Chapter 03: Sun
Even after falling and rolling several yards down the hillside, I still managed to alternate between running and walking for a while before my legs finally began to protest with intense pain that spread throughout my entire body, refusing to let me make even the slightest movement.
Although those creatures no longer seemed to be chasing me, that cold sensation on my back never went away. Maybe it was fear trying to consume me, or perhaps it was simply the night breeze refusing to fade, reminding me with every step of the tear in my overcoat.
As I made my way through the forest, trying to find the road again, that place seemed determined not to become my ally. Maybe it was because the darkness of the night constantly swallowed every trace of light around me, or maybe exhaustion was clouding my senses, but I couldn't take a single step without tripping over something. Even when I tried to move silently, it never lasted long. There always seemed to be another branch snapping beneath my feet. Even the green leaves scattered across the ground felt like enemies of silence. The nocturnal birds looked as though they had been stuffed, never moving, not even to breathe. Even the strange trees seemed to creak only for themselves, trapping the sound of their movements within their own bark.
Everything there seemed to scream the very same command over and over:
STAY STILL!
After walking for a while longer, despite everything around me urging me to do the opposite, I finally saw it.
It was still some distance away, but the road lay directly ahead of me.
As I walked toward it, I noticed a deer off to my right, calmly feeding on something on the ground. When the wind brushed against its fur, it quickly lifted its head, and the moment its gaze seemed to meet mine, it bolted after realizing it was no longer alone.
It may have been nothing more than a brief, simple, almost silly moment...
But that tiny encounter brought a gentle, comforting smile to my exhausted face.
"See you around..." I quietly thought to myself.
The moment both of my feet touched the road again, I was greeted by the first rays of sunlight reaching for my skin. Their light reflected in my dark eyes as though they were mirroring countless stars at once, even while the sun itself was still rising far beyond the horizon.
With only those first golden rays announcing the birth of a new day, I spotted the silhouette of a small building standing alone in the distance.
As I drew closer, no longer blinded by the rising sun, I could finally see that it was a small two-story building with several shattered windows and cracked outer walls. Before stepping inside, I noticed the symbol of a clenched fist surrounded by flames above the entrance. A large crack running through the wall split the emblem in half, and someone had also vandalized it.
Inside, the first floor was littered with overturned tables and chairs, some of them broken apart completely. The sunlight had not yet reached the interior, but it was easy to see the countless signs of battle. Bloodstains covered everything from the walls to the ceiling, yet there wasn't a single body to be found. The sink, the cabinets, and even the dishes had all been smashed. Only a few pieces of silverware had survived.
When I climbed to the second floor, I found that it had remained mostly intact. Only two of the six beds were broken. The same could be said for the lockers. Those that hadn't been destroyed were still secured with padlocks.
After returning downstairs, I began searching through everything. Since very little remained, I focused on finding something like a crowbar or anything that could help me force open the locked lockers while my stomach continued twisting with hunger.
Then, on top of the only cabinet downstairs that could still be considered intact, I found an iron pipe sturdy enough to break at least a few padlocks.
Back upstairs, after pounding away with it until I forced open the first locker, I found nothing inside except spiderwebs and the single foot of an old boot.
The rest were no different.
The final locker had a door so badly dented it looked as though it had been struck by a vehicle. By then, the iron pipe had been almost completely destroyed after breaking so many locks, making my job even harder. Combined with the condition of the locker itself, forcing it open was anything but easy. The metal groaned loudly before finally giving way.
The top shelf held several small empty boxes without the slightest clue as to what they had once contained.
The middle shelf held a box full of screws and nails, along with a screwdriver.
On the bottom shelf rested a small dark olive-green backpack with one main zipper and two side pockets. Embroidered in the center was that same clenched-fist emblem.
Inside the backpack was a knife slightly smaller than a machete, a journal with the initials O.M. engraved on the cover, and, by incredible luck, a package of human rations.
Most of the ration packs had already been opened, but one remained sealed beside a small canteen that looked heavily worn.
My entire attention immediately shifted to those two items.
I didn't even notice when the iron pipe slipped from my hand.
Once I had finished eating and drinking from the canteen, whose water barely had any taste at all, I sat down on one of the beds near the window, intending to take a quick look through the journal.
Before I could even read the first page, exhaustion overwhelmed me and I collapsed right there.
While I slept, the sun climbed high enough to reveal itself completely above the horizon, its warm light reaching the second floor of the building and gently bathing me. My long black hair had fallen over my face as I slept peacefully, warmed by the morning sunlight.
It was my first real rest after everything that had happened.