Chapter 2 - Past The City, And One Bothy Later

Patina watched the city fade, and be replaced by a vast landscape of stars, planets, intermingled with the constellations. Unfortunately, pollution made it difficult to see the wonders of the universe even with the best telescope. From tall buildings to cactuses, sand and tree's, the icy winds made Her luscious brown locks danced, and swayed underneath the skylight. Each step felt like a burden less she had to carry. The next town was a few miles from here but she had spent most of her money on the bothy, flights, and so on. The cliffs in distance were a testament to natures craftsmanship, they blended well with the starlight, and fauna dotted around. Patina felt an image forming in her head. She perched her body onto a bolder before unzipping her bag to retrieve a pallet, a brush, three tubes of paint, and a miniature canvas. Each brush stroke carried her fears away, creating a world of ethereal beauty where bills didn't exist, and responsibilities didn't exist. It was just herself, and her art. A flick of navy blue, so she used the last drop of white on the palette to recreate the milky way. Ever since she was a child she adored space because of its beauty, tenacity but most of all the mystery.

Patina knew on nights like this she made the right decision to become an artist. She dabbed a touch of white amongst the blue, and purple. She looked at the road ahead meditating on the future, this time last year she was climbing the Canadian Rockies, and now she was about to move to Scotland. She finished the landscape, and was thrilled with the outcome. She left the landscape to dry for a minute whilst she thought out her plan.

There was a crossroad, the left arrow pointed to the woods, the right pointed to the heart of the cliffs but the last one pointed straight ahead. She groaned, this hadn't been on the map, she kicked a rock before pulling out some paper from her bag. She tossed it into the air, and it flew toward the cliffs. She stomped her foot looking to the stars for help but they just twinkled. The breeze was getting colder so Patina bit her tongue, adjusted her bag before disappeared into the heart of the cliffs.

Patina found a cave so she flashed her torch into it. There were a few shadows from the rocks but nothing moving. She took a step further into the cave, and didn't hear any other movement aside from her own. Patina placed her duffel bag behind the rocks before gathering some bush from outside to start a campfire. She sat down, taking a couple of minutes to relax, she used some matches to spark the fire. Patina had gone wild camping before but was a bit rusty. She had packed reparations into her bag, Patina pawed her bag like a starved bear who had just came out of hibernation as she searched for her crackers, and low-fat peanut. Patina aligned her crackers into neat rows of three before using a knife to spread the creamy peanut butter.

The crackers were now reduced to crumbs on the ground, the fire had burnt down to hot embers. Patina leaned against the wall and watched the world turning outside. She tried taking a nap but an image kept flashing behind her eyes. It disturbed her, most of the time sleeping came easily even after guzzling down caffeine beverages like they were free crack at a campsite. Patina pushed her hair behind her ear, and straightened her back. Boredom hit her, she could draw but she had very few materials, and didn't want to run the risk of running out. She took another peek outside before deciding to take a walk.

The temperature was dropping to levels that made her shiver but she was outside of the cave, and to traipse back in required her to exert effort she didn't have. Plus, it would take time away from her exploration. Patina held herself, deciding to deal with the cold, she marched forward her sneakers crunching in the desert sands. Patina kept a mental note of the cave, getting lost in this area was asking for trouble. She continued her languid stroll when a bundle of trees caught her attention. Patina hadn't chosen this path but it did intrigue her.

There was a grotto nearby, and this enticed Patina. She jogged into it passing a few pine trees on the way. A lump caught Patinas eyes, as she approached, she discovered that there was a dark green metallic bunker in the middle of the clearing. She felt compelled to touch it. She got closer and noticed that the bolts were sealed over with rust. She felt the hair on her arms become little pine needles as she touched the cold handle. She bit her lip, her gut twisted with uncertainty but her hands pulled the bunker. The top refused to budge so Patina positioned her leg onto it using both of her hands to pull it. She landed on some twigs, and pine cones as the bunker snapped open knocking her onto the ground. Patina groaned but gathered her bearings. She approached the open bunker with caution. She peered over the opening; it was dark with no indication of its depth. Patina tossed a pine cone into it from the ground, and heard a small splash echo from inside of it. She left to get her torch from the campsite, there was no way she was doing this without light, and her phone light was not strong enough for all-encompassing darkness.

Patina landed in the sewer with a thud almost dropping her torch, the smell that hit her nostrils made her want to feint. Patina dusted herself off with her free hand and looked ahead. She used the torch to navigate the tunnel. She was curious yet puzzled as to why they built a sewer system down here. The walls were slimy, and had chipped paint marking them in numbers of two. Lines stretched across the walls but the names above them had been scratched off.

A figure moved in the background; the sounds of claws scratching followed it. She felt her legs stiffen at the sounds but her curiosity overpowered her fear so she stepped toward the creature. A pale creature with weird beady eyes, and indigo claws came into Patina's line of sight. Its body was humanoid but around four feet tall. She couldn't move, the creature cocked its head sniffing the air before screeching. She flinched hearing its crackling high-pitched scream, and backed away. Patina kept the light on its face, it was scrunched up and kicking its feet back. Her lungs pleaded and as she ran, the tunnels appeared to be the same repeating in a loop as she searched for an exit. The creatures growling became ear-splitting, patina clutched her head as pain overwhelmed her. There was a gust of cold air before she fell onto the ground. The creature came at her clawing her jeans. She kicked the creature with brute force before scrambling away. The thing wailed slinking back into the dark. She ensured enough space was between her, and the creature before bolting into a sprint. Tunnels past her in a blur, she had no idea where she was heading but as long as it was away from the creature she didn't care. She found a ladder heading up and held onto it for dear life. Patina climbing up it and upon reaching the hatch she pushed it with gusto. The creature had gotten closer, she felt a puff of air on her neck but dared not turn around. The hatch opened, so she leapt up feeling a sharp swipe at her shirt but ignored it as she landed in the dust of the desert. There was a hiss behind her before silence fell.

Patina panted laying there, she was aware that her sweatshirt was torn up. Voices came from the distance causing a new wave of fear hit her as she pushed herself to an upright position. Each stride crippled her muscles but eased her mind, that thing was not normal, and this site looked official in a "Trespassers will be shot kind of way." that made her shiver. She clambered over the chain fence landing on her knees as she reached the other side. She screamed as pain wracked her bones. She spat out sand that had gotten into her mouth before glancing back at the facility "What the hell was that thing?!" She asked. Alarms started blaring from the facility causing her to scramble to her feet before booking it back to the road she had come from in the first place.

Patina's legs and knees were bleeding, her back was itchy, and she had dirt covered gravel in places that sunlight never reached. The city was a welcoming sight, she hobbled to the nearest bench to catch her breath. She opened her bag to retrieve a hoodie, she pulled out a baggy Army Green hoodie and changed out of her sweatshirt. She found a trash can, and disposed of her tattered, bloody sweatshirt. The creature had clipped her shoulder but not scratched her fortunately but in trying to avoid it, she had fallen, been scratched on nails, branches along with pieces of discarded glass. "I hope I don't get some gnarly disease from that thing." she complained.

Patina had to buy a latte in order to use the bathroom at the fast-food joint. In the bathroom, She pressed tissue soaked with water into her cuts. Her wounds stung but they were not infected. The mark the creature had given her was not substantial but still hurt. She examined the rest of her body to ensure that there were no further injuries. She checked her pockets, and growled indignantly feeling shards of glass with wires poking her fingertips. She pulled out her broken phone dropping it to the floor giving it another stomp before disposing of it down the toilet.

Once she was finished, she took a seat in the corner drinking her latte. The airport was at the other end of town but her flight wasn't due for over three hours so she had time. She stirred her latte, before rubbing her neck; these last few days had knocked her back. Her beliefs taunted her, she was open minded but that creature, someone had engineered or trapped it but whatever the case was, no one else seemed to know of it. She finished her beverage, and after some deliberation decided against reporting it just in case it was something top secret that could lead to her being imprisoned or forced over a bridge.

Patina arrived at the airport, the place aside from a few staff members. Her bladder was starting to cramp so she searched for the nearest restroom. Once she was into fresh clothes she decided to wait for her flight. She had fallen asleep waiting for her flight until the speakers crackled out her flight number, it was boarding now so she broke free from her sleepy state before slipping on her bag, and ran toward the terminal.

Patina shuffled down the aisle, she placed her bag into the overhead luggage. She sat down before buckling into the seat. Patina rested her head against the headrest for a minute looking out of the window. The Altostratus clouds were like an opaque blanket covering the sky as she become lost in their wondrous depths.