Desolation

Travel

Cecilia's body was ancient but still firm. The relentless sandstorm outside didn't affect this mechanical mira, and the harsh cold of the outside world didn't bother her. She had learned to accept it like the emptiness inside her cold, mechanical body.

She prepared for the long, lonely walk and whispered, "I hope to find something helpful today."

The heavy, dark blue sky loomed overhead, with thick clouds completely blocking the sun. An eerie silence spread, and her footsteps probably sounded loud and disruptive.

The city lay desolate, each corner and street void of life, the silence deep and all-encompassing. It felt as if nobody had visited this place since time began. Warmth and friendship may have disappeared.

Hours blended as Cecilia roamed the significant, deserted streets, guided only by a need to continue and discover. Finally, she arrived at the ruins of a known town she hadn't visited for years.

Once a busy market area, it now stood in pieces, with broken walls, falling buildings, and partly fallen roofs, all damaged by time and decay.

Hours melted into one another as Cecilia roamed the broad, deserted avenues; her only guide was the instinct to keep moving and searching. Finally, she reached the remains of a place she knew well-a town she hadn't seen in many years. Once a lively marketplace, it was now in ruins, with broken walls, sinking buildings, and falling roofs.

As a rush of memories filled her, Ceci could almost hear the sound of laughter and feel the warm sun that used to shine on these now-dirty streets.

"It does feel like it was yesterday...".

She whispered to herself, barely able to hide a smile. Ceci can't forget those days, those rare moments of quiet with Gigi, who brought a special kind of joy into her life. They had spent many hours, even days, wandering through these market stalls together, moving from one vendor to another, sharing little snacks and meaningful looks that stayed with them. |

The world was ofter then, bathed in colors and sounds that felt alive, untouched by the cold desolation of the present. All those scenes are still implanted in her memory bank and replayed every lonely evening when she lazed around in bed.

In her memories, Gigi's hand had brushed Cecilia's, and she could still feel the flutter in her heart. They'd chuckle at insignificant things or exchange sly glances at a joke that only they knew. As the day came to a close, Gigi would look at her with that famous glint in her eyes and say quietly, with a pain Cecilia had not yet recognized in her voice.

With a bittersweet longing still between them, Gigi said in a her own delicate way.

"I wish every day could be like this"

That simple statement contained something deeper, something Cecilia could only grasp now that Gigi was gone-a quiet wish for a life where they could have more than fleeting moments like these and savor days that belonged only to them.

She hadn't known then how much that day, that small wish, would come to mean to her. It was a bright memory that still carried Ceci daily in this empty, lonely world.

And now ruins remained, a cruel reminder of what had been lost. Ceci gazed around, her eyes misty, trying to find even a trace of the past that had given her so much comfort.

"If only I could return to that time..." she whispered.

The past is always remembered with a painful longing. Sadly, you can never return to those times. It was difficult for her to recall anyone who had been significant in her life, as each of them had passed away or was lost forever. So, she found herself in this empty and unwelcoming world, realizing she was utterly alone.

She asked herself: "What am I even living for?" but the question hung in the air. It was a severe and lonely question, ringing in Cecilia's head like a broken record stuck in the music player.

But there was no answer. Ceci had nothing left to live for.

Her sense of purpose disappeared like the sun behind those dark clouds, leaving her in an ocean of doubt. She is tired of being the only one who can remember those days, those precious memories that once were full of joy and laughter. Though precious, they were beginning to feel like ghosts haunting her, and she was tired of being the only one left to remember.

Hours melt into silence, the key ticking onward. Eighteen rotations remain.