Chapter 23: Endemic

Endemic

They had a long time to see the wind mold the yellowish bushes on the outskirts of the city. A notorious cold began to feel as the gray clouds gathered in the sky.

One of them leaving the mouth of the obese boy. It was entertained by making figures with each exhalation.

Vines Pall. Sitting on the banks of the road next to the owner of the food stall he had just known. Apparently he sold both tacos and cheap cigarettes alike.

"Can you believe it, sir?" I don't lie. Not at all. Some guys entered and looted everything.

“...”

"I assure you that if I had one more minute there they would have stolen me. Phew, and the police? Shining for their absence.”

“...”

The hooded man was limited to nodding and smoking his cigar. It was difficult to know if his expression changed when he heard the young man's story. Maybe he took it as a delirium or simply did not interest what he heard.

"And as always, I have to do everything. My friends are useless, do you know?”

The confidence with which he headed to the stranger is surprising. The man, without looking at him, scratched his dirty beard and lay down in his chair, closing his coat until he hid almost completely on his black hood.

“'God Reads Books. We Write Them... '” He murmured, before yawning and sleeping.

After one last gap of the cigarette, the young man stood up and walked to the car, infected by the sleeping of the strange man.

There was only one person inside, a child with an ice cream palette still in its plastic wrapper.

"Hey, it’s going to melt.”

The boy, Paul, ignored him turning his back and lay down in the soft car seats.

“... (What happens to this one?).

Turning around, at his time of boredom Vines sat in the driver's seat and began to check between the board controls. He came to activate rear lights that were exchanged between the red, blue, and white colors.

"The new critical emergency lights, I think. And this is ... heh.”

When pressing another button on the touch screen, a small holographic map was screened on the windshield. He could change his position, size and opacity with simple movements of his hand but did not entertain much with it. He then took bright lenses that he found and put them carelessly.

"I have traveled a future generation just being here."

Where were the others?

An hour ago Chase and company left the city to pick up the patient Cadie from the car and take her to the clinic. Jevo and Brawell had to give them more than one hand to help.

With Edher and Soup, remaining in the clinic, there was no one but the car, Paul and the carefree Vines left behind.

"I should charge them for this," he said to himself, exaggerating his own sadness. "Men ... at this pace I will not achieve anything. Everything will calm down and I will go empty-handed and smelling of tacos. So sad... It’s just me, and this futuristic and expensive car.”

Before he realized, he posed his big stomach against the steering wheel dropping into the reclining seat. Unlike this lazy individual, their companions did what they came to do in the city of Figuras.

'Saint Ivonne Clinic', was written above its entrance.

A minor medical center both in size and in functions and resources if compared to a provincial hospital, but at that time, it had the same number of visitors as one.

Having calculated eight hours to return to the car was a wise decision from Chase. He was not present in the row (for his fortune) but Jevo and Earlene were. After three exhausting hours they finally allowed access to Cadie to a stretcher.

While they reviewed it, both were removed to the crowded waiting room.

"Heh."

“... What?

For some reason Earlene had let a little laugh out.

Sitting by her side and with a pessimist humor, Jevo looked at her strangely.

“Nothing. I just remembered something funny that Doger told me. I thought I forgot it.”

“...”

He sighed and observed the surroundings. The place was full of people and none of the four knew the reason.

“(Is it like this every day in this town? …) Do you want to have breakfast?”

“Yeah.”

"Then let's look for the right place."

Walking through the turquoise blue halls, they dodged the rows of people until two sections were reached.

A really deteriorated and questionable hygiene site to be a medical center. Clinics like those used to have abundance around the capital.

Of course, like any big city there was at least one decent hospital, however, few dared to visit it if not for critical reasons.

No one would like to go to the Matria’s core for their own will.

The pair reached the dining room, a quarter not very spacious with long wooden tables. There were Edher and soup talking to each other attentive. Getting to sit next to them would almost feel like 'of bad education', and perhaps they considered it when Earlene and Jevo followed them.

Thus another at least two hours passed in that clinic.

"Uhm ... isn't it a bit uncomfortable?"

"Yes, I must admit."

In this crowded place where every stretcher was occupied by an individual, there was hardly a space where to sit. Thus, people slept on the floor of the waiting rooms.

Among the agglomerates of people, Earlene was seeing how Jevo covered himself with a cheap sheet.

“... I think I will take a walk.”

"Would you please wake up when it is time?"

"Yes, ok."

It seemed strange to see someone as straight as Jevo dems do something like sleeping on the floor.

“Thank you very much...”

The young woman then toured a few corridors waiting to find one that was not about to 'overflow' of the crowd. It was at that time that she ran back with the new companions; Edher and Soup.

Soup left a nearby window where they attended him. In his hands a medicine package which he smiled when he saw it.

"Do you think that will it be enough?" Edher commented behind.

“I hope so.”

"Did they give you all those medicines for Cadie?" Asked Earlene approaching.

Soup and Edher exchanged looks for a moment.

"Oh, you mean that girl," Edher replied.

“Yeah.”

“... I can't believe this place is also like that. Wherever we go, there is, minimum, a patient. In fact, from where we came, it is exactly the same.”

"Surely," Soup added, speaking with his usual slowness. “A true grief and concern. This situation is incomprehensible, it is a fact.”

“...”

Near the trio, a robust man complained in front of one of the clinic's nurses.

“We had been waiting for ten damn hours here! Where are my wife's medicines!? Where!?”

“!”

Thinking carefully, that woman was the first nurse they saw outside the rooms. No one could imagine the workload that doctors carried on their shoulders in such a place.

And it seemed that she was not the only one.

"Is there a discussion?" ... How bad” Soup underwent “They are definitely desperate for finding the cure.”

“Ah, really?”

Earlene did not understand what was happening well.

"Haven't they told you? How have you not heard? There is an epidemic.”

“Oh”

"Look around you. The redundancy is worth."

Anyone who made an effort would remember. Earlene remembered it perfectly, she just didn't think about it, or her subconscious did not want to do it; the patients in divided sheets and scattered on the ground within the nursing of Dr. Jazmin, at the San Ramael Institute.

Each province of the Republic of Manecia could well be an independent state due to their extension, did this new unknown disease really spread to the vicinity of the center of the capital?

“(Where will she be ...?)” Earlene asked herself “An epidemic...”

“Exactly. We do not know when it started but our people have been greatly affected.”

"Oh ... Where do you live?"

"In Lo---“

"Gyaaa! Leave me alone!”

They didn't know that the previous discussion worsened closer and closer to them.

The man in an outburst of anger shook the nurse holding her hair. Throwing her to the ground, even some hair was still in his hand.

The public was alarmed and expectant.

"Y-You can't treat us like this, I pay my insurance!"

He moved slowly, seeing the doctor helping the victim. Apparently the impression of others forced him to regret.

"W-We walked from here," Edher suggested, pulling the comfortable soup manga.

"Yeah, this is getting ugly."

-[Ø]-

"Woah ...”

His step stopped to perplexity the scenario between the soft mists.

A toy store, a sweet store ... They are simple ways with which it could be described.

"Shit, it's huge...”

"Didn't you expect it, right?"

Chase's surprise expression seemed fun to Rousset.

Faced with them, the 'Figuras fun park', one of the greatest attractions of the Republic of Manecia.

Only one word could describe it precisely; gigantic.

It was not an ordinary attraction park, of course not. Something common could not be in one of the most artisanal city in the country.

The roller coaster rose more than 50 meters high, its highest peak was 90 meters, tearing the skies over the park and intruding its rails even in the darkest hiding places. Its users would not only enjoy the extreme speeds it managed to reach, but also the captivating view of the park and the suburbs.

The latter were not far behind in a matter of picturesqueism. Colorful balloons hung from the tiny houses of no more than 2 bedrooms, made of small geometric figures of diverse and bright colors.

"It's so amazing that I'll suffer from epilepsy ..." He cleaned his eyes. "Can anyone even get used to being here?"

"You can’t imagine how it feels to get on the roller coaster when the mist is thick."

“Hello.”

"!"

Both turned around after listening to the sudden greeting. There would be no one around. That believed, but it seemed that in Figuras the situation was different from other cities visited.

The voice that broke had been soft, feminine, like the girl behind her.

She had a fairly handmade but light dress at the same time, which made her not decline with the rest of the 'canvas' of the environment.

Pale and small, with her black eyes like coal, she had seen them for a long time at the exit of the amusement park, so she thought there were a couple who planned to visit it.

"The park was closed until new notice."

"Oh ... no, no, we didn't plan to enter," Rousset said.

"Oh. Uhm ... I had never seen you before, do you come from outside?” The unknown girl said.

"Yes, do you work here?"

“Not really. I only help the guard sometimes,” she said, offering her hand to Rousset, "Nice to meet you, my name is Sarays, I live near this area.”

"Pleasure is mine… I am Rousset, and he is Chase.”

Sarays only nodded towards the boy. For some reason she refused to shake hands with him.

“...”

Before lengthening the awkward moment, Rousset asked.

"Ohm, well, we were just looking for someone to ask some things."

"I also serve as a tour guide, if you need one."

"We don’t want to bother...”

“Not at all. I do not have much to do in my store anyway,” she showed a bitter smile.

Her ease of speaking with strangers and extensive knowledge of the surroundings clearly indicated that she was a resident who lived in Figuras for several years. She knew perfectly where they should walk to be safe, where each store was found and what places to avoid at all costs.

Regarding the latter, they stopped precisely in front of one of them.

The colorful and cheerful settlements meters ago became poor and decadent. Not only changed the image, but also the environment; The thicker mist and a faint drizzle that was about to become a storm.

"From this point there is no nature," Sarays said, as if she forced to transmit a pity she didn't feel.

Although she was right, the moss that covered the roofs of the rest of the city did not exist there. There was only rot and large buildings as far as eyes could see.

"Is it still as dangerous as years ago?" Asked Rousset. They waited under the ceiling of a nearby house.

“I think that the fact that the police avoid this site most of the time is a sign that nothing has improved. Those who live around the surroundings listen to shouts every night.”

“...”

"Here stinks, rotten egg!" Chase complained, wrinkling his face because of the stench.

"Pretty unpleasant. Come on, let's return before the curfew.”

The strange place they left behind was the entrance to the core of Matria; a city that nobody would like as a tourist destination.

Chase was carefree throughout the course. He clearly looked exhausted, to the point that he barely paid attention to the Sarays guide.

"And we're back."

Crossing near an artistic wall, they had returned to the starting point, the closed entrance of the attraction park.

It became a fairly modest tour at the end of the day.

"Do you look tired or ... just seem?"

"Today I slept ... how much ...?" Three hours I think, right, Chase? I don't know... ” Rousset replied.

“...”

"Hm ... there is not even a cheap hotel near ...

The young woman bowed to shake her long dress while thinking.

"What if I show you a place where you can rest? At least for today.”

Chase was all ears as soon as he heard the word 'rest' to be mentioned like a prayer.

"You have all my attention ...”

The Sarays’ home. With the exception of the colors, it was not very different from the first place where they settled to have a roof where to sleep.

These ideas were easily discarded by the noise of a lock opening.

“...”

When he realized, Sarays had in her hands a bright iron chain covered by plastic.

"He had to forget to activate the electronic safe lock, again," the girl muttered herself.

"Oh ... did you remove the lock?" Why? Isn't this illegal?

Rousset's concern in her words was noted, unlike Chase.

"You had said you didn't work here just a moment ago."

"You are very lucky that the guard is so carefree," Sarays arched her lips slightly.

"And you too, that the alarm has not been activated."

“... Heh, I guess so. Come in.”

They really didn't know what this girl thought or why she allowed them to enter. Chase's nature began to cause him to lose confidence in this person so difficult to decipher.

Exchanged looks with Rousset next to him and although both were reluctant about it, they decided to follow her into the amusement park.

After crossing a great arch, they were in the middle of a huge place. This area would be the only one with a simple design.

The roads became narrow between shrubs, there were slides, bridges, swimming pools and games everywhere, not to mention the roller coaster that extended over them to the reach of the sky. It was dazzling.

"Did you know that...?"

"?"

"The roller coaster is not the main attraction of Figuras?" Sarays commented.

“... Isn't it?”

It is not as if he were interested, even less in a game off 'until new notice', but it would be uncomfortable if no one responded.

"It's ‘the Rail'."

"It's a new game? The last time I visited this park there was not a game called like that,” Rousset approached.

"Look up."

After crossing a path with the colors of the rainbow, they looked up where the young woman pointed out. There was a kind of thin perpendicular rails that joined the vine in the sky of the park.

“...They put you in nothing more than a special harness and make you flyyyy and spin all over the park. You even find skateboards to slide on, tunnels, and water holes along the way. At one point, you even have to run through the town over a series of obstacles to jump off a waterfall. It's mind-blowing."

“Does the park extend to the city abroad?"

“Heh, it would be more precise to say that the city extends inside the park.”

Just as Sarays commented with such enthusiasm, they reached a set of settlements. One would believe that they were only part of the atmosphere of the place, but...

"People live here."

"Seriously?"

Rousset was surprised to see how much the place had changed since her last stay years ago. Although, an amusement park with internal homes proved to be surprising for itself.

The houses kept relating to the rest of the place. They were small, and with infrastructure that resembled marshmallows.

They stopped in one of these, of the few with opened doors.

"Well, I'll leave you for today ... Rousset and ..." The girl said, turning around.

"Chase."

"Yes ... Chase. You know how to return, right? For now all residents are outside. Do not worry. You will be okay as long as you leave before dusk.”

"But is there a place where to eat in the surroundings?" Chase asked before her departure.

“...”

It was more than enough to have a place to sleep, but seeing that Chase continued his demands was annoying for both.

There was only an awkward pause ignoring the comment.

"Well, see you," Sarays waved her hand and followed her way.

Having entered the small settlement, the first thing that Chase did was to throw himself on one of the huge and soft cushions that matched him in size.

They had permission. That would be his little home in what remained of the day.

"Am I imagining things or I don't like her?" he extended his arms with laziness.

"Why would it be ...?" Said Rousset with a clear sarcasm apex, sitting in the cushion in front of him.

"Whatever. I am too tired to argue about it. Uff ... Hm ... Shit. A moment ago I felt that I could sleep a whole week ... Now I can’t for some reason”

"I think I have insomnia too, and hunger."

“...”

"Uhm ... what if we talk to hang out?"

"It can be ... (that would work)," Chase thought.

Several hours were left before the time they announced, the moment in which they had to return to the car on the outskirts of the city. The goal was supposed to be attending Cadie at the Saint Ivonne’s clinic, so others surely also were having a lazy time.

Rousset massaged her own eyebrow and then admire the cartoons on the walls of the house around them.

“... It's weird. I don't know ... Uhm ... After helping that girl, where should we go?

"I’m the one who doesn't know. It has been your idea to bring her to this city.”

“...”

“(Before he mentions the capital's core again ... I better say something) We will perhaps look where to have dinner. And tomorrow...”

“We will go to La Quilla North”.

"Yes, there. Wait, there will be no need to travel those miles if they treat her in the clinic of this city, am I right?”

"Ah. It's true. But what will we do? Will we return to...? Ah ... " Rousset stopped her talking strangely, but Chase did not notice it.

“The closest house that remains is that of Vines’, and yet it is fucking far away. I suppose yours must be far too.”

"…Pretty much. My grandparents live closer. I always found them on the way to... Hm ...”

“We arrived here, and the only thing we have managed to know is about an alleged epidemic in the city.”

"Yes ... What if we get it just by sitting on these pillows?"

"If we get sick it would be due to an allergy. They are covered from dust everywhere,” said Chase, shaking his pillow “Nobody has used this place before in life. Although we are lucky that there are no people around.”

“...”

"I’ll say it again, what a waste of money the government spent in this park. I pay my taxes for this? For services that I will never use... I am sure it was fun for all who have visited it.”

"Yes, it was. But these changes are new,” Rousset replied indirectly. She continued to observe the surroundings “If any were on ... we could get on.”

"Heh, we can ask the girl who hates me for no reason to turn them on."

"I don't think it is that bad. She ... has a lot of just by having this park right in front of her house. And I'm sure she was very interested in the guard who she mentioned so much...”

"Who knows," Chase murmured, "When would they return, now? The neighbors...? In a few hours?”

“Probably. Mmm, Also I liked her dress ... I had one the same in ...”

“...”

Thought, she stopped again a moment before continuing.

"Oh ... it's weird ... you know, Chase. At home I have several dresses like hers ... uhm ... my mother bought them in my last birthday ... But ...”

“...”

"Isn't it weird?" Everything that happened just a few days ago ... It's weird ... I remember everything ... I mean ... it happened just a few days ago ... She died ... They killed her in front of me ... I should be crying ... right? So why do I feel like this...? So warm… And why does no one mention what happened? As if nothing had happened ...”

Although her voice sometimes trembled, she did it by confusion and not because of the pain or fear of the emotional impact that she should feel when losing a loved one in such a cruel and abrupt way.

Rousset was unaware of which facet was marked on her own face. There were no mirrors or glass where to reflect, and when she turned to the only person who could tell her, he already slept placidly in the cushion.

“...”

With some restlessness inside her chest, she did the same.

To be continued…