Xena hurried herself to sleep. It was too dark and late for her to go out. Even if she did, the chances of her getting lost were inevitable. Underneath her pillow laid the piece of paper that contained the painting. She was confident it was Sasha's work.
Thankfully, the next day came. It was sunny and warm while the sun shined its light upon everything it touched. Xena heard the loud chirps of the morning birds like an early alarm. She opened her eyes from her sleep. As she rubbed her eyelids, Xena sat up to avoid going back to sleep.
The sensation of the sun shining its warm light on her skin made her recall what happened yesterday. Right, she ought to go on an adventure—or at least that's what Xena promised herself. She got up, determined to make that promise come true.
Xena reached for the paper underneath her pillow. One look at it already established the nervousness she felt. If she wanted to travel to this place, she'd have to ask around. To a young juvenile, this felt like a daunting task. Xena had no cash and had no experience in travelling the outside world alone. The building didn't even look a tad bit familiar to her. It was all unknown territory—but a territory she'll venture.
She took a quick bath and thought things through. Xena thought of a plan before she slept, but that plan had a lot of cracks in it. One could easily foil everything. Her quick bath had ended and then moved on to get dressed. Remembering what Steven said last night, she felt perplexed that she's wearing the clothes of someone who had passed away. It felt strange.
With Steven in mind, Xena worried that he'd question her sudden disappearance. But the more she thought about it, the more she felt convinced that he most likely wouldn't care.
Xena felt like she has only been a hindrance. No one but a random child he had to take in because of pity. Maybe she was right or gravely mistaken. Who knows what his intentions were. Either way, Steven's help and kindness brought her hope. She was forever thankful for his support.
Using Sasha's old pencils and paper, she wrote a long letter to thank him.
Xena wrote how much she appreciated his help. But in that letter had a lie she had to tell. Xena wrote about her relatives that'd let her stay. The thing is, she knew no one else except for her parents. They kept her sheltered most of the time, and she hasn't even met a single relative. Her grandparents were out of the question. They told her they'd died long before she was born.
Xena knew nobody else, and that was the very reason she wanted to find her mother. As long as her mother is alive, she would look for her no matter what.
After writing the letter about half a page long, she walked her way to the kitchen. In the dining area, she saw Steven sleeping in the same spot. The alcohol must have had a significant effect on him as he's still knocked out even after twelve hours. She tiptoed, and when she was just a ruler's length away. Her hand carefully placed the folded letter on the surface.
She looked back at the cabin. It'll be her last time seeing it. Xena hoped Steven happiness, to find closure in himself, and to let go of the pain. Whether or not Sasha's death was his fault, she wanted him to find the strength to move on. Steven may have changed these past two weeks, but Xena understood why. From the night she saw him weeping to the night, he uncovered everything, Xena realized.
Xena took a deep breath and ventured into the woods. The loud sounds of crickets, bugs, and mosquitoes made her want to rip her ears out. However, the smell of damp moss, rain and wet tree trunks were oddly pleasing to the nose. The forest was rather lively: wild rabbits appeared out of the bushes, but after seeing a random passerby, they immediately went back to their burrows.
The leaves of the trees surrounding her reflected the sun's bright light and showed a golden yellow. She had to shelter her eyes from the sun with her hand. Xena walked a continuous passage, a path that would lead her back to her town. She realized it the moment she saw the view of her village from afar. Going back meant bringing up her darkest memories.
Her breath quickened its pace. She had been walking for half an hour. When she ran on the 25th, Xena vividly remembered it didn't take this long. It made her realize how much adrenaline she felt that day. When she ran, she didn't feel the exhaustion.
It felt funny. It had only been two weeks, yet Xena felt as if she had matured enough from the innocence. After seeing her father's death firsthand, it was no wonder Xena had changed. She has experienced the darkest of stuff.
Xena arrived in the town. Her eyes skimmed the surrounding. Just as she expected, everything was in shambles. There were dead bodies on the ground. She could smell the putrid smells of their remains. Has no one even bothered to bury them as a merciful being would do? Xena questioned.
A tear escaped her right eye. She saw the lifeless bodies, and it pained her. If they were the ones who died on the 25th, could her father still be lying lifeless as well? That thought felt like a sharp jab to the gut. Reality has struck her once again. And in this harsh reality, they leave those who the Arkenian government deemed useless to rot. Literally and metaphorically.
Xena didn't want her question answered this time. It was too painful to even think about it, let alone seeing the answer with her own eyes. She moved on, even when it was painful to do so.
She first explored the familiar streets, the ones she used to travel to with her mother, and then ventured into the unfamiliar. Those streets were bustling with cars of different colours and brands.
They raced on the road as the traffic lessened. The air was suffocating. Xena coughed as her throat felt dry the more she breathed the polluted atmosphere. The tall buildings on each side of the street were not like the ones Xena had seen before. The buildings had decaying walls, and most of them looked inhabited.
Xena thought about how to get to her destination. She didn't even know whether the address was a fake or if it was real, nor did she know the way to get there. The flaws of her plan were showing little by little. All she knew was that she had to find her mother before it's too late.
Xena asked the surrounding strangers. At first, they gave her a look of terror, as if asking about its location would get them killed. Their eyes gave away a look of panic. Some even wondered why a child like her would want to travel to that location. Ten minutes of asking have done nothing for Xena. It felt useless. All hope was lost until she saw a woman in the same coat as the ones in the painting.
Xena's eyes followed her like a bald eagle stalking its prey. The chances of her working from that place were low, but Xena wanted to take it. The woman was on her phone, busily talking to someone. She was also scrambling for something in her expensive side bag as she waited for the pedestrian sign to turn green.
Xena spotted a chance when the woman, who had not been paying attention, dropped a neon lanyard with a card attached. She looked at the identification card. Displayed on its shiny layer, the name 'Cassidy Freeman' and 'Arken Science Center' were on it.
Xena had a moment of epiphany. That painting was of no hospital but of a Science Center specifically made for Arkens. But for what purpose? She wondered.
"Excuse me…" said Xena politely. The woman didn't hear her as she continued to speak on the phone. This time, with a tap on the shoulder, she grabbed Cassidy's attention. Cassidy looked at Xena in surprise. But the expression immediately dissolved when she saw an innocent child in front of her. Xena raised the lanyard. A faint smile appeared on her face.
"You dropped this," she spoke to the woman. Cassidy had a look of gratitude and relief.
"Thank you. Had you not told me this, I probably can't enter the lab," Cassidy replied and gently grabbed the lanyard from Xena's small grasp and smiled kindly.
That was the first move of Xena's bright alternative plan to grab a small bit of information to confirm she was the person who could lead her to her destination. The second move was to follow her discretely, like one stalker on a show she saw not too long ago.
Xena thought about it thoroughly. If she asked the lady to guide her there, she'd think it's weird that a child would want to go to a science center alone. And the building probably has top security. With the wrong timing and poor execution, Xena could get caught.
'But without an ID- how will I enter?' Xena stopped in her tracks. She had not thought about that at all. The red pedestrian light finally turned green. The hustle and bustle of the street caused her to lose sight of the woman. Panic rose in Xena. She was afraid to lose sight of her only chance to see her mother.
Luckily the white coat was convenient to spot and stood out from the rest. Xena ran and ran. She halted when the crowd finally calmed down. It was only the two of them left on the sidewalk.
'Discretely…' Xena reminded herself.
Xena padded, and luck seemed to be on her shoulders. The woman didn't even notice. She immersed herself in her phone. Ten minutes of the following and Xena's efforts finally bore fruit when the building from the painting gradually appeared in view. However, mist and fog covered most of its features.
A car suddenly parked on the side, and Xena watched as the woman entered it. It was unexpected. But before Xena could run to follow it, the car had already left.
The vehicle drove its way unto the path that led toward the building. She let out a grunt of frustration as she was so close to her destination. But she couldn't just follow that car. Its speed was too fast for a child like her to catch up. All she could do was follow the vehicle with her eyes.
Suddenly, a questionable man dressed like the thugs she saw on television appeared in front of her. She furrowed her brows. He bent down and leaned his palms against his knees to meet her eye to eye. With a smirk attached to his face, he asked.
"Are you lost?"