The shining orange light shone after the darkness. Sunrise. It was now their second day here.

Brian couldn't sleep last night. The ground was cold and by all means uncomfortable. The nightmares kept him awake. He'd seen too much. The slaughter was embedded in his eyelids. Meaning he couldn't sleep.

"Fuck..."

Sniff! Sniff!

The smell of blood stuck to his clothes. It was better than shit, but it still annoyed him.

The campfire was but ash now. Most of the others were still sleeping. Mouse was snuggling on Nate's warm feet, while Nate was having trouble sleeping. Seeing as how his eyes were dark. Nate was just staring at the ceiling.

Donny was sleeptalking on his own again. Talking about how he was sorry that he left everyone behind. He was having nightmares. Cindy looked like she was also having them, she was crying in her sleep.

—And Fetter... looks like he'd gone off on his own again. He was nowhere to be seen.

Brian stood up. He opened his bag to make sure that everything was there, before carrying it by his side. It was a bit heavy, but he didn't want anyone stealing from him. Who knows what they'll take.

So he left for the pond. His throat was dry. Nate couldn't care less where he went.

"Hah..." Brian sighed. Just tired is all. Pushing out of a bush, he arrived at the pond. Looks like nobody was here at this hour.

"..." The waters were still.

There was a wooden sign now that said: "No one is allowed to shower, dip, piss, or shit in the pond! —Mr.Dozzer". Looks like someone must've done something to make this appear here.

Next to it, Brian saw another wooden sign that said: "There're no fishes in here! Everyone can stop swimming in the lake now! —Mr.Dozzer".

And yet another one beside it that wrote: "IT TASTES A BIT FUNNY WHEN YOU DRINK IT, BUT DON'T WORRY! AS LONG AS NO ONE SCREWS WITH IT, IT'S DRINKABLE! —BRIAN RYANN, THE SCHOOL JANITOR!"

It was written in caps. Right, there was someone like that wasn't there? Brian thought as he read the sign. He was impressed. It had nails and all. Whoever made this must've brought tools with them. As tired as he was, Brian made a mental note of it.

Brian stepped closer and crouched. He couldn't boil it anyway (He realized yesterday that he didn't have anything to hold the water). So might as well, you know?

He gazed at the pond's reflection. Looks like he had dark circles too.

"Here on a morning drink?" Someone asked beside him, "You seem tired."

Brian turned to the person beside him and found a rather— familiar face, "What're you doing here!?"

"Well, it's not like I came here to drink, you know?" Nancy said sarcastically as she drank next to him. That was a stupid question.

"..." There was an awkward silence between them.

"So... you sell drugs, huh?" Nancy asked as she looked at him.

"So what?" Brian glared.

"No, I mean, I was just curious." Nancy justified herself. The trees rustled around them as the wind whistled, "Why do you sell drugs then?"

That was... actually a good question. He didn't expect that. Brian never quite asked himself that either. He studied the ceilings seemingly pondering for the answer.

"I needed the money."

"For what?" Nancy asked with a furrowed brow. Brian stopped drinking and peered at her with a puzzled face. Why would she want to know? Wasn't she the one who stole his book?

"Why do you want to know?" Brian voiced his thoughts.

"It's fine if you don't want to say anything about it," Nancy replied as she drank her last fill. Then, she took something out of her hoodie.

"Here's your book by the way. Sorry. Jasper took it before I could do anything. Again, Sorry. I've been meaning to give it to you but—"

Sniff! Sniff!

She closed her nose before she continued, "—But I couldn't find you. Sorry."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Brian received the book from Nancy and just looked at it. He did not, whatsoever, expected them to give it back to him. Although the book was far from mint-condition now.

As Nancy was about to leave, Brian caught himself sighing again, "Rent."

"Hmm?" Nancy looked at him.

"I did it for rent," Brian said a second time. It was a half-ass answer, but it was sort-of right.

"Wait, so you were living alone?" Her eyes were wide as she sat back down. She looked like she was quite meddlesome.

"Yeah." He replied casually. The grass swayed around him.

"What about your family then?" Nancy asked him another question. Was she genuinely curious about him?

"Don't have one." He said.

She looked at him with concern. Brian found it weird, "What... happened to them?"

"..." Brian stayed silent as he gazed at the pond.

"..." There was an awkward silence between them, "Right! Why do you have a Sailor Moon doujinshi anyway?"

"Seriously?" Brian looked at her with confusion, "Do you want to know about it that badly?"

Slowly, the two began to ramble. It was mostly Nancy that babbled though. She asked more and more questions about him, none of which he was too comfortable answering.

"Why's your uniform all red anyway?"

"..." Yeah, not this one either.

So, being the babbler that she is, she ended up telling him the goofiest moments throughout her seventeen years. And that also included how she met Jasper, which left Brian in the puzzled state he is now.

"You... what?"

"You... uhhh weren't listening?" Nancy answered sarcastically. She chuckled, "I'm gonna say it again, so you better listen ok?"

"It was a hot day in September. I was reading another hentai doujinshi, as usual. The week's new addition just happened to be Nana X Kouta from Elven Lied. A truly horrific anime. Though it will be missed."

"Then, all of a sudden, I saw a car came speeding into the lane! And there I saw my highschool crush! I yelled at him, but he was wearing earphones! So I ran and ran and ran, and I pushed him off the road! In doing so, sacrificing myself!" She spoke overdramatically.

"And then?" Brian asked.

"I wasn't dead. Turns out that car was actually a lawnmower. It wasn't speeding at all. The grandpaw riding it was just lost." Nancy shrugged, "It's really amazing how summer does that to you sometimes."

"Anyway, Jasper was screaming 'What's ur problem, dud?!'. But I couldn't think, you know? Like, he was right in front of me."

"Then?"

"I confessed. Jasper blushed." Nancy sighed, "He ran away though. Wouldn't talk to me for the rest of the week. But that's how we first met."

The crystals were now sky-blue. Time had passed quickly without him realizing it. Weird.

"I should get going now," Brian told her as he stood up. He stared at his feet for some time, "Here, you should keep this."

"Huh?" Nancy was surprised when Brian held the book back to her.

"It's not like I use it for anything," Brian casually shrugged, "It's not even mine anyway."

"Well, only if you say so." She took the book back from him. She looked quite happy that he'd given her the book. Nancy hugged it and gave him a big grin, "Thanks, Sam!"

He felt something tugging at him, but he quickly shrugged it off.

'God, she's such a child.'

"You're welcome." Brian didn't want to admit it himself, but he felt elated. Brian didn't know where it came from though. He just felt that his shoulders were a bit lighter, is all.

"Yessir." She saluted.

"I'll be going now." And so he left her.

He walked and walked through the greens and around the open space, where most of the students were sleeping at. He figured a change of pace would be nice.

Most of everyone were in groups already. If they didn't have one, then they joined one. If they couldn't join one, they made one. It wasn't hard since you have friends and all, so everyone bunched up together after the massacre (The teacher's group & Fetter's band).

They should realize by now that it was dangerous to go alone.

"Hey give back my food!" A freshman growled at a junior.

"Screw you!" The junior scowled back at him, "It's your fault that you didn't eat it yesterday! Fetter and his friends got this through blood and sweat, and you're practically wasting it!"

"I'm saving it for later, you shit!" The freshman yelled.

"Back off, ya two." Just as they were about to go at it, a messy-looking janitor with a brit accent stepped in between them, "Ya already ate your fill, ya bloody wanker! So stop whining before I butcher ya ass!!!"

Brian kept walking. Quietly. He didn't want anyone to notice him, especially with this bloody uniform of his. Now that he thought about it, he really should have stolen that freshman's clothes from yesterday.

He arrived at the graveyard. There were 38 mounds. Half of them came from his class and the other half was yesterday's casualties. A few of the mounds weren't even finished yet.

"Hmm?" Brian noticed Kayl was sitting beside a mound, with a cross that was bigger than the rest.

Hesitatingly, he walked towards Kayl. She heard footsteps and turned to look. Only for her face to end up in a frown.

"Ugh, it's you." Kayl scoffed at him. Her skin looked sickly and her eyes were dull. She seemed repulsed when she smelled his odor, "What do you want?!"

Brian looked at the mound she was sitting beside. It was Brandon's. Looks like they made another one for him.

The sign read, "Rest In Peace, Brandon. You will always be in our hearts."

"Just looking around," Brian said as he stared at the sign and started thinking about how he left him behind. And the splattered blood that he saw from his dead classm—

'Calm down, Brian' He heaved a breath of air.

"Well, don't get near me! You reek!" She snapped at him.

So he left her alone. He walked around the graveyard, looking at all the mounds. Which was calming in a way, but disturbing in the other. There were footprints were left here. They probably had a funeral yesterday.

"..." Brian heard something from a distance. It sounded like grunts. Which made him curious. Was someone fighting?

He glanced at Kayl, who was weeping by herself. She didn't seem to hear it. So he walked closer to the noise. To some shrubs. Through a thicket. Where he found Fetter being mercilessly beaten to the ground.

"Holy shit!" Brian watched from a bush. This didn't make any sense. Fetter was obviously chosen, why would he let himself get beat up like this?

"This' for my brother, ya piece of shit!" A guy said as he kicked his stomach. Fetter groaned in pain. There were two other students who joined in beating him down.

"Denvy's dead now cause a' you!" A flurry of kicks came hurtling down Fetter. His head was kicked, his groin was stomped, and his face was bashed.

"Ptui!" The guy spat at him, "If it weren't for the food, I would a' killed you already."

"Let's go." He kicked him one last time, before walking away with his two buddies.

Once Brian was sure that they were away, he emerged from the bushes. Getting into more trouble was the last thing he needed, he told himself, "You alright, Fetter?"

He didn't respond. Shit, he wasn't moving. Brian went closer to him and put a finger under his nose. He was still breathing. Just out cold, that's all. He pulled Fetter's hand and picked him up. With a big oomph, Brian was carrying him on his back.

"Argh!" He groaned. This redhead was fucking heavy. Shouldn't have carried him. It'd be more convenient to just leave him here, but something changed in him ever since he left Brandon for dead. And that only continued to grow stronger, he thought.