Otherside Tour

Chapter 12 : Noxious and Shifting Airport

Bamburai and Bamberly had fallen asleep in the shop during the downpour, a gentle moonlight shining unto them as they slept. Thunder blared and raindrops pittered, creating a loud yet intricate symphony in the crimson red city. In her sleep, Bamberly rested on Bamburai's shoulder, feebly clutching a chocolate bar she had taken a few bites out of.

Eventually, morning rolled in and it was time for a new adventure; maybe this time they'd find someone or something who survived. The rain had stopped and the morning dew on the ragged plants twinkled a little in the light.

Bamberly limped a bit to the entrance, opening the door for Bamburai and then stumbling outside. Bamburai then followed suit, hoisting Bamberly up on his shoulders.

"No, no, i don't think i need that anymore, hehe..."

"Huh?"

"It's less painful now! I'm still limping a bit, but... it seems to be healing fast. It doesn't hurt as much anymore."

"Alright, then... i'll take your word for it. Just please stay close to me, okay?"

"Gotcha!"

The two walked around the districts, the the warm air clashing with the dampness of the place. Old crimson-colored buildings towered over them, coated in dried-up blue flowers that seemed to have had their first taste of dampness in little over a decade. Decadent plazas with unfunctional fountains dotted the city, the shops and buildings having small posters advertising now defunct snacks and products.

The crimson hues of the broken city was slowly yet surely replaced by a darker, greenish black, puffy yet dull yellow and white dandelions swaying in the breeze that had soon enough settled in. Soon enough, they stumbled upon a run-down, titanic building. It was draped in rows of colourfully dull flowers and most of the building's paint had been peeled off. Spectra-colored roads all led to the direction of the building; behind it were a good chunk of now-broken down airplanes that were built to fit and withstand traveling through the 3D and 2D worlds.

"Huh...maybe we could find someone here!"

"Doesn't seem likely. Maybe we could check for loot, at the very least."

The two walked into the building, and were greeted by an odd smell that was just enough to throw them off. The first floor consisted of empty work spots and run-down shops, which the two passed by to loot for resources.

However, when they turned back, they saw the the stairway split into two paths. One path led to staff buildings, and the other led to other shops.

"I'll loot the shops, you look for any traces of living beings."

"But-"

"Don't worry! There isn't really any danger in here...or, anywhere, really."

"Just...stay safe, okay? D-Don't do anything brash."

"Gotcha!"

Bamburai took the stairs to the staff stands, whilst Bamberly took the stairs to the shops. Bamburai scoured for any semblance of staff in the area, only finding what seemed to be now unrecognizably worn down ID cards, charred litter and areas cloaked in blue flower-studded ivies.

Bamberly looked through all the shops. The first one was a hair salon; nothing of value except the stench of rotten cosmetics and hair on the floor. The second one was a bar, filled with the stench of expired and polygonized food. Bamberly, however, managed to make out some of the non-expired food, those being a yellow apple and a packet of popcorn, and loot it. The third one was a pastry shop, once again riddled with the stench of expiration. She swiped a singular chocolate cupcake from the broken dispay window and made a run for it. It was like a noxious gas slowly filling the room.

However, when she finally sprinted out, she was in a completely different room. It was a lobby of sorts filled with all sorts of shopping districts; clothes shops, ice cream shops, supermarkets, shops for all sorts of supplies...

Bamberly tried to keep her cool and continue looking around for supplies and nourishment.

Bamburai, on the other hand, tried to keep on looking for any semblance of staff in the broken down registers and luggage units, but it seemed like the road was looping endlessly. He sighed and tried to back away, but found himself in a completely different room. It was a waiting room with one of those metal detectors.

It finally sunk in for him; this building was ever-shifting, and Bamberly most likely got herself stuck somewhere. Shit, they should've never separated.

Bamburai scrambled through each door, trying to see if she landed anywhere near his position; he looked through shops, bathrooms, any room he could think of.

Bamberly, on the other hand, was simply crawling from room to room, covering her mouth and nose due to the incapacitating smell of rot and contamination. She felt like hives were breaking out on her skin and she was slowly losing consciousness.

Bamburai was getting lost in the mish-mash of shapeshifting rooms, running as fast as he could. His blood was pumping with adrenaline, and he didn't wanna stop running until he finally got to Bamberly, even if it meant overexerting himself. The uncomfortable feeling of the noxious gas of rot and radiation creeped up onto him, but no matter how bad it got, he had to rescue his darling girl.

Bamberly huddled up near a wall, trying to control her breathing; it stung, feeling as if pins and needles had been jammed into her throat. She was dizzy and slowly losing consciousness, and she figured the wall near a dull yet flashy sign for a clothes store would be the safest place to rest on. Maybe if she didn't travel through any door, she wouldn't find herself in a completely different area of the building.

As the toxic smell got even more overwhelming, Bamburai seemed to be on the right tracks. He was in an area with many shops, and he kept on stumbling onto more areas with more shops. Maybe if he traveled just a little more he'd finally make it to Bamberly.

Soon enough, Bamburai was in the same district area as Bamberly, who had just passed out. With no time to waste, Bamburai sprinted to her;

"Let's get out of here, Berly..."

Bamburai immediately picked her and what she found up and made a mad dash for whatever exit there was. For every door, for every room, for every district; there was a chance of an exit. Bamburai felt himself grow more and more tired and ill, but he didn't give a damn. He just wanted to get out of here as fast as he could.

When he least expected it, he finally got to the exit and tripped out of it; hitting the ground alongside Bamberly and all the food she had gathered.

Bamburai got up, and Bamberly jolted awake. She felt surprisingly ill, and so did Bamburai.

"Lesson learned, never go to elusive buildings in the 3D world again..."

"Uuuugh..."

The couple set up camp nearby, eating the apple, popcorn and cupcake that Bamberly had gathered. It was pretty hot out, so Bamburai took off his hoodie and Bamberly took off her coat and muffler. It was a good opportunity to let their physical conditions heal.

"I could've gotten a bit more, but...y'know...almost everything was past its due date and the toxins got ahold of me."

"I'll have to watch over you for a bit. I have no idea what that gas can do to someone."

"I'll be fine! We're angels, remember?"

"Still. Better safe than sorry."

As they snacked on a few ailments, Bamburai and Bamberly watched the moon rise up in the sky together as the night fell on the airport area.