Kenopsia - Chapter 91: Chapter 91

I walked through the museum, not the one I first visited but the one across town, next to the ferry.
I left Lucy and Adar back there while Jasmine went off to check the traps in the sewers... You get used to eating rats. Before this hell, rats were pests but now there were also a source of meat.
Inside buildings there isn't a lot of light unless it is a room with windows so most of what was explored was with a flashlight. I never realized just how dark out world is.
I shined in a display case before lifting my knife and slamming the handle of it through the glass, reaching out and grabbing a dagger from it.
It was old if the writing explaining what it was said anything, the handle long rotted away.
I put it back down so I knew where to look for it, we could use modern or old blades for this... What I mean is adding them into the cement walls we are making, I want to create more walls and, who knows.... In many many years, maybe enclosing the whole city.
"A foolish dream." I said to myself, I would need a lot of work to do this and it is a bit outside of the city, inclined, so the husks don't gather up on it and create even bigger hoards. "But I'll come back for you, you are useful." I talked to the dagger.
I looked around, I don't really know why I came here? To feel like it was the old world again? I long stopped running after the old days... They can never come back.
I looked at the suits of armor in the wardrobe high displays.
"You too could be useful if only I knew how to put you on."
I walked around to the exit of the building, closing the big doors.... Even after all this time it was still not something I could get used too.... The knowledge that many of these buildings will never be visited anymore if it wasn't by us, by me, and that so much of the knowledge will be and is lost....
I pat the door, having finished my scouting of this place and, as if the world couldn't be more cruel, with the little going in in life it was easy to notice when something was different in this hell-torn hellscape.
I walked down the staircase of stone in front of the museum and bent down, picking up the metal can, watching the still liquid juice that smelt like tomatoes drip out of it..... Fresh.
I looked around, around this area there are big buildings but most of the doors should be locked because of how important these buildings were, a prison, the ferry, the bank.
I only took the rifle and the knife today since I didn't expect to be out too long so I walked around, looking for someone.
I had a big chance of missing them, maybe they were already gone but I guess the world wanted to repay a little of the cruelty it showed with the can by making me find the person easily.
"Hands up and turn around slowly or I shoot." I promised in a cold monotone voice as the man who was trying to force the door open with a crowbar dropped it and lifted his hands, turning around.
I lowered the rifle a bit before lifting it.
"You got to be kidding me." I hissed, it was years ago but this, in this world each face remains burnt into my mind.
"You..." He hissed. "I thought you would have died by the time."
"Same...." I said with a sigh, lowering the rifle a bit.
He now had quite an ugly mark on his face and some beard growing in but it was still one of the faces I burnt in my mind and one that left my sight alive.
I drummed my fingers on the rifle.
"And.... Them?"
"Gone, all of them."
"I'm sorry.... At the time.... I..." I took a deep breath.
"You chased us off with a rifle! You bitch!"
"I know that!" I shook my head. "Do not dare to blame me for how I reacted to grief."
"Yours caused mine!"
"And I am sorry for that alright?" I said. "I wish I trusted alright?.... Stay around if you want, there is resources around and our group--" "Your group? You have a group?!"
"Yes, even if it doesn't seem so, I changed."
"You caused my friends to be killed!"
"And I am sorry but life is life, no matter how shit it is, things happen and we need to move forwards." I grabbed a map from the bag, having many there. "This is the town, we are here if you need anything." I threw it at his feet since he didn't move to grab it from me.
"Why do you help me? You want to trick me?!"
"You might hate me for that day and I might not trust at all but I guess this is payback for the pain I caused, whatever." I shook my head, backing up and walking away. "And the museum down the street has open doors, you can sleep there instead of in the streets."
I honestly don't know why I did this, I chased his group away once with a rifle when I saw them outside a church and he had come back for some reason.
I guess part of me feels responsible enough to want to compensate in a way.
"Dammit Jasmine." I hissed, it was her that made me like this, taking risks with people.
But I guess it is a good thing, this husk of a person regaining a bit of humanity I guess.