Towering metal structures of the old sprung from the red barren soil of the planet. White lattice curved to form helix-like infrastructures on the sides of an enormous glass dome. A hole implanted itself permanently on the top of it and shards of glasses and shrapnels of ammunition laid waste on the ground.
The place was said to be contaminated by the Illness our ancestors once had, and that it was forbidden to trek on the place. But it had now turned into a site for looters and people like me who wanted solace.
I moved past people donned in grey jackets with their hoodies obscuring most of their faces. Red dust trailed on my feet as I walked on long strides towards the back part of the dome.
Flowers with twisted petals colored in a pale gradient of red and orange dominated the place. I was always fascinated by this flower. The Cycyl flower. But what sets it apart than most flowers is that the thorns, instead of on stem, are placed neatly on the edges of the petals. I let my gloved hands pushed the flowers to the side and uncover a dirt hole.
My body slowly slid into the hole and the darkness immediately engulfed me to a world unknown to the others. But for me, it was home.
At a glance, nothing could spark anyone's interest in this hole. It is just a large hole of nothing. But that'd the best part. Nothing. No life. No things. Just you and your thoughts. And Iove it.
I've gotten used to the temperature in this place to the point that I'd spent hours upon hours just laying in here with just thin fabric covering my skin. The cold touch was a strange, unfamiliar feeling that gave me the sense of life. That, when I'm shivering, I'm reacting to the cold, and therefore, aware of my surroundingsāso, alive.
It had been an hour since I laid in there when faint shouts calling out my name caught my attention. They're looking for me. They know I'm in here somewhere, but did not know where in particular. But I had to be cautious, I don't want to give away my secret spot.
And so, I had to resurface. I climbed on to the steps I carved from the ground. As I started to ascend, a glint in the far corner of my eyes intrigued me. I focused my attention to it and take a look.
The air was colder in this part, and somehow, noisy, like murmurs echoed directly to my mind. I slowly trekked in short strides to word the glinting object. But as soon as I furthered my venture, the ground shook and I felt my body turn weightless as I fall to the ground.