Titans
[5] ATARA

The Genesis [02:30]

Location: Unknown

Merc and I trek through darkness for hours. For some reason, I feel as though we need to keep moving – as if there’s something that needs to be found – and I know he can feel it too. I have a firm grip on his hand, my second hand latched around his elbow as if the black is threatening to tear us apart. I can feel the tenseness of his muscles, the fear and anxiety in his movements. He’s just as terrified as I am, even if he may not show it.

“What are we looking for?” I ask softly. Out here, anything could be watching us, listening to us, and I cringe with every sound we make. This place is too dark, too empty. Where are the people? The buildings? Even just a tree or a road or an animal would make me feel better – hell, I’d even go for a spider. But there’s nothing. Not even a star in the sky.

“I’m don’t think we’re looking for anything,” he says. “I’m not sure there’s anything to replace.”

I shiver. “That’s stupid,” I say, reverting to a defensive, closed-off position. It feels familiar, like it’s something I’ve been doing for years. The only problem is, I don’t remember those years – and I certainly don’t remember ever needing to be defensive. Whenever I think back on my life before this dark nightmare, all I get are generic snapshots, like I’m watching a documentary about earth on a television. A scene of rushing rain here, a close-up of a person’s face there, and a thousand other useless images in between. I remember the world I live in, but not my place in it.

And it makes me ache.

“It’s not stupid,” Merc replies. “Think about it: we’re standing on dirt and dust and we can feel the wind, so we must be outside. But then we can’t see any sky – no hint of a moon or clouds or stars – and we can’t see any sign of civilisation. It’s almost as if we’re on another planet.”

“We can breathe, though. If we can breathe, we must still be on Earth.”

“True, but maybe another planet has been found and we’ve been sent here.”

I snort. “Oh yeah, just send a couple teenagers to a bare, dark planet with no supplies to keep them alive. While we’re at it, why don’t we erase their memories? This should be fun.”

“Hey, it was just an idea – I’m not saying it’s true. I’m just as clueless as you are when it comes all this.”

I sigh, and we walk in silence for a few minutes. “So we’re just gonna keep walking then? Use up all our energy reserves wondering through utter blackness?”

“Yep.”

“Sounds dumb to me.”

“Then let go,” he says casually, as if letting go of his arm doesn’t mean spending eternal darkness in solitude. “I’ll continue on alone.”

My pulse speeds up, the thought of wandering lost through the night enough to trigger a wave of terror. “On second thought, maybe it’s not that dumb.”

Merc laughs.