The grotesque creature whose head was ten feet above the ground stared at me, no eyes, mouth, and ears. Greenish granite skin, I could feel the hostility from it. Everything, the soil on its hard skin, the gas it emits. Microorganisms feeding on its skin, and I'm sure it could feel the same about me too. It moved forward towards me, each step it took made the ground vibrate. The pressure was too much for me and I stumbled and fell, its massive foot went above me and it continued walking to the unblemished part of the forest, every step it took changed the very nature of the surroundings. I don't know why it left me, maybe because I'm somehow similar to them. Whatever it is, I'm grateful it left me. The bushes rattled, and things I couldn't comprehend came out. They looked like wolves or maybe dogs but they were massive and deformed. One of them pounced on me, its paws pressing my body with its overwhelming strength, my eyes were about to bulge out, I could taste blood in my mouth. It was foolish of me to think I could deceive them. The only thing I could feel from the beast on top me was death, it's like an extension of the chaos that ravage this place. It felt surprisingly calm to accept death, than to find out the truth of what happened to her… Nei her hair, brown eyes, her smell, the gap between her fore teeth, her smile. I remembered everything instantly, oh my life is flashing before my eyes. It felt like I could see her above me with an enormous bright light behind her, the light swallowing her flooding my vision.

I woke up sweating, my entire body aches, and my throat is sore. I tried to get hold of my surroundings, it was dark with little lights poking out of walls which looks like dry branches and leaves. I was covered with a large leaf which emits a foul smell, trying to free myself from it. I got distracted by a silhouette which appeared in front of me. The silhouette was deformed, human-like in structure but it's limbs are extended with one bigger than the other. I tried to scream but no sound came out of my throat. Only pain and the taste of blood, the silhouette came to my field of vision, its body stony filled with cracks. But it looks human, green veins spread across its body. It's like me … I tried to peek into its mind but it was empty not a single thought. “ Don't try that with me girl ” it spoke with a voice that sounded very human.

“ Yes I'm just like you, and yes too I'm human or I was…” It read my mind, I tried opening my mouth to talk. “ Hey no talking, your windpipe was crushed it's going to take some time before you heal.” « My name is Ade» He spoke directly to me through his mind. “ I don't know how you're going to survive halfcast like you always die a week after they are made.” He walked back passed the original position he was standing and got swallowed by the dark. “ You either die from injury sustained trying to navigate this place or your body gives up on you because they can't adapted to changes made to them.” He came back to view with a bowl in his hand, bringing the bowl close to my mouth . The smell was strong like alcohol l pull back from it the smell was too strong. He grabbed my cheeks with his hands which were hard and granite forcing my mouth to open pouring the content of the bowl inside. It was sour and bitter, I tried to throw it away but he dragged my head backwards with a swift force it felt like the bones in my neck snapped. The liquid hit my stomach with a burning sensation which I could only react to by coughing. “ It will help you with healing since you halfcast heal slowly.” He sat next to me and drank the remaining of the liquid like it was water or something enjoyable.

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“ The world is changing, it's going to swallow everything up.” His eyes were sharp gold, I finally got hold of his facial structure, vibrate dark skin unbothered by the granite on his forearms.

“ We are outcast, tossed out by the communities because we were touched by it.” His voice was deep and intimidating, he gave me a weird look. Ah he read my mind again.

“ We stayed in the contaminated zone, at least that was the only place we won't be shot on sight. but things were getting unstable there, so we fled here.

“We tried to warn the communities but they didn't listen, at least the other three got the memo except for you guys,Petars are always stubborn." He stood and was about to leave, his back was massive it reminds me of Shaun, ah Shaun what did you do to her?

“ You better sleep and save your strength. We'll be moving from here in three days. Try to heal up because nobody will carry you and you'll be left behind if you can't keep up.". He left the room or shade. I can't call it a room. Even though the drink left a bad taste in my mouth it was surprisingly good for the pain that ravaged my body. I felt sleepy but sleep was the last thing on my mind right now, I need to find her every minute I spend here. Increase the chances of me never seeing her again. I tried to stand up but there was no strength in my limbs. My eyelids was heavy and it was a pain trying to keep them open Nei Nei Nei ……

I opened my eyes, my surroundings was different, I was at the field in Petar how am I here? Was that all a dream? I felt something heavy leaving my stomach. It was windy, her long hair was all over the place, the wind brought that familiar smell to me, the smell always filled my nostrils when she's close by. Nei was right in front of me, I ran towards her. “Nei!"

With each step I take towards her. She gets further away from me. “ Nei, please wait!"

She turned to my direction, her eyes covered by the dark bangs that extends off her forehead. “Why should I wait?" She responded to me, ah she finally spoke. I miss that voice. “ Why are you trying to ignore your surroundings Ari?” I tried to focus on her, rejecting the carnage surrounding us. “ I don't want to lose you.” …again…. My voice was shaking with emotions. I don't know if I was crying or smiling but my cheeks were wet.

“ Then why did you walk the other way?

I woke up with a scream and landed on my back felt like I was tossed off somewhere by someone. I saw Ade in front of me he was covered in brownish ragged clothes, the same one I saw when those wolf like beast pounced on me

“Oh you have

finally woken up