The Deterioration of the City of Dreams

Four

I woke up the next morning to an unfamiliar interior, my head spinning and trying to grasp my location. Soon the events from last night came pouring into my head, and I lifted a hand to my face to find that it was still somewhat sore. The building was cold without a working heating system, and the ground was hard and uncomfortable. I was surprised I was able to get to sleep at all. I then realized that James's arm was slung limply over me, and I picked it up gently so I could snake my way out of his grasp without waking him up.

Once I had freed myself, I sat up against the wall, when something occurred to me. There was a cold, dead silence--a sound vastly different from that heard last night. I glanced over at James, who was still sleeping. In fact, he almost looked like he was dead, but a sudden snore and twitching of his hand quickly disproved that. I figured that if I was going to leave I ought to do it now, since it was still so silent outside, and I may as well bid James farewell, seeing as this was probably the last time I would see him.

"James," my voice resonated, sounding alien in contrast to the eerie silence. He failed to respond, so I tried again with increased volume, "James." He jolted awake and seemed to go through the same confusion about where he was as I did, before the reality set in and his eyes landed on me. "I'm gonna get going now. It's been nice knowing you." I put out my hand, offering a handshake which he completely ignored and instead stared up at me with a panicked expression.

"Please don't leave me alone. I'll die on my own. Let me come with you." I looked at him, considering the proposition in my mind, weighing my options. When he saw me hesitate, he attempted to sweeten the deal. "I know exactly where to go. I have a sister who lives out in the forest beyond the city. She hardly relies on electricity at all, and she's stocked up on supplies. Please let me join you, I swear I can help."

I sighed, still reluctant to give in. Although it was true that having someone to watch my back would prove itself to be useful in the city full of danger, I had always thought of myself as more of a loner. Teaming up would mean having to split supplies between the two of us, and if the situation was too dire for him he could potentially turn on me. But I eventually decided that the pros outweighed the cons, though not by much.

"I'll let you come," I finally agreed. I watched his eyes brighten and a huge smile of relief form on his face, and almost felt a little guilt for what I said next. "But that's only if you can prove I should."

He cocked his head quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"We need food, and as soon as possible, too. If you can be of use on getting it, I'll stick with you," I elaborated.

He smiled at me, his face displaying pure determination. "Thank you. I'll prove myself, I promise."

"Then we'd better get moving."