Time

[Spindarene]

((Leila Merin continued from Swallowing Panic in the Face of Its Force))

Leila had wandered aimlessly around the flatlands for the past day or so, sometimes stopping for a while but always moving on when she heard or saw other people coming. So far she'd done a pretty good job at avoiding others, but she knew she couldn't keep it up forever. She was sunburnt, thirsty, and dirty. She didn't know how long she could survive outside with the sun beating down on her mercilessly during the day and shivering in her sleeping bag during the night.

Finally, on the second day she made the decision to enter the Compound. She'd been avoiding it because she knew that people would most likely flock to the one big building in the area, but at this point she would rather risk it than spend any more time outside.

She found a small corner for herself on the bottom floor and sat for a while, eating a protein bar first and then just staring off into space while absentmindedly shredding the corners of her map with her fingers.

She was trying to forget about her own existence, but the longer she sat in that spot the more it seemed to have the opposite effect. She was becoming more aware of the smooth feeling of paper in between her fingers, her steady, even breathing and every single ache in her body. She could feel the seconds as they passed by, each one bringing her closer to the moment when she would stop feeling anything at all.

Suddenly, Leila shoved the paper back into her bag and stood up. She thought she could hear people coming. She quickly became aware of how the spot she'd been sitting in wasn't very hidden or secure at all, how anyone could just wander in from the outside and quickly find the room she'd been sitting in.

Leila saw a staircase to her left and decided that it might be safer to take refuge in one of the upper floors. There were less escape routes up there, but hopefully that would mean less people to run into.

As Leila ascended the staircase, she tried to convince herself that she was fleeing the ground floor for her own safety and not because she couldn't stand to be alone with her thoughts.

((Leila Merin continued elsewhere))