I am surprised by the lack of patrol during curfew. I was expecting to be escorted home by the military if they found me outside, but there wasn’t a single person. I can’t hear a single alarm either, not a single frequency.

…

...

It's rather cold. I must admit it is rather jarring to feel after a long day under the Sun.

...

Kyle must be cold, too.

"¿Tienes frío?" I ask, he shook his head. Perhaps it were the effects of the medication that helped dull the senses but I should make haste regardless.

...

I heard voices, they sounded like children.

“...Boy! Allison! Can you believe it?”

“To think that color is so evil! We have to discard it all!”

I stop for a moment, but it seems to be a television. Perhaps it is coming from the second floor of this building.

The tone is too pitched to be children.

…

“...Remember children! If you see a man with red hair you must run and report him to the Prism Military!”

“But what if I am too scared to do so?”

“If we continue to let him roam free he will eat us! The red demon feast on children's blood!...”

…

Kyle is asleep. He doesn’t feel cold…Could be a fever.

…

I stop and take my coat to wrap it around the boy’s frame.

…

It’s getting colder. The shelter is not too far.

…

I see lights coming from inside.

I knock on the locked door…

...

I knock again.

…

I hear a shuffle.

…

“Kyle!” I heard from behind the door before it opened.

Francine shouted, “oh dear God, Kyle, what the heck happened?!” she asked as she took the child from my arms.

“I found him on the beach by the shore,” I replied. “He—“

“Is this what you were designed for!?” Francine screamed.

I am confused, she seems to be upset with me and I fail to understand why. “My apologies—“

“Did you take him to the hospital and never told us!?”

“I did escort him to the hospital—“

“Then why the hell didn’t you tell me?!”

…She’s loud.

Kyle seems stressed, too. He is covering his ears and by the way many buildings around us flicker with lights, she was loud enough to disturb the neighbors.

“Francine—“

“I knew you were a bad idea, this could all be avoided!”

…

“I disagree,” I say. Perhaps I spoke out of line because Francine was taken aback by my reply.

“It would have required me to return to the shelter by foot.”

“You--” I won’t let her finish.

“You didn’t register a telephone number for me to call from somewhere to update the situation,” I replied.

“We don’t have a telephone! Do you think we have money for glamorous possessions?” A serf is a glamorous possession.

“I wasn’t going to leave him alone because of simple incompetence beyond my control. My best option at that moment was to escort him to the emergency room.”

“Incompetence?” Francine repeated as her brows furrowed. She slams the door to my face and locks it.

…

The lights turn off.

…

The wind is very cold, and despite how far away the beach is I can hear the waves crashing on shore.

…

…

Snow? It is not the correct season for this weather.

I hold my hand out to catch a flake in my hands, it feels natural as it piles on my skin.

It’s cold.

…

Cold, frigid cold. It is a constant reminder of my predicament. It wasn’t the annoying beeping of the machines, the loud technical jargon of the staff, or the agonizing pricking of the skin drawing blood for daily samples. No, it’s the awful sensation in my nose when my mucus freezes, how my joints freeze and I barely can move--

I hear the giggle.

I turn, it came from behind me but I do not see anything. The laugh is much different than the giggle… it’s very loud almost like a crown of madness.

…

Screaming… coming from the Prism Obelisk.

…

It’s getting louder.

...

Perhaps I am very tired, and sluggish. I have to sleep.

...

I don't think I even remember the last time I slept…

The mechanical locks from the shelter door click open, behind stands Kyle, Gerald and Arnold.

The screaming does not stop.

“Come on,” Gerald urged, “before the monsters get us.”

…

The moon is blood red.

...That beeping… hurts…

“Oye…”

I hear the sirens coming from the Obelisk.

“He doesn’t look so good… Get mom.”

My pulse is out of control. I need to get in my pod. Now. I step inside-- rapduewvt…

…

…

…