Masako’s Life In An Abandoned World

leading down into the unknown darkness. My body hesitates to even go one step below the floor Im on. I didn like the idea, though I would progress but the dangers lurking was unimaginable.

Having an internal conflict, debating to go or not to go. I always thought that I would delay it until I was desperate enough. But here I am, in a desperate the situation Im familiar with, but don want to be put into.

I gaze into the darkness once again…

Gulp*

As I silently swallowed my fears, I tried to strengthen my resolve.

While holding a curtain rod in both hands, I took a step down despite my trembling body.

I took another step again…

And again…

Then again…

Slowly but surely until I was engulfed in it. With my footstep were the only indication of my progress, I kept on going… But it came to a stop.

Not because of something dangerous or something scary but it was something bright. The ray of light came from around the corner, without letting my guard down, I went towards it.

Taking a peek, I finally knew where the light came from. It was nothing grandiose but something simple instead. The lights passed through the cracked windows showing the outside.

”Haa… ” I sigh in relief as for now there wasn any immediate dangers.

Looking around on what looked like an open office. The office chairs were scattered and the desks misaligned, though some of them were toppled down.

Passing by a carpet of document papers, I went over to the dusty computers. Despite it being dusty, they looked pretty advanced compared to what Im familiar with. If from the time I came from were flat screen TVs then this would be super flat screen TVs. The monitors were almost paper thin, even after messing with it looked flexible.

”Woah… Maybe I can play some games here. ”

Excited to know more about the future of entertainment, I wanted to turn it on. Looking around in search for a CPU, no matter how much I tried, there wasn anything of sorts near the monitor. Though there was still a keyboard but thinner, I couldn even find any wirings on both.

”Mmrgh… ”

Giving up my search a bit frustrated, I went ahead and moved on as theres no point in crying over spilled milk.

While I was wandering around the room, I noticed a flickering red dot on the table. Out of curiosity, I grabbed the light emitting object.

”Whats this? ”

Viewing it from different angles, it looked more of a square pen that was as thick as my thin fingers. Covering the light with my thumb as it was a random thought of Would the light be bright enough to lit up my thumb?.

With a soft click from accidentally touching it, The pen suddenly split vertically into two. Connecting both side was a thin plastic film. I tried picking it up, and when I did the film lengthened. With a general idea of what to expect, I pulled both sides until I couldn anymore. The plastic were wobbly at first but when fully extended, it hardened.

After messing with it, trying to figure how to turn it on, the device eventually did it on its own. With the screen looked like a hologram from sci-fi movies, the screen displayed:

° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° °

Choose Language:

ԵɧԾՐȝՌ

ᏁᏒᏋᏖᏕᏋᏬ

ﾑ乙ひ爪ﾑ

కꪮꪊᦔꫀ᭢

° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° °

”I guess it wants me to know what writing I prefer… Well ﾑ乙ひ爪ﾑ it is! ”

With the touch on the screen, it turned black and showed a loading sign. As I waited, a pop up message appeared soon after.

Warning: Low Battery! — Please charge the device

Then the screen shuts down before making a pattern on the surface. The pattern showed an even spacing of dark blue rectangles with corners cut off, and overlapping them were dull thin white lines.

”Umm… How do I charge? ”

There weren any hole I could plug something in to. But I might have gotten a hint with a yellow sun symbol glowing from the corner.

”I guess Ill bring it with me… Maybe theres some good music inside too. ”

Pressing the two sides to each other in an attempt to compress it, the plastic film bent and automatically compressed like a tape measure. I looked like a neat feature for a futuristic phone.

…

Wandering opposite of the office, I stumbled across what looked like a clinic. Inside were human sized capsules with weird machinery above it.

”Just how advanced is this place? ”

Stepping inside the musty room, I went towards the capsule and inspect it.

Putting my hand inside, I rubbed my palm on to the foam which is soft and squishy. It would be comfortable to sleep in if it weren so cold and damp. Though the pillow is a different topic, compared to what I have upstairs, this is far better if dried properly.

”Yoisho! ”

With that, I have a phone on one hand and hugging a large pillow to my front. For convenience, I placed the phone inside the pillow. As I am right now, I look like a kid for at a sleepover. If it weren for the blood stains on my cloth, I would have looked cute rather than creepy.

”Heheh~ ”

Satisfied with my loot from the capsule, I went somewhere else inside the room with a grin on my face.

Checking the equipment, I didn dare to touch it as it might accidentally break without me knowing it. I thought it would be really useful if I properly learned how to use these in case of emergencies, but as of now these are practically useless.

Avoiding the thick wires on the floor, I head towards a large medicine cabinet.

”Hm… ”

I opened it to check out its contents, but to my surprise it looked more basic than I thought it would. Aside from the set of syringes which I couldn read the label, the others are pretty standard such as: Cotton, Bandages, Band-Aids, A small pair of scissors, Antibiotics, Latex Gloves and many others as I failed to recognize but familiar with most of them.

Taking a look at the other side were pills and other medications stored in there. I grabbed a small one with a person having some Zs to see what kinda pills are inside. I wanted to try it out as I knew intuitively it was sleeping pills, unless I was wrong and this is some sort of coma inducing pills or something much more dangerous.

”I mean… its inside a medicine cabinet so its safe, right? ”

I was already sleep deprived before I even went down here, so having these pills might be useful to catch some good night sleep.

Stuffing the pills inside the pillow that turned into a bag at this point, I left the clinic satisfied with my haul.

As I was going back to the staircase—

Growl~

—My stomach as usual reminded me how I kept torturing it.

I basically explored this whole floor, with it having an office, clinic, and restrooms. There were also locked doors but theres nothing much I can do about them. Since theres no food here, then Ill just have to go lower.

”…I don really want to do this… ”

Arriving at the staircase a bit exhausted as Ive been running around this whole time. I took a quick break before going further down.

…

”… wait… ”

Going down the stairs hugging a pillow, I stopped as if Im forgetting something.

Checking whats inside the pillow, I have the pills and a phone. Scratching my head thinking what Im missing, I recollect what I had done this few hours.

”… I went down holding… Ah- ”

My body flinched the moment I realized I dropped my weapon, the curtain rod, somewhere above the floor. With my stomach grumbling, I thought it wouldn be a good idea to climb up those stair with the amount of effort to climb one in the first place.

If I went up and gone down I would be too exhausted to even explore and I wouldn have a choice but to take a long break. And by the time I recovered, the sun would be already down, leaving this entire floor pitch black.

”I-Ill just find something better in this floor… ”

On the off chance I encountered something dangerous, I would just run and find a nearby room to barricade myself in.

…

At the 8th floor with the number 8 painted light blue on wall, although it was deteriorated I could still tell based from its shape. I tried to recall if there are numbers like this on the upper floors.

”The paint mustve worn off… ” Talking to myself as that was the only conclusion I could think of.

Scanning my surroundings, there was a dim light to the right so I went there first.

Upon arriving at the doorway, I was ecstatic about what I saw in front of me.

There were tables and chair but different to those office. With the clue of having spoon and forks on the ground, I could say with certainty that this is a Cafeteria.

I trot over to the counter ahead and went under the trap door thingy on the wall.

Heading inside that appeared like a kitchen area, I frantically looked inside in search for a fridge. Though in my search I stumbled across cans laying on the floor, I immediately stopped my search as I already found something I could eat.

Picking up a dozen of canned food and placing them on the table. I looked at the pile with drool leaking from my mouth. Some may think Im overreacting but Ill like to yell at them to try and starve themselves to the point of eating tree leaves everyday.

With the food laid out in front of me, I look for something to cook it with.

”W-wheres the rice cooker? ”

Turning my head left to right in this dimly lit kitchen where the light source comes from the entrance. I couldn see anything thats the shape of said rice cooker. Though I saw stoves and ovens there were also the sink and a pile of unwashed dished above the broken plates on the floor.

”… Fire… Coal… ”

With a memory of having my last meal cooked on the stove tastes like burnt coal. I was reluctant on using it as I might burn down this building like my friend almost burned ours.

”Now that I think of it… How is he doing right now? ”

With all the advanced technology around me, I just hope I didn outlive him just as much as I miss his presence.

Remembering my friend that I could barely remember anything but his face, I felt lonely that theres no one I could rely on.

Holding a can of Cornbeef on my hand, I weakly pulled the pin to open it.

Snap*

”… ”

Staring at it blankly on why it suddenly snapped, I was irritated but decided to calm myself and just open the others.

”Ill open it if theres no other choice. ”

In my hand was another canned Cornbeef, this time I carefully pulled the pin.

Snap*

”… O-okay… Theres still others… ”

With different cans with different contents—

Snap*

”—Kh! ”

Snap*

”Why— ”

Snap*

”—Does it— ”

Snap*

”—Keep on— ”

Snap*

”—SNAPPING!!! ”

Snap*

…

”Haah… Hah… ”

The last can of the pile was in my hand left rolling on the floor. And I, on the other hand was despairing at this predicament. It was already dark and I haven opened even one of them yet.

”Uuuu… ”

Tearfully glaring at those annoying cans that won let me have a taste of them. My belly went silent as if they knew it can be helped.

Standing back on my feet, I went towards the butcher knife I found on the counter then grabbed it. Looking at the can filled with contempt, I had already lost all reason as Im already at my boiling point.

”Hyaa! ”

With a thunderous war cry from my point of view. I used the butcher knife to slash the can in half. As pathetically weak as I currently am, the weight of the blade was enough to split the can open just enough so I could spoon out its contents for later.

”Haahh… Haa… Yes! ”

Although some of it was spilt on the floor there was still enough for me to feed on. Unfortunately, I don have time to cook it as it almost took all my strength from just holding the heavy butcher knife. With a spoon I washed from the sink, I took a spoonful of raw Cornbeef to my mouth.

”Sniff* Finally… Hic* Some good f*cking food… ”

Even if its bland, Remembering the taste of my favorite food brought a wave of nostalgia enough to make me cry tears of joy.

On why it is my favorite, I could no longer remember.

…

* * *