40 Twilight: 02

- This is… - Louise was an extremely polite person. Clearly everything around scared and bothered her tremendously. Her eyes wouldn't stay in one thing more than a second. - Very much "you".

Even behind the black mask that covered half of her face I could see she was smiling. It was weird. I didn't know why a farmer I just met could make me feel so reassured. Anyone would've complained about the smell and the noise, a person from a place like the country was entitled to such claims but there she was. Eyebrows so high they were practically touching her hairline as she watched some add for a new slimming pill.

-Come on. - I took off grinning. - Keep up, lady!

To get to the apartment I decided to cut through the maze of buildings. Louise was staggered - not to say outraged - by the architecture or the lack of it. From time to time she would let out things like "That doesn't look safe" immediately followed by "How?!". I tried to explain it was built "illegally" with no planning at all but it didn't seem to have any effect over her indignation and shortly we had reached our destination.

The patio was almost clear. Some parents were passing through in a hurry already late to drop their kids at school. Many had already left to the city. Mornings inside the slums were the calmest times of the day. The deeper you got, the quieter it all got mostly because of the daily migration of residents.

At the entrance no one was in sight but it was just as dark as during night time.

- Ready to climb?

Going up my thoughts were driven towards Jk. Honestly I didn't want to see anyone. I wasn't going to stay long so there was no point on meaningless polite small stalk and awkward introductions. As soon as possible I wanted to get back to farm with Louise. That place wasn't good for her.

Deeply distracted, I lost track of how far we were. A few doors were opened with people about to leave, running around catching things or asking lazy teenagers to get up. Just another day of work and struggle. Paying more attention to the apartment numbers I saw where we were.

- How tall is this building? - behind me Louise stopped to rest with a hand to her chest.

- About 18 floors. - the look in her eyes was of pure desperation. - But I live on this floor, so you're good. - she threatened to come after me for revenge. I sensed her anger and jumped into the corridor that led to the apartments on the back which one of them was mine.

The walls covered with drawings and graffiti some that I had done myself had new pieces. All over the place including the ceiling and floor was a gas mask from one of the first wars painted in bloody red. Merciless eyes staring at me, letting me know they knew what I did.

I looked away. Focusing on my own two feet I kept walking through the small dark corridor until we got to the other side. Still with my eyes down, near my doorway something written in white massive letters entered my field of vision.

"WE'LL TAKE BACK WHAT'S OURS"

The sound of that hologram speaking echoed on my ears. Lamps running to the slaughterhouse. Shots fired by me.

-The Mask is really present here. - Louise broke the spell that was dragging me into a black whole. - On the way up these paintings were spread all over the walls.

- Really? - I turned back to make sure I was hearing right. There was so much noise inside my head.

- Yes. You never noticed?

- They weren't there when I left. - standing in the middle of those drawings I felt like they were trying to slowly crush me.

- I guess a lot has changed since then.

Almost desperately I forced my feet to move past it to get to my apartment. By remote control the door unlocked and I got in not even turning on the lights beforehand.

- Is it always so dark around here?

Drowning inside my own mind I kept forgetting the objective of that whole trip. Louise.

- To tell you the truth, yes. - one tap on my screen and everything was on.

Hidden under the darkness was an unbelievably untouched house. The only one thing that seemed to have been used was the bed. I was prepared to see a mess of colossal proportions since Jk was left in charge for so long but instead it looked like he barely spent anytime there.

- I'll get the window so you can see my view. - I couldn't keep letting small things deviate me from my purpose. Making conversation with Louise seemed to help shake the memories away.

Throughout the room I looked for evidence that Jk had actually been there. He was usually extremely messy, leaving clothes and equipment around. At my work table nothing had been touched. The system was last online when I left the house. Everything very suspicious.

In the end it didn't really matter. It meant I didn't have to worry about my apartment being trashed and Jk trying to break into my personal files. That was all.

- Take a look at this. - Hand in the curtain I breathed out ready to appreciate Louise's reaction.

One quick move and I pulled the whole thing casting light over Louise and I. Watching her face I waited for a curse or a frown but instead I got a puzzled expression.

- What? - I said before turning my head to face the white void that occupied the place where there should have been a building.

Instantly the blood in my veins turned into ice making me choke on my saliva. A giant knot blocked my airways hurting my throat. I was completely paralyzed. Hostage of my own mind I stood there while Louise tried to talk to me from a very distant plane. I was falling again.

All of the sudden a heavy knock on the door brought my heart back to life just like a patient flatlining on the table is resuscitated by a doctor. The sound was so strong I felt Louise jump. The whole time she was holding me by the shoulders.