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   Since the incident, the days passed like a dream. Rosadella walked ahead, guiding the way with her map, she suffered great pain but could continue the journey. Sometimes the wound would bleed again, but slowly it began to close and heal. Nadine walked three meters behind her, in complete silence without lifting her gaze from the ground, with Wilfred's crab hanging from her belt. A few meters behind was Antonia. She often lagged, distracted by checking corners, cars, and bags. She had to jog to keep them in sight.

   The few attempts at conversation had ended in arguments, and some in slight aggression. Therefore, when night fell or they stopped to eat, they did not speak a word. The three constantly ignored each other's presence while simultaneously being aware of one another.

   They carried with them a reddish leather notebook where they wrote down all the information that might be useful. In the mornings, while walking, Rosadella would jot down notes on the weather changes and the animals seen. After the midday rest, she would leave it to Antonia without looking at her, placing it beside her. Antonia didn't write anything, just read... her only observation was that she hadn't found any substances, not even in Belgium, but she had no intention of noting that down. Finally at night it was Nadine's turn, who seeing what Rosadella wrote, focused more on the behavior of the survivors and the few drowned they had seen.

   When she finished writing, Nadine would read Rosadella's notes over and over again, dying to talk to her but knowing things were better this way. Conversely, Rosadella avoided reading Nadine's notes at all costs... it hurt too much how much she missed her.

   She could see her there, close to her, sleeping or drinking water. She was dying to run over and hug her, but the situation was too fragile.

   Antonia, however, couldn't retain what she read, and besides, she didn't care. She felt like she was going completely crazy. She could remember every day at the party with too much clarity. She remembered every person who had used her like an object, remembered everything she had done and given for a bit of substances. At night, she couldn't sleep thinking about that man, on her last night there, who had left indelible marks on her for life. She also remembered how she had been bathed in his blood... she felt dirty all the time.

   So many torments, so much withdrawal, made her constantly feel sick.

   In the city of Belgium, the notes in the book doubled:

   "The cold at night stopped being deadly a few weeks ago (no knowledge of the exact date of this change). The heat is still high for this time of year but slowly becoming bearable. The humidity is no longer so suffocating, you can barely feel it when it doesn't rain. The rainwater is no longer at high temperatures.

   Every day I manage to see at least one ray of sunlight filtering through the clouds for a few seconds.

- Rosadella. April 2036. Belgium."

   They often saw a survivor being touched by a tiny ray of sun. Automatically, people would stand still, facing the sun, eyes closed, with a small smile. Some even cried.

   Contact with the sun was scarce, survivors even more so.

   "Before Belgium: One survivor (a solitary man in a house, indifferent to our presence). One drowned (not sure), we could see him from afar jumping off a cliff. We are already halfway to the city, a couple of more days and we will be on our way to Amsterdam. So far, I have counted 8 survivors. All offered us help, they looked healthy despite the situation and hope could be seen in their eyes. Drowned: 0.

- Nadine. April 2036. Belgium."

   Antonia vomited every morning, barely had an appetite. She had started to fall asleep during every rest stop they made, her hair falling out in clumps. Since entering the city, she was alert to every sound, trying to detect if there was any party nearby. Rosadella and Nadine couldn't figure out if she was fleeing from them or looking for them.

   "Belgium is more intact than France, it's clear that the survivors did the repairs they could. At the same time, the flora is completely taking over every building, a great green weed floods every corner.

   Surprisingly, I have lost count of the number of animals I have seen, they roam as if it were their natural habitat... it's almost like they are reclaiming what was once theirs. They are in perfect condition, unlike the animals we saw months ago, struggling to survive in such a hostile environment.

- Rosadella. May 2036. Belgium."

   What they didn't know was that the changes they were noting in their book were happening all over the world. The natural order of things was returning everything to its place, before the pandemic, long before humanity's actions caused irreversible damage. The world had evolved. Greta had no doubts: as often happens in nature, the planet detected a threat to its ecosystem and had turned order and species upside down to fix it.

   In California, peacocks elegantly roamed the streets, to the astonishment of survivors. In Madrid and Barcelona, wild boars ran through the streets, producing a charming sound with their hooves on the asphalt. In Asturias, mother bear relaxed sitting in a square, while her cubs explored every corner where tourists used to walk. In Panama, raccoons calmly fished for their dinner, after years of eating our garbage. Dolphins in the canals of Venice, flocks of hundreds of birds in the treetops of every street. Foxes, coyotes, swans, and sea lions reclaiming what was theirs by right.

   "This time, the frightened ones are us, this led to the liberation of those who feared us.

- Rosadella. May 2036. Belgium."

   Rosadella's wound had stopped being a problem, it no longer bled, and the skin began to heal. She decided to replace those bandages with a patch she had taken from a costume store. It was leather-colored and had a skull sticker, which Rosadella had patiently removed with the help of her knife... while watching the other two girls. Antonia's behavior had not gone unnoticed by her, nor had Nadine's reaction to it.

   That afternoon, Rosadella gathered the courage and dared to look Antonia in the face, opening her mouth to say something but Antonia beat her to it:

   "I'm so sorry..."

   Rosadella was stunned. Overwhelmed with emotions and clenched fists, she turned around and walked away, leaving Antonia sitting with a book and pencil in hand. Nadine watched from a distance, surprised to see her take the pencil and start writing frantically.

   This action went unnoticed by Rosadella, losing an eye was not something to be taken lightly. She didn't want to see Antonia again in her life, but she knew it was best to leave the situation as it was until they reached Iceland. In the meantime, she had to stay calm. She was certain that despite everything, a strong bond still united Antonia and Nadine. Just the sound of her voice made her nervous... but just turning and looking at Nadine, peace automatically invaded her body. Seeing her, she knew she would do anything for her.

   She stood facing a wall, with both hands on it. Next to her, an abandoned cafe was buried in vines. Suddenly, she carefully observed the ground, where crosses could be seen on the sidewalk, forming a line. Quickly she straightened up, grabbed her map, unfolded it and read. They had reached the Dutch border.

   "Almost there..." she said to herself. However, Antonia was beside her looking at the ground, followed by Nadine.

   Without lifting her gaze from the ground, Antonia handed the book to Nadine: it was her turn. Without a word, the three of them simultaneously crossed that border, that invisible line humans had invented to separate us from one another. They entered the cafe and settled down to spend the night there.

   Inside, it was clear that the owners had created a cozy atmosphere, with wicker and hanging pots, pastel colors decorated the place. With the vines covering every street and building, it gave an otherworldly effect.

   On the cafe counter, the only candle they had lit illuminated the space. Rosadella, standing behind the bar, leaned her weight forward on the counter. She watched the candle flame dance. Nadine, on a stool resting on the counter, read Antonia's notes; it was difficult, with dates and disordered numbers.

   In the doorway, Antonia watched distant lights coming from a building along the path they would travel the next day. Through the windows, she could see the movements of the lost at the "party". She remained motionless, with teary eyes, looking at that fixed point and her mouth slightly open. Memories of the parties she had attended caused small spasms in her body. A silent tear fell down her cheek, reflecting the candle's light.

   Silence reigned among them. Crossing into the Netherlands had slightly eased the tension, but actions are not erased by ignoring they happened.

   Rosadella watched Nadine's face; the flame wasn't as interesting to watch as the face of the one who weakened every part of her body with a single glance. Slowly, she observed each of her freckles, her unruly eyebrows, and the curve of her lips. Through her eyes, she could see how she struggled to understand Antonia's figures; she didn't need to read it, she already knew what it was about.

   Leonardo and Álvaro had warned her.

   She moved a few centimeters to the left, standing in front of Nadine, who looked straight into her eyes without moving. They didn't speak; they just looked at each other, so close that their breaths mixed. Every cell in Rosadella's body longed to kiss her, but it wasn't the right moment... however, at that instant, Nadine stopped looking at her eyes to look at her lips and then back at her eyes. In response, Rosadella extended a pencil to her, reminding Nadine of the first time she had done that at the opera when Wilfred was still alive.

   Without saying a word, Nadine took the pencil. Not understanding what she was trying to achieve, she lowered her gaze to the paper, began to organize Antonia's dates, analyze the phrases, and complete the missing letters, guided by Antonia's calculations, which were noted all over the page. She started to cross out everything that seemed unimportant, and in the end, the result was clear:

"Last time: man killed by Nadine? November? Last menstruation: unknown.

- Antonia. May 2036. Belgium/Netherlands."

   Mouth agape, Nadine slowly sat down and looked at Antonia.

   "Nadine, it's not what you think..." Rosadella had taken her hands and was whispering to her. "Listen to me, I can explain."

   "Wait." Nadine turned, face-to-face with Rosadella, and whispered: "Did you know about this?"

   "She's not pregnant."

   Nadine's incredulous expression was almost comical.

   "Rosadella, what the hell are you talking about?" she said when she recovered her voice. "Be clearer... damn it."

   "Sweetheart... she can't. Álvaro did all the tests he could, and after asking her a few questions, he concluded that she is incapable of having children. During those parties, she got pregnant multiple times and lost them all due to the conditions... destroying her reproductive system."

   Nadine didn't speak; she was too tormented by horrible images of the things that had been done to Antonia. Hence, Rosadella continued:

   "If you hadn't found her... you know that after going through something like that, there are remnants in your body that can lead to death."

   "... How do you explain...? Does she think she's pregnant? And why didn't anyone inform us about this?"

   "It could be for many reasons, there's no way to know for sure. Although we suspect it might be, you know... Leonardo told me..."

   "What? Speak, Rosadella."

   "Sweetie, we didn't tell you because neither you nor she was in a condition to receive such news. I was going to tell you when the time was right, you have to believe me."

   "What does Leonardo have to do with this?" Rosadella didn't respond, so Nadine insisted: "Speak!"

   "He told me that in her first session, she spent it talking about her pregnancies, a love-hate relationship waged within her. She spoke desperately but with a glimmer of hope about the times she had noticed pregnancy symptoms. Then she spoke with relief but with hatred when she woke up and discovered her losses... She talked about that for three hours. Leonardo warned me that it wasn't common, but she had a high chance..."

   "Enough," Nadine interrupted, covering her eyes, overwhelmed. Everything clicked in her mind, and she could now understand everything. "Don't say it, please."

   "I don't know how to handle this, Nadine; it's a very delicate situation," Rosadella whispered, her face and trembling hands showing the stress the situation was causing her. "Leonardo told me that if it happens, we need to keep her calm until we reach Iceland."

   "Do you really think it's a psychological pregnancy?" Nadine had uncovered her eyes and looked at Rosadella, desperate.

   "Leonardo and Álvaro warned me it would be so convincing that even we might doubt it," Rosadella replied, nodding her head.

   Both turned to look at Antonia, who had reclined on a chair, resting her feet on another, facing the distant party. She was braiding her hair, lost in thought.

   That night, neither of them slept; they stayed awake talking. Gradually, the discomfort between them disappeared. Rosadella ended up sitting on a stool next to Nadine, her hand resting on one of her thighs. They had missed each other terribly. Nadine watched her with a smile, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach that confirmed her fears: she had fallen in love again. I made the same stupid mistake again. Rosadella had always made it clear how attracted she was to her... However, Nadine's first and only experience with love had not left her with a good impression. They both desired each other so much, but they felt an invisible barrier prevented them from being together. They wanted to destroy it but didn't know how, despite having built it themselves.

   The sun began to rise; they stood up and woke Antonia. There was no time to lose, in less than forty-eight hours, they would be at the port.

   In silence, they began walking towards the sea. It was no longer the silence of before, the grudges had disappeared during the night. The trust would never be what it once was, but three minds thought better than one. And the three of them had the same goal: to survive. Each step they took brought them closer to where the party could be heard the night before. This time the silence was eerie.

   Antonia's mind was getting sicker every day, at some point in her life, something had lodged inside her to destroy everything in its path.

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   Hi guys! 🤍 I just want to make a small announcement to avoid any confusion. My user from now on will be: Lírica Malena.

For some time now I was looking for an artistic name that would reflect how influential music is in my stories... that's where Lirica came from. (Lírica means Lyric in spanish)

That's all, I hope you are enjoying the story... There are only three chapters left!!!Read you soon <3

LíricaMalena.