“So...what exactly happened here?”

After her bike made direct contact with my manly hood, we went to a nearby park. She wouldn't leave me alone, as she kept on pestering me if I remember my parents name or the place I was born while we walked.

For one, I'm an orphan I was a baby, and two, I'm an orphan since I was a baby. So, no, I don't know the answer for either of her questions.

'Nothing works while I'm inside this place'

I also tried a bunch of things by calling out my stat window, but nothing popped up. I also tried conjuring up a miasma ball and activating my other skills and it all failed. I was still wearing the clothes I had in the game, with my knife still strapped tightly onto my waist.

‘What the hell am I supposed to do while I'm in here anyway?’ I thought, while she was questioning me for my personal info

We sat on a bench that was in the shade of a tree’s shadow, giving us cover from the scorching afternoon heat so we could finally talk.

“Really now...what kind of magical rock have you been hiding under this past three years?” looking at me, as if she just saw an unidentified creature walking in front of her

“Magical rock? Nevermind, that doesn’t matter right now, just tell me what the hell happened” irritated at her constant questions

I just wanted to know what the scenario was for this simulated world, so I could get started doing...something?

“Okay-okay, don’t get grumpy on me”

After some time to organize her thoughts, she finally started telling on what transpired

“…Well, it all started three years ago. Firstly, something weird happened on a certain night, all electrical devices started to die down and there was a huge power outage in the middle of the night, making the whole country pitch black. Not just our country though, but the entire world experienced it as well”

I interrupted her before she could continue

“Wait-wait, why wouldn’t they work and how did you know that the whole world was experiencing it as well?”

“I don’t know, they just wouldn’t. It’s not like anyone had a clue on why it happened in the first place and we just found out that it happened to everyone else a month later when everyone was spreading word of it” shrugging her shoulders

Start of an apocalyptic scenario, check

“…okay, you can continue”

“The first few days were fine, since the government and some influential individuals calmed down the masses and maintained order. But a month after that night, people started to get agitated. With no news whatsoever on the situation, people started to riot”

I interrupt her once again

“Eh? The government doesn’t have any idea on what was going on. Not even a single clue? That doesn’t sound like the government to me” questioning on why hasn’t anyone given a single statement about the power outage

Knowing the government, they should already be spouting bullshit about the stuff by that time.

“Nope. They didn’t say anything except, ‘Our top scientist and researchers are on the job, please stay calm in the meantime’ over and over. People got fed up and waltzed around the streets, parading signs about it being a conspiracy and that the government is at fault”

“Then why are the buildings like that?” pointing towards an abandoned ruined shop in front of us. It was windowless right now, with a broken down door, plants and vines covering most of it’s surface area.

“Just wait, I’m not finished yet" putting her hand in front of me

"Okay then, continue"

"So, where was I again?” putting her right hand on her chin and cradling her head

“The part about the riot and the government”

“Oh, right…After two months of continuous rioting, people got tired of it and just continued on with their lives. And because most people can’t do their jobs properly or even do it without electricity, and since most products were running out of stock at that point, they created a bartering system. Exchanging manual labor for stuffs that you might need” she turned to look to her side.

I look towards where she was looking, seeing a young girl cleaning the street in front of a bakery. After she was done picking out the garbage and putting it in the trash can, the owner came out and gave her a brown paper bag with a few loaves of bread in it.

“The government supported this and put out fixed rates on manual labor. Making it so, that there was still a system that’s in place to keep people in check”

“What about paper bills? Do they still use it?”

“Sometimes, I still see some of it being used to pay others for their work. Those people might be thinking that they’ll be able to use it after everything turns back to normal” while she said so, she took out two pieces of candy, handing one of them to me.

I took one and popped it into my mouth.

“Candy is a very rare commodity to have these days. Believe it or not, but a pack of gummy worms costs almost a cart full of potatoes”

“Then why’d you give me one?” I asked, as I play with the hard candy in my mouth

“Because I can” she said, matter-of-factly

'Did I just bump into some rich person?' I thought, as I looked at her, happily enjoying the treat

She then started speaking again, about the things that happened after things were finally settling down

“After the third month, in the middle of the day, people heard a noise coming from the sky and underneath the ground in different parts of the world. It sounded like animal noises, but mixed-up to sound eerie, getting louder each minute. It continued on for about an hour before it suddenly stopped”

“Loud animal noises?” tilting my head to the side

“Yeah, it caused a lot of people to panic. Folks started saying that it was the end of the world and stuff, making the others hysterical, hording food and water. People knelt where they were or went to the church and prayed, chanting aloud while holding a bible or planting incenses in their homes. Well…I guess they were right to some extent”

Interrupting her again

“But that’s been like, what? More than two and a half years ago. And everyone’s still here, walking in the streets like nothing happened”

“I said wait for me to finish my story, geez” she said, irritated at me

Putting both my hands up

“Okay, I’ll shut up now”

I used my right hand and made a zipping motion across my mouth.

“Hmph, I’m only doing this because my conscience tells me to. I just can’t let you walk around the streets and die the moment something happens”

Oh, that happens a lot to me, more than you’d know it. Sometimes, something happily eats my flesh more than once and I'd enjoy the experience too, when it doesn't result in death that is.

“And this clueless person is very much indebted to you” smiling, as I bow in front of her

“So…what happened after the loud animal noises?”

“Hmm…Nothing really happened, but after the sunset and the darkness enveloped the sky…” she trailed off

“After the sunset? Then what happened?” urging her to continue

It took her a few seconds before she continued

“Those things started appearing. They just went like poof, right there standing next to you, staring with their big beady black eyes. We called them ‘Fakers’”

“Can you make it more detailed? What did they look like? Did they have any hobbies? Are they in a relationship?”

Someone shouted from nearby, yelling ‘Joanne, where are you!?”. But before I could turn around, she continued to describe those ‘things’, so ignored the yell.

“They looked almost human, with their long and thin humanoid bodies. Spanning about two and a half meters in height, with dark-bluish skin. They didn’t have hands, but long, spiny, and sharp pointed arms that they’ll use to stab into your body. They also have a normal shaped head, save for the fact that it doesn’t have a mouth, nose and ears”

Monster scenario, check.

“Doesn’t look like a friendly bunch to me”

“They weren’t…they’ll stab their arms into your body, releasing some green liquid and start to liquefy you. Then they’ll start to absorb it, leaving nothing behind.”

“Oh…that sucks”

Figuratively and literally speaking of course

“It got worse though, they’ll take on the appearance of whoever they absorbed. They’ll also act the way that person does. Retaining most of their memories and personality of the person they absorbed, making it harder to distinguish if they were a monster or not”

Horror movies in real life all over again. Why can’t it be something that involved talks about world peace or how to prevent world hunger? Heck, I’d even sit through one of my math teacher's class and fight the urge to sleep. That would be a struggle that I might not win against.

“They’re also smart and patient as hell, observing the populace and waiting for the right opportunity, weaving lies until they could get you to trust them. Moreover, there’s no other way to find out if they were your real family or friend, but to kill them first. Since they copy everything that the person had before he was absorbed, down to the bone and blood of whoever was unfortunate enough to meet it face to face. But, if you do manage to kill one, they’ll start to liquefy and plants will appear in the black puddle. So if they don’t, then you just probably killed a normal person”

“Correction, that sucks more”

“It caused the ’Backstabbing’. People where dying left and right, without anyone knowing why until it met you in the face, with it’s arm stabbed inside your body”

That sounds like a cliche horror movie…’The Backstabbing’ coming out this summer in theaters near you. I would pay for it, just so I could cringe at every horror movie troupe that it throws at me.

“People started judging everyone at that point, openly killing anyone who wasn’t seen in a few hours by others. Friends were killing each other because they couldn’t leave their backs towards you. Scared spouses, killing their beloved due to fear of being stabbed while they were sleeping. Friendly neighbors that you knew for a long time, shooting you in the head because of paranoia”

“Yikes, sounds like a good time to be hiding under a magical rock”

“It sure was. At that point, you couldn’t trust anyone anymore. Though, they can’t transform into someone else anymore after their first change in appearance. If you find out he/she is a faker, then that’s the end. Everyone will hunt them down”

Someone rings your doorbell and you go see whoever it was. And a friendly looking old lady greets you and smiles while saying 'Hello new neighbor, nice to meet you! I’ll stab you in your stomach now, ‘cause that’s how we greet each other from where I’m from'.

Of course the proper response to her greeting would be to immediately slam the door in front of her face and say 'Nope. I ain’t dealing with this bullshit. It’s Netflix and chill time'.

“After a few chaotic months, humanity managed to purge most of those who first appeared, but a lot of them still remain, roaming around outside the safe zones. Also, there are still some of them who spawn on certain nights, growing larger in numbers by the day, but not so much unlike the first evening”

She then looks forward

“And as you can see” opening her arms wide, showing the people sitting in the park

“Some of us survived that”

Looking at the happy people, chatting with each other in the park. Knowing the horrors, they had to go through just to get here

She then clapped her hands together, as if she just remembered something important.

“Oh, silly me. I forgot to introduce myself, even though we’ve been talking for about fifteen minutes already. I’m Ellis by the way” she smiles as she extends her hand towards me

“The names…Red” grabbing her hand and doing a handshake

She titls her head to the side.

“That’s an odd name to have” as she criticizes my name

“Yeah, I get that a lot”

“So, do you have a place to stay Red? I only moved here a week ago and the shelter that I’m staying in could use more hands” she asked

“Umm…aren’t most buildings here unoccupied? I could just get a few sheets and stay in one of those”

I was thinking of checking out the orphanage and staying there while this trial thing was going on.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

She wags her finger, while shaking her head to the side.

“Bad idea. As I said earlier, those things still spawn at night from anywhere. So, if they caught you off-guard, then you’ll be a goner for sure. It’s better if you’re with a lot of people at night, where some of you could take shifts of who sleeps first and who’s on watch. There are a lot of shelters here in the city just for that purpose. Though, there are some groups who stay inside the abandoned buildings, but they number in the thirties or forties per group”

“I’ll think about it then. Where’s the shelter at, if ever I decide to stay there instead?”

She smiles as she claps her hands together.

“The shelter where I’m staying at is at the west side of the city, the mall there called ‘Biggies’. Just ask around if you ever get lost, the people are friendly here so don’t be shy”

“Okay, will do” I said, as we both got up from the bench

“I hope to see you later then. I still need to do something and our talk took a long time so I better hurry up”

“Sorry about taking too much of your time, but thanks for answering my questions”

She smiles as she gets on her bike.

“It’s the least I could do for crashing into you with my bike. It’s mostly your fault though for standing motionless in the middle of the street like an idiot”

She gave me one last look before she rode away. Her green hair swaying with the wind, as she accelerates towards the busy streets.

I decided that I’d go check on the orphanage first before I did anything else.

‘I better hurry up then, it’s almost sunset’ looking towards the sky, before I started walking on the street

-----------------------------------------------------------

“At least it’s still standing?”

Looking up at door less building, with a huge gaping hole on one of its sides. Vines were growing out from it, covering the whole building. The inside of it looked worse, as the furniture and floorboards where torn apart or had holes in them with vines and certain plants growing out. It honestly looked like a plant nursery from an outsider’s point of view.

“This place could use some cleaning” jumping over a black puddle

The floor was painted black, with some puddles here and there, moving carefully not to step on any of them.

“Hmm…”

I know it’s just a game, but it’s still sad to see when your home is in a wreck like this.

There was light coming through the broken roof, as I made my way to the second floor.

Going inside my room, I saw a single tattered bed covered with flora.

“I guess staying here is out of the question”

Moving on to the twin’s room that’s next to mine, the same thing was there except for two beds side by side, covered with plants and flowers. It was also the case for Alana, Tala and Mrs. Lane's rooms.

The last room that I went into was where the gift machine was.

Carefully opening the door without a doorknob, I peered inside.

There was nothing inside of it, but plants and a huge black puddle on the floor.

“Guess that’s it for this house checkup”

With nothing left to see inside the ruined building, I made my way out.

As I was about to head towards ‘Biggies’, the faces of my friends suddenly popped up in my mind.

‘I wonder if some of them are in this simulated city’ putting my feet to a halt

Taking a left in the intersection, I saw the giant red lighthouse, covered in vines from top to bottom. People were coming and going inside of it, putting in containers of what appears to be sun-dried fish that were sunbathing a few moments ago near the lighthouse.

Walking up the hill, I see the buildings of my school. There weren’t a lot of plants or vines that were covering them unlike the other parts of the city. It looked very much the same when I last saw it in the real world.

Passing through the gate, I saw people sparring in the open fields. They were using wooden weapons that vary in shape and size. Some were longer, while others were using two short sticks at once.

“Put more effort, I want to see those muscles being forced to work!”

A person shouted at the people who were swinging their makeshift weapons.

“If that’s the best you got, then let’s just line up in front of those fuckers and let them kill us quick so that we won’t waste their time!” he then shouted towards one person in particular, making him and his sparring partner intensify their practice

The person who shouted looked as if he was in his mid-thirties. He had black hair that was styled into a pompadour. He was wearing a black leather jacket with a white shirt underneath it, and black pants. He also had two brass knuckles on both his hands, looking like a street punk from the late 1990’s.

‘Wait…isn’t that Mr. Sanchez!?’

My eyes go wide as I look closer at one of my schools educators.

If I replace his current hairstyle with a bowl cut and put him in a jogging outfit and a pair of sneakers, he’d definitely look exactly like him. And the two moles on his chin is the final piece that made me sure it was definitely him.

‘It’s him!’ I thought, while I went towards him

He notices me coming and puts on a cautious look

“Who are you kid? I’ve never seen your face around here before”

I stop walking for a moment.

‘So he doesn’t recognize me…’

I continued walking towards him and put on a smile.

“I only arrived here in the city today, mister. I was just passing by when I saw people fighting over here”

“Is that so?” still giving me a cautious look

I tried to change the topic by asking him why they were using the school for combat practice.

“Yeah…So, why are they fighting here?” looking towards two people to the side who were fighting

One of them charges forward and thrusts his wooden stick. But the other man ducks below his strike and lets go of his weapon as he moves in closer, surprising the man. He then grabbed the man by his collar and waist, while positioning his right leg behind the other persons left leg and throws him into the ground.

“Argggh!” as blades of grass go in his mouth

“You cheeky bastard, going in for another throw. Fight with your weapon for once!” screamed the man lying on the ground

The man standing on top of him smiles.

“Can’t help it, it’s ingrained into me that my body just moves on its own” extending a hand towards the fallen man and offers to help him get up

He grabs the helping hand and gets up.

“You know you can’t use those throws of yours when their still ‘fresh’. Better learn to use a proper weapon before it’s too late” he said, while removing some of the blades of grass that were on him

“My body is my weapon though” he proudly said while grinning

The man besides me started to speak, bringing my attention back to him

“They’re sparring to get some experience of course. Why else would they be doing something like that these days if it weren’t for killing those things?” looking over at the two people who just finished their spar

“That’s well and good Porter, but use your goddamn weapon! This training is for using your weapons, we went through the basics, don’t let it go to waste!” he shouted towards the man who was wearing a black shirt

“Yes, Boss!” he hurriedly picked up his weapon and got into a fighting stance, ready to go for another round

“Why not just use guns? won't it be more effective against those things?”

“There are still a lot of guns out there, the problem lies on the ammunition. Since it was all used up a few years back and the places where we can manufacture them are infested with fakers, we just couldn’t get any of it”

He explained while looking at the two who were starting to fight again

“How ‘bout you kid? Want to try it too?”

Thinking for a moment before I answered his question

‘This might be a good experience when I fight other players later on and it’s free. And the most important thing is that I don’t get to die while doing it!’

“Uhmm…Sure, why not I guess?”

He smiles for the first time since I came here. Even in the real world, Mr. Sanchez doesn't smile that much, he just shouts for everyone to work harder. Our school even won a wrestling tournament last year and all he had to say to the winning participants of our school was, 'What the hell kind of performance was that? You almost lost to a wussies bunch from the north?'.

“Have you ever held a weapon before? A sword, a dagger, a mace, A ballpoint pen? Anything?”

“A knife”

“Then go wait over there, I’ll just get some practice weapons in a minute” pointing at an open space near a goalpost

He went towards a shed near the gym and stayed inside for a couple of minutes. He then went out of it carrying a small wooden practice weapon and a larger, more slender one, spanning a meter and a half in length.

“Here” throwing the smaller one towards me

It had blue paint on the blades edge. The point was dull with a rounded tip, making sure there were no accidental stabs that might inflict any fatal wounds.

“Show me what you got kid. Don’t hold back”

He turns his body, so that his right side was facing me

I put the gray cloak on the goalpost and inhaled a breath of air before I ran towards him, surprising him with how fast I shortened the distance between us.

“Your speed ain’t half bad kid!”

He evades my first and second slash towards his hand and retaliates by flicking his weapon twice towards me. Hitting me in the face and right hand, making me wince and drop the wooden knife I was holding.

I backed off for a second to get my bearings back, but he doesn’t let me as he continues to pursue. When he got close enough, he swings down his weapon. I watched it closely and blocked it with both my arms, but something hard hit’s me in the stomach after I blocked it.

“Ufff” I stepped backwards

“You’re focusing on one thing too much that you don’t even realize when something else is about to hit you” he said, as he throws another left punch towards my face, the brass knuckles reflecting the sun’s rays

I used my left hand and deflected it, but his wooden weapon strikes me on the side of my ribs. Knocking me over to the side

“You still aren’t paying attention” standing a few feet away and kicking the knife that I dropped towards me

"Heh" 

I clenched my hands and got up while getting the knife. This time I circled around him, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

He followed me with his eyes, but he stopped doing so when I was behind him. I took this chance and rushed forward.

“Not good enough”

He flicks his weapon backwards, almost hitting my face again

I managed to duck and continued on forward, but I collide with the sole of his boot that he raised, making me fall on the ground

“Is speed the only thing you have? Get up”

I got up and prepared my knife again

“Shit” spitting out the blood from my mouth

I didn’t charge, I just stayed where I was and observed the man.

From what I remembered of my physical education teacher in the real world, there was one time where he showed us a scar on his left knee that got injured a long time ago, it made him stop for a moment to rest it.

“You need to close the distance so that you could get in fighting range. A disadvantage when the opponent knows you need to get close”

He points towards the weapon in my hand

“The knife is undeniably one of the most effective weapons in close quarters combat, but you need to think of your enemies reaction, how to get close to them and what comes next after you do so” he said, as he charges at me again

“You’ve got the speed to close the distance, but you just don’t know how to follow up!” swinging his weapon at my side

I stepped back and evaded it

“Use your feet and free hand too. They're there for a reason” thrusting his weapon towards me

I tilt my head to the side, evading the thrust. I then went for his left knee, using my right leg to kick it.

“Woops” he said

He manages to lift his knee high enough so that my leg goes past it.

He then threw another punch and I tried to block it with my left hand, but the force was just too strong, knocking my hand backwards and getting a clear hit at my face when he flicked his weapon.

When I staggered backwards from the hit, he threw another punch at my stomach, making me fall backwards on the ground.

“That’s enough for today, come back again tomorrow after you reflect on what you did wrong”

I hurriedly got up, as if nothing happened to me.

'Like hell I'm gonna give up here without even landing a single hit' I thought

“No, just one more. You’ll be the one lying on the ground this time” smiling and readying my knife once again

He readies his weapon too. This time he was grinning, as if he found something amusing

“You got some spirit in you kid, I like that”

He curls his index finger towards me, taunting me to come at him.

“Come at me when you’re ready”

I charge once again, relentlessly going in for the win. I shortened the distance as quickly as I can and he reacted accordingly.

“Shit!” as I try to evade a definitely devastating thrust to my head

We continued sparring for a while, with me lying on the ground every few minutes. Though, I did get close enough to strike him once. It was when I threw my wooden knife at his eye and I managed to get one punch in his face when he dodged.

I laughed and smiled wide at my accomplishment, but he didn’t let me enjoy it. He retaliate by beating my face and body a few times with his weapon and fist. So much for my celebration, what a huge dick my teacher was.

“I like you, kid. Come back again tomorrow and I’ll teach you how to properly fight against someone. Look for me here same time tomorrow. By the way, the names Gulliver” he walked away, leaving me lying there on the ground

“Hah?” surprised at the new name that was thrown at me

Gulliver? Wasn’t it Sanchez? Wait…I don’t even know what the first name of my P.E. teacher was! This whole time I was just calling him Mr. Sanchez or The bowl cut from hell. Or maybe it was just a name that the system came up with?

I stood up, panting as if there wasn’t enough air that’s going in my lungs

“Hah, I never knew my P.E. teacher would be THAT good. Note to self, check on Mr. Sanchez’s skills in the real world…also his first name” patting off the blades of grass on myself

I walked towards the gate and looked up, seeing some of the stars in the almost dark sky

‘I better hurry up and find that mall’ quickening my pace as I head down the hill

------------------------------------------------------------------

I never thought about it before, but I haven’t really explored the west side of the city much till this day. I really didn’t have the motivation to, since Dean and I usually just hang out at the department store where Jim works or at Dean’s house, and sometimes when everyone of us get’s together, we just hang out in the orphanage and play with the kids. Now I’m lost, wandering around the streets like a country bumpkin's first trip to the city. Where the hell is Dora's map, I urgently need one like it.

"Where the hell is that mall!?"

The streets became deserted with no signs of life left

"Google map! I need google maps!"

After my attempt at finding the shelter, I walked for about ten minutes before I found someone else on the street.

I ran towards him, startling him as we met face to face and making him back away

“Hello, sir. Do you know where ‘Biggies’ is?” I asked a man wearing blue overalls

The man calmed down and thought for a second, stroking his beard

“Biggies? You mean the bunch led by Leti?”

“Yeah, that one” I answered

Hell, I don’t even know who this Leti even is. For all I know, he/she might be a notorious drug dealer or a psycho who kills and skins their victims…or just a normal person who so happens to lead people out of his/her personal interest. I don't know, it's a post apocalyptic world with monsters, anything could happen.

“Oh, then just go ten streets straight ahead and go five streets right, then you’ll see a mall. There should be a few people stationed outside of it”

I immediately ran towards where he pointed.

“Thanks sir!” I said, as I made it to the first block

“Better be quick! It’s getting too dark!” he shouted back

Running towards the fifth street, I saw lights on the second floor of some buildings. About twenty or so people were looking down at me. They were holding makeshift torches or candles and were wearing black robes.

“Fucking creepy-ass people” as I ran faster

They were following my every move with their emotionless eyes, like a snake who found its midnight snack.

I turned right on the tenth street, seeing a group of people standing in front of a mall a two hundred meters away, torches at hand. They saw me coming and readied their weapons that were strapped onto their waists.

“Stop!” shouted one of them while unsheathing his blade

I stopped when they were about ready to attack

“Wait, I’m just here to take shelter!” raising both of my hands

“Kneel on the ground and put your hands behind your head!” shouted one person wielding a hammer

I did as I was told, and knelt on the ground. Putting both of my hands behind my head and waiting for them to get close enough to inspect me. Patting and checking every pocket that I had

The person who wielded the hammer unstrapped my knife and took it away

“He’s only got a knife” tossing it to another man

“You said you wanted to take shelter right?”

“Yeah, that’s what I came here for” getting up from my kneeling position

He looks at the clothes I was wearing.

“Escort him to ma’am Leticia’s office, and tell some of the other guards off duty to come outside to take your spots in the meantime”

“Yes, sir. Follow us” both of the guards said, as they both pass through the malls entrance door

The inside of the mall were filled with torches on the walls and foundations of it, filling the whole pace with bright orange light. The place was packed with people chatting, preparing clothes, sharpening their weapons, and other stuff. They each differed on what they were wearing, some of them wore tribal clothes, and others wore suits.

‘Suits? An apocalyptic setting and you wear a fucking suit. Really now?’

But the most notable thing was that all of them had a bladed weapon strapped to their waist. Even the small kids running around the vicinity had a knife on them.

“Don’t scamper around my place you hear!” yelled an old man

The children just ignored him and continued on, laughing as they passed by him

“Goddamnit these kids!”

He chased down the kids who were loitering around his store

After walking past the hundreds of people near the entrance, we went up using the non-working elevators. When we reached the second floor, a nice aroma greeted us. Looks like people were cooking dinner in large pots.

As we were about to head towards the third floor, I saw a familiar green haired girl, carrying a bunch of vegetables on both arms and dumping it all into one large pot.

She looked towards my direction when she was going to get another batch of vegetables to dump inside the pot.

“Hey, Red!” waving her arms towards me

I respond with a wave and was about to go greet her, but the two guards with me didn’t let me do so.

“Save your greetings for later. Let’s go meet ma’am Leticia first” beckoning me to go up towards the third floor

I look at her one last time before I moved up.

“Later then!” she said before she also went back to work

“Ben, go tell Sprigs and Harvy to replace us in the entrance. Just meet us up stairs afterwards”

“Sure thing”

He turns around and runs towards the crowd of people cooking.

After he was out of sight, we then moved up to the third floor. It was far less populated with only ten or so people on it. All of them were reading and writing something on a sheet of paper then passing it along the others.

“Over here”

The guard stood in front of an office and knocking on the door.

“Ma’am, there’s a new person that wants to settle in our shelter”

We heard a bump and the noise of falling paper. There wasn’t an immediate response, but after a few seconds of shuffling noises inside.

“You can come in now” a feminine voice told us to enter

The guard opens the door, revealing a room littered with papers on the floor

“Haha, Sorry about this, I was rushing to get things done and accidentally knocked a bunch of them over”

She was kneeling on the floor and picking up the papers.

She had wavy red hair that goes down towards her shoulders. She also had a sharp nose and bewitching orange eyes. But what really caught my attention was the brown scarf she was wearing around her neck. She looked very much like a certain classmate of mine, but slightly older and mature.

“Loreleine” blurting out the name of the quiet friend of mine

“Oh, you know my daughter?”