S a l e t é I I

XIV - Mains - Quinze

The abandoned area that had once served as a haven for various stores outside of the garage zone was relatively quiet again that day, with little sign of activity outside of a group of friends further in, and a few pairs of friends or companions at other intervals. All of these strangers were far away whenever Cassia saw them, too focused on their own matters to pay attention to a trio of wandering Jouets.

Despite the almost silent nature of the area itself - the only real sounds being those from other, neighbouring districts below - footprints were visible in the dust and dirt that served to make up the roads, tell-tale signs that people really did live nearby. Cassia was suddenly mindful of how she was leaving behind her own.

Her once smart black shoes were beginning to look a little faded, and they were in need of a good polish if they were going to get back into prime form. It was hardly a pressing manner, but part of her still felt bad.

The sounds of the old street were ahead now, and whilst the maze that concealed their hideout was one thing, the way ahead once they left the garage was relatively straightforward. The small paths between the old buildings marked out a clear route to the slope overlooking the activity below.

Those paths were less than desirable, many hosting the piles of rubbish that Cassia had come to expect, those same heaps actually shifting with each passing day. Those scouring the area must have stopped to sift through them.

Cassia understood that people had to find things to swap, but... Going through garbage... And what about this supposed junkyard? What would that be like?

After getting through, and after avoiding most of the junk that marred their chosen paths, the three girls were left with the view of the wider street below.

Cassia was drawn to the sprawling network of buildings further up the street - the mixture of what must have been homes and more forming a confusing mesh off makeshift walls and rooftops - and she suspected that it was a sight she'd never really fully process.

Had people really made all of it by themselves? Did they not get any help from proper builders? If not, why not? At least they didn't have to worry about things like rain, or storms...

The lampposts, as feeble or flimsy as they often were, managed to form little pools of light across the district, and even from a distance she could make out the movement people coming and going, even if it was  nowhere near as discernible as the old street was. Many of those hastily arranged structures blocked the light.

She didn't dwell upon the living areas for long, however, as the most dominant aspect of the failed horizon was looming, waiting for their arrival.

The factory itself was shrouded in what was almost a complete sort of darkness, and Cassia couldn't make out any lights coming from within - or anything else indicating that there might have actually been human activity within, for that matter. It's perimeter, along with the roads that surrounded it, played host to their own half-hearted streetlights. Half of them looked as if they'd been made by people as well, and how they worked was basically a mystery to her.

"Can you see anything interesting?" Uliana asked as she too took in that view, her attention now upon the stalls and crowds that were already present below.

Cassia was thankful for the reminder.

She began looking over what was visible, and Monet waited for a moment so that she and Uliana could search from their elevated position. Cassia could see that there were quite a few would-be storefronts set up already, although she couldn't make out what all of them were offering, either due to the groups gathering around them or because of poor illumination in certain places.