Children's Games: A Story of Modern Consequence

Chapter 16

~Emilia~

Joshua's hair was loose, and wisps of golden-brown curls escaped the bun and covered his eyes. He was taller than her, but he had awful posture as he walked her away from the crowds. He was wearing jeans and a green shirt, standing out beautifully against the orange stain of their surroundings.

"I'm sorry again about this morning," he said slowly, calculating every word. "I was just trying to be helpful."

Emilia decided, regardless of the small amount of alcohol running in her veins, that she liked Joshua. He was shy and considerate, and seemed to value her opinion... although I feel like I basically just met him today. I guess that's not really too significant since I can only remember the past two days of my existence.

"It's ok. It's not your fault. I'm the one who needs to figure this shit out," she said, feeling a buzz as she swore.

They walked for a few more minutes, gradually venturing out of the crowd, although the thump of the music could still be heard echoing through the ginormous pit that was Fimiston. Emilia focused on their surroundings, trying to take in every detail.

There were thin alleyways that connected each of the main roads to each other every three buildings. Most of the buildings were shops with apartments stacked on top of them, all made of brick or concrete. These buildings had been built months ago, though they looked old. All the walls of the buildings seemed to be glued together, as if the walls had been set somewhere else and simply been brought here afterwards. She wondered if they were pieces from the town above all stuck together to create a Lego city made by a toddler.

There wasn't much rooted greenery, just small little things in pots or viney plants hanging from people's windowsills and roofs. Nothing was flowering yet, but the bright green was refreshing, to look at and for the air quality.

They passed a small group of people their age, and Emilia realised that they were military officers out of uniform. Her heart started beating faster as she tried to think about what she should do... Run? Like on the first day? She remembered back to the lady calling out Jane as she ran off, avoiding Sander's plan. She found herself then wondering if she made the right decision running away from Sander's plan, falling right into Dominik's arms. She placed her hand over the slight bulge in her pants where a small gun was strapped to her thigh...

However, Joshua smiled and waved at the group as they walked past, rewarding him with an enthusiastic greeting in return. Emilia slowly felt herself smiling back, all her doubts and worries dissipating as she let her weapon go.

She looked over and watched Joshua. His eyes were looking up at the buildings and all the lanterns and bridges that connected everything together, though suddenly he straightened his back slightly and brushed a few brown locks from his face to curl behind his ear. He knows I'm looking at him.

She accidentally let out a small laugh as she looked away, covering her mouth. He was quite good looking, with a real smile that was kind and teasing. His bottom teeth were slightly crooked, but it only seemed to add to his charm. What am I thinking?

"So... Joshua... tell me about your life before all this," she said, turning back to him for the distraction she needed to think straight. "Please."

"Certainly, though I'm sure it's not as interesting as yours," he said teasingly with his eyebrows raised. She couldn't help but laugh, grateful for his easy-going attitude. "I grew up on a farm with my family, and I lived on that farm for all my life.

"My mother and father, Susan and Richard, weren't very wealthy when they started their farm. It was a struggle when I came around, or so they tell me. We didn't have much, and the acres and acres of land were dying and producing poor quality vegetables, but it was enough. They always wanted a big family, and apologised to me regularly because I didn't have any siblings."