Tin Man

Chapter 5: Does Everything Really End?

Chapter Five; Does Everything Really End?

I looked off into the distance, I thought about the day I met Don.

I shuddered at the memory.

There was nothing but fire spreading for miles.

I was running for my life. I'd watched my adoptive father burn to a crisp. I remember running until the wires in my joints felt as if they would snap apart.

I saw Don lying on the ground. He was crushed under part of a building.

I pulled him out. But half of his legs got torn off. I picked him up and ran until I found this car. I remember driving for days and days. Just searching for a sign that someone else was still alive. Me and Don went a couple of years honestly believing we were all that was left. At some point I'd repaired his legs, a makeshift job that has lasted to this very day, though when we finally found the lab we replaced the skin. I remember how scared we were. The world felt so empty. We watched the flames go out as time went on. When we found the lab there were already tons of robots and humans sheltered up inside. Though there only about twelve humans, if I remember correctly. They eventually died. It's just us robots there now.

I'd saved Don's life. He would have burnt and perished had I not saved him.

I wonder to this very day what compelled me to pick him up. I just know I'm thankful I did so. I know he is to.

I'm all he has. I'm all he'll ever have.

We finally arrived to where the trees and flowers were. A few feet away from it all was a giant wheel, rusted, covered in ivy. A century ago plants started growing again. Despite the fact that it's constantly raining on and off, and the sun never shines, life goes on. I remembered what this wheel was, it used to be called, 'The London Eye' though I suppose that's still its name. Since no one has given it a different one.

"It's gorgeous." He was in awe at the sight of it. He ran up to the tallest tree and started to climb it, it was a pale beige with a thin trunk, and green and brown leaves. They all looked like that. Tall, skinny, almost morbid. Not like any from back before the end.

"Careful!"

"I'm okay. You'll catch me if I fall." He giggled. Of course I would catch him. I laid a red blanket down on the ground, and pulled out a bowl of chicken and dumplings.

"Why doesn't the sun shine anymore?" He asked me curiously as he sat down and grabbed a plate, putting some dumplings on it.

"It- it ended. I guess."

"Does everything end?" He looked frightened.

"I don't know. I know we don't end. Apparently humans haven't ended, plants are still growing."

He frowned.

"And the rain doesn't seem to end." He announced, almost making a joke of it.

"At least it's not raining today."

He looked up at the sky.

"Do you think there's life in outer space?"

I stifled a laugh. He was so curious about everything.

"Maybe. Maybe that 'god' guy lives up there, and maybe he's crying, and maybe that's why it's raining." I wasn't being serious, but he took everything I said as fact.

"Maybe."

We sat in silence the rest of the meal. When we were finally done he got up and started to explore.

"None of these flowers look anything like the ones of old Matreya, or old Origin." It seemed to infatuate him.

"I remember roses, those were my favorite." I said quietly. I didn't know anything about plants. He knew all about them, how they grew, what they were made of, everything. A fascination I couldn't explain, but could only contribute to. Today was probably one of his happiest in years.

For a while we played around, hide and seek, tag, we picked some flowers and put them in our picnic basket, he said he was going to start a collection. And that later he wanted to come back for more.

"Do you think that wheel still works?" He asked as we drove away.

"Nah. But how about this, when we get that human taken care of, we fix it up."

He smiled and closed his eyes. I knew he'd have fun today.

I didn't really want to get rid of the human...