Ruin - By N.M. Martinez Page 0,32

A small group of people looking more refreshed than the ones sitting before the dying fires relieve the ones who must have been sitting out all night. It's a move caught by chance, one that I would normally miss any other day.

Brandon walks with me, leading me down old streets with other buildings where people stand around out front watching me with narrowed eyes. At the sight of Brandon walking next to me they relax somewhat, though not exactly enough to hand out casual smiles like the people in front of Brandon's building.

As we walk, we pass others who are on their way to different destinations. Some of them smile at Brandon and completely ignore me. Not that I really mind. Sometimes it's nice to be under the radar.

The buildings we walk past are in a better condition than the buildings Henri, Jimmy, and I passed on the way in though many of them could use some paint. A few of the buildings have metal rails or edges that are rusting and it won't be long before they completely crumble. For the most part, these buildings are used though and so they continue to live with a purpose.

At some point, the buildings taper off and then it is just a crumbling road weakened by weeds and surrounded by tall grass and green trees. The ground is mostly flat except for the hills in the distance in front of us and the mountains further off in the distance and past the city.

The sight makes me stop, and Brandon stops to look at me. He opens his mouth for a moment to say something, but shuts it again when I catch his eyes. Never have I seen open space like this. There are the agricultural lands in parts of the Neutral Territory, and that park that Rob tried to take me to that one time when his truck broke down, but those are all filled with people. Our touch is everywhere when you go to one of those places. Even in the park where they try to minimize it and give the illusion of wilderness. This is actual wilderness.

There is no way I will ever be able to get enough of the view. My nose is tickled by all the strange sweet smells from the plants mingling in my nostrils. I stand still for a good while watching the long grass bow as the early morning breeze sweeps along and listening to the rustling leaves of the large trees.

I look at Brandon sheepishly. "Okay, sorry, I think I'm ready now."

Brandon just smiles, maybe catching some of my thoughts. "If you get tired, let me know."

I nod. He's still looking out for me in a way, concerned that my flabby Neutral body isn't going to be able to make it all the way to the village. It's possible that he's right. But it might also be a good excuse to just sit out here and take in the landscape without any expectations or need to talk especially if I'm too tired.

But I don't, we continue on our way, the cool air and my curiosity driving me forward.

Ten

The village is a ramshackle of mismatched buildings that look as if they were pieced together with spare parts liberated from other buildings. I take in the sight, surprised at all the variation in the simple structures. Towards the middle of town, larger buildings that look like the ones from the city, complete with the dark mold growing on their sides. We had followed a road to get here, so I assume that this was something once, another place where people lived who must have been tied to the labs somehow though it's a bit of a distance away.

Wild patches of brightly colored plants grow in the yards of small houses on the outskirts of town. People buzz around, and I watch them closely as they do. Unlike in the city where the people eyed us suspiciously as we passed, these people don't watch us at all. They each go about their day, talking with neighbors in the street, or walking with purpose. These people aren't scared. They're comfortable. And for the first time I can breathe a sigh of relief myself.

The road we walk on is still patchy. After I nearly trip in a pothole, Brandon tells me that they're working on either patching the road or getting rid of it all together.

We walk along the edge of town until we get to a dirt road.