(Rose)
I woke up from a nightmare and vomited, basically only stomach acid. My throat hurts.
I drank some water I boiled yesterday, and forced my body to move.
Being sick with no one to nurse you is no fun.
I broke the door of the last apartment in the building with a strong kick. The door fell apart.
Behind the rubbles, I found a leather jacket inside. It's as hard as a saddle now, but it's better than all I have found so far.
In a few years, there won't be anymore edible food in cans, nor clothes, nor shoes, left to be found in the world.
I wonder what I will wear then?
Maybe I'll settle for a place in the world warm enough to not need shoes or clothes? I wonder how far is Persia from Italy. Though, I'd like to keep wearing clothes, and I won't be picky.
Outside, it has stopped raining almost. Almost. And the sky still looks heavy.
I go. I'm moving.
The city is being slowly carried away by a river that spreads into a vast delta.
I pictured the Nilus or Amazon like that.
The flow is strong enough to go through skyscrapers and around them as if they weren't there.
I reach the first dam made of wrecks and dirt. From dam to bridge, and so on, it looks like there's a net that would allow me to reach the other shore by foot. But looking at the angry river below, one fall would most probably be the last. I take deep breaths and do some stretches. I know my body isn't in great condition without her, but it's still okay.
And I go for this dangerous walk that is like a mountain trek. Most of the wrecks are rather stable and coarse. I don't slip on them. When there's dirt or mud however, when the only foothold are muddy steel beams and such, it can be hazardous.
The dam breaks a flow of dirty water that looks like a piece of raging ocean. I'm often getting spills of the water from the bursting waves. I didn't know rivers could have waves, furthermore inside a city.
Well, across a city truly. From East to West and their falls into the ocean a little further.
I walk from an edge to the other on an improvised path I'm pretty sure I'm the first one to attempt.
I'm about to reach the first remaining monument and landmark, a skyscraper still standing high and tall against the flow, shining from every side the reflections of the sun and sky.
I manage to reach a broken façade were some wagons crashed into, forming one end of this imperfect and somewhat natural dam.
I climb the old wagon as water spills inside and across. I slowly reach the inside of the wide tower. It looks muddy everywhere, almost like a seaside cave.
I jump the last metre separating me from stairs. I grab them and enter the building now protruding oddly from a wide river.
~
The tower looks like a sunken ship brought back to surface.
I even notice some aquatic lifeforms in some corridors. Not fishes above water, but crustaceans rummaging around, and an octopus. It crawled or slithered away swiftly when it noticed me. I didn't know octopuses were amphibious...
Were they?
As long as sharks don't begin invading the shores or waving clubs, I guess that's alright. Though here and there I've seen some animals using tools, more frequently than in the old days.
The building, like a sunken commercial ship, is a goldmine filled with priceless treasures. Statues, works of art and countless valuable items for a daily life are scattered.
All buried in this damp mud covering everything, and more importantly, of absolutely no use to me.
I keep looking, going from one empty office to the next, climbing the levels slowly.
Until I eventually end up at the last floor.
The sky opens in a gust of wind to the top of the staircase. I see the full extent of the sunken city. It's huge, far bigger than I could see from the hills.
I can distinguish other buildings below the streams, and guess better where the streets where in the past.
There are rainbows. Only they make complete circles in the distance and rainy sky. How is that possible?
One vivid circle, and a lighter one behind. I can guess a third one even further and wider than the previous.
Where will I find my treasure if the rainbow flew into the sky? That's cheating!
I see something flying away, maybe a bat, but certainly not a bird. Or perhaps another being-like-her. It flew from the tower I'm in and went toward the sea.
It's further down beyond the falls, and rainbows, looking misty and pretty from up here... I can guess other towers now under water and collapsed rather far away from here...
I wish Blume had left me enough power to fly by myself for a minute or so. The landscape and sky is wonderful here.
I look at the other towers below and closer to me, to figure out the path I'll take from one to another until I manage to reach the southern, shore of this delta.
I then climb down the levels and find the right window in a grand cafeteria to try and reach the next improvised bridge. I didn't find food in their storage, but did find some dry tea. Not bad.
And after the plunder, now that I'm back onto thin edges above water, I really feel like an adventurer from another time and place.
The rainbow has vanished behind. I guess it flew away too.
I spend the whole day going from a building to the next, through the many bridges the delta has to offer.
The worst one was a zip line made from a sturdy electric cable. These cables are actually braided so I couldn't slide in one go really. I had to find something to attach myself more safely to it, and go with my arms carrying me from end to end.
I had to take rest times, crossing my legs around the cable and letting my hands and elbows rest a few minutes, head down thus. It was straining. And the belt I attached myself with almost saved me a few times along that way.
And finally, I made it. I dropped onto this last building with little grace to spare. My hands and arms hurting like they'd been tortured for hours. I stopped there for the rest of the day.
I found the less damp room there, a storage area, and sheltered myself inside. Then I proceeded to make a campfire.
Some of the mud covering everything in these buildings is actually a kind of algae. My fire was good at first, but slowly began to spread out of control. The algae on the walls was drying, and then catching fire.
And if I first I thought of sealing myself into that storage room, I realised thankfully in time I would suffocate if I did.
Well anyway, with uncontrolled fire beginning to spread to every surface this building has to offer... No choice but to leave in a hurry.
I jumped onto the next bridge, a kind of small Eiffel kind radio tower that fell down. My arms hurt a lot but I manage to go far enough.
Under the light rain, I see behind the building slowly burning because of me. Blast...
Some parts of the building crumble off. I fear the bridge I'm on may collapse, so I rush to the next building. I slip a few times but I make it.
The bridge remained. A large black cloud of smoke slowly leaves the previous building.
In this new one, I find up another dry place. I make a very small fire there, more controlled this time. Just enough to warm and dry myself before sleeping.
I eat what's in a can I found along the way. Not sure what is was, as it had lost all flavour and taste, but still edible though, and that's good enough for now.
I fall asleep, my arms and hands burning me painfully from the zip line crossing still.
~
I see myself, jumping in an unrealistic manner from a window, to a roof across the street below. Then above a city block onto a tower of some sort.
Then my legs and arms burn, and turn to ashes. I fall into a corn field, and wake up.
That was weird...
I wake up in a bathroom without remaining furniture, the ashes of my small fire spread all over. I rolled in it in my sleep. My back hurts.
I cough, but I rise. I'm beginning to feel better. I feel the difference.
In the main office, it's green and muddy from ground to ceiling. It's raining outside. Is this really Italy?
The city looks pretty outside. It's glistening. The sea, the river, the sun, the sky, the rain, the empty buildings. It's so pretty...
The closest building is covered with soot now because of me. And that's about all there is to say about it... It's highlights the surrounding contrasts though, making an interesting set and painting.
On the other side, I'm close to the other bank, or shore, now. I didn't spend too much time in this city. I haven't found much useful things, and I've been ill all along.
But I think I like this city. It has splendid sceneries, with its delta and the sea.
I cough. I smile faintly. I move on.
I'm alive.
~