Chapter 2

The Ancients were generous. Besides the machines that granted light, many other endowments were spread throughout the land. Hidden in the colossal ruins of past municipalities were strange devices of all sorts, many of which still served an unknown purpose. Among these past wonders was the Grand Road: smooth rock that covered the dirt, sprawling beyond the horizon in every direction. Just a century ago, these great highways were littered with iron carriages of all shape and sizes. Some of which were still functional. Humanity quickly utilized this technology to the best of their capabilities. Broken carriages were stripped for materials and parts, eventually clearing the roads. A new source of transportation meant that communities were no longer isolated by distance, allowing a new era of commerce to began.

Anya had attempted the diplomatic approach and failed. Retaliation was now her only option. She sat outside glaring at the ancient machine as a part of her usual routine. She had not forgotten the fraud committed by the machine and wanted to ensure that her resentment towards it was well-known. Normally, Anya was not allowed anywhere near the machine; regardless, she still trespassed, not willing to admit defeat. This area also served as where she brainstormed; the rhythmic thumps helped pace her thoughts, or so she believed. In the corner of her eye, Anya spotted a group of boys a few years older than her beginning to play 'Kalah', a simple game that only required small stones and hand drawn circles on the ground. To avoid being discovered, she hid behind tool cabinets. 'Kalah' was a game that Anya expressed curiosity in, but was never invited to play. She had learned just a few years prior that the other children did not receive candy on an annual basis, causing envy that further contributed to her seclusion. One of the boys had spotted Anya through quick glances but never exposed her. Anya noticed this but did not feel it was necessary to confront him. She just assumed the boy desired a share of her sweets and thus attempted to gain favor. "Ah!" Anya exclaimed quietly as she had an idea.

...

Anya's parents were by no means aesthetically impaired; in fact, her parents, along with Stephan, were considered quite the sight to behold. Her parents' amalgamation brought forth a child that inherited the mother's straight black hair, brown eyes, and her symmetrical face along with her father's denseness towards human attraction. Anya understood that she had some degree of charisma, just not of its devastation.

"Are you sure about this, Anya?!" The boy questioned while expressing anxiousness, "Are you sure we won't get caught?!"

"Don't worry, just do exactly as I've told you." The boy Anya recruited as her accomplice was named Declan. He first noticed Anya two years ago while playing mock gun battle with the other children. Seeing how she was always alone, he wanted to invite her to their play sessions. However, his friends refused this proposal, warning Declan of the potential stigma involved. Apparently, Anya was the cause of countless disturbances within their quiet town. As time passed, he became enamored towards Anya, sometimes even finding it difficult to not sneak a glance. It was a great surprise when she approached him and offered a trade: four years' worth of stashed candy for his cooperation and some supplies. Personally, Declan did not care for the sweets and thus was reluctant to get involved. When Anya's persuasions were not enough, she released a series of strategic pleads and 'puppy' faces, rendering Declan's resolve in disarray.

"Why do you want to go to Luminus anyway? Wouldn't us outsiders stick out like a sore thumb?"

"That's why I dressed like this." Anya flaunted her dress. She had picked out her best one, one with a silky white base, adorned with a small white bow to the side. Her mother had obtained the dress before settling down; it didn't fit her, but the quality made parting with it difficult. The dress was passed down but seemed out of place. Thus, it was never worn until today.

"But, still, you know it's not safe out there, right?" Declan couldn't help but feel worried since he had heard of the many stories of raiders and Crawlers decimating entire caravans.

"Don't worry, I'm prepared!" Anya showed off her mother's rifle and then proceeded to display the patched shorts and shirt underneath her dress. "I wore my mobility clothes, just in case."

Declan blushed and turned away.

"I get it, I get it, just put your skirt down."

Releasing the skirt of her dress, Anya proceeded to question Declan.

"Did you bring the supplies?"

"Yeah, yeah." Declan handed Anya a large bottle of water.

"And?"

"I didn't forget." He handed her a bag of roasted roaches and mushrooms.

"Thanks!" Anya gave a jovial smile, causing Declan's heart to skip a beat.

"Wait, how do I use the restroom?" Anya noticed that she did not possess a bucket.

"There's a hatch on the floor over there." Declan pointed to the ground behind her.

Confused as to how that would work, Anya questioned,

"How do you use that?"

"Just open it and stand near it." Declan was unaware of the anatomical differences between males and females.

Anya still didn't understand, but she figured she'd work it out later.

"Anya, please be careful." Declan was still concerned, wondering whether he had made the correct choice.

Understanding Declan's concern, Anya turned to face him and presented a thumbs up.

Declan closed the back door of the carriage, encasing Anya inside.

"Hey, kid! What are you doing here?" A figure approached.

Declan jolted a bit then quickly turned around and responded in a calm demeanor.

"Just taking a look before the carriages head out."

"Hmm..." The figure before him was Hailey.

Declan remembered what Anya had instructed him to say:

"Oh, yeah, could you give this to Anya's father? She dropped this and when I tried to return it to her, she refused to come out of her room, locking herself in. She even said she refuses to see or speak to anyone until she's allowed to go on the trip."

"Sure? Didn't know Anya threw tantrums." Hailey received the strange configuration of sticks tied together by a string. "Wait, how do you know it's Anya's?"

Declan panicked as this was not a part of the script. He had to formulate something quick; otherwise, all effort would have been wasted.

"It's because... Anya is my friend! And she showed it to me earlier!"

"So, she does have friends..." Hailey was surprised by this.

Wanting to change the subject, Declan pointed at Hailey's rifle and asked,

"Just wondering, why is Emma written on your rifle?"

"What?" Hailey replied.

"Usually people engrave their own names onto their rifles."

Hailey was taken by surprise by this question. Sadness began to surface on her face as unpleasant memories returned. She responded while gripping her arm,

"That... was my daughter's name."

Declan knew he had made a mistake and wanted to quickly escape the situation.

"I'm sorry... I gotta go, bye!"

Declan ran off as fast as he could. Hailey wasn't sure what was going on. She returned to her usual composure and examined the weird contraption in her hand.

"What the fuck is this?"

***

Anya had been engulfed in the darkness for a while now until the carriage had finally begun to move. Unable to see, the movement caused her to become nauseous. She opened the hatch on the floor to let some light and fresh air in. The carriages were not designed with lights in the storage compartment, thus the cabin containing Anya was very dark. Still unable to understand what Declan meant by 'just stand near it', Anya simply avoided eating and drinking. Feeling drowsy, Anya closed the hatch and lied down, eventually drifting off.

...

PUM-PUM-PUM-PUM

The carriages came to an abrupt stop, jolting Anya awake. Confused and scared, Anya grabbed her rifle and attempted to load a cartridge. She had practiced doing this before, but with her shaking hands, this action became difficult.

The sound of gunfire along with screams surrounded her. Upon hearing this, Anya understood her situation. They were currently under attack by raiders.

Three bullets penetrated the walls of the carriage with two of them passing through the other side. One bullet struck the crates and ricocheted, grazing Anya's arm. Terror gripped onto Anya as she felt the sharp pain. She knew the dangers of staying within the carriage. While constantly quivering, Anya retreated through the hatch to the underside of the carriage, making sure to close the hatch behind her. In her frightened state, she had forgotten her rifle. The carnage around her continued; footsteps were followed by weapon fire and the sound of bodies falling to the ground. One by one, each of the carriage doors was opened then gunfire ensued. Anya lied on her side, trembling with her hands over her mouth. She knew the consequences of being discovered.

"OY LADS! IF IT MOVE, YA KNOW WAT'L DO." Anya did not recognize this voice nor did she understand what the man was saying.

"Found the Fucker!" Anya froze, she recognized the voice. It was Hailey's.

A group of well-equipped men and women stood in the aftermath of a devastatingly one-sided battle. In the center, a man was forced onto his knees, constrained by a woman at gunpoint. An individual approached the two.

"Do you know where we are, Ethan?"

"STEPHAN! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THI -" Hailey threw a punch at Ethan's face before he could finish his sentence.

"ANSWER THE FUCKING QUESTION."

Ethan coughed as the punch impacted with enough force to dislodge his teeth. Seeing this, Stephan continued.

"This... is where Anna died. Picked clean by the Crawlers... Not even a bone remained." Ethan could see the sadness present in Stephan's face.

"Is this what it's about? Revenge!? You killed our people for petty revenge?!"

"Is that what you see this as? No shame even till the end. You sicken me, Ethan."

"Wha?... What are you talking about?" Ethan was unsure of what Stephan referred to.

"Rodrick, come here and share the fruits of your investigation." A man quickly approached Stephan. "You see, I've always wondered why you agreed to such unfair terms. But, as it turns out, that wasn't really the case."

Rodrick, noticing Stephan's signal, began to unveil a sheet of paper in his hands and started reading aloud. "The contract between the merchants of Luminus and Black-Rock states: forty units of coal shall be exchanged for fifteen units of food, five units of foul wine, and five more units of varying tools. The remaining fifteen units will be redeemed as 1300 credits usable only in Luminus."

"That sounds like quite the fair deal. Say, where did the 1300 credits go?" Ethan's expressions darkened as he already knew the answer.

Rodrick continued.

"When investigated with the Luminus Merchant Guild, all credits were transferred to an account opened under the name of 'Ethan of Luminus'".

"You FUCKING SCUM." Hailey punched Ethan again, this time causing half of his face to swell up.

"YOU THREW AWAY OUR TOWN FOR PERSONAL GAIN." Stephan gritted his teeth to hold back the fury that was accumulating.

"I-It's not what you think!" Desperation showed on Ethan's face and he began to stutter. "I-I just wanted a place where Anya could live happily and safe."

Stephan crouched down to Ethan's eye level and held the despairing man's face with a tight grip.

"Is that how you justify throwing away the entire town?"

Ethan avoided Stephan's eyes as there was nothing he could say in his defense. Seeing this, Stephan stood up again.

"You don't deserve Anya." Stephan, unable to constrain himself any further, thrust the tip of his shoe at Ethan's stomach, causing Ethan to bend towards the ground.

"I gave you a chance to come clean and you refused it."

At that moment, Ethan turned his head towards the side and his gaze met with Anya's. His eyes opened wide in shock as he mouthed,

"A -"

PUM

"Eeeeek." The scene before her caused Anya to expose a tiny cry. Tears leaked uncontrollably from her eyes onto the cold ground. Anya held her mouth even tighter to prevent herself from making any noise.

Half of her father's face was swollen and purple; the other half laid in a pool of blood. His eyes tilted upwards towards the inside of his head while his jaw dropped towards the ground.

Another man walked up to Stephan.

"Oy, burn the bodies an grab the goods."

"Leave his body here," Stephan commanded.

The unknown man glared at Ethan's body.

"Least the lad got good n'tention."

Stephan stared at the lifeless body in silence.

"The best of intentions create the worst of man."

...

Anya stared at her father's contorted face for hours, waiting for the group to leave. Unable to look away, his face still appeared whenever she closed her eyes. Once no one but Anya remained, she exited from under her shelter and went straight to her father. She laid him on his back. Tears that dried began to fall once more.

"Daddy..."

No response.

"Wake Up! Please...."

The crackling of burning flesh resonated throughout the air.

"I don't need the big cities! I don't need adventure! I won't disobey you anymore! I'll do whatever you want! Anya will be a good girl! Just please..." Anya wailed with overwhelming grief, desperately begging her father to wake up.

Anya continued to plead, but the answer was always silence.

...

Another hour had passed, Anya's face pressed on her father's blood and tear-stained chest. Her eyes were swollen and red, and her face was unable to display expressions. For the first time in her life, Anya felt numb.

She searched around her father's body. Anya herself did not know what she wanted to find, but she kept searching.

Before her, Anya sighted a revolver. Slowly, she picked it up and checked the cylinder.

"One...shot... left..." Anya muttered.

Anya closed the cylinder before pointing the gun at the side of her head, her finger tightly wrapped around the trigger. She felt no fear, only emptiness. She wanted nothing but to wake up from this horrid nightmare.

Click.