Instinct

Chapter 2 -- Crimson

Looking up to the sky, for as far as the eye could see it was all choked with clouds overlapping each other above the city. Some of the clouds even stooped down into the city itself to create a light haze of a fog, but not one that couldn't render someone blind when looking out afar. I could still make out the faint, if not apparent, outlines of the skyscrapers and housing districts up ahead. Rain continued to pour down at a aggressive constant rate, leaving large puddles along the sleek concrete roads. Some of the collected rain formed into streams that snaked its way down man-made irrigations that worked their way to the grounded water stream flowing downwards to the heart of the city.

One after the other I felt the streaks of water paint my face, all within a minute I could feel as though my entire face was drenched. My clothes slowly started to stick to my body due to the rain. My shoes became a bit waterlogged from stepping in the forming puddles and trenches of collected rainwater. I looked over to Madi, who was walking beside me as we made our way to the faction towers. Her face clearly conveyed discomfort from the amount of rain falling. She too was in the same predicament of being soaked, though I wasn't sure what I was expecting from stepping out into a storm.

I looked forward to observe all the houses and buildings that were placed around us. Each one uniformly lined up amongst each other to create blocks and division of housing sectors. All of them refreshingly however, had their own uniqueness to them instead of a cloned prison of identical domiciles. In between some of these houses held greeneries that people made themselves to grow fruits and vegetables. Others held large grass areas to serve as a place for people to relax at and frolic in.

Serving as a barrier between divisions of housing were irrigation systems that dropped roughly eight feet below and flowed onward in a large channel. These pathways of water served as drinking water, public use water, all separated from the wastes of others who already used it. The wastes traveled upstream by means of air-propulsed jets that traveled all the way to the water filtration plant behind the mountains to the south of Zykard. Over these small valleys were large and medium sized bridges that stretched over for a few yards and onto the otherside.

Buildings farther up ahead served as eateries for the common person and miscellaneous shops with unknown various goods set up by whoever had something to sell. Though their businesses didn't seem to be boistering at the moment with the sudden arrival of the storm.

Other teens were walking in the same direction as we were, all of us heading over to faction towers to the north of the city. Some, if not, most of them had the bright idea to bring an umbrella with them.

I pressed my lips together and looked back to Madi, who turned her face to look at me. "It probably would've been smart if we had brought an umbrella with us" I raised an eyebrow.

Madi huffed a bit. "Well, don't look at me! I didn't know it would be raining today".

"But, we could've just went back into the house when we opened the door and grab the umbrella then there".

"I guess we could've. I kinda thought you'd be the one to do it anyways. You're the smart one here anyways".

"Wait you had the thought to grab the umbrella, saw that I obviously didn't get it, and proceeded to just walk with me anyways" I shook my head in disbelief.

"I thought maybe you wanted to enjoy the rain" Madi shrugged.

I sighed audibly over the rain to get the point across to her. She laughed heartily and shook her head at my comical response. I rolled my eyes and laughed a bit too before turning forwards again and slowing down my walk so I could be side by side with her.