8...

        We spent hours wandering the long, dim streets aimlessly. Slowly, though, as the sun peeked across the horizon, the city limits grew bustling and busy. With this, we quickly retreated back into the forestry.

        Though we'd only spent a maximum of four hours on the streets, the night was extremely productive, and we'd managed to scout out multiple localities to return to. As of now, though, we were going to retain our refuge amongst the trees.

        The morning brought a light phase of dew over the copious amounts of vegetation, leaving the grass wet as I dragged my feet through it. The field that scoped up to my knees left my pants soaked in water, though cool and refreshing, became a quick annoyance. Gentle waves of light coursed tranquilizingly between the branches as we walked, hitting our backs as we turned from the large buildings. It was almost foggy bu the time we'd found our bearings.

        Yawning, I ducked back inside and laid myself carelessly onto the ground. Silently, he took his place alongside me.

        "Tired, darling?" he inquired softly, lifting his chin slightly. I nodded in response, leaning right back into him. Seems nocturnal life was the one we were currently resorting to now...

        "Get some rest then. We'll head back for resources once more by nightfall. In the meantime, you ought to sleep up." he murmured softly in conclusion, pulling his arm around my frame quietly, holstering my small body against his own. I melted easily into his touch, leaning more against his side.

        "Alright, doctor..." I whispered out, sludging my cheek up against his chest tiredly. My hand rested delicately over his upper thigh, now, tracing carelessly over his worn down clothes.

        I could feel him relax into my touch, slowly leaning his head to the side to rest against my own, closing his eyes as he held me closer.

        "Sweet dreams,"

-

        Yanking from a world of seas, I opened my eyes wide to my rank surroundings.

        "Goodmorning, starshine." the doctor murmured softly against my ear, his velvet soft voice sending a chill up my spine.

        "Or shall I say, night?" he laughed gently.

        I pulled up off of him, seeing the silent night outside the door of our makeshift shelter.

        "Time to go, then?" I pondered aloud, glancing back over to him. He nodded gingerly in response, rising once more to his feet though ducking below the level ceiling.

        Pushing to my feet, I took his hand in my own, venturing now back to the door and out into the fresh air. Cool and serene, it was.

        We hooked our arms together thoughtfully as we strode back through the fields, carefully wading through a lake of tall, stalky croplands.

        It was almost a different feeling entirely to feel my feet hit the pavement. Almost reminiscent of the building we'd been so tediously trapped within only months before. Clicking heels on steel tiles...

        A sigh escaped my lips.

        "Everything alright, my dear?" he questioned, glancing at me from my side, cocking an eyebrow at me slightly.

        "Yeah, it's all good," I nodded as I spoke, "let's go hit up those hot spots, then..."

        It didn't take long at all to reach our first destination, and I was beyond ready to eat something other than the berries that 040 had deemed 'safe for consumption'.

        Yielding, he slipped his hand cautiously around the door handle, pulling carefully, slowly, stopping when it clicked in a halt.

        Locked.

        I cleared the lump in my throat.

        Silently, he reached his hand into his coat and pulled two odd-looking metal objects from within, each looking similar to the other; complex and interesting. Hesitantly, he ducked to the point he was level with the door, leaning in closer and tilting his ear toward the structure. As nonchalantly as possible, he inserted the ends of the metal into the lock.

        "What're those, 049?" I whispered.

        "Lockpicks. We should be inside in no time at all." he murmured in response. I questioned his confidence for a moment, though.

        Had he known how to pick a lock properly? If so, why hadn't he escaped the facility before?

        Reasonable thoughts to have up until one remembers that the locks were without holes to pick. It was all technology, back there...

        I heard the soft click of the door as he unlocked it, shifted the structure for entry,

        The building seemed simple, lined with aisles of various items, tiled floors rendering each step a cautious one.

        The lights overhead were hindered; the building dark and silenced.

        We entered nervously, watching our surroundings closely through thoughtful eyes as we stepped passed the threshold.

        "Work quickly and leniently. Take only what you need. Pack light, we've other places to search." he whispered in a near-wordless voice.

        "Alright...meet back up here, then?" I inquired, looking forward at the near endless supplies, then back to him mid-sentence. He simply nodded, turning quietly and wandering off, heading down an aisle.

        I watched him go; disappearing silently around the corner. Inadvertently, I looked forward once more, staring in thought down the corridors. For a moment, I remained completely still, slowly stepping forward and walking down between two shelves.

        As I strode silently through the packed alleyways, I found myself rolling my fingertips thoughtlessly over the labels, which I read to myself as I went.

        Each label seemed foreign, finding each word a bit strange and funny to the tongue. As I thought about this, I questioned how the doctor might be doing. I assumed he had less knowledge of this new world than I, and as such, he was likely doubly as confused as I.

        Quietly, I made my way around the store, working my way through it like a winding maze. I felt almost comparable to a lab rat, seeking some sort of rewarding end result. I picked up containers of mixed nuts and fruits that I had found on the far North side of the marketplace. I eventually began to carry all that I could muster, up until I had returned to our meeting place and found a small handheld basket back near the front.

        I stuffed what I thought was important, then what I thought was less important once I realized there was room to spare. Really anything I thought was plausible for consumption.

         Slowly, though, after completely filling the basket I had stolen, I made my way back to our meeting spot, finding that the doctor had been waiting there silently.

        "What all do you have there, sassafrass?" he smirked a bit as he lifted his chin toward me, striding closer to meet me halfway. He carried two heavy looking containers of water at his sides, sitting them down to look through my pickings.

        He seemed overall displeased with what I had grabbed, noting most of my selections as 'perishable'. He picked a few things out, leaving the rest of my items on the floor before shifting the basket back into my hands.

        I looked down into it, realizing he'd taken out about two-thirds of the stuff I'd grabbed. I kind of flushed up, embarrassed I'd done so poorly.

        "To the next spot then, doll." he murmured, looking the other way as he picked the water jugs back up. Quietly, he guided us back out the door, into the open air.

-

        All in all, we probably waited a total of three hours wandering those lonesome streets and looting its markets. As we trod the fields back home, we moved slowly, though confident, overcumbered by the sheer weight of our goods. I smiled to myself, shifting the baskets of products we'd stolen.

        We were going to make it out here, one way or another. From rags to riches or not, it was a long road to travel; the first step we'd already marked, though.

        'What's next?' I found myself pondering.

        What's next?