created by andrew chung

epoch 2

dog mai afternoon: chapter 4

as they approach the small town, he sees women and children, many wearing headscarves, rushing into their homes. none appear to notice them, as their focus seems to be on fleeing from something. the houses are dilapidated, and shards of rock are littered about. some have clotheslines hanging across from one another riddled with ragged garments.

"get inside! now!" he hears a girl's voice whisper loudly from his right.

he turns toward the voice. he sees a young girl crouching with her arm reaching out to him, peering out from a decaying door. though she wears a headscarf, her shoulder length tattered hair is exposed below her neckline.

"come on! it's not safe!" she says.

he turns back and mai is missing. he looks back at the girl and instinctively ducks for cover. her hand still reaches out to his, reminding him of the apparent urgency of the situation. he takes it naively.

"get inside." she pulls him within the worn down structure. she leans against the wall next to the door and slumps down in a crouching position, and he subsequently follows. she lets go of his hand. strangely he wishes she didn't. he can't remember the last time he had ever held another person's hand.

"what were you doing out there like that?" she asks in concern, while looking out the grimy window to her left. "you should know how dangerous it is."

"i didn't know, i'm not from around here." fear washes over him, but he doesn't dare show it in front of her. "i lost my dog," he says. she doesn't seem nearly as scared as he thinks she should be.

"there are no dogs in this town." she turns toward him, "my name is kafa." she turns back facing the stained brown sofa against the back wall. the room is bare, save for a large beige rug, the couch, and a broken tv.

he looks at her face and notices her grey eyes. the way light bounces off them makes them appear almost silver. "do you live here by yourself?"

"with my brother, aasim," kafa utters sullenly. "he went to get us food, when the townspeople suddenly heard that dangerous men in trucks were coming in search of a wanted man. i'm worried about aasim. he's my best friend."

he continues to look at her eyes. all around, they are very dark and weathered for someone so young. "is the man here?"

"no, we all know each other here. but these men are known to search homes. we must pretend that no one is here. that way they are more likely to leave."

"where are your mom and dad?"

"they're dead," she says, as if it were easy to roll off the tongue.

he doesn't say anything. he can only think to turn away.

epoch 2 chapter 3 | joe dreamer | epoch 2 chapter 5