Hero

We're stretching our legs, loving the breeze sweeping through this immense desert. I chill on some flat rocks, taking in the beautiful blue sky. I'm so lost in thought that I don't even notice Emily until she speaks up.

"Hey."

I turn to her, our shoulders touching once again. My heart skips a beat at her closeness, the warmth spreading through me.

"How cool that you shared so much with Vikash. You've had a long, lonely journey," she says.

"Thanks.... It felt good to talk about my past. Again, thanks for listening."

"Guess I wasn't the first girl you've met."

"Yeah... You weren't. But I think-"

"No... It's fine. I understand. It was a long time ago," Emily interjects. "I wanted to ask earlier," she says, focusing on my neck and chest.

"What is it?" I ask.

"What's that thing around your neck?"

I reach under my shirt, take out my parents' rings, and place them in my palm.

"These were my parents' rings. They were..." My words catch in my throat, forming a lump as memories of my parents flood my mind.

"Married?" she finishes my sentence.

"Yeah, they were."

Her face contorts into a playful expression. "Wow, that's old-school. Where did they get those?"

I smile. "He made them from a can."

Her eyes widen. "Wow, I guess they loved each other, huh?"

"Yeah, they did," I say.

"What were their names?" she asks.

I muster up the courage to reply, adding a bit of humour to hide my sadness.

"Jack and Jill, "I say, trying to lighten the moment.

"Jack and Jill? J and J? You're serious?"

"No, just kidding. My father went by the name Patrick, and my mother was called Delilah."

Her voice softens. "Wow, your mother had a beautiful name."

I can't help but smile a little. "Just like the name, she was gorgeous and sweet."

"She must have been," Emily says. "My parents were together for almost twenty years."

"Wow, that's nice."

"Well, it wasn't always nice. They fought a lot," she says.

I nod. "Mine did, too. They fought nonstop over nothing important."

Emily shrugs and smiles. "That's what parents are for—love, rules, and fighting."

"Yeah," I shrug, a soft laugh escaping my lips. "Would you ever want to get married?"

Why am I asking this?

"I don't know," Emily says, her forehead creased in thought. "Promising loyalty to each other and staying together forever is almost too good to be true."

A mix of disappointment and confusion swirls within me.

Why does her response affect me so much?

"I agree," I say.

"How can you promise this to anyone?" Emily's eyebrows knit together; her chin raised. "Nobody can," she answers her question. "I would never make this promise."

I nod.

Her eyes meet mine. "Why am I even telling you this?" she mutters.

"Yeah, tell me," I whisper.

A long sigh escapes her lips, signalling the end of our conversation.

I stare into the distance, lost in a whirlwind of emotions. I want to know how she feels and thinks so I can make her happy.

Once we locate her parents... what then?

The fluttery sensation returns, and my thoughts race.

Emily, I think I li —

"Do you like it so far?" Emily interrupts my inner turmoil, pulling me back to the present.

"Huh? What?" I ask.

"If you like it or not, joining the Swifters and our journey," she clarifies.

"Uh... yeah, Swifters. Well, it's okay," I say.

"I understand. Swifters are the contrast of the world. You'll get used to it," she reassures me, a gentle smile on her lips.

"I guess," I shrug.

"They are," Emily corrects me, her voice filled with conviction.

"What about you?" I ask. "Joining the Swifters again."

"No idea," Emily says, her face clouded with uncertainty. "There's no guarantee my parents will be there, too. And I'm afraid they won't be."

"Things will work out. Also, your parents taught you to be a badass survivor, so don't stress too much... And you're still alive, so it'll be okay."

Emily nods, her lips curling inward, lost in her thoughts.

"Hero?" she calls, her voice soft.

"Yeah?" I say, turning to face her.

"This might be the end of our adventure together. As annoying as you are, you're not that bad," she says, giving me a playful shoulder push.

With a painful smile on my face, I whisper to myself,

"I'm going to miss you, too."

"What did you say?" she asks, curiosity tugging at her voice.

"No, nothing," I say, turning away.

Emily leans her head on my shoulder, her touch sending a rush of warmth through me. "Hero, I will m—"

"Come on, everyone, let's move on!" Vikash interrupts.

I sigh.

Emily stands up, heading towards our transport.

"I'll be there in a second," I reply, needing a moment to gather my thoughts.

Hero, what's the matter with you? Just say what you want to say!

As I watch her recede into the distance, a longing tugs at my heart, yearning for more shared moments and a deeper understanding of our connection. But for now, I follow her lead and join the others.

We ascend a hill, and a tiny diamond glimmers above the crest. With each metre we pass towards the radiant light, a convoy of silver-plated vehicles forms an entourage around us.

On the right, a pair of motorhomes cruise alongside, while on the other side, past Vikash and the vehicles leaving behind trails of sandy dust, more cars pass us by.

We reach the hill's summit, where Vikash stops his camper and lets out a weary sigh.

"We're almost there. Want some water?" he offers, extending his canteen towards me.

"No, thanks. I have some in the car."

"And you?" he says, turning to Emily.

Emily accepts the canteen, tilting it to her lips as water cascades from the spout and quenches her thirst.

A pang of dryness prickles my throat.

Out of the blue, a shiny flicker appears on the horizon.

"Look at that... Freedom Town, a place to call home." Vikash's eyes shimmer, and his smile stretches across his face.

We follow the tyre tracks, tracing the path they left behind in the sandy terrain. As we make our way to the town, additional cars and trucks join in from both sides.

The closer I get, the more my eyes pop out in amazement.

A colossal metal gate stands ahead, connected to a towering ten-metre-high concrete wall built from menacing wooden and metal spikes.

The main road to the gate becomes congested, and exhaust fumes billow from the armoured Swifter vehicles, forming a dense smoke that assaults my lungs. My car's old musty smell now seems more welcoming than the stuffy air I'm breathing in. Emily and I cough, but Vikash doesn't even flinch.

There's a traffic jam at the end of the slope. A line of silver cars inches its way through the gate. I can barely see three cars ahead. We're getting closer to the entrance, stopping every now and then. The shadows cast by the gate and walls cast a gloom over our surroundings, causing me to wipe my clammy hands on my pants.

I've never seen so many people, and we haven't even entered the city yet.

A gatekeeper halts us, inspecting Vikash's vehicle by walking around it.

The guard, armed with a spear that also shoots bullets, wears a smashed cone hat and a faded green plastic poncho. He's got a worn-out, clear plastic umbrella in his other hand, using it to show us where to go.

He tells us to go ahead of his colleagues, who help other cars find parking.

We go with the flow until we see a guide who looks like the gatekeeper. He shows us where to park.

Vikash parks the car, turns off the engine, and then gets out. I linger in my seat as Emily presses her shoulder against mine. Our driver opens the door, and I step out, reaching my hand out to Emily.

She ignores the gesture and jumps out of the camper by herself.

"We've arrived," Vikash breathes a sigh of relief.

I survey my surroundings, scanning for Falcon. The sheer magnitude of the crowd overwhelms me, and the clamour of engines overpowers my senses. I fixate on the ground to regain focus, shutting out the overwhelming sight and sound.

"Hey, are you okay?" Emily asks.

I take a moment to gather my thoughts before responding. "Yeah, it's just."

"It's going to be okay," she interrupts, placing her palm on my shoulder.

I look up and notice the truck that brought Falcon pulling up next to Vikash's motorhome. Falcon, my faithful buddy, always brings a smile to my face.

"Well, lovebirds, it's time we went our separate ways," Vikash announces with a playful smirk.

Lovebirds?

Emily and I step away, creating an awkward distance between us.

I turn my attention to Falcon. As they lower my car to the ground, guilt washes over me. These Swifters have been kind, and I want to repay their generosity.

"How can I thank you? "I say.

"How can we thank you? "Emily corrects.

Vikash slaps me on the shoulder. "You don't have to. We're all working towards a better future here, which we must all contribute to. By the way... The people in Freedom Town might provide more information about your wheels so that you can continue your journey."

"Let's hope for the best," I say.

"Anyway... I must run," Vikash says.

Seeing Emily hug Vikash makes me want to do the same. However, before I can express my gratitude, Vikash interrupts with his deep voice.

"Good luck finding your parents. And you, Hero."

"Yeah?"

"Good luck with whatever you do," he says.

"Thanks for everything. I never thought there would be people like you."

"Haha, you'll be surprised, Hero. There is still hope. It's not as uncommon as you think to find people like me. Maybe you were in the wrong place at the wrong time and never found them. If I'm right about this place, there's a whole bunch of them here."

I look around, smiles, friendly faces.

Is this...

"Well, I really got to go now. Hero... Emily. Goodbye and hope to see you around someday."

"Likewise," I say as he disappears into the crowd.

"What a guy," I remark, my admiration for Vikash clear in my tone.

"Yeah," Emily agrees, a smile lighting up her face. "Shall we go?"

"Wait a minute," I say.

I hurry over to Falcon, open his trunk, and retrieve my bottle filled with filtered water.

"We can go now."

As we stroll down the street, I take a sip from my bottle, the refreshing drink quenching my thirsty throat. Amid the surrounding crowd, people transport worn furniture on carts while others carry bags and crates containing their personal items.

The sight of refurbished and painted buildings amidst the ruins evokes a mix of emotions, symbolising a connection to life. You can hear kids having a blast nearby. A ball rolls towards me. Children with wide eyes watch me, wanting the ball back. I toss the ball back with a grin, and the kids continue playing their game of passing it to one another. One of them goes," Thanks, sir."

"No problem."

Is this what paradise looks like?

As we continue our journey, we inquire about the whereabouts of the 08. After countless inquiries, we encounter someone who has information.

A little lady in long, flowy white clothes reaches out and takes Emily's hand with a sweet smile.

"I know where to go," she says, her white cloth covering her mouth shifting with each word she speaks. "Follow me."

I trail behind Emily and our newfound guide until we reach a spot near a stack of freight containers.

There's a lively market beside it with vendors showcasing their wares on colourful rugs. Shouting merchants promote their goods, while some vendors hide their products amidst the crowd.

When I smell fresh fruits and veggies, I get hungry. The sellers have made a pretty display by organising their goods by type and colour.

Emily and I give the friendly guide a Swifter salute before she leaves us to explore the market.

"Emily, could we check out some rugs? I need to find some goods."

"Yeah, cool," Emily responds, her eyebrows raised in curiosity.

As I continue sipping my water, we walk through the market, passing by four rugs until we find what we're looking for. A crumpled cardboard sign nearby reads, "Trading only."

"Miswaks!" Emily exclaims, tugging at my jacket to get my attention.

So that's why her teeth look so good.

She's familiar with these traditional chewing sticks.

"Yeah, I need those, "I say, pointing to the Miswaks.

"Looking for Miswaks?"the saleswoman asks, her purple robe draping her slender frame. She must be in her forties, and her gold jewellery shows her relative prosperity as a Swifter.

"What have you got for me?" she inquires.

"Just a moment," I reply, turning to Emily. "Do you have anything to offer? I'm empty-handed, and I doubt our filtered water would serve as a trade."

"Yes, I still have my perfume," Emily reveals, taking it out of her pocket to show me.

"No... Really? Are you sure?" I question, surprised by her willingness to part with it.

"Yes, it's better to keep your teeth clean than to smell like the inside of your car," she teases, a smile dancing on her lips.

"But your parents gave this to you... And..."

"I know," she interrupts, her voice high-pitched. "Consider it my way of saying a big thank you to you."

Wow, that's so sweet.

Emily hands the perfume tube to the saleswoman, who unscrews it and holds it close to her nose, taking a whiff.

"Delicious. I can give you five Miswaks in exchange," the saleswoman offers, and her decision is made.

"Only five? Can't you do ten?" Emily replies.

The woman's forehead wrinkles. "Okay... Deal. Here you go... And here's an extra one because you two look so cute together," she says.

"Thank you." Emily expresses her gratitude by nodding lightly and giving all the Miswaks to me.

We bid farewell to the saleswoman, offering her the Swifter salute.

"Here, you take eight," I offer Emily.

"No worries, you can have them. Getting them won't be a breeze when on the road," she says.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Keep them."

The way she treats me now, offering her support and giving me her best, makes her even more appealing. If only our initial contact had been as positive as it is now, this journey would have been much smoother.

As we return to the containers, I savour the last drop from the bottle and store it in my trench coat pocket. Emily walks ahead of me and turns around, exhaling while smiling. "This is it. There must be Swifters from Colony 08 here."

I survey the surroundings and see many people moving around us, mirroring the rest of the city crowds.

A robotic response escapes my lips. "Yeah."

"Hero, thank you, "Emily says, her cheeks reddening as she averts her eyes from me. Her hand finds its way to my sleeve.

I'm at a loss for words, and we sit in complete silence for a moment, our unexpressed thoughts suspended in the air.

She releases her grip on my sleeve, turning her head away.

I know we both want to say something... Why don't we?

Our eyes meet once again, and she extends her hand towards me. I offer mine, and our handshake lingers longer than necessary, causing my heart to skip a beat.

Come on, Hero, say something.

"So you don't need my car after all," I tease, attempting to ease our goodbye.

Is that all? Is this the best thing I could say to her?

We let go, and I sensed the sweat forming on my forehead.

Calm down, Hero. Just say it—ask her to come with you.

"Yeah, I suppose. If I don't find my parents or Colony 08, I'll come after you. So, watch your back," Emily says, a small smile playing on her lips.

Her lower lip trembled as she tugs at it with her teeth. I wish I could freeze that image in my mind for eternity.

"Emily!" a voice calls out, interrupting our farewell.

Emily turns, her face going stone-cold. Then she waves her hands over her eyes, trying to hold back her tears of relief when she sees some people running towards her with open arms.

Three old ladies stroke Emily's hair and touch her face. Kids jump with happiness.

The women's voices tremble with emotion as they ask, "What happened to you? Where have you been? Is everything okay?"

I can only watch this beautiful moment, seeing their love and connection. My heart sinks as I realise I'll be alone again.

She doesn't even see me anymore. It's time for me to go.

I don't like admitting it, but I'm good as long as she's happy.

Emily, I'm going to miss you.

And I turn away.