nape in his awkward laugh. "The kid has a point, though."

Reselda sighed over the nonsense discussion and began to move, but Tonato grabbed her shoulder.

"Hey, stop! We should plan this out before going back!"

Reselda swiftly seized his wrist and twisted it, nearly breaking his arms.

"O-Ouch!" he groaned in an awkward posture.

"Who said you can touch me?" she threatened, lowering her voice.

"Help me…" a rough voice of a girl suddenly echoed, scratching at their ear drums.

When they turned around, they saw a girl in a green shirt. Her face was dry and emaciated, resembling yellowish elastic stretching tightly over her skull, with blue veins embedded throughout her skin. 

"H-Hanna? I thought you're…"

"Your nose is bleeding! Let me help you–"

"Don't get near her!" Hajia tried to stop the man in a business suit.

"I'M HUNGRY!" The ill woman screamed as she jumped onto the man who tried to help her.

Quintessence Nightmare | mvcabusas