And so the story of Anna continues with this latest installment…
Day 21: Was it better to leave now and risk the lost archives?
Was it better to leave now and risk the lost archives? Anna wasn’t sure. She liked living here and despite the luxury of her former home didn’t want to leave this place for it. Despite not having the best of all possible material goods she felt that she fit here. She liked the people around her and liked the research that she was doing. If people stopped hunting her, she could happily continue here.
‘But is that even an option?’
Her belly rumbled, interruption her heavier thoughts and she made her way to the kitchen to prepare dinner. She couldn’t really blame her stomach for it’s timing. Breakfast was a piece of buttered toast as she walked to the archives and lunch had been only a cup of coffee. Clearly her body needed more than toast and coffee to function.
Her dinner was a simple one, mostly composed of left overs and she settled herself at the small kitchen table to eat. While she was better than she had been before, Anna did not count herself as a good cook. She was competent enough to make things that tasted more or less as they should, provided they were not complicated. But cooking demanded all of her attention. As a result she tended to make bigger meals and portion them out so she had to cook once and then just heat up for several meals following.
She doubted her family’s former cook would be impressed but thus far she didn’t burn anything down and didn’t give herself food poisoning. Anna took it as a win.
Once settled and certain nothing was going to catch fire, Anna ate more or less mechanically to fill her belly as her thoughts turned inward again. As she thought about it, the more the idea of leaving to find the lost archives appealed. It was called lost because no one went there and it was no longer part of the system not because no one knew where it was.
‘Well more or less where it was,’ Anna corrected to herself. She had maps of the abandoned city and was reasonably sure she could find the archives. She was also certain she could get past the protective shield that covered the city and kept people out. ‘I just don’t know if the lost archives is still standing.’
The city was unlivable and the shield kept people out. She could get past the shield and had protective spells that would keep her safe while there. ‘But it isn’t a place I would end up living.’
A thought occurred to her. ‘Maybe I leave here, but don’t let go of this apartment, taking only what I need.’
While Anna hadn’t planned to flee with everything she acquired, abandoning most of it if she needed to run, she liked the thought of coming back here.
‘And if it looks like I’ve run, not being seen in the usual places, then perhaps they won’t search for this apartment while I’m gone and give up looking here before I return.’
The idea had merit.
‘I would have to get out before they think I am gone though,’ Anna thought. She was certain they suspected that her running would be a possibility and would be on the look out. There were hidden exits she was certain they wouldn’t know to cover.
Ten til Midnight 