The condition of the world is deteriorating. Dark, mysterious entities lurk around, devouring the minds of the pure and vulnerable. They sense even just a faint hint of despondency like how they sense blood.
Human extinction is only a few steps awa...
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Chapter 3: Star Supermarket
Emelie flicked her eyes open after having another dreamless night. Sitting up, she rubbed her tired eyes. She blinked as she looked at the empty sleeping bag next to her--where Doug should have been. Curiously, she stood up and stepped outside her home. The moonlight casted shadows on everything it could reach. In front of her was a suited man in black, staring up to the sky.
She wasn't sure if it was because of her still-groggy mind or just a neglected heart who had yearned for somebody to like for too long, but her cheeks warmed up as she stared at the tall, slim, young, and well-spoken man who was standing in silence in front of her. The aura around him felt mysterious yet so appealing and somehow beckoning. She felt drawn to him and she couldn't find the reason as to why.
All of a sudden, she felt conscious about herself.
She looked down at her body; she was wearing pajamas that had holes in it, a shirt that was honestly too dirty to wear, and she knew her hair looked like a field of corn while the bags under her eyes have a darker shade than normal. She realized that she had never worn makeup before; her mother didn't encourage her when she was young. But she remembered her mother wanting to have beautiful, blonde, grand kids running around the house. A heavy feeling weighed down upon her shoulders knowing that she could never make her mother proud again.
I don't think he would fancy someone as filthy as me, she thought to herself. As she looked up, Doug was already looking at her in silence, his hands in his pockets. His grey eyes stared into her intently.
"Doug?" Emelie called out casually, pretending that she wasn't staring at him since earlier. She looked down as she quickly tied her messy hair up into a ponytail. "What are you doing out here? It's freezing cold."
"I like the cold," Doug replied in a deep voice and closed his eyes. "Don't you?"
"I guess so, although I think I'd like a little bit of sunlight as well, but not the burning one."
"Just the right temperature," Doug smiled on one side and took a step towards her. "Get your things ready."
Emelie looked at the man who was standing inches away from where she stood and wondered how lucky she was to meet someone who seemed to be like her guardian. But then again, she thought that it might be too early to assume. It seemed like two sides of her mind were trying to overpower each other.
It had been two hours of non-stop walking under the sun and short conversations were done. They've walked through cracked roads, with animal carcasses lying around, but grim thoughts surged in Emelie's mind, that maybe the carcasses lying around weren't all animals. Doug was slightly disappointed that they haven't seen anyone. Just piles of trash lying around, and a few abandoned houses. Emelie's back was already aching from the weight of her mountain backpack but she didn't have the audacity to ask Doug for help. She thought that she had already troubled Doug too much.
