It's raining heavily and cold, we're still pressed against each other. I don't know where we are. There's no single life out here. I brought us here but why, on that street, I didn't want it to be lay waste. It took a lot of effort to make it the reason I don't know. Seems like I have some memories I can't recall. If I lose them, now I'll never remember them. They're still there in my head, but I can't get hold of it.

It's tiring, I'm tired. The girl was still unconscious, It's been four hours. But she's still breathing. That's a relief. She did all the heavy lifting, so I don't want to wake, she should take her time. My bone aches because of the rain. It's getting really cold. At this rate, we might freeze to death. Shivering, I closed my eyes and tried to sleep.

It wrapped its flesh around me. Its skin was inviting. I bit it. It's pushed me away. I pulled myself closer and pulled its scruff closer to me and kissed it and ended up biting it. Interlacing between kisses and bite, it made a weird sound, but I ignored it. It was whimpering. I got hit on the ribs, which brought back the cold, and realization came along with it. She sat in a peculiar position, her hands on her neck, which was filled with bite marks and traces of blood on her pale skin, are eyes were wet. Is it tears? I don't know, but I know a thing for sure. I screwed up.

“I'm s—” before I could apologize. In a pitched voice, she said," What — are you doing?” After saying that, she crawled to the corner of the shade, sitting down, knees on her chest. She has this aura of hostility around her, getting the message moved to the other end of the shade. The rain fell for six straight hours, and we sat there in silence. Tired of sitting like this, I broke the silence.

“I'm sorry” there was no answer.

“See, I get these—weird dreams ever since I moved here. I really don't —”

“You are still keeping up with this pretend,” her voice devoid of emotions. I couldn't bring myself to look at her.

“It's not a pretend, you don't get it”

“ Oh, I do, Nora…. I really do I know what's on your mind.” Shot I forgot we're linked.

“ So you get a free pass to read my mind, but whenever I try to do the same, I get death threats talk about fair.”

“ Well, it's my life source you're sucking on or do you want to go back to being a vegetable?” She said.

“No”

“Yeah right”

“You don't know what's going on in my mind even if you read it, I don't—even know what's going on in it. I'm just—”

“Messed up” I turned in her direction and she was staring at me, her chin placed between her knees.

“ I didn't read it, never did, well. You could say I can feel what you are feeling right now. Yeah,— I get it, you're sorry stop it, feeling that way it's annoying,” she turned facing the other side of the shade.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

" So what do we do now? How do we get out of here?” I felt rage in the other person sitting across the shade.

“Ok, ok fine, I'll try something out. "

I left the shade. The ground was sticky with mud, sigh this place a desert. The plain stretches far beyond the horizon. This place probably was a city or town. I searched my brain trying to find something any a reaction of somewhat, but I got nothing.

He really did some damage before he left. I stood there watching the sun fending away the darkness from the sky. I thought of green pasture and my vision blurred or zoomed to a new scenery filled with greens and I can see some buildings right there. My vision returned to normal. I ran back to the shade.

“Hey, I found —”

She was shaking, her eyes closed, whimpering and shivering. I ran up to her. Her skin is cold.

“Hey, hey, look at me” please. I tried to open her eyelid with my hands. Her eyeballs were round up inside. Oh, shit, I don't know what to. Do ah, please don't die. I caused all of this, If I'd just do what I was supposed to do, none of this would've happened. I was so selfish. I'm sorry you were trying to save me, but I was caught up in whatever this was.

“I —” I can't even remember her name, she told me anytime I try to remember my head aches.

“Y—you can call me Jane,” she said in a hoarse voice.

“You read my mind” my reply was mixed with a laugh or was a cry? But I was relieved. She looks so frail and pale like a corpse, she could melt any moment now.

It is unclear to me why feel this way after all she put me through. Why am I so scared of losing her?

“Why are you crying?” I realized my cheeks were wet.

“Oh it's nothing, but you'll probably know I guess,” I said in a low voice.

“I'm not constantly reading your mind, Nora, I've only done it twice before. I wanted to know what's on your mind when I was about to kick the bucket. You're really kind, Nora….”

“…. And stop blaming yourself for everything. I did this willingly” she turned facing the other side, still shivering. I drew her closer to me and turned her face to me.

“Why are you acting like you could beat the cold you need me, don't you?”

“So, this is the game you want to play? Hmm, yeah, I don't need you,” she said, looking at me and trying to hold her shivering body. I stared back at her with a smile.

“Fine,” she said, wrapping her hand to my midsection area and pressing her face to my stomach.

“I need you…” I couldn't hear it clearly because her face was on my stomach. She turned facing me and sighed.

“ I like the version of you" version of me? What does she mean by that?

“ Uhm, thanks?” Well, the situation became awkward, and I changed the topic.

“Well lie on your side. We got a long way to go, and you have to stop shivering before we embark on that journey.”

We stayed in the same position as earlier.

“ You smell like shit”

“ I can say the same about you” she smelled of sweat, which has this sweat smell. What's going on, that glands of yours?

“Uhm, is something wrong?” I realized I've been squeezing her too hard.

“Oh I'm sorry, nothing sorry,”

Well, I can't stop thinking about it. I'm a fucking weirdo. I think she fell asleep. Her pale skin has red blemishes. She's this way because of me. I hate it here. I spent most of the time suppressing my urges. The cold temperature faded away, inviting heat, which was mostly because of the sun. I break away from her before I do something bad.

" Well it's morning time to move”

“Yeah”

“…. And thanks”

“ I should be the one thanking you”

“I'm not sure if I'm worth all this. You should ask them to stop. I'm a lost cause,”

“Yeah, you're not worth it, and you're definitely finished in my eyes, but you're the only chance we got, so stand up let's get moving, to wherever this green land you were talking about”

“Hey about what you said earlier, this version of me. What do you mean by that?" She stood there in silence.

“ I — I don't want to talk about what I said when I was.....”

“ Never mind let's go”

“Yeah”

We came out of the shade. The sun is already brimming with energy. The place feels warm, I looked at her, she was staring at something I can't see.

“ Lead the way” she said in her default voice.

I started walking to the direction of whatever vision I saw and she followed. All alone in this isolation place.