Chapter 3: Dangerous Rubble

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      A bright beam of light was what awakened me this time, as well as a wet tongue against my cheek. Slowly blinking my eyes open, the scenery finally registered. A threadbare curtain resided in front of a small window to the right of the bed. That was the cause of the luminescent glow in the room. Moving my face forwards revealed a small snout that connected to the body of Orson who continued to lick me. The small bear was surprisingly heavy as he was standing on my midsection because I was laying on my back. At the very least he was an amazing wake-up call. 

     Anyways, Orson's crushing weight was starting to make me slightly out of breath so I gently removed his little white-and-brown body from mine as he nibbled on my fingers. A tiny breath that could be called a chuckle left my lips as I sat up in the semi-comfortable bed. Stretching my arms over my head, I moved my legs so they were dangling over the edge of the mattress and surveyed the rest of the room.

      Last night had been too dark, and I had been to tired to notice what filled it. The wall itself was a light yellow, but tiny branches with green and blue birds decorated it all around. The bed I was laying on depicted a tree with various woodland creatures on the sheet, as well as the rug that rested beneath my dangling legs. A white, wooden dresser stood tall directly in front of the bed with a creature that was painted that reminded me of Orson's mother, but with brown fur. Even the lampshade that covered a light bulb above me displayed birds on tree branches. 

      Finally standing from the bed, I decided to walk towards the dresser to see if there was any luck of new clothes this time. Opening the large door on the right side revealed long dresses with forest-like patterns. The smaller drawers on the opposite side were filled with a women's undergarments as well as a few shirts in the same pattern as the dresses, and a few different colored leggings. 

     Somehow I had managed to find a few articles of clothing that were somewhat my style along with a new pair of underwear and a bra. I wasn't too worried with the color of those, but the outter clothes could prove difficult. For the leggings I had luckily been able to find a very dark brown, but the only long sleeved shirts were bright and would cause anything within a mile to notice me. 

      Releasing a huff of air,  I removed my old tattered clothes and pulled on the leggings. They were a tad bit big, but probably wouldn't cause that many issues down the line. However, none of the shirts I deemed worthy, so I replaced the old black, long sleeved shirt back onto my form. Taking the object I used to pull my hair back out of my hair, I attempted to comb through my incredibly messy (h/c) locks before pulling it back yet again. 

      Orson was starting to make a fuss about not having the ability to jump from the bed to the floor and kept giving me needy looks. Shaking my head at his antics, I picked him up before placing him on the floor to which he began madly sniffing my leggings. His cold, wet nose was beginning to make wet spots on them, so I had to move away from him as he followed close behind. 

      Coming to the white painted door, I opened it only to reveal a small child passed out on the ground. Memories from last night filled my mind as a sorrowful expression began to form on my visage. Bending down, I slipped my arms around her frail form before picking her up and moving her onto the bed.  Before I was able to completely retrieve my arms, her small, skinny ones reached out and grabbed the one closest to her. A weak smile appeared on my face as I gently pried my arm away and walked out. 

     'Dear little Hanna, I won't leave you, I promise. I'm just simply going out to find some food,' I mentally told her. Figuring I was only going to search around the house first, I found no need in bringing along my back pack. Hanna would have most definitely made sure this place was safe before she resided here. Since this girl had been raised a cannibal, I was almost certain she wouldn't recognize normal food so there was a possibility there was some in this humble home.

      Walking along the hallways, I came to notice that the whole theme of the house was woodland scenery. In a way, the layout itself almost reminded me of the house I lived in as a child. This smaller hallway broke off into a large circle with several different directions to go as well as doors, then a stairway to the North. Figuring there would be no kitchen up here, I descended the stairs to be met with even more birds, squirrels, and bears. 

     The door to the outside realm was to the right of the staircase I had just came down, and a doorway led into what looked like a living room with a light brown rug and that same yellow wall with birds on branches. A small "thud, thud, thud" was heard behind me as I turned my gaze to the side. Orson had been carefully maneuvering the stairs and now sat beside my legs, looking up at me expectantly. Sending a small smile to the bear, I picked him up as he cuddled into my neck. 

     Now walking through the doorway into the living room, it appeared to be quite the cozy place to live. A large, dark green sofa resided along the back wall, and two lighter green lazy chairs rested to both sides of the couch. A TV stand was at the opposite wall, but the TV itself was missing. This was understandable because once the robots took over they could use any form of electronics or technology to spy through onto humans. Another dark brown, wooden door led into another room, so I crossed the fluffy rug with Orson and peered through into the next room. 

      This time it was an interconnected room including a dining room and kitchen. The dining room itself seemed ordinary, but the kitchen appeared to be ransacked. The young girl must really have been desperate. Leaving the dining room into the large archway connecting the two rooms, I surveyed the damage done. Cupboard doors had been nearly ripped off their hinges, a refrigerator was on its side with its doors wide open. The cabinets beneath the sink had been handled with the same care as the pantries above it. Empty bags and containers lie scattered across the light-green tiled floor. Setting Orson down, I decided to get to work. There had to be some salvageable food here somewhere. 

     Checking all the cupboards first, all I found was a few ants, crumbs, and cobwebs. I had the same luck with the cabinets below. Now checking the overturned fridge, the only thing in there was a burnt-out light bulb and a few stains from a liquid that was inside it long ago. Giving out a 'huff' in almost defeat, I decided to try above the cupboards. Climbing onto the counter, I struggled desperately to keep my balance. Orson below me let out a few whimpers as my form teetered over the edge. Grasping the tops of the cupboards to maintain what little balance I had, I stood on my tippy toes to look over the tops. 

     Way back in a far corner there appeared to be a box of "Mak n' Cheeze" and a whole box of "Randoz" crackers. Straining to reach the objects, my fingers just barely graced the crackers. Carefully pulling myself a little bit up onto the cupboard so my legs were dangling beneath me, I gulped. Serious damage could be done from this position. Now being able to acquire the boxes, I reached out and grasped the crackers first. Pulling them towards me, I moved them over the side and dropped them below. Looking down my eyes went out of focus. I had never been one for heights that much. It just wasn't one of my great strengths. Quickly looking back up, I did the same with the other box and dropped it down below. Slowly easing myself back onto the counter, I slightly turned so I was facing away from the cupboards. Next, I did a simple jump down and landed on my feet. 

     'There. That wasn't so bad now was it, (Y/n)?' I reasoned with myself. The small bear was immediately at my feet and licking at my toes causing me to wiggle them because it slightly tickled. Picking up the two boxes from where they dropped, I turned back to the archway only to be met with the smiling face of Hanna. 

       "That was amazing! I never would have thought to look above those cupboards! You didn't even fall!" She said in wonderment, flattering me. I cast my gaze downwards in embarrassment and held out the box of crackers to her. After a few moments, the weight of the box was lifted from my hand. 

     "I don't know what I would have done without you here! Thank you so much!" She exclaimed, rushing towards me and wrapping her arms around my torso. A light blush lit up my face fore no one had ever thanked me before. Scratch that, no one had even ever appreciated me before. I reached my hand up and patted her pastel green hair. My other hand was still occupied with the other box. 

    "Ooo, and what's that box? I don't think I've ever seen anything that says.... M-m-aack... An.. Cee.. No.. Ch-ch-eese," she carefully sounded out. My eyes immediately lit up. I had previously thought that many people this day and age were illiterate. In fact, I even knew many people were illiterate. This child had once again surprised me. Scrambling to get her off me, she gave me a hurt look. Putting a finger to her lips to silence her, I moved away and held up one finger to signal her to wait. Searching around for anything to write on, I brought up an empty cardboard box. Placing it on the small round table in the middle of the room, I started my search for a writing utensil. My excitement slowly started to fade, as well as the huge smile on my face, as I came to realize there was nothing for me to communicate with. Turning back to face the small girl with a downfallen expression, she started to piece together what I was doing. 

     "Oh! Is something like this what you're looking for?" She questioned while putting her hand into a large square pocket on the front of her dress. Retrieving whatever she was scrounging for, she held it out to me. Looking at the item in her hand, it appeared to be an extremely dulled pencil. My eyes widened at the small object. Quickly snatching it out of her hand, I then found a small knife. 

    "What are you doing with that? Please don't hurt yourself! Knives are very sharp!" she stated the obvious. I slightly rolled my eyes at her childish statement and started sharpening the dull point. I would have much rather preferred using my pocket knife, but I had left my backpack in the upper bedroom so I could only use what I had on hand. The pencil itself was rather small, but that wouldn't matter. As long as it served its purpose nothing mattered. 

      Hanna continued to give me concerned glances, especially when the knife nearly nicked me various times. Eventually getting it to my preferred sharpness, I leaned over the table to write on the cardboard. Carefully spelling out what I meant to say, I eagerly handed the cardboard to the small girl as she curiously looked over it. Sending that curious look to me, I grabbed it back and underlined the words with my finger, then motioned for her to speak it. 

      "You want me to... Read it?" She questioned to which I nodded my head vigorously. "H-hell-hello... My.. Nay-name.. Is... (Y-y-y/n)," she finished while cautiously looking at me as if asking if she read it correctly. Another wide smile broke out across my face. 

     "I've never heard anyone with that name before. It's very pretty, and you look much prettier with that smile! So... (Y/n)... Where do you come from?  You don't look like you're from any tribe I know of," Hanna inquired. My happy expression faltered for a moment. Deep down, I knew not to trust this girl. You couldn't trust anyone at this time. Deciding to tell only the partial truth, I took the piece of cardboard back. Writing down a short response, I gave it back. 

      "I... Wa-was... Nee... No.. Never.. Part... Of.. A.. Tri-tribe.  My... Pa-paren-parents... Were... All-always.. On... The... Ru-run.  Aww, you poor thing. Where are your parents then?" She asked with a saddened expression. I brought my hand up and drew a line across my throat, signifying they were dead. This caused the sadness to even reach her eyes. 

      "My parents are dead too. They were the only ones who stood up for me. They constantly lied to the chief and made him believe that I was a cannibal like the rest of them. So when they discovered I truly wasn't a human eater, they killed my parents and made me watch them feast on their bodies. Then they attached this bracelet to my wrist and sent me off into the outside world. After a few days I found this little house. I ran out of food about a week ago," she explained to me. Saying I was shocked would be an understatement. This news gave me new found respect for this young lady. Being forced to witness a pack of wild humans eat your own parents... I just couldn't imagine it. It helped remind me that my own back story was puny compared to many other unfortunate souls in this world. Carefully thinking about my next move, I gently took the cardboard back. Slowly writing out my next sentence, I gave it to her one last time. 

      "D-do... You... Wa-want.. To.. Coo-come... With... Me? I... I don't know. Wouldn't I just slow you down?"She asked, but her eyes showed her obvious hope. Shaking my head 'No' she still held a facial expression that showed she was going over her options. After a few more moments, she spoke again. 

     "Well, if it's not too much trouble I'd love to come with. If I stay here I'm bound to... Die soon," she responded, growing quieter towards the end. Holding my pencil out to her with an encouraging smile, she took it and placed it back into her pocket. I had never payed much attention to her clothing before, but it too matched the rest of the house. It was a mid thigh-length dress that was a light green around the outside, and there was a small triangle in the inside that was a pastel yellow. A few blue buttons ran down the middle, and it slightly puffed out around the bottom. Covering her legs were pastel yellow leggings with little squirrels on them as well as baby ducks. She had light green tennis shoes on as well. 

     "So what are we doing now?" She questioned after silence engulfed the small kitchen. I motioned for her to give me the crackers to which she obliged. Opening the little flaps on top, I grabbed out a package and handed it to her. Opening it on her own, she placed one in her mouth and slowly chewed it. Opening my own small package, I ate one as well. It was a unique flavor, not as bland as the salt crackers I'd lived off of for so long. Orson had started back up with his shenanigans and was starting to race around the kitchen as if he was chasing something. Finally noticing the small bear, Hanna let out a yelp. 

     "How long has that been there? I haven't noticed it! I think that's a Pizzly Bear!" The greenette exclaimed. I shot her a confused look, and she evaluated. 

     "A Pizzly Bear is a crossbreed between a Grizzly bear and a Polar bear. I've never seen one before.  HE'S SO CUTE!" She stated as she brought her hands to both sides of her face. "Can I touch it?" Came her question. I nodded my head as she immediately dropped to the floor and attempted to cuddle him. Orson began backing away and making little whiny noises in my direction causing me to walk towards him. 

     Kneeling down to his height, I started stroking behind his small ears as he closed his tiny brown eyes and tilted his head. Hanna took this as her opportunity and softly pet him as well. His ears perked up as Hanna scooted a little closer, and he cowered closer into me. Bringing him onto my lap, I continued to pet his head. 

      "What's his name?" The young girl asked.  Mouthing the word 'Orson' to her, she carefully watched my lip movement. 

     "Orson? That's a strange name. Doesn't that mean 'little bear'?" She questioned. Yet again a small smile appeared on my face as I nodded my head at her question. 

     "Orson~ It's okay, little buddy. I'm not gonna hurt you," she said to him while moving her face closer. Orson seemed to calm down just a little bit because he finally allowed her to touch him without making any noise of protest. 

      After Orson decided he had enough attention, he crawled off my lap and started trotting away towards the dining room. Hanna released a small giggle as she stood up and dusted herself off. Doing the same action, I, myself, started walking the same way that the little bear went. 

     "Hey! Wait up!" Hanna called out behind me. A small hand was felt on my shoulder that caused me to stop for a moment before turning and grabbing her hand. Leading her back to the stairs, Orson remained in the living room. Going back to the room I woke up in, I grabbed my bag and placed the crackers as well as the "Mac an Cheese" into it. Then, I slung it onto my shoulders. Turning back towards Hanna, I acted like I was drinking a glass towards her to signify asking if she had water. 

     "Yeah, I have some in my own room. I'll go get it!" She said before racing off. A small part of me still didn't want to trust her, but she just seemed so young and innocent. Peering out the window, I realized it must be around noon. If we were to be leaving this house, we would have to do it soon. Luckily, nothing had decided to pay us a visit yet.  Hearing Hanna's light footsteps coming back into the room, I heard water sloshing around in a bottle. 

     Turning back to her, I saw she had returned with her arms full of water bottles. This was great because I had just ran out. There were a few upsides with her coming along. One was that she was so light she would be easy to carry, and she didn't make much noise. She could also keep me company if I required it. She did talk enough for the both of us. Opening my bag, I motioned for her to place the bottles inside. Zipping it back up, I put it back over my shoulders. 

      "Are we leaving?" She inquired. Nodding my head 'yes', I left the room with the young girl close behind. Shutting the door behind us, I put my finger to my lips to signify silence. Continuing down the stairs, I acquired Orson and placed him back in his spot in my bag. He didn't seem heavier, so that was a plus. Going through the house one last time to check for anything else that could prove useful, Hanna and I began our long trek towards the large, rundown skyscraper that was visible in the hot daylight. 

                              •               •              •
       "I finally see the city, (Y/n)!" Hanna exclaimed while pointing at the city that was reduced to rubble. Stopping her abruptly I put my finger harshly to my lips and gave her a very serious look. If she started yelling or even whispering in this place we could be caught. I was not taking that risk. Giving me a look of pain, I released my firm grip on her arm with an apologetic look.  

       The city around before us was mostly broken glass, stone, and old cars that once flew in the sky.... Or at least that's what old stories said. There still seemed to be a faint greenish smog surrounding the city, even after years of it being a ghost town. Normally, I wouldn't go into cities, but I needed a change of shirt, and I needed Hanna out of that pastel outfit. 

     Pulling her close to my side as if to hide her, I began my quick, but steady, walk into the rubbled city. There had been many rumors about the Rubble City itself, but I could only hope this wasn't it. Rubble City was said to be crawling with robots and sly humans. I didn't need any more of

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