Ghosts of Wonderland

Sonomi

Halo Four: Sonomi:

Somewhere in the Distant Future in an Alternate Timeline

It was raining that night.

She slowly drew her eyes open. All she could see was the starless sky with thick clouds. Fat drops landed on her face. Everything sounded muted at first. Slowly sensations returned to her body. She lay on the ground unable to move. There was wet earth underneath her body. The cold started to settle into her skin. She had no idea where she was. The sounds around her began to sound muffled. She couldn't remember anything about herself. Her brain struggled to piece together a coherent thought. But her head felt fuzzy and could only come up with fragments.

She suddenly became aware of someone standing over her.

Her eyes rolled up to see a figure holding an umbrella over their head. She could barely make out any features about this person. They peered down at her. They did say one thing to her.

"Are you alright?"

December 4th, 2047

Somewhere in the woods in Canada

Gary began his climb up the hill. The fat flakes of snow were falling fast. There was going to be another blizzard coming. All week, there had been nothing but snow. Gary couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Guess there were some things that didn't change. He better get inside or else he would be lost in the snow. It was only about ten in the morning too. It might have been earlier. Time had lost all meaning in this new dying world.

He ignored the gunshots firing in the distance. The war that was fought in the mainland was making its way up north. So far, it hadn't reached Gary's cabin. The man didn't have hopes that it would stay that way. He didn't know what he would do if they started fighting in his backyard. Gary pushed that thought out of his head as he kept walking through the snow. He could hear that fireplace calling his name. The man smiled to himself as he kept walking.

It took him ten minutes to get from the woods to the cabin. Gary could see the lights from his home in the distance. He was going to have rabbit stew for dinner. He wanted to settle in his recliner and watch some old TV. Maybe he could catch a nap in the middle of the day. It wasn't like he had anywhere to go today. Gary didn't have a job. He could live off of his pension that he received every month. The man didn't really need anything anymore.

That all changed when he got closer to his cabin. Gary stopped in his tracks.

"What the hell?" he asked.

There was a figure lying in the snow on the path. Gary blinked at first. He walked over for a closer look. His jaw dropped when he was inches away from his door. A girl with pale skin was lying in his path. Gary ran over to her. He reached down and checked for a pulse. It was faint, but it was there. The girl wasn't conscious and she felt cold to the touch. Gary looked around in a panic. He didn't know what to do. The blizzard was starting to get worse and it would take hours for him to make it back to the town. The man looked down at the girl again. The more he looked, the more he noticed something off about her.

"Are those... wings on her back?" he asked. This girl wasn't dressed up for the weather. All she had on was a short lacy black dress. No shoes, no coat, no gloves, and no other winter gear on. Where had she even come from?

Gary was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard a low groan in the howling winds. The girl looked like she was about to wake up. Gary jumped into place as he realized the gravity of the situation. He had no choice.

Gary knelt down and picked up the girl. To his surprise, she felt really light. He didn't have time to dwell on that. The man carried the girl into his cabin. He set her down on the couch in front of the fireplace. He gently shook her shoulder.