9 - Out of the city

                                    

                                          
The house crumbled faster than any other they had seen thus far. Roof-made rain fell down through the ceiling, corroding the pillars while penetrating in the floor and walls. Melted slime soaked Colin, covering him in dejected matter that kept filling the ground like a river, unwilling to form new bonds. Still clean despite the bathing, he stepped out of the mud and got back to the avenue with OOOO. 
                          
"Oh... Should we rebuild the house?" the creature asked.
                          
"No, let it go. I can only have it again when I have my world back," Colin said. "What did you do to Terra's Creator?"
                          
"Ok, wait, her name is Lara, so that you know. And I want to understand what you mean by that, don't I? Yes, because I did many things with her! She and I are good friends, aren't we? But maybe you're talking about how I made her give up of Terra with the World Voice?" it said, bobbing its head.
                          
"You released a monster over her. Is it what friends do in this Creator's realm? That doesn't sound friendly to me, you know, not at all, so I hope you see why I'm having trouble to trust you. You know how terrible your creature is, don't you? This thing melts everything, even you! Lara might have died!"
                          
"That's a possibility, yes, isn't it? And it's bad, I know, very bad. But... But I knew her, didn't I? And I think she's fine."
                          
"Have you seen her after the world's end, by any chance? Or are you talking out of your mouth?"
                          
"No, I didn't see her yet. However, she is the kind of Creator that's good at resisting sorrow, so I'm sure she found a good place to take care of her new projects, you see?" OOOO said.
                          
"Then I want to find her. I could never hope to create Terra again by myself, and even if I did, it wouldn't come from the original mind. I need to meet Lara and ask her to bring my world back, to let me live again with the people I love," Colin said.
                          
"You know you can just recreate these people yourself, don't you?"
                          
"Like you did at the beach? And watch them melt right after? It's... It's not the same, no..."
                          
"In fact, it is pretty much the same, isn't it? You know what you want, and it's only a matter of materializing it. Would that make you feel better?"
                          
"Not at all. I don't want melted people, and besides, it's not only the people. It's the whole life that I had with them. All of it! Can I wish and materialize it?"
                          
"It's a good try! It's all probably going to melt, though, isn't it? That's the funny thing about this world, you see, it has the World Voice, and it's mighty depressing, isn't it?"
                          
Colin walked away from OOOO, turning his back on it. He followed the avenue until the edge of the city, where ruins no longer appeared, where bare hills marked the entrance to the countryside, going the opposite way from the colossal glowing pillar of light. OOOO followed him in silence, curious to see its new friend in action, in a constant state of expectation. 
                          
As they roamed farther and farther from the city's wreckage, the land became monochromatic. Trees melted first, followed by any other form of vegetable life. A grayish slime covered hills and valleys, flowing towards crevices, filling the earth's pores with sad matter. 
                          
"You're walking nowhere, aren't you?" OOOO asked, unable to hold itself longer.
                          
"You said we could find other Creators around, so I'm looking for anybody. I'm trying to find Lara," Colin said, stepping hard on the soft ground.
                          
"Do you know where she lives?"
                          
"I have no idea. Maybe if I find someone, they can help me, and if I can help them back with something, I don't know, I'll do my best. You'll help me too, won't you? You said you were her friend."