Episode 6

Enear

Enear was floating in the middle of the vast ocean. Only he could see was the lonely sun, isolation and the void feeling. Until the sun melted like a magma and turned into dark-red plasma of blood, bleeding on the ocean until the water turned into red thick blood. Rotten hands sprouted from beneath the ocean, like withering corals, grabbing his bare beige body, sinking it down slowly. His green eyes remained lifeless. He doesn't seem bothered.

"It hurts..."

"I want to live..."

"I did nothing wrong..."

"Suffer."

"Die."

"Go to hell!"

"Not yet."

Enear's body stopped sinking. The bloody ocean almost drowned his nostrils when he floated back. All the voices and rotten hands have gone. He then heard a sound of dabbling liquid, being stepped on by bare feet. Until an old lady in 30s stood up before his forehead. He could feel her stare of comfort, making him feel acknowledged, and her warm genuine smile that made him felt understood. Tears began to fall from his soulless green eyes.

"Mother," he pleaded with a thorn in his throat, " Please take me with you."

Enear felt like a pangolin whose shells were being scraped away on each tear and trust he made, showing how vulnerable he was. Those shells can never grow once he loses them.

"I'm sorry, Enear. You still have a dream to fulfill."

"But I'm tired!" he whined like a child and turned his green eyes to her stare. But all he could see was the woman's blank face.

"Enear, wake up!"

"I said, wake up! You sleepyhead!"

"Enear!"

Enear woke up with the deep rumbling sounds and screams splitting his ears. The first thing he saw was Dycron's bright yellow eyes and his trembling lips shouting in front of him.

"We must go! You're too heavy!" He pointed to the school building where they were supposed to be at this moment. The huge impact melted the building, wiggling, and falling into their direction. It's as if death was now granting his wish.

"Go on without me."

Dycron surprisingly punched his cheeks. "You f*cking brat! I tried my best to make you talk but you never shared your problems! I thought you had a dream? You're the only family I have, Enear! Please don't be an asshole!"

Enear was stoned at what he heard. Nevertheless, Dycron carried him on his back and ran in the middle of the doomsday. Pushing themselves in the crowd of panicking people, fitting in the aisle surrounded by stranded shuttle cars, while trying to evade the falling debris, under the orange skies. Trying their best not to be buried by the collapsing buildings they were passing through.

"We need to find an open space to get rid of these collapsing buildings!" Dycron shouted, not taking him off his back no matter how heavy he was.

These buildings you once worshiped were now claiming your faithful soul.

"I told you to go on without me. You don't know what kind of creature you're carrying right now."

"Right! There's a soccer field nearby!" Dycron said, disregarding what he was hearing and changed their course.

Enear gave up, letting his face subside on the his friend's back. "You... I warned you and tried to ignore you... But you're like a leech sticking tightly to a monster you thought was your friend."

Dycron ignored his murmur.

"Don't ever kneel to me crying for mercy someday."

15 March 2150, the day when the meteor struck on our world.

The day when the world had changed.

No. Change wasn't the right term.

The world was just what it was supposed to be.

~

Three days later.

"Let us prioritize children, injured, pregnant women, and senior citizens."

The world was covered in dim orange at the very first morning. Warm breeze brushed the hairs of the people falling in line for ration. Their clothes were tore, dirty, some were ragged, some barely covering their skins because of the heat, while some were in modest who reeks their demanding attitude to prioritize them. But no matter what kind of status or privelage they had before, on this kind of tragedy, everyone was equal to hunger.

The police officer in black suit announced on his megaphone. "I repeat, let us prioritize children, injured, pregnant women, and senior citizens."

Enear and Dycron were on their turn. The police gave them two bottles of water and a piece of nutripack–a muddy textured pudding that consists of nutrients (protein, calcium, iron, glucose, etc) good for a day. It was tasteless, yet this was their staple food after the bread.

"W-Why only one nutripack?" Dycron asked.

"Consider yourself lucky," the police growled. He looked at the announcer and gestured his hand.

"I'm sorry. We're out of supplies!" the police announced.

The crowd voiced in disappointment. It's been three days and the government unable to supply enough food and water for them.

"What do you mean you're out of supplies? Are you planning to let us die of starvation?"

"We might have survived the meteor's disaster, but we're going to die in hunger!"

"Yeah! The meteor that you didn't even give us a warning! Take a picture and enjoy the view, my ass! Is this how you mean to enjoy it?"

"You faked the truth that it was dangerous! If only you told us the truth, then we could at least prepare ourselves!"

"Many people have died because of your fake news!"

"Excuse me! There's a child here!" a lad's voice rose up beneath the complaints. "Excuse me!"

The lad carrying a girl almost bumped Enear who's with Dycron pacing back to their tent.

"Excuse me, Sir! My sister is thirsty!"

"The announcer just announced that we're out of supplies."

"Just water, please! My sister–"

"Are you deaf? Don't make me repeat myself!"

The lad had no choice but to ask other survivors around who got their supplies.

"Please, Ma'am. Can you lend my sister some water?"

"Sorry. I also have children who need this water."

"Mister! Can you lend my sister some water?"

"Don't be selfish! What about me?"

"But my sister–"

"What's so special about your sister? I'm also a human like her!"

The lad stopped inside the crowd to dismount his sister. He knelt in front of her and patted her shoulders. "Don't worry, Ella. I'll find water and food. I promise."

"Kuya Ilo, I'm fine."

"But your lips are obviously dry, ah?" Dycron brightly said, offering a bottle of water and nutripack. The two siblings were petrified. Dycron knitted his brows. "You want it, or not?"

"Thank you!" Ilo quickly snatched it away from his hands and immediately opened the water to make his sister drink. "Ella!"

Dycron came back to Enear, waiting for him just where he left. Dycron looked at him in guilt, scratching his head while laughing awkwardly. "T-The nutripack...slid from my hand and gone? Hehe–here's your water."

They sat somewhere on the oval's fake grasses to rest. Enear gave him half of the water after he drank.

"Wow, thanks!"

"Hm," Enear responded and lay down on the green floor. He stared at the thick clouds in the sky. It was orange already when it was only morning. Since the meteor fell, he never saw the skies in gray again. He wondered if the changes was better or worse.

"I just retired from my job to spend my time with my family." Enear heard the man behind them. "I know it's the most impractical decision I've ever made but they never felt like having a father because of my absence in time. I'm about to surprise them in the morning. But just when I'm about to tell them–" He then bursted in tears. "The world suddenly turned into blinding lights. And when I woke up, the house melted into crumbs. I-I could see my wife's hand trying to reach me while her body is burried on cements. I can't do this. I can't do this anymore!"

Enear stood up.

"Hey, where are you going?"

It took seconds before he answered, "Home." He then moved.

Dycron rose up as well to follow.

"Go to your family," Enear stopped him.

"My parents already died a long time ago," he just said and they continued walking until they reached near outside the field. A policeman saw them.

"Where are you going, kids? The outside is dangerous."

Enear was just trying to think of a reason when Dycron went in front, holding his groin. "I can't hold my pee anymore. The line on the restroom is too long."

The man looked at the portable cubicle to confirm. His head nodded to their direction. "Fine. Just don't go far away."

"Thank you, sir!" Dycron innocently said and glanced to Enear. They scurried outside to perform his act, until they slowed down when they were in the crowd of car shuttles chaosly stucked on the road.

"You're lucky you still have a father," Dycron said out of the blue, breaking the peaceful silence.

Enear feet stopped. His short silence was like a warning, hearing a forbidden word he should have never hear again. Dycron could feel the hatred beneath his souless voice,

"I would rather him be dead."

Dycron stopped moving, his sweat slid down his cheeks, didn't know what to do or tell. Maybe he shouldn't mention anything about his personal life ever again. But then, his face suddenly shifted into as if nothing had happened, his energy was full again. He even had the audiacity to pat Enear's back.

"Nah. I'm sure you'll miss him soon," he pushed in teasingly tone. Enear just sighed, there's no point arguing to a naive who lived in rainbows and butterfly life, especially without parents nagging what he had to do or kill.

Enear feet continued. He studied the area as he walk. The city that was once phosphorus now crumbling into dust. This was the greatest scenery Enear ever saw in his life. Unfortunately, it didn't tickle him a single pleasure in his chest. As if he has forgotten how to be happy. He barely felt anything.

He glanced at Dycron pacing next to him. His yellow eyes were still sparkling despite the destruction of the buildings he once admired. Despite this doomsday from which every kid would be crying and terrified of. Instead, he treated this as an adventure. Was he really enjoying this?

They walked for almost an hour. But everything was just like the place they have passed by. Buildings were like rotten cheese, cavities revealing bent metals and ripped wirings. Some lights were blinking, exposing what's behind the darkness inside: trapped people soaked in black smelly dry blood, most of the bodies were losing parts, if not one. Those people who made this city lively whether at day or night, now, were all calm with their rest. This place is so calm.

No shuttles moving and beeping impatiently in traffic, no loud beats from the speakers of digital billboards, no one's wearing costumes shouting to promote their products, and no crowd of people: some in their smartwatch calls talking, some in a group of friends laughing.

It's just them today, walking in the calmest state of the city under the warm orange skies as if it's already sunset. Enear might have not found his pleasure, but he realized that he found his peace.

Enear didn't notice the time that it was already getting dark. He stole a glare to Dycron who was already melting, tongue peeked out from his mouth as if already dead, pushing himself to catch up with Enear. All his brightness was replaced with gloomy exhaustion.

And when he stopped, Dycron's soul turned into fully charge again, oozing enthusiasm, especially with his eyes glued on the new environment. Many people were crowding for their turns. The pillars were still standing, though some ceilings had crushed the floor and the railways but the policemen were trying to clean them up with the team who operates the train station.

"Still not fixed? They're taking too long."

"Their service is too slow."

"That's what they get for skimping the materials so it's easy to collapse."

"What district are you again?" Dycron asked, tip toeing to eavesdrop the news and see what's going on. They seemed fixing the train and the rail. "Four, right? Hey–" he looked around when he realized Enear was already gone. Fortunately, he saw him just walking out from the crowd, heading outside.

Drycron glanced to the District signage and caught up with him. "Hey! This is only Disctrict 8! Don't tell me we will just walk again! Four districts! We're not human if we could walk in four districts!"

Enear ignored him, didn't care if he can catch up or not. It will be convinient to him if Dycron collapsed in the middle, ditch him so he could continue without anyone bugging him.

It was completely dark when they reached Disctrict 7 station. Many people were falling in line on the edge of rail. They heard a deep crumbling sound, some people had panicked and realized there's no shook on the ground. It was the train and Dycron could finally heave his deepest sigh in relief. "Thank goodness! I really thought we'll have to walk through four districts without stopping just to get you home!"

The train maneuvered to u-turn and stopped on front of the people, opening the door and the crowd raced themselves, load themselves fully almost having no space spared. No one told them it's dangerous and no one cared to kids who cried out of suffocation. They all rushing to go with their families, eager to know if they were still alive, or to home hoping it was still intact.

Quintessence Nightmare | mvcabusas