Dust

City

7. CITY

The sun had sunk low into the west by the time we reached the end of a long, abandoned road. The wolf's lanky form padded along beside me down the ribbon of black asphalt, tongue lolling and head low against spastic snow flurries. 

A stretch of barren land rested between the river and city, occupied only by over grown pavement and car skeletons. I avoided peering into the empty shells as best as I could, not willing to glimpse the remnants of my ancestors quite yet. The wolf would sniff every vehicle, his ears perked curiously at the foreign objects. I wondered if he'd ever ventured this far or if he, like myself, stayed confined to the forest. 

A large green sign stood in front of us, wind battered and crawling with vines. The closer we got to the city, the more foliage grew, bright green against heavy gray clouds, despite the fast approach of winter. Small rodents skittered into bushes as we passed, sending birds flying. 

I came to a stop, shielding my eyes against the light of an overcast sky, and studied the sign. Dirt smothered some letters and others were worn away from age. I made out miscellaneous numbers and one word, printed in large white letters, though some seemed to be missing.

S AT LE.

Curiosity bloomed inside me as I looked from the sign to the large city in front of me, its buildings reaching high. I felt hesitation, my fear of the unknown battling with an unquenchable thirst for answers. Would venturing into the city tell me what had happened all those years ago? 

The wolf came to stand beside me, following my gaze steadily. Though he was far from being my friend, I felt comfort in his presence. 

"Here, we go." I whispered and set off into a manmade world I'd only dreamed about.

~*~

Although no threat had presented itself, the wolf and I skittered and jumped at every noise, our eyes wide and gaits stiff. Panic had set my heart banging against my ribs like a bird in a cage. My teeth chattered from the damp clothes clinging to my skin and terror shuddered through me with every breath. Entering the city was a very bad idea. 

We roamed the winding streets aimlessly, gazing up at gargantuan buildings and pictures advertising useless products. Billboards, I think they were called. Vines covered every surface, along with various other foliage. A tree grew twisted and beautifully out of a car window. More cars were left abandoned in the streets, their owners giving up on trying to drive to safety when the virus over took the city. 

The wind coursed silently through the metropolis, a haunting reminder of how alone I was. It whistled through hollow buildings, rustling crispy leaves, and sent a sudden snowfall spinning. I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself in a helpless attempt at conserving heat.  

I needed to find shelter, and more importantly; dry clothes. The damp coldness seeped inside of me, making my stomach convulse with shivers. My fingers were like ice, all feeling lost to the ruthless winds tearing at my flesh.  

Although I was in dire need of cover, fear kept me from entering any of the buildings around me. They gazed at me with empty, black windows, as lifeless and unforgiving as eyes of a Creature. The thought of being confined in strange, dark walls sent a tremor through my body. There'd be no escape. No forest to run into. Just walls, thick and tall and confining.  

The wolf and I pressed on, our senses calming the longer we stayed in the city. We'd found no trace of Creatures, or anything other than the occasional rodent for that matter. The snow was beginning to thicken, pushing my resolve of staying outside.