560. Day and Night, 8
We accepted the invitation of the man, who seemed more childish in his surprise and joy at meeting us than anything else.
Nightmare and I followed with a mix of caution and curiosity.
Blume and the egg stayed behind and surely hid somewhere clear.
- Holy shit... I can’t believe it. It’s been... Years! Since we last found someone alive.
R - It’s... Quite similar for us. And it’s nice that you speak English.
He spoke in Spanish as well, but none of us are fluent in that language. It’s odd to me that my mother tongue survived on another land than my homeland.
Nightmare entered a very predatory, cautious, frame of mind. She stood very silent and looking with an uneasy intensity at everything around us as we walked.
Although I’m less biased than her toward my kin, I also want to be warry. It’s not a land I know. But I know I can lean on my sister to insure our safety from nearly anything.
So I can probe more freely.
R - How many are you? Since the white day?
- The what? Oh... We were pretty much settled about a year after. We’re 48 people I think?
The man is in his thirties. He was a young man when the world changed.
- Where are you two from? Friends?
R - England. And she’s... my sister.
He almost stopped for a moment. He looked puzzled. Although some of our facial features are similar, and our height, that’s about it. Then we’re like night and day.
- Man... Europe? How did you come here? Why? How’s shit out-there?
R - We erh... We fled from monsters...
That doesn’t say a lot, but it seems to be enough. He looked grim.
I noticed he had some nasty scars over him. Some of them remind me of my first weeks in this world.
Some others were not dissimilar to the scratches Nightmare got the other day from the monster she killed we notice quietly.
- Monsters... So they’re over there too...
R - Same shit... Man.
Nightmare noticed my attempt to adapt my speech. Was it that bad?
Before we know it, we reach a road, rather clean, that cuts through the woods.
The man begins to jog away, inviting us to follow quite cheerfully. He genuinely is happy to see.
Nightmare is so tensed I think she forgot to breathe for a while.
R - Are you alright?
N - ... Nervous. Worried maybe...
R - I know. Humans, right?
N - We don’t have to go...
R - Any sign of danger, you’ll know what to do, right?
He’s waiting for us politely a little further while we chat.
Something dark reawakens inside Nightmare. I can almost see the shades of her former self permeating through.
If anything goes bad, she will be ready to kill everyone in a blink.
R - Let’s be careful alright? They may not mean us any harm.
Nightmare didn’t say it, but I heard her words nonetheless.
That’s only because we look human...
And she may have a point.
Any new encounter is a camera obscura.
A bet on the future.
I want to see... What’s behind.
We want to see... Despite the fears.
We follow him toward his town.
~
We reach a kind of military camp.
We see marks of shells and bullets all over the ground of the clearing that surrounds the walls of this camp. They have cut the forest down over a hundred metres all around, and worked on the stumps so they wouldn’t grow back.
There are watch towers at each corner. It doesn’t look very welcoming or reassuring.
But we see people working outside these walls and the main gates being wide open, without armed guards.
Our young man ran ahead to tell everyone.
A few people come outside to welcome us quite warmly, as we reach the worn out gates.
We see marks on the walls and fences that are clearly not man-made attacks. They have to defend themselves against beasts...
The men around us all look different from one another, and rather civilised. Even cheerful.
Their chief jogs with the young man to greet us as we enter the holy ground.
G - Welcome to you ladies!
Nightmare is hiding behind me. I think the crowd makes her panic. I’m nervous too...
Though I can recall my manners, and my civilised charms.
I don’t try to speak yet words that would stay nervously stuck in my throat.
I clear my forehead, stand proud, and smile clearly. I salute and offer my hand to shake to the leading man as I then introduce myself.
I can see surprise in an interesting way in his reaction. He has an honest laugh and shakes my hand merrily.
He has a first name and a surname, but his people call him General. He laughs it off as he never was anything close to it and doesn’t wear anything military looking.
G - Let me show you around! We can chat as we go. Rose and...
R - Night. My sister is... more of a wolf.
General seems to understand what I mean and leaves her to hide behind me in peace, even though she still holds nervously a spear in hand.
Some of the men carry guns or rifles, but not everyone.
General and I chat about our origins and the situation in the world.
G - You’re Europeans! Gee! I didn’t think that would be possible. How is the old world doing out there?
R - I’ve never seen a city this lively this back there... It’s pretty much the same otherwise, I think.
G - We’ll have time to discuss all that if you’d like to stay, at your convenience. I’d love to hear.
He shows us farms, a hospital mostly empty at the moment but well equipped, garages, warehouses, hotels...
A real city. I almost can’t believe it.
Nightmare nudges me to ask something.
I know sis, I noticed...
R - General... I noticed there are no women at all around...
He stopped. We looked at each other silently for a second or two. He looked cold and went another way, waving to follow him. He went to show us something behind another field.
As I could guess as we approached, it was a graveyard we entered silently.
He kneeled in front of one of the graves for a moment.
G - One after the other. We came here for the hospital rapidly. It only became worse as time went on.
Women died one by one, in pregnancy, abruptly. All of them, without exception.
He stood up and looked at us, weary. He didn’t need to voice his painful question, I nodded negatively.
R - It’s the same in Europe and middle East...
He looked in the distance, away from us, and pinched the top of his nose, probably trying not to cry.
~
As we returned to the more lively parts of town, his smile slowly returned.
G - I would guarantee your safety if you wish to stay. But I will understand if you feel uncomfortable in this environment...
We brought him the saddest of news. But he wants to remain human, until the end.
Even Nightmare somehow seems touched by that humanity.
G - I would still love to hear about the old continent.
He says with the corner of a genuine smile. And I would like to hear about the world history of the last century in this part of the world.
After the tour is over, the man leaves us to drink our coffee in what is essentially the outdoor terrace of a restaurant.
The men look at us, sometimes gawking, but they behave. So much and so well it feels strange.
Night’ spits the coffee out. First time she tastes that horror. I drink and appreciate it for her.
N - That’s nasty.
R - Yeah, but I missed it...
We stay there for a little while, looking at the people going back and forth, making the city live its life.
R - How do you feel?
N - Shouldn’t you ask what we’ll do instead?
R - Don’t be like that... How do you feel?
Her spite of panic eases itself a little as I insist.
R - I’m with you...
N - Hm! I should be saying that...
R - ... So?
N - Ah... I’m confused, but fine. I guess we can stay a little while.
I hold her trembling hand and smile.
~
