The End Of Their World (or what I've typed up thus far...)

I was left for dead. The scavengers fed upon my ridicule. I had to get out of this place before they came again. This time they would leave nothing behind. I wouldn’t have time to shed one tear before they got me.

I lifted my head. The hallway was empty except for abandoned loose-leaf paper and miscellaneous articles of trash. The bell had rung.

I slowly got to my feet, aching from the pain.

What just happened? I looked around, expecting a tumbleweed to skip across the solace hallway. I brushed my jeans off and tugged at my t-shirt a bit.

There, good as new. I strode down the hall, peering into the void rooms. Gone. Everyone, gone. They had left long ago. Cowards.

I slid my hand along the lockers, leaving strokes of dustless streams flowing across the doors. A critter scurried past me, making me jump back for a second.

“Run little guy. Get out of here while you still have the chance.” My voice was like a stranger’s, unfamiliar and awkward. It had been weeks, maybe even months, since I had heard it. It used to comfort me, but now I saw no point in talking out loud; my head was just fine for conversation.

Flashes of the past kept flickering in my mind. The dreams came in the day and at night. I couldn’t hide from them. They frightened me. They were all too real, making me feel like I was reliving them again. My mind was mysterious; it created such illusions to frazzle me, to frighten me, to remind me. The past was a nightmare, destined to haunt my mind until the day I die.

These halls were like a ghost town, barren and eerie. I was alone.

I didn’t mind being alone much anymore. That phase had already passed. Plus, I knew that there were others just like me still out there, hiding. I would find them and together we could avenge our world. We would fight like others before us. Maybe this time we would win. The invaders were strong and merciless. Well, almost merciless. They had spared me, hadn’t they? But then again, I was alone, not in an army or militia. I had no weapons, nothing but myself to defend me. That’s why they had taken out the others. Annihilated them all. Everyone, gone.

I never wanted to fight; I saw no point of it. They were much stronger and smarter than our human race, more tactful and skilled. That’s why it was so easy to obliterate us. We tend to flock together rather than go off on our own. We make ourselves an easy target. We are sheep in a universe of lions. But there are some lone wolves living among the sheep, myself being one of them. I never id do what society elected as “normal.” I guess that’s why they spared me. I was unique, one of a kind. Just like the invaders.

However, I was flawed. My constant hallucinations separated me from them. Like the runt of the litter, too small to keep up, to impaired to be cared for. No choice but to be alone. Which is why they didn’t keep me to be one of them. But if I found the others again, I’m sure that I would not be spared a second time. They would see that I needed other people to survive in this post-apocalyptic world and kill me on the spot. No second thoughts to be given at all. So I debated whether I really wanted to find them or not. On one hand, we could train and fight and possibly win our world back; on the other hand, definite and immediate death for all of us.

I turned a corner and stopped dead in my tracks. The smell hit me first. The aroma was so thick, I was suffocating. I’d only seen a dead body a couple of times before, and for the most part that was after the mortician had done his job. Now, piled up before me, lay hundreds upon hundreds of my own kind. A holocaust. What reporters had predicted, it was true. This was another holocaust. Genocide of the human race.

The sight in front of me reminded me of pictures I had seen from the Holocaust.  Nazis would pile Jews up, building massive walls with their limp and rotting corpses.  It terrified me and gave me goose bumps.  I used to think, “How can humanity be that cruel?  What could possess someone to exterminate an entire race?”  Now I realized that these conflicts go beyond Hitler’s Germany, and Darfur.

         However, this went way beyond Hitler’s cruelty. This frightened me more than the invasion. More than anything I’ve ever seen or heard before.  Terrified faces of friends stared back at me blankly. Emerald. Aiden. Kaine. Zara. Probably more.

         My eyes swelled with tears. Disbelief and fear were all that I could muster up. I stood there, paralyzed. One thought was on my mind.

         I have to get out of here. NOW!

         I quickly backed out the way I came. I couldn’t stand seeing the mangled bodies of my peers any longer. I sprinted down the halls, turning corners cautiously. Although I knew this place like the back of my hand, it all seemed alien to me now as I searched for an exit, any way out possible. I cleared a small set of stairs and tried to do the same with the next set. I tripped on the third to last stair and tumbled down the rest and into a wall.

         “Aaaggghhh!!!” I screamed out in pain. I laid there for a minute or two, trying to get the feeling back into my legs. I eased myself up, feeling a sharp pain in my right leg. Testing my weight on it, I decided it was ok enough to continue on. 

         I took it easy on the next set of stairs, going down each one instead of jumping them all at once.  I finally reached the ground floor.  I made myself a little more aware of my surroundings, cautious about any sound that reached my ears.  This was more dangerous territory than upstairs.  They could be lurking around every corner down here, searching for a good kill.  They never went too far into a building.  I assume it was for some sort of safety issue—or something like that.

         I took quick and quiet steps, darting my eyes in every direction to make sure I wasn’t being stalked.  I probably looked ridiculous with my over dramatic, insect-like movements.

         Just as I passed by the cafeteria, I heard something.

         “Errggll…” It sounded close. Like a gurgling noise.  Then I realized where it was coming from.  I looked down at my stomach just as it sounded again. 

         “EEERRRGGGLLL…” I couldn’t remember the last time I had something in my belly.  I was starved.

         I remember when food was a lot easier to come by. When we were a group, the men would go out and hunt while the rest of us sat around and waited inside. We had reverted to something we hadn’t been as a human race in a long time. Something barbaric. After they left surviving was a bit harder, but every so often food would just appear. Someone was still looking after me, or was at least. I hadn’t received any food for a few weeks, so I had to take up scavenging.

         I turned my head to the cafeteria, back to my stomach, then to the cafeteria again.

         There’s gotta be something still in there, I told myself.  I peeked through the tiny window on the door to see if any of them were lurking in there.  The coast was clear.  I tugged on the heavy oak door.  It wouldn’t budge.  I tried the other one.  Still nothing.  I didn’t want to make too much noise, so kicking it down was out of the question.  Trying one last tug at the doors, I finally threw my hands up in defeat—food wasn’t worth getting caught for.

         I continued down the hall, still presenting my jerky, cautionary movements.  Just as I was about to give up finding a way out of this hell hole, I came across a set of doors that had sunlight streaking through they windows.  A desperate smile spread across my face as I slammed through one of the doors.

         Sunlight blanketed every inch of my body.  My dirt splattered face soaked up the great warmth.  I had forgotten how amazing the outside world was.  However, there wasn’t the same feeling of bliss that I once had when dancing in the sun.  All around me showed evidence of a dying world.  Grass was brown and brittle with age.  Trees, leafless and dead, stood like twigs in wet sand.  The air had a bite to it, unusual for the middle of July.

         The invasion did not do this.  We were ending our existence before the invasion even came.  The irony struck me as morbidly humorous.

         I made my way to the curb to rest for a bit.  I eased myself down, stretching my right let out in front of me.  I pulled up my pant leg to see what damaged had been done.  A large gash had been the culprit of the dark stain on my jeans.  The gore brought back the terrible visions.

         I couldn’t believe they had been caught.  Aiden was always the smart one.  I just knew he would get them out of here safely.  I guess he proved me wrong—like he always did.

         One wet tear ran down my cheek.  My friends were gone.  I was alone.  It’s funny how a person can go on through life, living as if everything was fine even if they knew it wasn’t, and then something happens, the truth is shed upon them abruptly, and then they finally break down.  They finally see how cruel and morbid and disturbing their world is.  I was having one of these moments.

         I buried my face in the palms of my hands and broke down.  A wave of depression and guilt and sorrow crashed over me.  Depression, because I knew their fate would soon be mine; guilt, because I should’ve been dead instead of them; sorrow, for both theirs and my loss.  I never thought I could feel this much pain.  Everyone around me was being murdered.  My life was a massacre.

         After about ten minutes or so, I slowly lifted my head.  First, my hands started to shake, then up through my arms, down to my legs, and then my whole body.  It was happening again.  My head tilted back, my eyes rolled back into my skull; my breathing became quick, short gasps for air.  I gritted my teeth and let the fit take its course.  After all, I could do a thing about it, so no point or reason to hold it back.  I fell backward onto the concrete, my whole body spazing out. And then—blackout.  Goodnight—that’s all folks.

         

         My vision was fuzzy.  This room was oddly familiar, but I couldn’t place where I’d seen it before.  I stood there, in the middle of the room, nothing but chairs and me.  The chairs lined the walls.  There was no door and no windows.  I looked up and saw the night sky, hazy and only a few stars.  Then…they arrived.

         One after another, they leaped from the outside into my little room.  My eyes were wide with fear.  I tried to run to the other side of the room, but one of them grabbed me by m y hair.  I jerked back and shrieked.  He pulled me close to him, so close I could smell his sweet odor.  I tried to keep from showing fear, which was how they chose first kill.  My breathing steadied and I held my fists tight at my sides.  He whispered something incomprehensible into my ear, sending shivers down my spine.  He barked an order at the three others, and then they left.  It was just he and I.  He threw me to the floor and took a menacing step towards me.  His eyes were red with fiery anger.  I crawled backwards to one of the chairs by a nearby wall.  I climbed into the sear and watched him casually make his way closer to me.

         “I’m not afraid of you.”  I told him—keeping my voice monotone.  I had to keep from showing how terrified I truly was.  He stopped in front of the chair, towering over me.  He clasped one hand on my face, four fingers on one side and his thumb on the other.  He pulled up, making me stand up at his pace.  He was only about a head taller than me, which wasn’t new to me at all; I had always been pretty small.  He looked me in the eye so intensely, as if searching for something beyond my eyes.  Then he spoke in a tongue I could understand.

         “You are not one of them.”  His voice sounded like an angel’s, soothing yet not from modern times. “You are…unique.  Different from them- in mysterious ways. You have a name?”

         “Ye…yes.”  I quickly nodded. “It’s Armedia. My name is Armedia.” No one ever called me by my full name though.  My friends just called me Dia—for short.

         “Armedia? Well, Armedia, it will be a shame to have to kill you.”  He was sincere.  “Such a beautiful name.”  He cocked his head a bit to the side and smirked, the anger never leaving his eyes. Then, he jumped at me.

         

         I woke up screaming.  I had broken a sweat and my heart was racing.  Instinctually I felt my face, as if searching for damage.  I was fine.  I steadied my pulse and examined my surroundings.  I must’ve been out for hours; the sky was already a deep plum shade.

         I rose up, taking a deep breath.  A quick shiver ran through my body.  It had gotten colder since I got out here.  I looked around; trying to determine which way would be the best path to take. 

         I couldn’t stay inside the school anymore, not with death lingering inside its halls.  But I did need to stay close by.  I was using some of the lockers to keep supplies in.  If I wanted to survive, I had to find some place nearby so I could come and go as needed.  To the left of me was a wooded area.  They would expect to find humans hiding there. I shook my head at the option and turned to my right. More trees, but not dense like the woods on the other side. These trees were only thick enough to separate the school grounds from the neighborhood next door.  I decided to take this route.  The houses were empty and maybe even stocked up.  If anything, I’d at least have a bed to sleep in.  Maybe even working lights and running water.

         I quickly made my way across the empty parking lot, through the brush, and into a backyard.  I still hadn’t gotten used to seeing neighborhoods not lit up.  Back before the invasion people would leave lights on almost all night long, or sometimes the blue from a TV screen would illuminate entire rooms.  Even after the light sin houses were put out, the streets would always be bright with street lamps and walkway lights.  Now, the only light I used to guide my way was from the night sky.  It was a full moon tonight, which was great for me, given my situation.  However, it was also my enemy.  I would be much easier spotted than on a night with less illumination.  So I had to be quick and unseen choosing my new hideout. 

         I sprinted up a slight hill and to a sliding glass door.  I cupped my hands to the glass a peeked inside.  It looked clear from what I could see, so I eased the door open slowly.  An odd odor crashed over me.  Death.  I swiftly closed the door, holding my breath.  This house was a no.

         I ran to the next house over, staying in the shadows and low to the ground like a predator.  This one had no direct door to the basement; I would have to use the backdoor. I was wary about stepping foot onto the back porch, fearing that the old wood would either give way under my foot or cause too much noise.  I decided to make my way to the next house.

         This one had a door to the basement with a small window in the top half.  I couldn’t see much through the window, but I took my chances with this house anyway.

         The door opened easily, without any creaks to give me away.  I stepped inside, aware of any sudden sounds or movements.  I stood there for a movement, allowing my eyes to adjust to the bitter darkness.  Soon enough, I could see the room with no troubles.

         It was a modest room, not overdone in the least—fully finished and furnished; this made an excellent upgrade from my shabby classrooms and teacher’s lounge.  There were three doors visible from where I stood, all to my left.  I made my way over to one of them.  I put my ear up to it to make sure nothing or no one was on the other side of it.  After hearing nothing I cracked the door open.  I saw a towel hanging on a glass door and some bottles sitting on a shelf.  I opened the door the rest of the way to reveal a small bathroom.

         I took a mental note of this room and closed the door.  The next room appeared to be some kind of office space.  A desktop was positioned over in the corner, its monitor black with death.  I told myself that I'd come back later to see if it worked.

         I closed this door simultaneously as I opened the next.  An enormous bed practically filled the room.  My eyes lit up with joy as I ran and jumped onto the bed.  It had been ages since I had slept in a real bed.

         I pressed my face into a pillow and inhaled a fresh linen aroma.  It had been eve longer since I’d smelled clean sheets. I layed there for a while, pretending that I was back at home and everything was O.K.  Soon, my mom would come in and wake me up for school.  I wouldn’t want to get up and I’d bury myself under my covers.  It was like my burrow, my den.  I was constantly hibernating.

         Just as I thought I was about to fall asleep, something hit me.  Why were there fresh sheets on a bed no one would sleep in?  Even if they were clean before the residents left, the smell would be this strong.  I quickly got off the bed and ran out of the room.

         I debated whether or not I should check the rest of the place out.  If I did, I could very possibly run into someone I’d rather not run into.  If I didn’t, they would run into me.  Neither of which sounded very pleasing, but I’d rather be ready for them than be found by them.

         I looked for something that could be turned into a weapon.  There was a small lamp resting on an end table.  I traced its cord back to the wall and unplugged it.  Wrapping the cord around the base of the lamp, I made my way across the room.  I found a large pool table taking up the other half of the room with a bar area to the left of it. Beyond the bar resided another door and a set of stairs leading up to the first floor.  I opened the door slowly, revealing a storage closet.  I made a note to search there later for anything I could use.  I turned toward the stairs and looked up.

         It was a narrow stairway that took a sharp left turn.  I started up them, gripping my lamp-turned-bat tight in my hands.  The door to the first floor was shut.  Whoever was once living or currently living here sure didn’t want anyone to go into these rooms.

         I twisted the knob and eased the door open.  This whole house seemed to be a maze.  To my right were two hallways, one leading to a living room and the other to somewhere behind me.  On my left was the front door and another staircase leading to a balcony on the second floor.  A large chandelier hung overhead; the moonlight danced across the diamonds and onto the walls like a disco ball.

         The floor creaked up here, so I had to be light on my feet.  I tiptoed down the hallway that snaked behind me and ended up in the kitchen.  There were three large glass windows that looked over the backyard.  If anyone else was here, they probably already knew I had snuck in.  There weren’t any shades or blinds on the windows so I had to be cautious and avoid being near them.  There were more entryways in here.  One connected to a dining room with more large windows.  One was closed.  I assumed it led to a garage of some sort.  I cautiously walked over to the third.  It led to the living room I had seen earlier.  This house was one big circle!

         I turned around quickly, fearing that I was being talked.  I went through the dining room and appeared in the foyer with the stairs and the front door and the chandelier.  Then I saw it! A quick flash of light, as if someone was quickly putting out a candle or turning off a flashlight.  I was not alone.  I was being stalked.  But I was ready.

         I tiptoed across the foyer into a smaller living room.  The flash had come from the large one I had seen earlier.  I inched through a door way and into the large living room.  There were two couches, a big screen TV, and 3 more large windows staring back at me.  I saw his reflection in the TV.

         He was crouched down behind on of the couches; waiting for me to inch closer.  He turned his head toward the TV, watching me stand there, paralyzed.  He had seen me coming, even from outside.  But why was he living in here?  They had camps set up in several areas, where they all slept and ate and lived.  They only come out here to kill and that did not involve stakeouts.

         Maybe he wasn’t one of them?  Maybe he was human, hiding out here like I wanted to.  There was terror in his eyes; I could see it even in the dark.  He had to be human, I just knew it.  But I had to make sure.

         “Uh, um, if anyone’s in here, I, uh, I’m one of you. I’m normal. I’m human.”  I waited there patiently for him to respond.  Instead, I heard a click.  His flashlight illuminated the room, casting eerie shadows across the walls.  He stood up slowly, and I noticed something else in his hand.  A gun.

         I raised my hands up signaling I was not up for a fight.  The lamp said otherwise.  I looked at the lamp and chuckled lightly.

         “I thought you could use a little more light up here.” I joked.  I set the lamp on the floor beside me and looked him in the eye.  He was familiar, but I couldn’t place where I’d seen him before. He stared back at me, showing no sign of fear but still signs of caution. He wasn’t convinced with my lamp story or with my “I come in peace” crap.  I took a step forward.  He stood in place, watching me intently. “So, uh, nice place you’ve, uh, got here. Very… homey.” I took another nervous step towards him.

“This isn’t my place.” Although he spoke in monotone, I could tell his voice had some sort of accent to it. It was beautiful, almost like…

I couldn’t breathe. My knees shook violently and I fell to the ground. As the room around me faded, I could still hear his voice. Panicked and frantic it came now.

“Miss! Miss! Hello?! Are you ok?!” Soon, he too faded away.

A siren sounded in the distance. He had me pinned to the cold tile floor, his claws just centimeters from tearing my face off. He turned his head, listening to the low rumble of the blaring siren. Then he turned back to me.

Still, even in death’s grip, I was fearless. Or, at least I appeared fearless. I would die appearing fearless if I had to. He lifted me to his face. Again, his sweet, seductive odor hypnotized me, dancing around me, caressing my skin. I wondered if anyone else had gotten this close to them without being massacred.

“There is something about you. Something… I cannot explain it, but it is there.” His words were like music to my ears. He scanned my face over with his eyes again, searching for his missing answer.

Just as I thought I could stay forever in his presence, the three he had sent off before appeared behind him; back from their mission, I suppose.

“Play dead,” he quickly whispered to me, dropping me to the floor. I layed there, as still as possible, and held my breath. He turned around and spoke in their tongue.

I assumed he was a higher rank than the others, or maybe they were his posse. The way he spoke to them seemed authoritative and demanding. They listened quietly and attentively, never speaking out of turn. He pointed in a direction and they all nodded. They took off in the given direction, and a few moments after they left, he turned back to me.

Kneeling down, he put one hand on my shoulder slightly.

“You must not stay here. I will take you to where it is safe. Do you understand?”

I nodded quickly, dumbfounded by why he wasn’t killing me.

“Why…” He put a finger to my lips and shook his head. Lifting me over his shoulder with incredible ease, he leaped up into the night sky and over the wall.

These door-less and windowless  rooms were built to protect people. We didn’t realize that the invaders were so skilled that they could merely jump these walls like one could with a two-foot fence. Instead of being there for protection, they made perfect holding pins for us sheep.

He ran with me through a wooded area. Trees and some nighttime creatures whisked by as we made our way to my destination. He finally exited the woods and set me on my feet.

“Here. You will stay here.” He jutted his chin toward my old school building. Eastpoint High School, home of the buffalo. Four years of my life wasted away in these halls. I knew my way around this place like it was my own home, but I definitely didn’t love it like it was.

He ushered me forward, hinting to me that it was time we parted ways. But I had to know before he left. Why had he spared me?

I turned to him and looked him in the eye. His were no longer the fiery red from before but rather a soft, pale blue. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve assumed he was human. I never knew they were able to camouflage themselves like that. That must make it easy to hunt any unsuspecting humans, like myself.

I quickly shook the thought away, took a deep breath, and prepared to ask him.

The siren was still blaring in the background, so I guess that’s why I didn’t hear them coming.

His eyes grew wide with fear as I pulled away from behind. The one holding me hissed in my ear as the other grabbed my arms and legs. I thrashed wildly about, trying to throw them off of me, but to no prevail. They were much stronger than I.

They tore and bit at me, laughing and shrieking from amusement. I cried out in pain as a claw swiped my cheek. I felt blood trickle down every inch of my body.

This was the end.

I shot up quickly, gasping for air. The room was softly lit with candles and the smell of freshly brewed tea was in the air. I looked around, expecting to see them crowded around me. I relaxed as I realized it was just another dream.

I threw my feet over the bed and felt a slight draft. I looked at my legs and saw bare skin. My pants were gone! I shot glances around the room, scanning for the jeans, but still they were M.I.A.

I grabbed a blanket from the end of the bed and wrapped it around my waist like a skirt. As I tried to recall what happened, I remembered the guy I ran into. A disturbing thought slithered across my mind as I exited the room.

I was back in the basement again, but this time I was able to get a better view. Candles were lit on end tables and across the bar counter, illuminating the room and revealing the shabby nature of the furniture.

From the bathroom, I heard water running and splashing. I slowly crept the door open, unveiling where the sound had come from. My host was standing at the sink, jeans in hand, holding them under steamy water.

He quickly looked up as he noticed that I had entered the room. He glanced down at the blanket around my waist curiously, and then returned his gaze to me.

I gave him a suspicious look, eyeing my pants not so subtly. My stare soon registered in his mind and realization spread across his face.

“I was cleaning them. They had blood on the leg. I didn’t think you’d want to be walking around smelling like prey, that’s all.” He spoke slowly, as if talking to a child. He didn’t look much older than me, maybe in his early or mid-twenties. His eyes were a vibrant jade, complimenting the reddish-brown hair that fell over his face. He had hair under his chin of a darker shade.

“I fell.” I told him, explaining the blood.

“I figured as much.” He shyly looked at me, then went back to the pants.

“So… what’s your name?” I wanted to keep a conversation going; his voice was so heavenly.

“Max. Just Max. And yours?” He glanced up at me as he spoke.

“Armedia. But you can just call me Dia. It’s easier to pronounce.” I chuckled a little at that. “So, what kind of name is that? Max? Maaax.” I twirled the name around in my mouth for a moment. “It’s so… different.” He gave me an odd look, like I had said something offbeat.

“It’s a normal name. A human name.”

“What do you mean by that?” I shot him a puzzled look. I was human. Did he suspect differently? If he did, why was he helping me?

“You don’t trust me, do you?” I confronted him. He only glanced up, shook his head, and went back to washing my jeans. I was getting frustrated with this Max guy. I didn’t know if he was shaking his at the question or at me.

As I turned away, heading back to the bedroom, he answered my question.

“I don’t trust any woman lurking around outside at this hour.” I could hear the humor in his voice. I shook my head and smiled softly to myself, and continued to the room.

I located where the tea smell was coming from. On the dresser sat a small tea set; steam rose from the decorative, ceramic kettle. I poured myself a cup and sipped it slightly. It was soothing, to say the least, especially because it had been quite awhile since I last had something hot. I had been living off of snacks from the vending machines for the past few weeks, eating only when I really needed it. Occasionally I would come across old apples in teachers’ desks,  but they were too horrible to even fathom eating. Hot tea was something I never dreamed of tasting again. It comforted me as I went to sit on the soft bed.

About an hour passed by and I remained in the room. Max would occasionally poke his head in, checking on me and seeing if I needed anything. I shook my and smiled each time, thanking him for the offer. I’m not sure what time it was, but I soon drifted off to sleep.

It’s strange about my dreams. When I fall asleep I never dream. At least, I don’t recall any dreams I may have had. But when the fits occur, I dream so vividly. Maybe it’s my mind’s way of making up for the lost dreams in my sleep.

Whatever the reason, I’m glad I don’t dream like I do when I’m unconscious. I would never want to sleep knowing I’d return to the hallucinations.

It didn’t seem like too much later when I awoke to Max shaking me fiercely.

“I’m up, I’m up! What’s wrong?” Although alarmed, I was still a bit sleepy.

“You’re a really deep sleeper, do you know that?” He seemed to have lost the tension he was harboring before, shown by his now playful nature.

“Yes, I realize this. But why’d you wake me up? I was tired.” I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand.

He smiled and raised an eyebrow.

“One would assume that after having a very long day, as I assume you’ve had, that a young lady would desire nothing more than a nice, hot shower.” He had a hint of sarcasm in his tone. But a shower did sound nice.

I looked down at my dirt-splattered hands, noticing bits of dust and clay wedged under my fingernails. I was used to rinsing off in the school bathrooms with only the sinks and the hand dryers. A shower sounded like something fit for royalty right now.

I bit my bottom lip and nodded shyly as he helped me out of bed. I could only imagine what I reeked of as he led me to the bathroom and showed me how to work the knobs. I thanked him and shut the door behind him. I thought about locking the door, but decided against it. He seemed to be mature and well-mannered enough. I turned the shower on like he showed me and quickly undressed.

The water was like ecstasy as it reached my bare skin. I ducked my head under the spray and ran my fingers though the wet and tangled lump that was my hair. Water streamed down my back, caressing every curve of my body. I stood there for a few minutes, just enjoying the steamy water explore my body. A shower had never felt so good in my life.

After I got used to the mesmerizing touch of the liquid bliss, started to bathe. The water became muddled with dirt as I scrubbed away the day’s reminiscence. Just as I was rinsing the shampoo from my hair, Max knocked on the door.

“Hey, I’m going out for a bit! I’ll be right back! Don’t leave the basement!” he shouted through the thick door.

“O.K.!” I yelled back. I finished rinsing and turned the shower off. I stepped out, feeling a draft as I grabbed for my towel. I wrapped it around me, making sure I was decent, and opened the door, stepping out into the main room. Max was on the couch tying up his boot.

“So where are you going?” I asked, walking towards him. He looked up after pulling his shoe strings tight and seemed a little shocked. I guess he wasn’t used to wet, almost naked, strange women walking about. I smirked a little and sat on the arm of the same couch.

“Uh, um, … out. I’m headed out.” His voice was shaky. I could tell he was a little nervous, so I decided to play with him a little bit.

“Well, why are you going out? It’s dangerous out there you know. I wouldn’t want you getting hurt.” I batted my eyes, faking concern.

“Um, I, uh… to hunt. For food, why aren’t you wearing any clothes?” He shook his head and finished up with his boot. I laughed a bit at both him and his question.

“What? You want me to put dirty clothes back on?” I gave him a sly look.

“Well, uh, no. But I do want you to put some clothes on.” He shielded his eyes with his hand.

“Well, what do you expect me to do? Pull some clean ones out of my –”

“We’ll find you some clothes. Here, come with me.” He got up and walked over to the stairs. I followed, staying close behind. He led me up the second flight of stairs and into another bedroom. The room was a mess, I’m surprised if anyone actually lived in here.

He opened the closet and turned towards me.

“I hope it fits.” He seemed tense again. He pushed past me and back downstairs, knocking over a small picture frame a nightstand and muttering something as he left. I ignored his rude gesture and went for the closet. I found a simple pair of jeans only a size too big, a belt, and a long sleeve shirt. I also grabbed a long t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants to sleep in. Might as well take advantage of it all while I’ve got it.

I immediately changed into the sweats and t-shirt. As I was leaving, I thought I’d take a look at the picture on the nightstand. I went over to it curiously and picked it up. In it was a young girl, probably about my age, and a golden retriever. The girl wasn’t bad looking. She had wavy, brown, shoulder-length hair that blew over her face. She had a beautiful white smile and glistening green eyes. She swept her hair away with ivory toned hands. She looked athletic with her well-developed arms and legs. Her high cheekbones hinted at some Cherokee in her blood. She obviously went to school with me because she dawned an Eastpoint t-shirt like the many I owned. I wondered if she was there with Emerald, Aiden, and the rest?

I set the picture neatly back on the nightstand and headed back to the basement. From what I could tell, it was still rather dark outside. I was thankful Max still had the cover of the night to protect him.

I reached the basement and returned to my little room. I found it kind of funny that I thought of it as my room even though I had only been here for a few hours. I threw my clothes for tomorrow onto the dresser, blew out the candles that remained lit, and crawled into my new, nice, warm bed. I was exhausted, and soon found myself in a deep slumber.

Morning came all too soon. I awoke to a delicious smell, like bacon or honey ham, wafting through the air. I got out of bed and followed the smell upstairs to the kitchen. There I saw Max cooking away at the stove. He turned around and smiled as I entered the room.

“Morning. I hope you’re not a veghead.” A huge grin spread across his face as he turned back to the stove.

“No, that smells incredible. What is it? Bacon?” I lifted my nose to the air to inhale as much of the aroma as possible.

“You don’t want to know. Trust me. I kind of hate myself for killing the poor thing.” He shook his head in despair. I took his word for it and sat down at the small table by the windows. His head shot up at me.

“Don’t sit there! They’ll see you.” He hissed, eyes wild. I shot up and swiftly walked over to the other side of the room. He gave me a stern look as I pulled a chair from the dining room into the kitchen. I gave him an apologetic look as I sat back down. He kept his stare a moment more, and then continued cooking.

We sat in silence in the basement as we ate the mysterious but delicious meal. I could hear each bite he took. They were tedious and small, like he was ashamed of eating in front of me. I, however, ate as if I hadn’t seen food in years. It tasted just as good as it smelled, but I didn’t dare think about what it was; I was afraid I’d soon see breakfast again if it was anything too disturbing.

We finished eating, and he offered to take my plate back upstairs. I handed it to him and picked myself up off the floor. I figured I should probably go ahead and get dressed for the day.

I made my way to the bedroom and closed the door behind me. Grabbing the clothes that I had set out off the dresser, I stripped down and stepped in front of the mirror that hung off the back of the door.