The shop looked the same. There was no difference in the wares that were being sold. But I still pretended that it was all so ‘new’ and ‘exciting’. What I really was looking at was the pretty Beth at the counter. Her black hair was pulled up behind her, and her piercing blue eyes were focused on her work. I don't even know why I was here. I guess it was because I wanted to talk to someone my age. I don't even remember the last time that happened.

 

Being an orphan made me a little introverted. Anyone close to my age was a part of one gang or another. So the best option was just to put my head down and keep walking. 

 

Not anymore, I had power now. Enough to destroy the echoes plaguing our town, I wasn't lying to myself either I probably could fight a decently sized group of echoes. The problem was that I could only do that at my base. Here I could only hope to buy time.

 

But it wouldn't be too bad. This town had fought the echoes every year for thirty years. Another at this time would be bad. But it was every year, this year would probably mark the tipping point for humanity. Resources and ammo were getting harder and harder to find. The only reason I had been able to find the steel and town were because they were guarded by mutated beasts that no normal person could hope to fight. 

 

Being able to defeat them granted me access to their territory. The city couldn't say the same. They have had to journey further and further out every year in search of more material. Sure they had the road to buy resources from other cities. But every other city had similar problems. The only cities that didn't were the megacities left over from the first wave, Like new york, Denver, colorado springs, las vegas, and Kansas City. Places that had the food and weapons to survive the first flood. And then in the following year have enough resources to survive and build walls. 

 

The trade road brought in stories of the outside world. Apparently, las vegas had survived due to the animals in the region mutating into more territorial creatures, like the lizard/dragon creature I had fought. It allowed them to build roads to other surviving outposts or cities. They also had plenty of buildings that they had collapsed to build a primitive wall. I hear that was what saved them the second year. 

 

“You going to buy something or what?” I was startled out of my thoughts. Quickly turning I found Beth staring down at me. I hadn't noticed at first but she was taller than me, probably a result of better nutrition growing up.

 

“Huh ya, Just getting umm” Grabbing the nearest item. 

 

“This” she looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

 

“A fork” I looked down I had indeed grabbed a fork.

 

“Yes?” I said with my best convincing face.

 

“Ya, ok then. Follow me” She said while walking to the counter. “It could have been worse,” I thought. We made our way to the counter where we bargained for the fork. Just because I didn't want it did not mean I was going to get a bad deal. Eventually, I settled on paying copper wire for it.

 

“Hey, why do you want so much copper wire?” I said to her. She looked at me before pulling her hair around for me to see. Her hair was held in place with wire. 

 

“O,” I said, feeling stupid. I was turned and was about to walk out when I froze “You fought a dragon bigger than a building, but you cant ask a girl out?” I thought to myself. I felt a pulse of support from Scrap. He was hidden in my cloak.

 

Turning around. I came face to face with beth once again. It looked like she had been staring at me while I internally debated. She even had a little smirk.

 

“Um, You wouldn't happen to be free later would you?” I asked.

 

“I am” I was getting ready to celebrate when “I can't wait to walk the market place” I felt my shoulders start to slump. “Would you like to join me?” 

 

“Oh my god women stop sending mixed signals,” I thought to myself

 

“I would love to, what time do you get off?” I said.

 

She smirked a little before saying that she would be off in an hour or two. Which meant that most of the day would still be available. This was common around the flood week, As it could happen at any moment people needed to be ready to flee or fight at a moment's notice. The flood week was the week the flood would happen every year. We were currently four days in and the flood hadn't struck yet. It came somewhere in this week every year for thirty years without fail.

 

I spent two hours walking the stalls and stores looking for anything I might want to buy. I was about to head back when I found an old pistol. It had a little bit of rust around the outside and no doubt inside. But it was only around 10 value. As I was now 18 I could buy it. I went inside and paid for it in metal shavings and melon seeds.

 

I stored it in my storage when no one was looking and started to head back. I walked up to the store and was about to walk in when I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning I took in the sight of Beth in normal clothes. My mouth slightly fell open. “Wow,” I said. She was wearing a normal t-shirt and jeans but it was more than enough.

 

“O stop, I want to get going before nightfall,” she said. We headed out. We went to each and every stall and store. Many of which I had already seen. But I wasn't about to tell Beth that. we were having fun, buying and messing around. I learned that beth had three other sisters she helped take care of with her dad. Apparently, they weren't wealthy but they weren't poor either. This trip wasn't only for buying but also to check what the local value looked like. As a merchant, she needed to know what was too much and what was too little.

 

We browsed and inspected stores and stalls, untell night began to set in. “I had fun tonight,” she said

 

“I did too” I responded.

 

“Maybe we could do this again sometime,” I said while hoping I had made a good enough impression.

 

“Ya, that would be great, ill see you say two days from now?” 

 

I felt myself let go of the breath I had been holding “See you then” I said.

 

We said our good-bys and walked away from each other. It had been an incredible night. I really needed this, I had been running around every day since I had gotten the book. Today let me cool down and enjoy the things around me. I ducked into an alley before turning my cloak on and flying upwards. Today allowed me to realize who I had built all these things for. I need to help this city, no not just this city. I needed to help humanity before it was too late.

 

I flew towards the wall. Something was off. The city was still making a ruckus but the creatures of the night were completely silent. “That doesn't bode well,” I thought. I landed just above the gate. The soldiers along the wall seemed to have noticed the silence too. All of them looked out into the forest with focused eyes. “The flood is here” I heard from a soldier to my left. He was maybe fifty or so. “He's lived through all thirty floods,” I thought. 

 

I looked out towards the forest. It was only a minute or two before I was able to see the trees in the distance shaking. I was just saying how I wanted to save humanity. I guess I better start now.