The first thing I looked for was the bathroom, which I found in a small room behind the counter. I was terrified by the blood on my face. My blue eyes are covered by dark circles; my long golden hair is in a ball, and I think I might have to cut it off. One side of my face was green, taking up most of my cheeks. The freckles on my face seem to have disappeared under the bruises, so I now have only half of my freckles. This is a disturbing effect, but I found one fascinating.
Under this bruise is a jagged slice about three inches long. I stroked it tenderly, and flinched as the pain passed through the place where the creature hit me. It looks ugly, but it does not leave scars, and it is much better than other options. Even with bruises, I am not completely scary, I am not as stunning as Jenna, nor as neatly trimmed as her, but I am not so bad. My facial features are not as jīng as Abby, but their proportions are commensurate with my face.
If I can better position my feet, I may not feel as embarrassed as before. My mother always promises me that I will grow up Chéng Rén, but that hasn't happened yet.
I turned on the faucet and tried my best to wipe the blood from my face and arms, then lowered my head to wash as much blood from my hair as possible. When I finished washing, the water had turned red and the sink was also a mess. I washed the blood spilled from the basin, and my lips were slightly curled up.
After that I felt a little better, but not much. I yearn for those backpacks full of toothpaste and clothes, the things we throw away at home. When I tried to remove the tangles of my hair with my fingers, I really wanted a comb and a conditioner. It took me a while, and I pulled out a lot of hair in the process, but I eventually managed to pull out most of the hair.
I walked towards the front of the shop. The shutters were still pulled, but the sunlight came in quietly from the edge. I took a deep breath and took a moment to enjoy its warm soothing and comforting presence. The world continues to change, and some form of life will continue to exist, even if it is not human.
When I pulled down a slat of the blinds, my hands trembled. I watched this unnaturally silent street cautiously. What's more creepy are the things left over. Bicycles, newspapers, coffee cups, wallets and even shoes were scattered on the street, as well as other property, such as war casualties who were thrown away. But there were no bodies, and no one stayed.
As I watched the desolate scene, I shuddered. It seems safe to go out again. I knew it was not. I may not see them now, but they are there. somewhere. But we can't stay here forever. We eventually have to move, and if we don’t move, they will find us.
Or they won't.
"Bethany." I heard the shrill whisper and jumped up. When Cade walked out of the cellar, I opened the shutters. He squinted his eyes unhappily, and his plump lips tightened into a serious line. The blood applied to him last night is gone, now that I think about it, I realize that they are cleaner than me. "What are you doing?"
"Everyone is gone."
"If you don't take good care of yourself, you will die too," he muttered in a low voice, and I could hardly hear him.
"I have been taking care of myself for a while," I retorted, trying not to lose patience. I think he is different from Bret, he has more confidence in me. Obviously I was wrong.
His dark eyebrows wrinkled, and his midnight eyes scanned me. Then, his face relaxed, with a smile on the corners of his mouth, he walked towards me. I rarely see him smiling, I have forgotten how sweet and melting his smile is. He stretched his limbs behind me, pulled the blind man away, and looked out. My heart beats violently; I can feel the blood flowing in my ears. His arms were close to my head, and when he took a step closer, the heat of his body pressed against me.
When he released the blinds, his eyes returned to me. I stared at him, hoping that he would not kiss me again, and prayed that he would kiss me. "I know you can take care of yourself, but it's not safe to hang around alone. For anyone."
I swallowed heavily and nodded reluctantly. "I don't want to stay in the room."
"I know."
He seemed to know me very well, which made me feel uneasy. "Where did you get the gun?"
Those dark eyes gleamed beautifully in the dim light, staring at me again. "I have been collecting for a while."
I nodded slowly and hesitantly. After my father died, I hated driving, which was a torture for me. Cade's parents were killed in a robbery, and he seems to have been working hard to ensure that similar things do not happen again. In order to solve my aversion to cars, I exposed myself to short trips that gradually extended over time. I have never fully adapted to them, but at least I can stay in them for about half an hour now. CapitaLand deals with the aftereffects of trauma by hoarding guns.
"How did you get it?"
His mouth opened suddenly. "If you have enough money and know the right people, you can get anything you want."
"Do you know the right person?" I retorted.
"Yes. At least I think so."
Of course he did. After all, he is such a person. There are rumors about his dangerous and illegal activities, and at least some of them are true.
"But the aliens..." I started.
"They can't take away what they can't find."
"Is that why you have to go home?"
"Yes."
I don’t know what to say to him or what to do. I can't speak, he is so temptingly close to me. My fingers twitched, and I wanted to put them on his solid chest and feel the muscles under his shirt. My skin felt tingling in anticipation of his kiss, but Brett's words echoed in my ears. He loves me, and Cade is a mystery that I cannot understand.
Then Cade was closer to me, not to me. When his eyes fill my sight, he is everything I can see and think of. His hands were on my cheeks, on my wet hair, and the hair slipped onto the back of my head. My mouth opened involuntarily. My head told me this was a bad idea, it was wrong. My heart doesn't care. All I want is to feel his lips against mine again. His smell engulfed me. The smell is more pungent than yesterday, the natural smell on his body is stronger, and his cologne is not as strong as yesterday, but it is still very attractive. His fingers stroked the back of my head, and I swayed towards him. His lips are just a breath, so close...
The creak on the stairs made him break free. Disappointment filled me, I felt lost as Cade's hand went away from me, he took a step back. This moment was broken, but my body was still full of unsatisfied hope.
The door opened and Bright came out of the basement. He glanced at Cade suspiciously, then focused his attention on me. "How are you?"
I nodded and smiled palely at him. "All right."
His eyes returned to Cade, and then back to the window. "Are they outside?"
"Not now," Cade replied. "But they will."
"They will come in."
"Yes."
I was shaking, clutching my arms tightly with both hands. "At that time we should come up with a plan."
Cade said nothing. What is there to say? Brett stepped forward and embraced me with his arms. Although there is not much excitement in his arms, he has an undeniable sense of comfort and correctness. Bret loves me, and I love him too. Maybe I didn't love him as much as he loved me, but it was still love. Or maybe I do love him in the same way, and this strange attraction to Cade just blinded my judgment.
Anyway, I don't have time to figure it out, and I'm not entirely sure if I care. There are more important things to worry about now. "Where are your parents?" I looked up at Bright.
His jaw was clenched tightly, and his eyes were full of sadness when he shook his head. "My father is one of the missing. I think..." He swallowed heavily and cleared his throat. "I thought we would be able to return to him after we checked you and Abby. I don't know, I will bring him."
I put a comforting hand on his hand. I can already feel the light in his heart getting darker and darker. I hate this feeling. "It's not your fault," I assured him.
He nodded. "My mother is not at home, but I think she may be the same as them. It seems that most people are like this." He said these words, but there was still hope in his eyes. "I should leave a note or something, just in case, I really thought we could come back."
I can't assure him. "Everyone else is awake, we should go down," Cade said.
When Bright tried to lead me to the stairs, I stiffened. Like a stubborn child, I can feel my heels on the floor trying to stop his forward momentum. "Wait." He stopped, frowning and looking down at me. "We should stay on top, we are trapped below."
"We are trapped here too. They may not find us below. You should eat something."
"We don't know if they have come in, we are below!" I protested excitedly. I hate the inexplicable fear that accumulates in my chest when I think of going again. I curse this weakness and my sensitivity to it.
"It will be okay, Bethany, we leave the door of the room open so that we can hear their voices when they come in."
I was very crazy and desperately didn't want to return to that terrible and gloomy abyss, but I had to do it. I can't stay here, it's too dangerous, and I'm hungry, and I don't want others to know my weaknesses. Of course it is not Bright. He already thinks that I am fragile. He already thinks that I am a person who needs to be protected, even if I don't need it. (To be continued) (End of this chapter)