After going through a long journey, Joe Walker and his friends finally arrived at a city. However, before entering the urban area, they had to pass through a strange place with many windmills and hundreds of solar panels.
They looked around, observing the peculiar place. All the windmills and solar panels made the place radiate in shades of white.
"Alice, what are those things?" Maria pointed towards one of the windmills.
"Those are called windmills," Alice replied.
"They look like fan! Can they spin faster?" Maria asked.
"I'm not sure, but as far as I know, the speed of windmill rotation depends on how strong the wind is that makes the blades spin," Alice explained.
"Interesting, I want to have a fan now."
"Why? At night, you will get a very cold breeze. In the daytime, you will get scorching sunlight. We don't need a fan."
"But what if we could use a fan during the day and take a warm bath at night? Wouldn't that be heaven?"
"Stop dreaming, Maria. Finding a fan is one thing Hard To do, even filling a bath with hot water is so hard for us to do too."
"So that's why..., it's disappointing."
"Maria, we live in a post-apocalyptic world. Humans are nearly extinct. We won't be able to enjoy the luxuries our ancestors did. Survival is our main focus in this era."
"I know! I know that!" Maria sighed, "but isn't it okay to still have hope? Miracles do exist, you know!"
"If you think you right, so..., show me the miracle you mean early."
"Ugh... I can't do that right now..., but One day, maybe?..."
"Miracles are just soothing words. They bring hope, but hope often disappoints. There is no such thing as miracles in this world, Maria."
"You're always like this! At least let me hope for that. Even though I know that hope will never come true."
Alice sighed and replied, "hope will only hurt you when the time comes for it to betray you. That's why I never hope for anything, whether it's to something I desire, someone else, or even God."
"Alice, if you keep talking like that, you will be punished!"
"Yeah, you're right. That would happen if God still cared about us. but, The reality is, He has abandoned us and left us in this world."
"So, are you disappointed to be born in this world, Alice?"
"No, i'm not dissapointed because i'm born in this world. I'm disappointed in a God who couldn't make the world a better place."
"Hmm..." Maria was starting to lose interest in talking to Alice. She began to look around because there was nothing else to do.
However, when she looked up, she saw something flying. It was so small that she could only see it as a tiny dot.
"Hey! There's something in the sky!" Maria exclaimed.
"What's in the sky?" Alice asked, still focused on driving. The road was winding, making her pay close attention. The windmills and solar panels there were irregularly placed.
"There's something flying in the sky!"
"What? Are you dreaming, Maria? When was the last time we saw a bird flying in the sky?"
"Not a bird! That thing! I don't know what it is!"
Curious, Alice stopped the vehicle and started looking up at the sky.
"Where? I don't see anything!" Alice tried to look in all directions.
"It's gone, it was fast. Much faster than a bird!"
"What was it?"
"I don't know! That's the problem! That's why I wanted you to see it earlier."
Alice sighed in disappointment and said, "are you lying to me? Why You're always like this?..."
"I'm not lying!"
"Okay, okay, I believe you..."
Maria almost teared up as she said, "I-I'm not lying! I saw it for real!"
"I believe you, stop crying. You're older than me, you shouldn't act like this!"
Sobbing, "hiks...hiks..."
"Ugh...you so Troublesome!...stop crying! How is Joe doing now? What is he do right now?"
"Oh, he just finished feeding Jimmy until he fell asleep."
"Jimmy? Do you mean that strange creature?"
"Yes! I didn't expect that this strange creature could eat bullets! And it can understand our language too! Look at this..." Maria pointed at Jimmy, "jump!... Roll!... Play dead!"
As instructed, the creature named Jimmy obediently performed the actions Maria asked for.
"Interesting," mumbled Alice.
Maria, unintentionally overhearing her, began to tell more about the creature.
Alice smiled halfway through Maria's serious storytelling. She smiled not out of joy, but because she found it amusing. Smiling and looking at Maria, she murmured, "hahaha, she forgot that she was crying a few moments ago. Maria, you are Such a unique existence. I wonder, why you always like this?..."
Meanwhile, Joe Walker began to wake up from his nap. As he woke up, he wiped the drool that had accumulated on his cheek. He glanced at Maria and Alice, who were fight in conversation.
Thank goodness they didn't notice me. It would be embarrassing if they see me right now.
Maria, realizing that Joe Walker had woken up, exclaimed, "ahhh! Joe is awake! Good morning!"
"Good morning... Is it still morning?" Joe replied.
"It's already 11 in the morning," Alice said after checking the watch hidden under her long-sleeved shirt.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I overslept!"
"It's okay, you're better than someone who sleeps almost the entire day."
Maria nodded in agreement. However, she slowly understood the true meaning behind Alice's words. Feeling annoyed, she shouted, "you mean me, right!?"
"It's good that you're self-aware," Alice replied with a smile.
"What did you say!"
As usual, they started arguing again, like siblings. No, they were siblings from the beginning.
Joe Walker, observing as usual, remained silent, enjoying the noise. Although the arguments between Alice and Maria were loud, Joe Walker found that it was what kept him from feeling lonely.
Joe Walker knew that their silent world could easily make someone feel lonely. That's why, when Alice and Maria argued, the quietness around him couldn't affect him.
Although loneliness couldn't kill a person, it could slowly kill a person's heart. And that was something far worse than death.
Without realizing it, Joy smiled at that moment.