The city I dreamt of was large and sprawling.

Walkways stretched above me, bridges crossing the street I walked along. Waves washed ashore behind the buildings to my left, streets and walkways led to parks and fields behind the ones to my right. It occurred to me I had seen no one.

I called out. My voice seemed small and was quickly lost in the concrete that surrounded me. No one answered.

Shops stood open and empty. Doorways led to rooms that looked as if their owners had just left them. Here and there were signs of life, a steaming drink or a half-eaten pastry, but no one to claim them.

I called out. The concrete and stone swallowed the sound up. No one answered.

I turned and realised I no longer knew which way I had come. I tried not to panic, but fear rose inside me nonetheless. I began to run but the buildings that webbed about me held me fast. I could no longer hear my own footsteps and no matter which way I turned I was heading in the same direction.

And all the while, through the criss-crossing walkways and supports above me, the distant sky-scrapers kept a silent watch on my progress.

The city was large and sprawling but I saw no one.

{Hello Chosen Unit Antfarm}

The voice was everywhere, a metallic lilt that filled the air. Every wall and doorway, every window and billboard resonated with it. It filled my head and moved through me in a wave. I stopped dead and said “Hello?”.

{Welcome to Shade}

“What?” I asked, uncertain of the voice’s meaning. “What is shade? Who are you?”

{Welcome to Shade, Chosen Unit Antfarm. I am Shade}

“I don’t understand,” I said, “Where am I?”

There was pause and a barely perceptible click before the voice washed through me again.

{This is Shade and you are in grave danger, Chosen Unit Antfarm}

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To be continued…
All the “Far From Home” posts can be read here.

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