Chapter 3: A paradise full of tears (Improved)
Pov (???)
Lying on the roof of the building I look around when at that time my hands tear off then pass into my mouth another piece of bread that I stole a few streets away .
' The ground floor has concreted window and the first floor have boarded up windows .Normally no one would have access. I got here by luck.'
The building is a two storey vale style building. The building itself is separated from other buildings by alleys wide enough that normal people would not jump over them. The Windows sills of the building crumbled years ago.
'Now the building has virtually flat walls, so climbing is pointless . I was lucky because I found the entrance to the roof . At the back of the building it is an overgrown wall in which there is a well-hidden cable buried in a crack. '
'Despite the difficulties, I was able to pull myself up on the cable and get on the roof. '
I think while chewing the bread .
''I was on the move all day and used almost all my energy do I won't be able to get down from here . Looking at the position of the sun it's about eighteen o'clock. Nights are getting colder and I don't even have any warmer clothes so the only thing left for me is to go inside .'
I think slowly getting up and wrapping the rest of the bread in its wrapper.
'There is only one door leading from the roof into the building.'
I think looking at the lone steel door which after many years of exposure to the outside world has gained a lot of rust . Walking up to them I grab the handle after which surprisingly I open them without any problem .
' They open without a problem? Maybe No one thought anyone would get on the roof so no one closed the door . Often even abandoned buildings are locked for "security" reasons. '
I think reflecting on how life would be easier if I could hide in any building . Maybe the closed ones are theoretically safer because generally only you know the entrance to them but in a situation like I am .
' Well the important thing is that this building is open . '
I think, descending the old wooden stairs that creak beneath me with each step. Going down I stop at the first floor I encounter . Everywhere are rooms with dark dusty wooden floors, red wallpaper and old furniture covered with white fabric which is covered by dust and spider webs . The furniture made of dark wood with gold finishes are mostly empty and full of dust.
Checking the rooms on this floor I notice that most of them are empty. Apart from an empty library and a room with many instruments, this floor has nothing interesting in it. Then I finde a old-style bathroom with a bathtub full of dust. Out of sheer curiosity I grabbed the tap and unscrewed it to see if there was water .
'There is no water . What did I expect?'
I ask myself a little disappointed , sometimes the water supply is not cut off so you can find abandoned buildings with fresh water . Finishing checking the bathroom . I went back to searching the last room and after a few minutes of searching I searched the last cupboard. After finishing this floor I got ready to go down to the next floor.
"There are so many useful things to be found here this place is full of resources, a lighter, a small bag, sewing needles, a torch are just the most useful ones I finde".
I said while checking the contents of a small bag I found in one of the chests of drawers. Suddenly I had an idea.
'This is much better than I originally thought , fabric can be use to make patches for a dress , new fabrics for my feet I can even cover myself with it for winter and many other things! '
"Not to mention that I can make a fire out of wood! The old bed has no mattress. But for that bed sheets will do the job. "
Thinking about it, I can't help but smile as fabric and wood are important resources that can be used in different ways. Smiling I searched the next floor on which I found some other useful things . The only thing left for me was to go down to the ground floor to search it . And being on the stairs leading to the ground floor I noticed how dark the whole ground floor is.
'I can't see anything. All the windows on this floor are bricked up so it is quite logical.'
I think as I pulling out an old flashlight from a small bag . However, when turned on it did not work . But I remember very well how it worked before . With the worry that I had exhausted the battery I shake the flashlight in my hands several times . Eventually with a light tap of the flashlight against the wall it lights up illuminating the room.
' The walls are full of clocks?
This is the first thing I noticed . The whole first floor is a large room filled with old clocks , whether on the walls or the ceiling . Even on the ground stood tall clocks . On the side of the room there was also a counter typical of stores , I also saw how behind the counter there was another passage leading somewhere else .
'This is an old clock shop'.
I think slowly make my way around the store , thanks to my flashlight I can see a dust floating in the air. Looking around, however, I noticed something interesting abaut all the clocks, what they all have in common is that they are old pendulum clocks and that they have roman numerals on the dial. As if they were mocking my eye .
"Some still work."
I mumble, feeling the need to smash them. Then something caught my attention in the middle od the store stands a clock tall enough to reach the ceiling with gears lying around it. I looked at it for a while but seeing nothing interesting in it, I returned to looking around the store. Eventually I discovered that the door I saw from the other side of the street is bricked up from this side .
' This building really is sealed looking at the state of things I found here I am the first person here in years . '
Thinking about it I walk behind the counter which like the rest of the building is all dusty . Behind the counter I found nothing but an old safe that was slightly open.
' It is rather empty . '
I think remembering my disappointment about the fresh water , but still I opened it wide only to have my earlier thoughts and words stuck in my throat .
"Lien"
I stood there not knowing what to think I had to run away and leave the old dilapidated Room. I had to sleep hidden behind a wardrobe. And now I found a naturally secure place with resources and money. I wanted to cry after the constant misery I had found a place where I could start again.
Of course I thought to stay here , as soon as I discovered that rather no one had been here for years I decided it . This place has a great location and is secure in itself I would be an idiot if I left this place .
' If I save it will be enough for a month! '
I think already imagining how much food I will buy from this . I have never in my life had so much money at once generally I had a maximum of Lien enough for one meal here is Lien for a month , a month .
' I was always stealing wallets near my street but there everyone was as poor as me. Stealing from the rich was more unsafe because they walk on more secure streets not to mention that they actually carry less money in their pockets than the homeless '
' After all, we have nowhere to keep our money unlike them. In the end I had to give Lotus 60 % of everything I stole . But even if I didn't give it back to him I still wouldn't have so many Lien .'
'And when it comes to stealing food it made no sense all the streets in my old location were offices and warehaus so most people went there to work. At most I could steal someone's sandwiches for work'
' But here is the comercial district people here have money and food . And with this place as my hiding place this is paradise .'
Thinking about it, I hold back tears as I pack Lien into my new little bag . The last place I have left to check is the passage at the end of the counter . Having no more expectations I go inside just to see a small room with a old fridge and stove tops. Looking at this I am a little puzzled because of the layout of the rooms in this place .
'The upper part is the living part when the lower part is the store , so why is the kitchen in the store part ? Well maybe it was a regular building at first only later it became a store .'
Thinking about it I recall a room with instruments in the middle of which there was even a piano, thinking also about expensive-looking wallpaper and furniture to my mind came one question .
'Was the owner rich or are the clocks that expensive? '
Thinking about it I finish searching the kitchen. But when I was ready to go back up to the higher floors as I could already feel the dust from this floor is irritating my nose a sudden quiet whistling sound caught my attention. It was quiet and rhythmic . Focusing on this strange sound I manage to find its cause .
' it is coming from under the table in the corner of the kitchen'
Thinking about it I come to the table from under which my uncovered legs are hit by a warm breeze .
'But how ? All the windows are bricked up so there is no air flow from the outside , besides this is warm air and the air from outside is cold.'
Feeling strange with what I found I look under the table only to find a trapdoor under it .
'Basement '
I was already tired and the dust around me was already causing me shortness of breath, but according to another rule taught to me by a huntress, I know that I should always carefully inspect the whole place where I want to spend the night.
Knowing this, I slowly grabbed the handle from the hatch and opened it without a problem, apparently it was made of sheet metal, looking at how light it was. After opening I wait a while for the dust to settle , then I go down the ladder . Ladder is going about two metres underground but after going all the way down I saw a spiral staircase made of bricks which should lead even deeper down.
' This basement is quite deep.'
Thinking about it I finally decided to cover my nose and mouth with the cloth I found earlier . It may not be the cleanest one but to some extent it will protect me better from this dust around . After taking it out of the bag I tied it behind my head and went down the stairs .
I went maybe another ten meters underground when I finally reached the bottom where I was met by a long corridor whose end I couldn't see because of the dust around me . I didn't hear anything here, I only felt a warm wind hitting my body, which made me think it was safe enough to check it out.
Having already taken one step my flashlight managed to illuminate the door at the end of the corridor . Having no other option but to check them I walk up to the door . And it was only standing in front of them that I realized how massive and thick they were , this door must have been made of something strong and sturdy because there wasn't even any rust on it. Being curious about this, I grab the handle welded to the door and start to pull with all my might, but the door did not even squeak.
' They are too heavy for me. There is no way that I open them .'
I was about to give up and throw it in but feeling the warm air coming from behind the door I notice that the door is slightly open and it is from this gap that the warm air enters . The gap was big enough for me to squeeze through , however, I had to stop and think if it was safe . Eventually curiosity killed the cat and putinng down my bag, I squeeze in to the door gap.
' These steel doors must be 30 centimetres thick ? Why would a clock shop need a door like that '
I think as I enter the room behind the door. Being inside I felt how the whole room was pleasantly warm even through my already damaged soles in my shoes I could feel the heat coming from the floor .
' This basment has heating?'
Unfortunately, in addition to the pleasant warmth, it was also terribly humid and stuffy in here. I walk slowly through the warm and damp cellar exploring the area, but it is so dark that the flashlight has no effect, dust flies in front of the light creating a kind of mist .
' It's not safer to breathe in so much dust and moisture. I take a quick look around and go back upstairs.'
I think while walking straight ahead only to see a door just like the one at the entrance, but compared to the entrance it is five centimetres thin and I can open it without any problems. After opening the door, I illuminated the room on the other side of the door with my flashlight . There was nothing interesting inside except for one device that I recognized everywhere.
' A generator? It's the same type Lotus used in his warehouse but this look many years older? '
I think as I approach the generator. Wiping the indicators and control panel with my hand, I check the status of the generator .
' It's almost full.'
Thinking no more about it I start trying to start the generator. After a few minutes of failure I leave everything to my present luck. I lift the safety catch on the biggest red button and press it...
" Seriously ?"
Nothing happened. I was in extreme moods today sad, happy to tears and disappointed but
'Still, the best thing that ever happened to me this place is paradise. I should prepare a place to sleep on a higher floor and secure the entrance to the roof....'
Speaking to myself, I was slowly about to leave the room with the generator But a noise interrupted me. Before I could turn around the whole room began to light up.
'This is not the basement'
From all the reactions and thoughts I couldn't speak I stood in the frame of the open door looking at the entrance room to the 'basement'
'This is a whole bunker!!! '
I wasn't supposed to cry I was supposed to be strong I was supposed to survive, not show weakness.
This was not my plan. It was supposed to be a safe building. But I was wrong now I don't sleep behind a wardrobe I sleep behind an armoured door, now I don't live in an abandoned cold building now I live in a secure abandoned building that has a bunker with heating and electricity.
Tears slowly fall from my eyes onto my heated feet. Not noticing that the fans on the ceiling are slowly starting to work pulling in the dust and moisture accumulated in the bunker.
'How old is this place? An old huntress taught me that there have been several wars in which even the vale has been affected by it . But the money I found are fairly new'
'Maybe the building was old but it had several owners .First it belonged to someone rich during one of the wars then the building was bought by a clock shop owner'
Now I can see the bunker in full the ceiling is 3 metres high. The exit door so about 10 metres from me. For me to the wall on the left and right I have somehow 5 metres. This bunker is a Square. Each wall is 10 metres long and the ceiling is 3 metres high. In the middle of each wall is a door like the one to the generator.
'I don't have to be a genius to know that these walls are reinforced.'
The walls are made of thick concrete. The room is illuminated by a few light bulbs on the high ceiling. The whole bunker is empty and it looks like the air filter system is working even after decades.
' Let's leave it for now.'
I think as I slowly make my way out of the basement. I walk across the ground floor to the first floor which is the least dusty, picking up any sheets I find along the way, most of them dusty and dirty.
"Still, this is the best place I've ever slept in."
I say as I lay out the sheets and fabrics to resemble a bed. I sit down on the finished 'bed' and pull a bread from my bag.
'Now I start all over again , it shouldn't be difficult the more so with this fortress as my hideout . As for the bunker I will check it tomorrow .'
Finishing the bread. I lay down on my makeshift bed today too much has changed I am too stressed I will think about everything tomorrow.
"good night"
With this last remark I slowly closed my eyes and let my tired body fall asleep.