After a long walk through the wasteland, as distant from the rare passing cars as she could be, Tashby finally saw the capital for the first time. It was different from what she'd imagined. The buildings were stylish and strange, but it was noisy and many of the parts were rather modern. Everything contrasted and complimented each other, which was strange to her.
"You like it?" Ivy asked. Tashby was surprised at her casual behavior.
"Yes," She admitted.
"We're approaching the main street. Lots of police there, don't lose track of me," Ivy gripped her hand and squeezed it.
The main street had a fountain in the middle, which Tashby had noticed, but it was barely seen behind the crowds. She walked on and felt someone tug the back of her collar. She wasn't surprised; such things often happened in crowded spaces. Probably an accident, she thought. She had to watch carefully not to step on someone's foot herself.
Then again, a stronger pull. Ivy's green shirt separated from Tashby as she was pulled backward. She tried to break out, but the grip was strong.
The crowd immediately locked, pushing Ivy out of sight. Now Tashby was lost. Great, she thought, looking around at her kidnapper.
The police. Tashby bent down and got herself untangled from his hands, but in such foot traffic, she'd sure be grabbed again. Pushing a person whose face she hadn't seen aside, dodging groups, she searched for her guide. Ivy was nowhere to be seen.
In barely a minute Tashby was exhausted, out of breath for the constant movement. She had to break free, but she saw nothing but bodies. It didn't matter to her that she'd be easily seen outside the crowd. She had to leave, think straight and examine the situation.
Tashby ran in a random direction, pushing more people aside. Noise, endless noise. Loud chatter. She craved silence now.
Finally, she found an empty space. Another street, going away. She pushed the last group of people and the endless crowd was finally torn, letting her out.
Why was there such a big crowd?
She moved on to the street, enjoying the serenity. Laora came to her mind. Now she wanted to be there for the first time in her life, with all its peace and quiet.