[img]https://i.imgur.com/xwN9fWQ.png[/img]

Horror grew in Faridah's heart as she lisgtened to the President's address.

[color=8493ca]"No. No no no no, this can't be happening! I was free! I was finally going to do... anything! Aaaargh!"[/color] The walls of her simple shelter cracked, dust and gravel sliding out the damage. Faridah began pacing, talking to herself. [color=8493ca]"I just wanted a place... somewhere safe... I kept it small. I could've helped rebuild, but now..."[/color]

She collapsed, sitting on the ground, breathing heavily. [color=8493ca]"Fine. Fine, it's fine. I'm not letting them decide for me. I just have to go bigger. Stronger. Too much trouble to deal with."[/color] Faridah gripped the floor, hands going throuigh the concrete as though it were wet, squeezing hard.

In what appeared to be just another part of ruined city, the concrete trembled. Collapsed buildings slid across the ground, grinding massive scars into the road, exposed rebar twisting around other pieces almost like they were holding hands, then pulling tightly together. A patchwork quilt of stonework began to form walls, different shades of paint and raw stone pressed into each other, fused together, gravel and dust plugging the gaps.

What formed was a small castle. A boxy fort three floors tall with thick walls, narrow windows and metal doors that still showed traces of being parts of cars pressed and bent into shape.

Then the outer walls began growing, smooth, steep concrete with stairs on the inside and battlements along the top. The materiel came from the ground below, a ditch forming to make the wall even more impenetrable. There was no gate or bridge, Faridah wouldn't think to add those for some time.

Instead, the leftover car parts started to form furniture. Plastic chairs and tables, a bed with a polyester mattress, a fake leather sofa. The genuine leather and cotton remained where it lay, no matter how much Faridah glared at it. Eventually, she moved it manually into an empty room.

There was only one more thing her castle needed. She'd saved the rarer metals for it. Not that there was anywhere near enough. Gold, silver and platinum were supplemented with bronze and brass, forming into a simple, blocky and very functional throne.

Faridah sat down and waited. No going back now. People would see her castle, and she wouldn't move. Let them try.