The alley was dark, lonely. She walked down slowly, one step at a time. For some reason, perhaps due to the pure isolation, there was a mounting pressure weighing down on her. She could barely take it. She was exhausted, her eyes surrounded by dark rings. Step after step, she dragged her feet monotonously.
She emerged from the alley, onto the street, a strong breeze blowing in from the sea. The street was empty, gloomy. Alone. No one in sight.
"EVEN A SPECTRAL WILL DO!" She screamed, desperate for any form of human-like presence.
It had been a week since she'd seen another human. A week since she had a proper rest. A week since the murder.
She carried the load on her back, carefully, as if it was the most fragile object on the earth. And it was. The last line of defense for the world, he needed to survive to meet
them. He had to. That was what she had been taught all her life.
She slumped down against the wall, dejected and angry at the world. Why did it have to be her? Why did it have to be her family? Why couldn't it have been another family? Why, why why?
All because of the boy.
She had half a mind to throw the load on her back into the sea, just forget about it. But the reverence for life which had been so deeply ingrained in her since childhood acted as chains, stopping her.
She cursed silently as she stood, walking towards the port where there would be a boat. Abandoned, of course.
