sunkissed, worldless

08

Olivia had told her much about when the world becomes 'right' again- "Whatever that means," she added- she wants to change how she looks. A few piercings or more on her ears and a tattoo somewhere on her arm from her absentminded doodles. Blue hair was another idea too, maybe just on the tips or go big.

There's never seems to be a real vision as Olivia daydreams about her future appearance. She said they're purposefully vague because she hasn't seen her options and knows better than to get her hopes up for an exact recreation when the time eventually comes.

Adele thinks she'd look great with blue hair, or whatever color she chooses regardless.

The landscape changes and yellow fields blur at their sides, and they ignore most turns and junctions but Adele has read the rotten signage on her previous trips. Knows the names of the towns around them but doesn't know if there's any people left in them.

Power lines on stiff poles inching further and further away from the side of the road. They see the huge towers on plains beyond the patches of woods, the ones Adele mistook for discount Eiffel towers when she was younger and then later thought they were for cable cars.

Olivia yells 'land ho!' when she spots the underwhelming crooked skyline of buildings marking the horizon. There's sign not far from their initial entry. It reads:

SAN RIBEIRO
Pop. 220

There used to be as many people living here as there are people living in Romsey right now. No wonder their numbers dwindled down so quickly, it's on the brink of abandonment. Until the well dries out it seems.

At least the baker hasn't seemed to move out, now essential to every town because nothing else could give you the joy of processed carbohydrates. It's hard to coordinate with suppliers, to get ingredients for the variety. The web of business is precarious, dependent, she's seen it fall apart.

This baker in particular had hollowed cheeks like he isn't eating anything he's making. There's only three options and he's probably sick of it, but she takes an early bite of garlic bread which he toasts fresh, tells him it's the best thing she ever had. Slides it back into the small burlap sack she brings for extra food.

Adele tips, advertises Lake Jade's farming scheme and the bathhouse, of course. He seems swayed. She almost offers her truck again, because she has a functional truck and because she's sick of traveling to the Pass all the time. People used to say the landscape of wind turbines were hideous and Adele disagrees at first, until she sees them enough times that they lose any sense of what them special.

Olivia catches her eye. "Look at you, Saint Adele," she doesn't say only with a knowing smile. It's not a jab, but she's just awfully predictable.

Saint Adele definitely tells him about the truck after that, maybe in some sort of spite? But that doesn't seem right. She could probably work out a deal with the other bakers to sponsor the trip.

They keep the rest of the bread for dinner. Picks up some cottage cheese from another vendor who also thinks of moving and puts it in the metal containers that used to have rice in them.

Olivia used to say, "You're too nice," at times like this. But that's not a flaw, being too nice isn't a bad thing ever, especially not in these years so she had it revised. She doesn't take her cue to say it now but Adele finds herself waiting anyways. She stares absently, like a nudge.

It doesn't go unnoticed. "What?

Adele doesn't waver, smile creeping. Anticipation.

Olivia scoffs. "Did you want me to tell you you're being nice?"