p style="text-align: center;"The place was full of ruins, the place was nothing but a complete mess, but I didn't mind, it looked like they had a lot of things that I could scavange from one of these rooms, there would be some cranks along the way, but I've had worse, and this place doesn't seem that dangerous. I walked to the direction of my guts, trying my best to follow it, since my lucky charm has not drained out yet, basically, luck is the only thing getting me this far in this place, God knows that. This place looked like it was a lab, maybe it used to be WICKED's, everyone knew about them, but maybe this place could be useful, I wonder what happened here, though the rumors about the whole thing collapsing was all over the place, I was almost delighted that it actually collapsed./p
p style="text-align: center;"I found myself in a hallway, the walls are white, or used to be, now it's full of dirt and some blood marks, not that I want to know, it seemed to be full of horrid judging by the atmosphere. There were rocks and ceilings that falled from the ground, as the smell hits me, I knew that there are dead bodies somewhere around here, but, it would be too risky to even scavange whatever it is left from those dead bodies. /p
p style="text-align: center;"I scanned the hallway, most doors are blocked with what was left of the ceiling, it is moveable, I could still open the doors with effort, but I figured I should just open some of the doors that are easy to do, I'm not staying here that long, and I'm not planning on doing so. /p
p style="text-align: center;"I walked silently to the nearest door, it wasn't blocked, and it wasn't even closed for fuck-sake, but the shrieking noise of the door and how it shook as I opened it further made it clear not to mess with it too much unless I want to get squished by it, so I did what I could and squeezed through. The room was the same color, dirty white, dirty because of the dirt and whatever else, it didn't seem like it was this color before. There were a lot of cupboards, drawers, desks, and a lot of things that I don't see necessary to even open./p
p style="text-align: center;"I walked to the nearest cupboard, and I opened it just to find medical supplies, since I have no idea what they are and I clearly don't want to waste time finding them out here so I took all of them and put them on my backpack, but right now, a snack bar would be good, I closed the cupboard and moved on to the next one, and the next, just to find a hell lot of medical supplies, but some of the cupboards were empty, maybe some people already scavanged whatever they needed already. The drawers weren't much of a use, they were all broken or locked, but I found a jacket and a lab-coat, I took the jacket instead, who knows when I will need it? After a couple of drawers, there was a small bottle of water, I took it with gleaming eyes, but as thirsty as I am, I'm not wasting this water right now anyway./p
p style="text-align: center;"The desks are filled with paper-work, such as test subject reports, or the cure development, (Which, I know will never even happen.) and also, some people's biography and photos, not much to my interest, if the world was cold, I could gather these paper up and burn them to help make a campfire, but sadly, it's not. There was a mirror with a sink, I wonder if the sink works in there, though I am not trying to count on it, but who knows?/p
p style="text-align: center;"I turned the sink, yet no water came out as I sighed and looked to the mirror, it wasn't a medical cabinet, so it was just a plain mirror, though there are cracks here and there, I could see clearly how much I have grown, I used to be 11 when all of this happened, but now, I am not so sure about it, it maybe have been years since then, I stopped counting days as long as I could have remembered, and I have probably missed so many birthdays of mine./p
p style="text-align: center;"My face was a mess, there was dirt everywhere, maybe it was from the constant sand that blows to my face now and then, I couldn't use the bottled water to clean myself up, so I stood there and looked at myself, it has been a long time since I stared myself at the mirror, it seemed normal, like I was checking myself out, or giving make-up touches, like how my sister used to do it before going out./p
p style="text-align: center;"But none could ever be the same./p
p style="text-align: center;"My hair was ugly, and no I am not ashamed of it, It got stuck at some branches while I was running away from cranks who obviously lost it bad, I tried tangling them away but it won't work, so I decided to cut them off, and this is how it looks like, uneven hair that falls just maybe a centimeter or two above my shoulders, if there was a salon I would pay for just a normal hair cut, but shorter hair gives you a better way of moving around./p
p style="text-align: center;"I sighed and walked outside of the room, there are 4 more rooms for me to go check around, not to mention that other hall way that I passed by earlier, but my guts told me to go here first, so I didn't mind at all, I usually am good at intuitions./p
p style="text-align: center;"The next door was blocked by a couple of ceiling remains, I pushed them off easily, since it was not my first time, although the remains kind of smashed the floor, like it's not already ruined./p
p style="text-align: center;"It came to me, "Where are the cranks in this place?" I whispered to myself, normally everywhere is a crank-nest, there would be groups of them, or even individuals, somewhere. But, so far I saw none, like, really zero cranks./p
p style="text-align: center;""What is it with this place?" I asked again to myself as I stepped inside the room, this place must be used as an operating room, and it looked clean, but there are mostly nothing just a couple of bandages, sharp objects that could be used as weapons, and not a single food./p
p style="text-align: center;"The next room was locked, so I passed to the other room, and yet it was just an archive, just a lot of papers and a bunch of calculators, there was even a cam-recorder, I didn't need it, but I took out the batteries, just incase it would do for a flash-light./p
p style="text-align: center;"The other room in front of had no door, maybe it got broken or something, but it turned out it had fallen to the ground, maybe because of all the trouble that went on here, or maybe the cranks pushed it down, but this room looked like it was an office to someone, no one is here, not even a dead body, but as I walked behind the desk, I stand corrected, there is one, but I couldn't see who it was, it must have been pretty old, and some rats were feeding from it, maybe they are as desperate as we are./p
p style="text-align: center;"The desk had a couple of drawers, the first one on top wasn't much, the second one and the third was locked, I wonder if the dead body has a key, as I searched him all I could find was some bullets, I wouldn't know what type of bullets they are for, but why carry bullets without a gun?/p
p style="text-align: center;"I tried breaking open the second drawer but it wouldn't budge, so I broke the third one, and hopelessly there was nothing in it until I broke the second drawer from below, and suddenly a heavy sound came falling down, it was a gun./p
p style="text-align: center;"Now, that's what I'm talking about./p
p style="text-align: center;"How come no one ever came to this place? Don't anyone find it? Or are they afraid of something? Do they know what's going on here?/p
p style="text-align: center;"emOh well/em./p
p style="text-align: center;"As I opened the last door, I was suprised to find it as a library, all of them were broken, the books were scattered on the floor, some were ripped apart or seemed to be burnt down, but one was still standing still, on the other side of the room, but the room was dark, so I decided to use my flashlight, I know that the battery was dying a couple of days ago, but I'll just use it anyway./p
p style="text-align: center;"As I came close to the shelf, something was odd, I could feel cold air bursting through it, maybe people hadn't notice, since this room was probably cold because of the air conditioners or something, but what is behind this shelf? I tried pushing it away, but it won't budge, or even trying to destroy it but it just bumped back to me. I decided to throw out every single book that was on the shelf until I felt myself pulling something and the shelf gave out a good crack sound of an opening./p
p style="text-align: center;"I stepped back as it opened, it was just complete darkness before the lights started to shine one by one inside the room, it wasn't like the other rooms, this room was white, it felt like heaven, it felt like you just died and entered heaven, but something was off, the air was cold, which means the electricity only works in this room, yet the other rooms did not have electricity? Why would they reserve electricty only in this room? It doesn't make sense. But, to think of it, nothing does nowadays./p
p style="text-align: center;"And suddenly, a beeping sound./p
p style="text-align: center;"And then another./p
p style="text-align: center;""Hello?" I spoke out, and no answer./p
p style="text-align: center;"Just another beeping sound, and it took me sometime to realize it must be coming from a machine, but as I followed it, something came to my vision, it was a machine, or some kind of contraption, it didn't look familiar, it clearly is not a TV or an air conditioner./p
p style="text-align: center;"I stepped closer to see that the machine is connected to something on it's backside, I gave all the guts I have to see what it was, just to see a hospital bed, I could see a UV, and other cabels that might be supposed to be connected, but no one was there, just a couple trickles of blood in the bed and it wasn't made, probably the person fled right before this place collapsed, but why is the heart monitor still beating?/p
p style="text-align: center;"I took a closer look to see that it was rigged at the first place, the time stays still and also the heart beat, it was made to stay that way, it was made to stay beeping./p
p style="text-align: center;"It is a trap./p
p style="text-align: center;"It was too late for me to run until I hear the clicking sound of a gun, and a strong female voice coming from behind me, "Don't move." /p
p style="text-align: center;"I didn't move, I'm smart enough to do that, I couldn't see her face from the faint reflection of the monitor since she might be standing right behind me./p
p style="text-align: center;""Turn around, slowly." She stated clearly as I followed her orders./p
p style="text-align: center;"She was holding a rifle, that might be where the missing gun might be from the corpse, I mean, that made sense, doesn't it?/p
p style="text-align: center;""Aren't you supposed to be on that bed?" I gestured with my eye to the hopsital bed, "You don't look so good."/p
p style="text-align: center;"She furrowed her eyebrows, "I'm fine." She said coldly towards me, "Who are you?"/p
p style="text-align: center;"I chuckled, "I might ask you the same thing."/p
p style="text-align: center;""Look, I don't want any trouble."/p
p style="text-align: center;""So do I."/p
p style="text-align: center;""Then, why did I awaken?!" The girl's voice turned a bit higher than before, "Why are you here? Who are you?"/p
p style="text-align: center;"The girl looked confused, but her grip on the gun did not shake, she must have done this before, or she's just good at faking it, "I-I don't know!"/p
p style="text-align: center;"She sighed and she looked at me right in the eye and said nothing./p
p style="text-align: center;""My-my.. Name is, Lily. What's yours?" I started to speak up, my name wouldn't matter anyway, she seemed nice, and she might need a friend to get through this, it has been years since I had a regular company, but she does not look regular, but she'll do./p
p style="text-align: center;"She shook her head, "Why are you here?"/p
p style="text-align: center;""Food."/p
p style="text-align: center;""Well, there are none."/p
p style="text-align: center;""Figures." I smiled at her and that seemed to break her guard down a couple of inches, "Where are you from?"/p
p style="text-align: center;""Here."/p
p style="text-align: center;"I rolled my eyes at the answer./p
p style="text-align: center;""Lily, did you see any traces of a group-Maybe, they looked older than you, maybe they were just here or maybe.." She trailed off, her eyes looked like she is losing hope./p
p style="text-align: center;""No, I am sorry. I just got here. And I passed this place, I do not have evil intentions."/p
p style="text-align: center;""Thank you for not having evil thoughts." She looked at me./p
p style="text-align: center;"I nodded, "Don't mention it." I paused as silence crept between us, "So, what's your name?"/p
p style="text-align: center;"She hesitated for a while as she put down the gun and hung the rifle on her arm as she spoke,/p
p style="text-align: center;"em"Atlee."/em/p
p style="text-align: center;" /p
p style="text-align: center;"I found myself in a hallway, the walls are white, or used to be, now it's full of dirt and some blood marks, not that I want to know, it seemed to be full of horrid judging by the atmosphere. There were rocks and ceilings that falled from the ground, as the smell hits me, I knew that there are dead bodies somewhere around here, but, it would be too risky to even scavange whatever it is left from those dead bodies. /p
p style="text-align: center;"I scanned the hallway, most doors are blocked with what was left of the ceiling, it is moveable, I could still open the doors with effort, but I figured I should just open some of the doors that are easy to do, I'm not staying here that long, and I'm not planning on doing so. /p
p style="text-align: center;"I walked silently to the nearest door, it wasn't blocked, and it wasn't even closed for fuck-sake, but the shrieking noise of the door and how it shook as I opened it further made it clear not to mess with it too much unless I want to get squished by it, so I did what I could and squeezed through. The room was the same color, dirty white, dirty because of the dirt and whatever else, it didn't seem like it was this color before. There were a lot of cupboards, drawers, desks, and a lot of things that I don't see necessary to even open./p
p style="text-align: center;"I walked to the nearest cupboard, and I opened it just to find medical supplies, since I have no idea what they are and I clearly don't want to waste time finding them out here so I took all of them and put them on my backpack, but right now, a snack bar would be good, I closed the cupboard and moved on to the next one, and the next, just to find a hell lot of medical supplies, but some of the cupboards were empty, maybe some people already scavanged whatever they needed already. The drawers weren't much of a use, they were all broken or locked, but I found a jacket and a lab-coat, I took the jacket instead, who knows when I will need it? After a couple of drawers, there was a small bottle of water, I took it with gleaming eyes, but as thirsty as I am, I'm not wasting this water right now anyway./p
p style="text-align: center;"The desks are filled with paper-work, such as test subject reports, or the cure development, (Which, I know will never even happen.) and also, some people's biography and photos, not much to my interest, if the world was cold, I could gather these paper up and burn them to help make a campfire, but sadly, it's not. There was a mirror with a sink, I wonder if the sink works in there, though I am not trying to count on it, but who knows?/p
p style="text-align: center;"I turned the sink, yet no water came out as I sighed and looked to the mirror, it wasn't a medical cabinet, so it was just a plain mirror, though there are cracks here and there, I could see clearly how much I have grown, I used to be 11 when all of this happened, but now, I am not so sure about it, it maybe have been years since then, I stopped counting days as long as I could have remembered, and I have probably missed so many birthdays of mine./p
p style="text-align: center;"My face was a mess, there was dirt everywhere, maybe it was from the constant sand that blows to my face now and then, I couldn't use the bottled water to clean myself up, so I stood there and looked at myself, it has been a long time since I stared myself at the mirror, it seemed normal, like I was checking myself out, or giving make-up touches, like how my sister used to do it before going out./p
p style="text-align: center;"But none could ever be the same./p
p style="text-align: center;"My hair was ugly, and no I am not ashamed of it, It got stuck at some branches while I was running away from cranks who obviously lost it bad, I tried tangling them away but it won't work, so I decided to cut them off, and this is how it looks like, uneven hair that falls just maybe a centimeter or two above my shoulders, if there was a salon I would pay for just a normal hair cut, but shorter hair gives you a better way of moving around./p
p style="text-align: center;"I sighed and walked outside of the room, there are 4 more rooms for me to go check around, not to mention that other hall way that I passed by earlier, but my guts told me to go here first, so I didn't mind at all, I usually am good at intuitions./p
p style="text-align: center;"The next door was blocked by a couple of ceiling remains, I pushed them off easily, since it was not my first time, although the remains kind of smashed the floor, like it's not already ruined./p
p style="text-align: center;"It came to me, "Where are the cranks in this place?" I whispered to myself, normally everywhere is a crank-nest, there would be groups of them, or even individuals, somewhere. But, so far I saw none, like, really zero cranks./p
p style="text-align: center;""What is it with this place?" I asked again to myself as I stepped inside the room, this place must be used as an operating room, and it looked clean, but there are mostly nothing just a couple of bandages, sharp objects that could be used as weapons, and not a single food./p
p style="text-align: center;"The next room was locked, so I passed to the other room, and yet it was just an archive, just a lot of papers and a bunch of calculators, there was even a cam-recorder, I didn't need it, but I took out the batteries, just incase it would do for a flash-light./p
p style="text-align: center;"The other room in front of had no door, maybe it got broken or something, but it turned out it had fallen to the ground, maybe because of all the trouble that went on here, or maybe the cranks pushed it down, but this room looked like it was an office to someone, no one is here, not even a dead body, but as I walked behind the desk, I stand corrected, there is one, but I couldn't see who it was, it must have been pretty old, and some rats were feeding from it, maybe they are as desperate as we are./p
p style="text-align: center;"The desk had a couple of drawers, the first one on top wasn't much, the second one and the third was locked, I wonder if the dead body has a key, as I searched him all I could find was some bullets, I wouldn't know what type of bullets they are for, but why carry bullets without a gun?/p
p style="text-align: center;"I tried breaking open the second drawer but it wouldn't budge, so I broke the third one, and hopelessly there was nothing in it until I broke the second drawer from below, and suddenly a heavy sound came falling down, it was a gun./p
p style="text-align: center;"Now, that's what I'm talking about./p
p style="text-align: center;"How come no one ever came to this place? Don't anyone find it? Or are they afraid of something? Do they know what's going on here?/p
p style="text-align: center;"emOh well/em./p
p style="text-align: center;"As I opened the last door, I was suprised to find it as a library, all of them were broken, the books were scattered on the floor, some were ripped apart or seemed to be burnt down, but one was still standing still, on the other side of the room, but the room was dark, so I decided to use my flashlight, I know that the battery was dying a couple of days ago, but I'll just use it anyway./p
p style="text-align: center;"As I came close to the shelf, something was odd, I could feel cold air bursting through it, maybe people hadn't notice, since this room was probably cold because of the air conditioners or something, but what is behind this shelf? I tried pushing it away, but it won't budge, or even trying to destroy it but it just bumped back to me. I decided to throw out every single book that was on the shelf until I felt myself pulling something and the shelf gave out a good crack sound of an opening./p
p style="text-align: center;"I stepped back as it opened, it was just complete darkness before the lights started to shine one by one inside the room, it wasn't like the other rooms, this room was white, it felt like heaven, it felt like you just died and entered heaven, but something was off, the air was cold, which means the electricity only works in this room, yet the other rooms did not have electricity? Why would they reserve electricty only in this room? It doesn't make sense. But, to think of it, nothing does nowadays./p
p style="text-align: center;"And suddenly, a beeping sound./p
p style="text-align: center;"And then another./p
p style="text-align: center;""Hello?" I spoke out, and no answer./p
p style="text-align: center;"Just another beeping sound, and it took me sometime to realize it must be coming from a machine, but as I followed it, something came to my vision, it was a machine, or some kind of contraption, it didn't look familiar, it clearly is not a TV or an air conditioner./p
p style="text-align: center;"I stepped closer to see that the machine is connected to something on it's backside, I gave all the guts I have to see what it was, just to see a hospital bed, I could see a UV, and other cabels that might be supposed to be connected, but no one was there, just a couple trickles of blood in the bed and it wasn't made, probably the person fled right before this place collapsed, but why is the heart monitor still beating?/p
p style="text-align: center;"I took a closer look to see that it was rigged at the first place, the time stays still and also the heart beat, it was made to stay that way, it was made to stay beeping./p
p style="text-align: center;"It is a trap./p
p style="text-align: center;"It was too late for me to run until I hear the clicking sound of a gun, and a strong female voice coming from behind me, "Don't move." /p
p style="text-align: center;"I didn't move, I'm smart enough to do that, I couldn't see her face from the faint reflection of the monitor since she might be standing right behind me./p
p style="text-align: center;""Turn around, slowly." She stated clearly as I followed her orders./p
p style="text-align: center;"She was holding a rifle, that might be where the missing gun might be from the corpse, I mean, that made sense, doesn't it?/p
p style="text-align: center;""Aren't you supposed to be on that bed?" I gestured with my eye to the hopsital bed, "You don't look so good."/p
p style="text-align: center;"She furrowed her eyebrows, "I'm fine." She said coldly towards me, "Who are you?"/p
p style="text-align: center;"I chuckled, "I might ask you the same thing."/p
p style="text-align: center;""Look, I don't want any trouble."/p
p style="text-align: center;""So do I."/p
p style="text-align: center;""Then, why did I awaken?!" The girl's voice turned a bit higher than before, "Why are you here? Who are you?"/p
p style="text-align: center;"The girl looked confused, but her grip on the gun did not shake, she must have done this before, or she's just good at faking it, "I-I don't know!"/p
p style="text-align: center;"She sighed and she looked at me right in the eye and said nothing./p
p style="text-align: center;""My-my.. Name is, Lily. What's yours?" I started to speak up, my name wouldn't matter anyway, she seemed nice, and she might need a friend to get through this, it has been years since I had a regular company, but she does not look regular, but she'll do./p
p style="text-align: center;"She shook her head, "Why are you here?"/p
p style="text-align: center;""Food."/p
p style="text-align: center;""Well, there are none."/p
p style="text-align: center;""Figures." I smiled at her and that seemed to break her guard down a couple of inches, "Where are you from?"/p
p style="text-align: center;""Here."/p
p style="text-align: center;"I rolled my eyes at the answer./p
p style="text-align: center;""Lily, did you see any traces of a group-Maybe, they looked older than you, maybe they were just here or maybe.." She trailed off, her eyes looked like she is losing hope./p
p style="text-align: center;""No, I am sorry. I just got here. And I passed this place, I do not have evil intentions."/p
p style="text-align: center;""Thank you for not having evil thoughts." She looked at me./p
p style="text-align: center;"I nodded, "Don't mention it." I paused as silence crept between us, "So, what's your name?"/p
p style="text-align: center;"She hesitated for a while as she put down the gun and hung the rifle on her arm as she spoke,/p
p style="text-align: center;"em"Atlee."/em/p
p style="text-align: center;" /p