That's not right. No, not right at all.
I could have sworn that was right, but it isn't.
Just delete a few things here, shift things around there
Still not right! What's wrong with it?
That's not it, nor is this, or that, or that.
But something's wrong.
I think.
What do you think?
Come on, you can see it as plainly as I can, and I'm sure you can see what it is.
Well?
No, not that.
Don't lie to me!
Really?
That's exactly what you think?
but
I
thought
that
was
The sky's orchestra conducted the weather into a cacophony of rain and thunder, as we sheltered in the flimsy hut.
"At least it's warm in here," I lied, turning to Elle. She curled herself up in the one-roomed building's only chair, her blank eyes staring through the broken windows.
The water held dormant so long in the clouds, hanging and drooping like the gardens of Babylon, had finally given way, forming a millions-strong army that launched freezing cold spears against the roof of the hut. Some of them managed to break the line of defence, and water slowly but steadily leaked onto the hut's wooden floor.
All I can tell about this place is that its dark. Really, really dark.
The last thing I can remember? Let me try and think now, it cant have been at the shops. No, there was definitely more after that. What happened? I left the centre, headed down the street. But then what?
There were a few drones in the street, no humans. Well, no flesh-and-blood humans, anyway. Couple of other cyborgs perhaps, but they were cloaked well if they were there. The scanners didnt pick anything up, so they must have been using a jamming signal.
What am I going on about? Its not worth trying to explain that to you. I mean, you don&
Hear that, Jane?
Yes, thats the sound of it right there thud, thud, thud. Well, either its that, or theres an earthquake happening.
Hmm, an earthquake. Wouldnt be too far off the mark, really, would it?
Oh, dont play dumb with me. You know whats coming. You were here last time. You survived.
Whats past is past, I guess. But you never know. It might be different this time. The next village survived last time, didnt it?
Look, dont be so scared; it was going to happen eventually, right? I mean, we were always in its path; it always passed through here, all those years ago, before i
Forget all about it. Go on, it never happened. Let your mind drift off, to someplace else, some other time, into somebody else. If you do, this world may cease to exist; just vanishing, off the face of reality. At least, thats the way it will seem to you. But well go on living, somewhere other than where you are, even if you forget us. And one day, you might remember us for who we are; what we are.
Im just sorry we had to see you go this way, but theres nothing that can be done now. I can already tell, youre too far gone; perched on the limbo, and leaning the other way. You want to stay, I can tell, but I don
I sit here waiting for the event that will shake up my life forever. I dont know where Im going, why Im going there, or what will happen when I arrive. I just know that its all been building up to this. Im not sure if Ill survive after it happens though. A few friends have done this before me, but I havent seen them since. Maybe theres something so great there, they never wanted to leave. Or something so terrible, so mortifying, that they cant.
No, its best not to think like that. I have to keep calm about this but I cant, its so close now that I can feel it, and my hear
I found myself presented with three possible choices; each claimed to be the one I wanted. But how could I tell which one was real, the others fake? They all seemed so inviting, with their promises of greatness. Their promises that they could bring me what I desired.
But all of their promises, empty. Theyd lost meaning, rolled out countless times, over and over again. Whatever they had meant to say had been repeated to the point that nobody cared. The lack of emotion didnt seem to make a difference; people still went, driven by whatever desires they had. The giants who ran the businesses, laughing all the way to the bank, and aba