The Ascent

Chapter 4

"What could have happened in those two or three hours that I was lost in the music? If something big happened, I would have heard it even with my headphones on," Jasmine started thinking, ignoring the tiny branches scratching her skin.

Still, a part of Jasmine wondered if she would have actually heard anything, because her whole mind would float off to her special place when listening to music. Still, if it was something on a war scale, surely, she would have heard it or at least seen some signs of struggle.

As it was, all that she could see was emptiness. There were no animals, no people, or at least no people who seemed normal. Whatever the bald men were, they were definitely not part of the solution but part of the problem. Furthermore, something about them, something that she couldn't put her finger on, made her wonder if they were even human to start with.

What they could be was beyond her, although the first thing that crossed her mind was the AI taking over the world. An idea that she soon rejected, but that was no less strange than most of the other ideas she had.

"Are they all dead? Have they been murdered somehow without leaving any trace?" Jasmine thought in horror.

The mere idea had her in turmoil.

Her breathing got erratic.

There wasn't enough air.

No matter how many times she tried to breathe, she seemed unable to do so. That made her panic even more.

Her hands started shaking.

Only when she began letting out audible gasps did Jasmine remember to try to regulate her breathing. If she failed to do so, she was bound to be found, and that knowledge only made her dread rise.

"Remember all the good things," Jasmine repeated in her mind like a most precious mantra. "Fluffy kittens and puppies, ponies, fluffy clouds, gentle roses..."

As she went on with the list in her mind, her focus shifted from fear to finding just the right things to make her feel better. It was a technique she had developed after dealing with one too many social situations she wasn't ready for. Even though her current position was on a whole new level of terrifying, she knew that she needed to stay calm. In every situation, that was the first step. One couldn't go on thinking if they were stuck in the land of terror.

"The first thing I need to do is figure out what happened. I can't protect myself if I don't know what's going on," Jasmine thought, although how she was to learn what happened was beyond her. "Also, why didn't I disappear as well? The only difference is that I was in the apartment listening to music. Could that mean something?"

The idea that other people could be out there was comforting because the other possibility was terrifying to even begin to imagine. To be all alone in the vast world was unconceivable. It was like trying to picture the entirety of space. Impossible.

"Alright, so:

1. Inside versus outside

2. Buildings versus houses

3. Music versus no music

4. This city versus other places

And that's about as many differences as I can think of," Jasmine thought, picturing the list in her head as she was always more of a visual person than anything else.

It was how she dealt with smaller tasks of everyday life, so why not use the same tactic to approach this enormous new challenge. After all, she wasn't aware of any other ways to deal with it. It was best to distance herself from the enormity of it all by seeing it simply as tasks to be done to accomplish a goal.

Since she had a game plan, Jasmine decided to leave her fortress of prickly bushes. However, she did so gradually, cautiously peering through the leaves, ensuring she wasn't being watched. After all, she wasn't a movie heroine who immediately figured everything out. For whom everything would go smoothly.

Even regular humans could be dangerous at this point, so she didn't want to take any chances. If she were to meet any people, it would be on her terms, so that she could see them coming and get a feeling of whether they were friendly or not. Although she was aware of how flawed her plan was, that her instincts weren't perfect, Jasmine soldiered on.

Later she would admire that about herself as she always saw herself as the first person to die in any precarious situation. However, there she was, being braver than she had ever been in her whole life.

Once Jasmine was finally out of the bushes, which was more challenging than diving into them under the influence of fear, she scanned the horizon once more. Finding only abandoned buildings, homes, and even cars, she decided she could risk it and check the nearby house surrounded by a beautiful flower garden.

It reminded her of how strange her city was. On the one side of the street, tall buildings were surrounded by a pitiful amount of greenery. On the other, there was a row of lovely houses with their own gardens, even a few fruit trees here and there.

Feeling ridiculous, Jasmine started making her way toward the house by hiding behind the trees, cars, signs, and anything big enough to conceal her. It was like a horribly-made parody of every spy movie she had ever seen, but Jasmine didn't care that she looked absurd. After all, there was no one left to see her. Furthermore, she didn't want to end up like the rest of humanity, whatever might have happened to them.

Slowly but surely, Jasmine reached one of her favorite houses on that street. The one on whose low chain-linked fence the most beautiful flowers were climbing, making a curtain of beauty to separate its inhabitants from the outside world.

As quietly as possible, Jasmine opened the small gate and entered the garden. Then, she quickly hid behind the nearby cherry tree, waiting to see if there would be any reaction to her approach. When nothing happened, she slowly snuck towards the window facing the beautiful garden and took a cautious peek inside.

There were no people that she could see, but there were signs that they were there mere hours ago before the whole world was turned upside down. Even the kitchen table was still covered with plates of unfinished dishes, uneaten bread, and other signs indicating they were suddenly interrupted in their meal.

Still, Jasmine remained cautious. They could have been hiding, or they could have simply been lazy people who left their half-eaten meals out when they wanted to do something else. It wasn't the time for Jasmine to make hasty conclusions.

With her heart in her throat, she opened the front door, glancing left and right in search of any potentially hostile people. When none appeared, she entered the house on her tiptoes, reminding herself of all the cat burglars and wondering how ridiculous they would have found her.

It was a better idea to occupy one's mind with that nonsense than all the horrible ideas of what could have happened to those poor people, to everyone. She could feel a sliver of doubt taking root in her mind. She started doubting whether there was actually anyone else left. Still, she pulled it out decisively and, in its place, planted the most beautiful rose she could imagine, symbolizing her hope.

"Inside or outside doesn't seem to make any difference," Jasmine thought practically as her eyes took in everything about her surroundings that could give her some clues.

There were no cell phones to check the news, and the television didn't work. The only valuable thing Jasmine found was the food. Jasmine ate that quickly, feeling bad that she was stealing their sustenance but knowing she would need it to keep up her strength if she was to accomplish anything.

Since Jasmine was wearing her cargo pants, she stuffed their convenient pockets with bread and other nonperishables. Then she took off the backpack, pulled out her water bottle, and refilled it. She was happy she continued to carry it even though people made fun of her.

After visiting the bathroom and borrowing a few convenient scrunchies, Jasmine made a plait so that her hair didn't impede her vision, and she left the house. She headed for her friend's former building, knowing the layout far better than any other building.

It was the part she feared the most, but she knew one thing for sure.

She had to be brave.