Record

Amidst Ruins: 2

As the sun hung lower in the sky, inching its way towards the horizon, it served as a poignant reminder for Lily to make her way to the dried lake. There, amidst the serene landscape, she would sink into the world captured in her old family's videos, allowing their memories to envelop her in a bittersweet embrace.

The world around her began to darken with each passing moment bringing a deeper shade to the sky. It was time for her to go back home; the empty home. There was nothing to halt the cassette for; it wasn't the day for her uncle to arrive at sunset. With just a few minutes left before she would need to rise again, her eyelids grew heavy, fluttering open and closed until they finally surrendered to a deep, dreamless sleep.

She sensed a familiar presence nearby before warmth covered her chilled body, cocooned within the embrace of a leather jacket. Confusion momentarily clouded her mind as she realized she wasn't in her bed; she had forgotten that she hadn't made it back home.

With a tender strength, she was lifted up the ground. On the way through the quiet streets, she floated in the arms that were wrapping protectively around her. She felt a sense of security wash over her, for she knew it was him, Samuel, her uncle.

Feeling guilty for burdening him, she fought against the soothing sway of his movements, determined to stay awake. Summoning all her strength, she attempted to open her eyes.

"Awake, sleepyhead?" his gentle voice broke through the haze of drowsiness.

"What time is it?" she murmured, her voice groggy with sleep.

"It's near two," he replied, gently lowering her back to her feet. "Remember," he added, "the more you watch, the more fragile your camera becomes."

"I know," she sighed, her voice carrying the weight of having heard his statement countless times before. She pulled the jacket tighter around herself. "Sorry you had to come to take me home in the middle of the night."

He simply smiled, "No need to apologize, kiddo."

With each step pressed forward, the weight of the day's burdens seemed to bear down upon his shoulders, slowing his pace to a heavy shuffle. His eyes, mirrors of Lily's own, were shadowed by dark circles.

As they walked silently, Lily's attention was caught by something she stepped on. A finger-long tube shimmered beneath her foot. Picking the thing up and dusting it off she twisted up the applicator: a capless lipstick bullet. The texture of which was dry and lumpy. The bottom of the base was engraved with Wogy-Wdy's logo. Having never touched one of their products before, her skin tingled with a jolt of electricity at the contact.

"Look what I found!" She held up the tiny item like a treasure, "It might be modest, but we can both use it!"

Samuel brushed the medium strands of hair back from his face with his fingertips to examine the lipstick closely, "Lily, things like this can change more than just our appearance."

"Yes, that's right! It can elevate our social standings--increase our values!"

"Mm," he grunted, playing with his front beard before asking her, "Well, do you see yourself worthless to begin with?"

"Worthless?" She paused, contemplating his words. "I mean, worth according to society's rules, you know?"

"Those rules just mimic the norms of more advanced societies. People here are fooling themselves, thinking they gain value by bringing in their products."

"But it does give them value, otherwise we wouldn't have been left out."

"Sweetie," he said softly, "we don't let society's rules define our worth. That's what sets us apart from others."