AST
PHASE 6 . SMOG
The thump re-raged, stimulating the brain to rise agilely. The dark still looms, though
the sparks of the fireball began to blaze in the eastern horizon. The explosion continued that was out of nowhere. The birds left the nest, towards the sky of the world. So quick. Took almost countless.
Adara looked up at the sky, then headed in one direction. His brain thought that something was making the birds fly high and get away from somewhere. This girl walked out and gasped when she found someone had caught her.
“Why are you out?”
“Ah, Jo. You surprise me.”
Jo frowned strangely. Something about the girl caught his attention. A rope of red thread wrapped in such a way and draped on Adara's neck. “It ... for what?” tanyakanya. “Are you poor enough to not be able to buy a necklace?” continued mellowing.
Adara grasped the necklace she was wearing. “Tak need I tell you. You'll laugh at me!” gnarly
chimed. “This is to connect the souls of my separated closest people.”
“Nearliest person? Is there such a myth?”
The girl nodded and made Jo think something about her.
“You already have a girlfriend apparently,” led the young man as it passed.
“Hey!” Adara. His face was so red that it made Jo almost laugh at him. “He's not
my girlfriend,” said a little bit of a murmur, “just friends.”
Both of Jo's eyebrows shot up in an instant. “Only friends?” aside, “what is he biting your neck to the point of being hurt so much
if the status is only friends?”
Adara frowning. His fingers reached his neck until something hurt him. “A-what is this?” ringice.
Jo approaches the girl, then extends her hand to look at the wound formed on Adara's neck. “His wound is newly formed. You haven't eaten anything since, ‘kan?” tanyakanya.
“Eat the wind.”
“Do not joke!” cela Jo fast. He turned to look at Jun who had just woken up from his sleep and quickly
check the boy's body. The same wound was found in several parts.
“What's up?” ask Adara.
Jo was quick to hold his brother who was already weak. Jun simply wriggled weakly while grimacing in pain
his body. “We must quickly go from here,” he said patronizing.
“Why?”
“This place is no longer suitable for us.”
“Hah?”
Jo looked at Adara. Tight, for a few seconds. His hands raised rubbed the top of the girl's head. “Do not die before getting to the next spot, yes.”
The young man turned around and went ahead of Adara. The girl was silent. His net looked at the young man's back. He himself did not understand Jo's words just now.
***
“Where are we going?” ask Adara curiously.
Since then Jo did not open his mouth at all, just mute while accelerating his pace. In fact, Adara himself felt increasingly tired. But he could still catch up with the young man's steps even though his breathing was increasingly irregular.
“Jo ..”.
Jo stop. He turned around and looked at the girl. Her hair was very messy, plus apparently the
it's deteriorating. The wound widened and of course made the young man even more worried. After a few seconds, he threw a glance in all directions, hoping to find something.
“Where are we going?” ask Adara again. “I'm tired.”
“Finding spot,” replied Jo, “there should be a spot around here. A while ago I got
information if there are many spots spread.”
Adara spread her views. There's nothing around him. Only the bare ground was hot from being stung by the sun. That disaster really made the Earth hell. Empty and hot, with all the nothingness filling it.
“I think it's just a minor disaster, but why is it this bad?” muttered the girl.
Jo looked at Adara very closely, then swallowed his saliva for a moment. “What? It was the worst disaster I've ever seen
preceding. Naturally the effect is as severe as this!”
“I thought the result of the eruption could fertilize—”
“Do not delirious!” reprimand Jo. “Lucky we're alive now. As long as we find the spot, then we
will survive.”
Jo was half down. Occasionally looking bitterly at the girl near him. He should have found another spot in
this place. However, as far as their journey since then had found nothing. Just empty land. He could not imagine how the girl and Jun died in this place. Then finally, he lives alone and ends up shot dead or tortured by the western alliance
found him.
The young man was upset. The stability of his mind makes Jo hate herself even more.
“Come, we continue ..”
Adara glanced, then grabbed the young man's hand and looked at him closely. There was a highlight of belief there and made Jo slightly dispel her complicated thoughts. He nodded and continued on their way.
***
The headquarters of the western alliance that stood firm made it look contrasting amidst the vast expanse of land that was not
depopulated. The changing heat and temperature does not seem to be a problem in the building. The workers were still busy with work. There are also those who are relaxing while waiting for their time burdened with missions by superiors.
Erick asked a young man who was standing leaning against the building fence while carrying a cup of milk coffee that was still steaming. He was still wearing a military uniform even though his duty was over a few hours ago. His eyes looked straight—kosong.
“Uy!” erick exclaimed the daydream of his colleague. “Adnan!”
The young man flinched then turned his head towards Erick.
“But just keep going!”
Adnan nodded. “I'm not daydreaming!”
“Seriously? Time anyway?” Erick squealed sharply at Adnan until the young man scrunched his forehead. A second later, he chuckled. “Don't daydream much. Nagging boss, tuh!”
“Because of me?”
“No heck. He nags because of our slow performance,” Erick replied. He flinched for a moment. “Western alliance
just want Earth to be wiped out soon,” he said later. His gaze is straight ahead—kaku.
“Do I get mandated again?” Adnan still asked. Erick looked at me. “I want to escape
it felt,” lirihnya sigh.
“If you run away and the eastern alliance finds you, what will you do? Tell me your identity? Then
if the western alliance knows you're siding with them, what are you doing?” Erick asked his partner a question.
Adnan looked at the brown-blossomed young man. “You alone, what would you do if they knew you
hate the western alliance? Did you agree? If you agree, in the end you will die also at the hands of your own country,” replied with a grin.
Erick hit his fist hard on the fence of the building until it made a sound echoing from him. “Do not make me emotional, Adnan!”
The black-haired youth laughed in satisfaction, not even so sipped his milk coffee as it could not help but laugh. Meanwhile, Erick frowned at him— grumbled. A split second later the young man eased the emotion by exhaling a long breath for a moment.
“There's a chance for you to run away from here and find your girlfriend,” he said later. Make Adnan come back not to sip his drink.
“What?” Adnan.
“Tell you, there is a chance for you to escape from this rotten place, handsome man!” reiterate Erick a little upset.
Adnan. “When?” the question held back a little laughter. “Don't tell me that when I brought the plane.
Boss won't let me fly again if I take the plane.”
“Do you want to land where your plane is if you take it away? I like your stupidity, Ad.
Absolutely natural and not contrived!”
Adnan chuckles amusedly at Erick's babbling. He could always make her laugh, even with
give it a dime once.
“So what?” tanyanya.
Erick threw a glance back and forth to check something, then looked back at his partner. “Two more days headquarters will send some people to investigate this region because it is suspected that there are still people living here. More precisely, the western alliance will hold your country's people hostage which is found tomorrow as a guarantee of world peace. Strange indeed, but that's how the information is,” he said a little
whispered.
The black-spirited youth frowned. “Sandera? World peace? Doesn't the western alliance hate
peace?” tanyanya.
Erick shrugged his shoulders for a moment. “How do I know!”
Adnan thought for a moment. It felt strange to him, because all this time the western alliance had never thought of peace. Just be a destroyer and fisher of the fiery turmoil in every part of the region—though it is still part of its own western alliance. Cosmos may shudder until they finally manage to bow under their feet. Adnan
grieving, as if blaming himself—for what he joined the western alliance if this ended up?
“How?” Erick broke the silence again. “If you want, you can disguise yourself as one of the soldiers tomorrow. And I'll keep you here.”
“Hm? You're not coming?”
They look at each other. A moment of silence took both.
“If I come along, after our rotten plan, Ad,” Erick replied. “You may never see Adara again.”
Adnan turned to look at the other side of the headquarters around him. “What if they know that you're hiding all these plans?” muttered.
You're probably gonna die, Erick.
“I'll be fine.” Erick patted his partner's shoulder steady. The uphill curve was etched on his lips. “Tak
need worry. All you have to worry about is your boyfriend. Not me.”
Adnan brushed Erick's hand off his shoulder and looked sharply at the young man. While Erick chuckled in response.
“Why with your face it!” tukas the young man chocolates while laughing frown.
“I'm serious, Erick.”
Erick stopped his laughter and looked at Adnan for a moment. There is a little anxiety in him now, as well as in Adnan. Either way their relationship is only limited to friends or friends, no more than that. Although on the other hand, they keep each other a secret that is hidden in the depths of their hearts and may explode someday.
“I also.”
Erick looked at the circular time pointer on his wrist. “Two days left, I'll wait for you in the warehouse
fittings. There's something I want to give you before you go.”
The young man patted Adnan on the shoulder again before he sauntered away. Adnan observed with a blank Erick's back. There was a bitter truth there that was not shown to him. I don't know, but it really makes Adnan dizzy now. He leaned back against the fence and lamented his cup of milk coffee that was almost cooling.
***