No lullabies

2056

The first time I came to the city, I was mesmerized by its nightlife. Not with the people chattering or the thousands of street vendors, but with the bright lights and holograms that covered every surface in sight. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I was fond of the colors and blinking signs, they made me feel somehow calm, in spite of the bustle going on around.

When the night fell, the pavement, as well as the passersby were bathed in iridescent light; all eyes like mirrors reflecting the color. I was wandering the street, with no destination set in mind and no idea how long I've been walking about, it could've been days as far as I'm concerned.

I stopped for a moment to get my sweater out of my messenger bag because with the night came the chilly air. The calls of the streets vendors could be heard above the chatter and music, all trying to get people's attention, to get them to walk towards hot food and sweet treats.

I'm in the mood for something sweet, I thought. Examining all the bright color wrapped candies of a cart nearby. I took my time. Eyes lost in the rows of treats, not sure of what I wanted.

"Is it your favorite?" the owner's voice startled me out of my daze, extending something on a stick towards me with an inviting smile.

"I'm..." I muttered, looking at it. A queer feeling passed through me, the name of the thing seemed to be at the tip of my tong, yet out of my reach.

"... not sure, but I'll take it," I said smiling back, grabbing the pink fluffy treat while I extended my card (which was attached to the chain that hung around my neck) so he could scan it. I stared at the tiny picture of myself in it, a question forming at the edge of my mind; the vendor gave me a funny look.

I hurried through the crowd, I much preferred eating without eyes on me. I pinched a bit of the candy and put it in my mouth, it had an airy consistency and was quite pleasing to the palate. Could be my favorite, I thought to myself, nipping a bigger piece this time.

After finishing it, I pulled my bottle from my bag, pouring water over my hands to remove the stickiness; I was standing next to a glowing blue sign that read ROOMS AVAILABLE. I shook my hands to get rid of the excess water and caught my reflection in the black-tinted window. I examined my face; my button nose, my shoulder length hair and my almond shaped eyes.

The sign suddenly stopped glowing, which wasn't a common occurrence, so I looked around disconcerted. People were still roaming the streets, but there wasn't anyone near, nor did anyone seem to take notice. My gaze came to a halt on a motionless figure, there was a brown-haired girl staring at me; maybe I was paranoid, but she seemed fixed. I frowned at her, not sure if it came across as confusion or annoyance; but I lost sight of her in the quickly moving mass of people.

The temperature was dropping and my limbs began to feel a little numb. I wrapped my scarf tight around my neck and kept walking. This time headed for the bus stop; it was time to go home. On my way, I realized the crowd was going in the opposite direction, towards a hologram projection of a woman speaking, probably someone important to attract such attention.

I looked at my old wrist-watch, the kind that shows you the numbers on the screen; the next bus would be here soon, so I picked up the pace.

A couple of blocks down, there was barely anyone around me, the street was almost deserted. My breath became a little ragged, a mixed of the cold air and the fact that, without realizing I had practically stared running.

It was a couple of minutes later that I realized I was walking towards darkness, like this side of town have had a blackout. I stopped again, the street lights were still on, but without the blinking signs, screens and holograms it appeared to be completely dark.