<span style="font-style: italic">Shoulda worn a jacket....</span>she thought.<br/><br/>The night was pitch black. She supposed there was probably a moon out, but whatever light it cast was lost behind the tall buildings. The area she worked in was not as well lit as some of the nicer commercial sectors. She supposed this was deliberate. Any existing street lights were probably vandalized by whatever denisens of the night should decide they'd prefer darkness while doing business. When he mentioned a moonlit walk on the beach, she quirked an eyebrow at him.<br/><br/>"You really are that optimistic, aren't you..." she said, somewhat amused, "We're walking through a dangerous neighborhood with almost no light at all... And you see a romantic occasion..." chuckling, she fell silent for a few moments as she guided them through a fenced alley, across a parking lot, and down a garbage-strewn street. "I'm... not sure if you've noticed... but the world is not what it used to be... People are... scared. A lot of people have been hording food and weapons... strange stuff has been happening. Really strange. Though some people seem not to have noticed... I'm not sure how they could fail to see it..."