Tuesday - October 23rd, 2121:

Day and night passed unbeknownst to me. I sat bathed in self-hate and doubt before finally— the dryness in my throat burned— a visceral inferno inside me. I groaned as my arms pushed against the gritty soil behind my back.

Powerlessness was a temptress as my arms gave out, and I rolled onto my side. "Dammit." The curse broke free of the voice box. Again, I pushed myself up. I could feel the weight that bore down upon my shoulders as I stood on my legs again.

I held myself up against the wall as I returned to the ladder to the surface— the grooves of the etched-in messages rough against my glove with every step forward. Part of me wished that I could carve my message into it. To tell the world, I had not betrayed it.

Reaching the surface, I scanned the area for my feathery little friend, but the raven was nowhere to be seen. Why had it brought me to this place? It was evident that it knew something, somehow, but how can I speak with a bird to understand? I'd have to figure that out next time I see it.

'I need water...dammit.'

Last time, just breathing in the air caused me to wretch, so my thirst was turning into a genuine life-threatening dilemma. 'It's dangerous, but maybe I can create a fire to boil some water of impurities and cleanse the air enough to drink it.'

I had to risk it. No matter what, survival was the most important. It was the only way I'd figure everything out.

Searching through the ruined city, I managed to find an intact container. I filled it with pooled-up rainwater that gathered in the recesses of the city's broken-down streets. The water's surface, laced with the mossy green that pervaded the cityscape, glistened with a toxic hue. But I hoped the fire would be strong enough to clarify it.

I took the water and some other tidbits from around the city into a demolished building near the underground bunker and set everything up. Moss and broken down twigs piled on the floor, and a dozen chunks of brick and stone sat beside me. I began striking two stones together over the mossy pile, but before long, one of the stones crumbled into pieces that poured into the pile.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Again, stone after stone, failure after failure.

Finally, the right pairing sparked onto the moss, igniting it.

It was a chore to do without being able to blow on the embers, but I stoked the flames, and they blazed beautifully in the empty building. Heart palpations quaked against my chest as the water container sat near the flame. When it began to bubble, the murky green clumped into a sludgy layer atop the clear water below it. I poured it out, carefully scoop by scoop until mostly clear water was left.

On the still water's surface, I could see my reflection, the dusty dome of my helmet, and the scuffed reflective visor. My suit was the dirtiest it's ever been, but thankfully, it was still in one piece.

I summoned my courage and was about to lift my helmet when a skin-crawling howl cut through the air. The container dropped from my hand, spilling water onto the flames and extinguishing them. My hand trembled as it hovered over the dropped container. Then, the howl cut through again.

I went to the door and peered out, nearly falling out of the building as the ground quaked suddenly. My hands clenched onto the door and frame, stabilizing myself. Then, I saw— that thing, if one could call it that— no, that abomination.

A massive bulbous growth of browning green plant-life slithered along the abandoned city street, with each pass quaking the ground beneath its weight. But what stood out the most was atop the hulking wad of green. It was humanity— or what remained of it. It was a man— or a woman. It was impossible to tell from a distance. But I could see the long-flowing hair that twined with the vines, and flowers bloomed on the being's face instead of eyes. Its torso lay bare and unmarred as its bottom half conjoined with the bulbous extension. The human's flesh was dull and dried— almost desiccated in appearance. But I could feel the vitality brimming from it.

Seeing that, I choked down any word of protest or curse I could imagine as I froze.

It slinked through the streets, with the human turning side to side as if searching— exploring— learning. It didn't notice me despite coming very close. It moved further into the city's depths beyond what I could see from the building I was in. It left nothing but a trail of dull green liquid, almost like a snail trail.

I don't know what came over me. As soon as the creature disappeared beyond the horizon, I left the safety of the building and followed it.