2 Chapter 2: The Train (2/2)
We arrived at the store. What he excluded from me, was that it was going to be a two-hour walk to get here.
”I wish you told me we were going to be coming here. We could've called a cab or something.”
”Sorry, sorry. I completely forgot about cabs!”
The store was quite famous, it was well-known for lots of reasons. Soldiers got discounts, the water scandal they had going on, its name is ”Buy Now”. But there was only one reason why people still shopped here.
Cheap good-looking brand clothes.
After the hellions emerged and claimed they were going to kill all of us. Stores were eradicated. A thing of the past. But after creating barriers in every area we reclaimed, we were able to return to what felt like ordinary society.
The government still governed the same, the citizens still sleep the same, we still eat and socialize the same way as before. Cities were rebuilt and technology was brought back to the original condition as if nothing happened.
But once you become a soldier you'll see the truth, the fear the hellions put into our hearts. It always returns.
After buying some new clothes, and Alec buying his new pair of shoes we left the store. We looked at the sky and noticed the sun was beginning to set.
”It's starting to get dark, we should hurry up.” He said.
”It's your fault for bringing us here in the first place! Were those shoes really that important?”
”Yes! These are new, not very many people have them, and they're comfortable.” He told me.
”Sigh, anyway my feet are beginning to get sore. Let's get on a train instead of walking.” I said, pointing at the subway.
”Sure, but how long has that been there?”
”Since the beginning, let's go,” I said.
We walked into the cold subway waiting for the next train. As expected, there weren't too many people here, and the benches were empty. The lights flickered, but not enough to bother me. The smell was disgusting, resembling that of a rotten animal.
By the time the train arrived, the sun had already set turning the day into the night. With the train nearly empty, getting seats wasn't too hard to do.
”Yes, we got seats!” Alec exclaimed.
”Hey Abis, did you finish that game I lent you a few years ago?” He asked.
”The one you gave me two years ago? I thought I gave that back?”
”Well— you did. But I'm not talking about that game.”
”Hmm?”... ”Oh, you mean Cement Hunt–”
”Shoosh… you need to be more quiet, what if someone heard you? We're in college now, they can't know we play that.”
The cemetery hunter series were games targeted towards kids. But it was so unpopular that not even kids wanted to play it. Alec, got it and fell in love with the game. So to stop playing it so religiously he gave it to me to hide.
”Why did you even bring it up?” I asked.
”I just wanted to know about it. I couldn't care less.”
He always had that weird habit of bringing things up during inappropriate times and then regretting it later.
”It's fine, isn't it? I mean there's not many people on the same part of the train and we're talking pretty low.”
”...Even so–” He said checking his surroundings.
When I looked around, I saw two other people in our area. One was a very elderly woman dressed in an all-blue buttoned up trench coat, with the blue earring and a tattoo on the back of her neck.
The other was a bald middle-aged man, he had a long scruffy beard and an even longer trench coat. His hands were tucked into his pockets but I could see that he wore dirty white gloves, with a smartwatch attached to his wrist.
'...I doubt there's anyone nearby who even knows what that game is. It's not popular, even amongst kids.' I thought.
”Anyway, our first raids are coming up soon. I can't wait to start.” He said smiling.
We were already getting used to college life. And were waiting for the chance to go unto this raid and complete it. But at the time, I felt as if my hunch could be right.
”Alec, stop talking. Don't mention another thing about this mission until we get back to the dorms.” I whispered.
He was quick to catch on. I didn't realize it sooner, but I noticed something off about that old woman. And it was her skin.
Her skin somehow seemed… forced. That her wrinkles weren't there and that whoever that person was gave themselves wrinkles.
”Listen, saying anything until we get back home is too dangerous. I don't know who they are but—”
”They? There's only one.”
When I looked back, I realized that the man had disappeared. ”He was standing right there,” I said pointing to the left of us.
But what got even weirder, was the woman disappearing so after; without making a sound.
That was when I knew, something seemed familiar.
「End」