Abandon
The Sun was setting pretty quickly. Shadows formed from the fading daylight slowly grew large enough to devour each other as the sky turned dark. Lifeless cars and trucks lined the roads with no drivers or passengers in sight. Hot dog stands, newspaper stalls, to even full blown shopping outlets were left completely empty. The city remained silent with nothing but the sound of the wind blowing through the city streets, weaving between building to building and open windows & shattered glass all around, producing the most unsettling whistling second only to the clicks and howls of the creatures living in the outskirts of the city.
A lone figure stepped out of an alley, carrying a leather pouch with a mask and hood drawn over their head. The figure wandered around, looking through the empty cars and snatching whatever was left behind. "I hope I can find something fun to play with for once", the figure mumbled quietly. All the car locks had already deteriorated over time, the figure only having to tug on the door handles a little to get them open. Sometimes, the windows would shatter if they were pulled too harshly but otherwise cleanly falling off. "Whoops", they would chuckle softly.
The figure made quick work of the cars as they moved on to the deserted roadside stores. Many of them were closed but every now and then the shutters would be left open, allowing for the figure to search around and loot the place, filling their pouch with random items. So far, the figure has only snagged a few things; a pair of slightly decaying dice, a rusty old pocket watch and two rotting plush toys. "Oooh, what do we have here?", the figure asked aloud. The next store was a boutique.
Should I though..?, they wondered in their head. Despite the cold, the figure simply stood at the display window with their lantern. They stared at the mannequins on display, only able to imagine how the now-rotting dresses would have looked like in the past. With a sigh, they turned around to head back.
A splinter of light caught their eye as they turned. Peering through the window, the figure noticed a glint of metal flash thanks to the dim lantern's light. A sewing machine, safely packed in a transparent box lay on the ground, partially covered beneath a pile of clothes. The figure decided to grab it as well. Since the front door was jammed, the figure had to find another way in. Setting the lantern down, the figure looked around for anything that could have been used to smash the display window, their eyes fell unto a bicycle parked by an alley.
After dragging it slowly, due to its chains already tangled and unusable, the figure threw the bike, making their way into the boutique. With some groaning and quiet muttering, they rummaged through the dresses. It didn't take long but it was enough for dark clouds to appear, not that they would have noticed in the already dark sky. By the time the figure had pulled out the sewing machine from the pile, it had started to rain. This was not going the way the figure wanted. They gazed out the window, planning on making a break for it before the rain gets worse. They hopped on their spot, warming themselves up before running. Three... two.. one!-
The figure had barely taken a step on the sidewalk before slipping and faceplanting into a puddle. Owww... Good thing the figure wore a mask or they might have dirtied their face. The figure grumbled, glaring at the rain pooling down where they slipped earlier. Pulling down the mask to check for injuries, the figure slowly felt their face. No broken nose... teeth alright.. mole on my right is still there, they thought to themselves, staring at the reflection in the puddle with honey-coloured eyes. Alright, need to head back soon. The figure got up abruptly and proceeded to sprint back to their home in the forest, clearly not having learned a lesson.
Barely half an hour into the forest and the air had turned frosty. The figure slowed down to a leisure stroll since the rain hadn't caught up yet, taking in the many sounds of the night. Crickets chirping, flying creatures screeching into the night, the trickling of a river flowing somewhere deeper in the woods. A truly serene atmosphere that could only be heard without the noise of human civilisation involved. Finally reaching the thick of the forest, hiding a cosy hut made out of vines and leaves in the middle of the greenery, decorated with flowers and glowing plants. Fireflies and butterflies fluttered nearby, brightening up the scenery in the pitch-black night. A simple sign was set right at the door, finished with a vibrant pink and black embroidery of a name, Ceres Fauna.