Desire of the Lost

A hand shoved her forward. The gentle push sent Libby a few steps towards the open doors of the train.

"Come on, Libby," her father said as her sister scurried on board followed closely by her mother.

"But, papa, the city..." Her father looked at the bronze city and gave a deep sigh.

"Indeed, we'll probably never see this place again," he said. "Maybe not until another year. Sometimes, even though it's only for a vacation, it can really feel like you used to live here." Libby kept her eyes at the city. Raising her hand, she waved to the bronze city before finally giving into her father's command and running into the doors. Steam spiraled in the air as the doors shut close. With a blaring hoot, Libby looked on with sadness as the train made its way across the railway.

Good-bye, bronze city, she thought. See you again after another year. Vacations just move by in a rush. The week she spent climbing up the towers. The time that she had running around many of the brazen people, all nailed together and slapped up with nails and screws--it all passed in a moment.

"Don't worry, Libby," her sister said when she saw her sag against the seat. "I'm sure there will be another vacation, and we will probably visit it again."

As the train made its way across the required path, she caught sight of an over-weight boy tapping his hands against the pole. His hair was covered with sweat. His brows looked on with a grim sense of disappointment as his hands slapped faster and faster. Finally, a woman in a hijab--most likely his mother--grabbed the boy's hands.

"Enogh!" she said in a stern voice. "Quie cupta ru!!!" The boy set himself down, his face downcast. For a moment, Libby caught sight of the boy's eyes. Bolts and screws lined up his body like they were locking something inside his chest. Libby turned her face away.

The train ride felt like it lasted for a millenium. Libby's eyes sank. Her breath slowed. The metallic bouncing of the wheels faded away as she closed her eyes, going into a deep sleep. The train hushed to a sudden stop. Her mother, looking at her fallen state, picked Libby up like she was a fragile human being about to die.

"Careful that she doesn't hit her head," her mother said. He nodded.

She didn't want to see the bronze city fade away. She didn't want to see the old home she thrived.

My eyes opened as I looked around at my surroundings. A dark room stared back at me, staring back at me as I sat in the corner of the wall. I moved my limbs a little, struggling to brush off some of the sleepiness inside my veins.

Home. Getting up from the ground, I made a loud stretch. The cool wind traveled up my spine, sending shivers all over my body. My eyes looked out at the moon rising from below. My thoughts traveled back to the time I had spent with the bronze city. I wished I could live there--become a part of the robots that lived there.

"Honey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dinner's ready!" I could hear my mother call from downstairs. I hated this type of life. Tying several blankets together to make a rope, I climbed down from the window into the outside air.

---

A part of me would really rather be having dinner.

The woods creaked with an effervescent howl as I crawled my way in the misty night. The cold hand of the wind caused myself to shiver. I pulled my blankets close around me as I journeyed a little bit farther. Yellow jackets buzzed close to me, hovering over me. I ran through the woods, panicking.

The thought of Mother's savory chicken breasts entered into my mind. The imaginary aroma traveled into my nostrils and lit up every part of my body. The safety of the house was what I wanted to get away from, but...food...

A silhouette moved in the middle of the night. In front of a lamp post, I saw his fast-moving arms slapping against the main frame. Sparkles of electricity crackled out of the post as his hands moved faster.