We last left off with Lucy and Tora meeting Chloe and getting to see her base
“My name is Chloe, and this is my lab.” Chloe opens her arms wide showcasing the room they are in, “It’s a little cluttered and messy but I have it organized in my mind. I work with the technology I scavenge from the rubble to make new inventions, and then I bring those inventions back to help the people in my village. I spend most of my time researching in this lab, since there is so much to learn and not enough hours in the day. This place also has a library on one of the upper floors, but I haven't cleared the area of debris yet. The Frillz in my lab work non stop scouting different areas and bringing me back things they find interesting. I don't actually know what caused all this destruction, but I've made it my goal to dig up as much information as I can.” Chloe spins on the chair. “You may ask away.”
“So do other people live here?” Asks Tora.
“Yes, but not in the ruins. There is a village nearby, which is where I live. It’s too dangerous to live here anyway,” Chloe responds as she stares at her painted nails.
“Oh, that makes sense,” Tora nods her head and shifts her eyes to the blackboard behind Chloe. Observing the text and images drawn on them, it seems to be a complicated math calculation that she doesn’t really understand.
“Anyways,” Chloe sits up straight, interrupting Tora’s thoughts. “Tell me, where do you guys come from and what brought you here? I've never seen people like you.” She looks at them and then to the outfits they are wearing, “You’re… very colorful.”
Lucy chimes in, “Well I'm Lucy and this is my younger sister Tora.” She smiles sweetly, “We come from just beyond the fog and...”
“THE FOG?” Chloe cuts Lucy off mid-sentence. The expression on her face changes. She stands up pulling out a spear-like metal weapon from behind the chair, “You guys are bad people then, I don't know if I can trust you!” She points the weapon in their direction.
Tora and Lucy are both surprised by her sudden reaction and change of tone. “What makes you say that?” Tora questions. She sits up defensively ready to react if Chole tries to attack them.
“According to some journal entries I found in the lab, the people responsible for the destruction fled into the fog leaving this place desolate. If that is true each and everyone of you are responsible for the distraction of this place and you will need to pay. You’re selfish and only care about your own life without any regard for others!”
Lucy and Tora are both speechless. “But we would never do that,” Lucy says through tears, hurt that someone would think such a thing of her and her neighbors.
Tora intervenes, batting away the weapon pointed in their direction, “I don't like how you’re accusing us of something we didn't do. Maybe if you weren't so quick to judge, you’d actually find out why we’re here in the first place!” Tora stands up pulling her sister along with her, “I’ve had enough of this, let's go. I told you this place was a bad idea, we should have just stayed home.” As they head out, Chloe stands in the same spot, quietly in her thoughts, staring at the ground. She drops her weapon and heads to her work desk picking up an unfinished Frillz that was sprawled out on the table.
Lucy glances back at Chloe feeling sad about leaving on a bad note. She turns her head towards her sister who is still visibly fuming. “Let's go back,” Lucy says as she stops walking.
“Why should we?” Tora says grumpily. “She is the one who started it!”
“I think she has every right to feel skeptical,” Lucy responds. “we don't know her or what she's been through, and she doesn’t know us either. We barged into this place with ignorance. So, let’s give each other a chance to hear each other out, so we can settle this dispute. I would hate to leave things sour.” Lucy grabs Tora’s arm, begging with her eyes to turn back.
Tora scrunches her face in displeasure. She knows the right thing to do would be to say sorry and make amends, but she doesn’t want to. “You are really too nice to people.” Tora turns around and walks back into Chloe's lab with Lucy right behind. They make eye contact with Chloe as they enter but she says nothing. Chloe is full of guilt knowing better than resorting to violence; but she can't bring herself to say anything.
Lucy approaches Chloe and grabs her hand, “I’m so sorry if our presence made you feel uncomfortable, and for barging in here like we owned the place. It wasn't our intent! I wouldn’t want you to hate us and have more ill thoughts about the place we come from.”
Lucy's warm and sincere apology softens Chloe’s heart, “No, I’m sorry. I was wrong to judge you guys. Bad people wouldn’t say sorry.”
“Well since we are both sorry, why don’t we give each other another chance to get to know each other? Okay? I’d like to be your friend,” Lucy says. They agree to make amends and hear each other out before jumping to conclusions. There is still visible tension between Tora and Chloe. Since Chloe was the one who threatened her sister, Tora isn’t willing to forgive Chloe just yet. Tora leans back on the couch with her arms crossed and her eyes closed refusing to engage in conversation. Chloe on the other hand is still a little sad and ashamed for her outburst so she's sitting in her chair hugging her knees to her chest. Lucy is twiddling her thumbs as she feels all this tension between them, causing her to sit awkwardly on the couch while she tries to find a safe way to start the conversation again.
Chloe decides to talk first, speaking quietly, “So… why did you come here?”
Tora stays silent. “Well to be honest, I was curious to see what this place is all about,” said Lucy. “I’ve been hearing rumors about this town being scary and dangerous, but no one has actually come down to investigate. So the people just talk, making up all kinds of absurd rumors. I wanted to settle the rumors once and for all. I never believed in them anyways, I can tell the rumors stemmed from fear. So, me and my sister came here to see what we could find, and we fell upon these ruins.”
Chloe lifts her head up from her knees, “Well if you want to learn about this place, you’ve come to the right person then! I know a lot.” She adjusts her position in the seat, “I’m so sorry again for jumping to conclusions.”
“It's fine,” Lucy says smiling. Tora snorts at Chloe’s apology, causing Lucy to glare at Tora, and without skipping a beat, Tora turns her head away from her sister. Lucy decides to leave her sister be, “Don’t mind Tora, she can be a little stubborn at times, but she has a very kind heart! I know she forgives you.”
“No, I don’t!” Tora responds without opening her eyes.
“Of course, you do.” She smiles intimidatingly.
Chloe giggles at their interaction. She's never grown up with siblings so seeing the two sisters interact was very wholesome. They both turn to look at her, questioning her reason for laughing. “Let me tell you what, I’ll give you a tour of where I live and show you the layout of the land so you can find your way around it. Trust me, there’s lots to discover!"
“Sounds great, I can’t wait!" Lucy responds with excitement. She nudges her sister, but Tora doesn’t react.
Chloe gets up from her chair, “Follow me.” She gestures to them with her arm and leads them into the other room towards a door that has a green exit sign above it. “This door will lead us to my home village.” She opens the door, and they are met with a long dim tunnel illuminated with electric candle lights attached to the brick walls. The walls are adorned with trellising plants that take over the whole surface. “This is the quickest and safest way to my home.” They begin to walk down the tunnel, “This tunnel was originally an emergency escape route leading to a cave but since discovering it I've redirected it to connect to my home.”
Observing the walls as they walk down the path. They notice a few carved letterings and painted drawings scattered randomly on the bricks. “Who made those markings?” Lucy asked, pointing to one drawing of a grassy landscape full of flowers and trees and a setting sun in the distance.
Chloe turns to look, "The people in the village. They helped make this connecting tunnel.”
“Wow!” Lucy says in awe, “that's amazing, they are very creative.”
“They really are. The people at the village actually were the ones to come up with the idea to redirect the tunnel, connecting the village to the old city for the purpose of me studying. You see, I liked to explore a lot when I was younger and would make my guardians worry a lot when they couldn't find me. They would try to punish me and tell me the dangers of exploring certain places. But that only made me want to check them out more. That is how I fell upon the ruins, it’s very difficult to actually get here, because the area is protected by these prickly thorny bushes that make it hard to pass safely. The city was built in a valley with large, steep mountains towering over. The hike up and over is incredibly dangerous, one misstep and you can fall to your death.”
“I see, so if it’s so dangerous why would the village build a tunnel to connect both places,” asked Lucy.
“It’s because when I first came here, I explored one of the buildings and found a very interesting book. It was a book about physics, it opened a whole new world for me. I got to learn so much about the world around me and how things work and was able to find ways to improve the village using the information I learned. Since then I’ve read many books on different topics. I loved them so much I kept them stashed in a secret place. So because of that they appreciated my help a ton and told me about a cave tunnel route that led into the old city. No one really enters out of fear of getting lost or sick. The village people love to stay where it’s safe, they are self sustainable and have a strong network within the village.”
“If you don't mind me asking, why are they so concerned about getting sick?” asked Lucy.
“Well, this area in particular is extremely polluted, it’s the reason why there’s a thick cloud encompassing the area, since the old city is located in a valley. Lately it’s started to spread outwards. I fear it might reach the village one day, but for now we are safe. I’m surprised you didn't get sick on your way here.” She turns around, “It seems that short term exposure doesn’t have any noticeable effects. By the way, where do you guys live?”
“We live in the land of Muffin and Milk, near a town called Neko Town! It’s a Town with a population of mostly cats. The residents living there tend to exhibit cat-like behaviors.”
“I see, cat people!” Chloe turns back to look at them, shifting her eyes between Tora and Lucy. “I see it now! Very cute.” She laughs.
Tora who was quiet this whole time finally spoke up, “I'm nothing like a cat.”
“Oh, you're a lot like a cat! Most definitely” she laughs some more. Tora squints in her direction refraining from saying something back. “Okay guys, we're almost there!”
“Oh yay, I think I see the door,” says Lucy. They approach a wooden door that doesn’t look too solid on the hinges.
“Yep!” As they get closer, Chloe quickens her step with excitement, “Prepare to be amazed.” She swings open the door with full force causing the door to make a cracking sound. The daytime light is blinding, they wait for their eyes to adjust before exiting the tunnel. As they exit Tora and Lucy are greeted with many acres of land full of nature and animals. There are many trees and colorful flowers all around. But as they get a closer look they realize that the flowers may actually be fake and some of the trees and animals aren’t real either.
Tora is confused at the sight of metallic flowers, “are these actually growing out of the ground?” she crouches down to touch one.
“Of course not, they are fake. I made them to beautify the place a bit and the village children helped me decorate. I found pictures of beautiful landscapes while cleaning at the lab, and got inspired by them. The plants we have here don't compare to the plants I've seen in photographs. Most of what we have is toxic anyways, there's no use cultivating them.”
Intrigued by the mention of toxic plants, Lucy blurts out “I think I may have a friend who can help you with that. She works with many kinds of toxic plants. I'm sure she will be able to find a way to make use of them!”
“Are you serious?” Chloe is filled with excitement, “That’s awesome!”
“Yeah, before we head back, give me a few clippings so I can take them back to her for study.”
“Will do! Thanks,” Chloe smiles. “Let's go, I think we might still make it in time.”
“In time for what?” Lucy asks.
“I just remembered that today the village is throwing a festival. You’ll get to learn a lot and taste a bunch of amazing food.” She leads them through the trees and up a short hill. As they reach the top, they are greeted with a sign hanging on an archway reading WELCOME BACK TO NUEVA ESPERANZA. As they enter the village, they notice the many vendor stalls lined up and down the path. People selling clothes, food, herbs and spices, jewelry, and other accessories. You can tell all the items are carefully made. “We are a maker's village, so everything is handmade. We often get travelers from other parts of the land that buy items here.” They continue to walk down the path which leads them into a circular plaza-like area with houses along the edges. They notice the villagers setting up tents and tables and even an event stage.
“Looks like they are still setting up. Come, there is something I want to show you guys.” They walk to the end of the plaza through the houses. The houses are neatly arranged in close proximity together, each with their own yard space. They pass a few more houses till they reach one that doesn’t look like the rest; it is tall and rectangular compared to all the dome-like houses. “This is my place,” Chloe says. “There is something inside I want to show you, please come in.” The house is huge, reaching two stories tall, the sound of their feet echoes throughout the house as they enter. Once inside they notice it’s kind of empty with a few pieces of furniture and art hanging on the walls. The layout of the first floor is very open and there are stairs across the front door leading to the second floor.
“I would have assumed your house would be more cluttered like your lab is.” Lucy says.
“Surprisingly it's not.” Chloe chuckles. “I’m not home too much of the time anyways, I spend most of my nights at the lab since I tend to lose track of time.”
“Doesn’t your family worry?”
“I don’t have any, I live alone.” Everyone is quiet as they walk up the stairs to the second floor. “Here's my surprise, I haven’t shown anyone yet.” They are surprised at the sight of many bookshelves lining the walls with a couple books stacked here and there. In the middle of the room there is a lounging area with couches positioned in a semicircle and a coffee table sitting in the middle of them, with low hanging reading lamps next to the couches. Around it are smaller shelves arranged in neat rows. Each shelf has its own specific genre tags.
“Wow this is literally a library!” Lucy says in awe.
“Well, that's what I'm hoping to turn this into one day, most of these books are from the ruins. I was able to recover and restore many books in the debris and file them into categories. I’ve read almost every book here. Now everyone will be able to read about the old city and learn about many topics. I haven't opened it to the public yet because I’m still fixing it up, I want to make it as cozy as possible.”
“I can't wait to see it when it’s all done!” Lucy says.
“When I finish, I will definitely let you know!”
Tora, uninterested in the conversation, wanders off searching the shelves as the other two continue to talk. As she’s browsing the shelves the title “Ancient Beasts” catches her eye, she reaches for the book.
“Alright let's go back,” says Chloe. Tora retracts her hand and stuffs it in her pocket. She walks back to her sister who is waiting for her by the door. As they arrived at the plaza, the stage and tables were all set up. There was a large buffet style table full of food and drinks. Many people are dancing and singing to the sound of the music that’s being played. The villagers kindly welcome them, and they feast on food, trying one of every dish. So many foods and fresh fruits they have never seen before, and the tender meats are bursting with wonderful flavors. Lucy and Tora spent the rest of the day with Chloe. She took them around to see all the other wonderful sights nearby.
As it started to get dark, Tora notices a few lights twinkling in the distance, “What’s that?” She asks.
“Oh, those lights? That's the new city being built. Unfortunately, it’s a gated community and no one is allowed to enter, well, unless you're invited in. I think they are trying to rebuild what the old city used to be.”
“I see, that’s very out of place.” responds Tora.
“Well, thanks for the tour!” Lucy cuts in. “We have to go before we miss the last train home. Next time you can come over to our place and we can show you around!”
“Okay, I’ll take you back then.” Chloe says as she gathers herself together.
“No need,” interrupts a male voice from behind them. They all turned around to see an older gentleman slowly walking towards them, “I’ll take them back in my truck.”
“Oh, hey there Mr. T! Are you sure?” Chloe asks the man.
“Yeah, that’s fine, I was going that way anyways,” he says.
Chloe turns to Lucy and Tora, “This is a good friend of mine, I trust he will take you home safely!” Then she turns to look at Tora, “And Tora I hope we can get along next time. Thanks for visiting you guys! Let me know what your friend says, okay Lucy?!”
They say their goodbyes giving each other a hug. Lucy and Tora hop into the man's truck settling themselves in the back. The man opens his mouth, “The name’s Turk, nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you. I'm Lucy and this is my sister Tora. Thanks for the ride.”
He starts the engine and begins to drive down a dirt path. “No Problem where are you going?”
"We came from beyond the fog from the land of Muffin and Milk."
Turk fell silent, “The fog? What brings you here?
“Well, we happened to be exploring and fell upon the ruins and that's where we met Chloe.”
“I see, I’m surprised she didn’t scare you away. She’s extremely untrusting of new people from strange places. I think all those books got into her head.” he continues to drive but in the opposite direction from where they came.
“Hey sorry, where are we going?” Lucy asks concerned.
“I’m taking you home, I'll show you a safer route to enter and exit this place. I travel alot for work so I know many routes. Most of the villagers are afraid to leave the place they find comfortable. But a few of us know the landscape. The others choose to live a worry free life away from everything. I’ve traveled most of the planet and have actually been to the land of Muffin and Milk. Everything is so vivid and green, it doesn't compare to this wasteland dump. Despite all that, I still love this place.” The man goes silent again before speaking, “I'll drop you off at the nearest station in Muffin and Milk.”
They finally arrive at the train station. They notice that it's the same station as the one they had gotten off on. “By the way, here is a map of the trail, it may help you if you want to come back. Not to mention safer than crossing the Fog. You are always welcome here.” He hands them the map. They get out of the car and thank Turk once again. Before they can ask Turk one final question he leaves in his truck. Lucy and Tora hop on the train and head home…
Thanks for reading! I am back with more story telling of the MuffinxMilk universe. I needed a creative break before I continued writing this story. If you enjoyed my short stories don't forget to like. Check out my new comic series called Boba Shop Sketches. The first episode is now out!
Important dates:
July 20th: Art and Food Fest
August 1st: New comic update
August 4th: New blog update
August 17th: Art and Food Fest
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