Holy shit, I’m alive.

  My eyes snap open and then squint shut again in the blinding sunlight. I start to lift my arm to shield my eyes but soon wince and lower it again. My body is still too jacked up to exert myself even that much. I groggily moan in frustration and pain.

  Where even am I?

  My eyes are starting to adjust and I do my best to look around.

  I’m… in a house?

  It’s definitely not my house, but it’s similar. The layout is the same; maybe I’m in the same neighborhood? This thought does little to help me pinpoint my exact location; who knows what’s changed up here with things as weird as they were in my yard. I should check out the exterior when I can get up. I’m laying on my back on the living room floor and there’s a hole in the ceiling above me, and one in the roof above that.

  Wait, did I fall in through that…?

  The sound of a door opening snaps me out of my thoughts immediately. I’m not alone here. I crane my head to look behind me towards the noise and meet eyes with the intruder, the first person I’ve seen other than myself in years. We both freeze.

  I make a sudden move to try and run, but my body is exhausted and I’m still covered in red welts all over. I don’t get far, collapsing within a few feet. I hear the stranger say something and feel hands at my sides, trying to hold me steady.

  I don’t remember how I get onto the couch, but soon the intruder is standing over me and saying things and I’m too distracted to hear him because everything hurts so much and I feel like throwing up. He lifts up one of my arms and looks at one of the red marks, then drops it suddenly in disgust as a blinding pain rips through me. My vision is blurring, but I can see him swatting at the air in front of him and I’m so confused and now he’s holding a knife over me and I try to escape but he holds me down and I can feel the blade going into my skin over and over and I’m shamelessly sobbing now. He isn’t stabbing me, just making shallow cuts everywhere and it stings and I can hear buzzing and I’m panicking but I can’t move, like I’m completely paralyzed.

  I can’t tell how much time has passed when he finally picks me up and carries me away and I end up laying on a dusty bed somewhere. He starts wrapping me up in strips of cloth and I feel like I’m being embalmed, like I’m a self-aware corpse that can’t cry out for help or move or do anything but watch its fate. Once my brother and I mummified my sister’s Barbie doll in toilet paper and vinegar, then buried her in a shoebox in the backyard with some of mom’s jewelry. That’s me right now, now I know how my sister’s doll felt that day.

  I don’t even notice when I fall asleep.

---

  It’s dark outside when I regain consciousness.

  My muscles are still aching but my skin isn’t on fire anymore. I’m covered in bandages all over, but I have no idea how they got there. Just as I sit up, a throat clearing sound from the corner of the room grabs my attention. A tall guy with a messy fauxhawk and dark eyes is leaning against a wall, watching me.

  “Wh-” I start to ask before erupting into a violent coughing fit.

  “You had a bunch of fly larvae gestating under your skin,” he explains after it dies down, casually twirling a knife, “they were eating you from the inside and I had to dig them out before they could do any serious damage. I’m glad I found you before it was too late.”

  “That is so fucking gross,” I croak, too tired to be as horrified or grateful as I should be.

  “You should rest up again,” he said, seeming to pick up on my fatigue, “We can talk more in the morning.”

  Wordlessly, I nod and close my eyes.

---

  It’s quiet when I finally wake.

  The sun is filtering through the musty curtains of the window, where the guy who saved me is standing, looking outside. His pierced ears glint in the soft morning light. He turns to look at me when I shift around.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Like I just had a hundred maggots cut out of me by a stranger.”

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  “You’re welcome. Want some breakfast?”

  “Sure.”

  He bends down to a backpack on the floor and pulls out a sleeve of crackers. He tosses them to me, and I catch them, and he sits himself on the edge of the bed, giving me a funny look as I ravenously dig in. They’re just crackers but god it’s been a long time since I’ve eaten any food that wasn’t a mutated berry. The entire sleeve is empty within minutes. If he’s confused, he doesn’t say anything about it.

  “So, what’s your name?” he finally asks after taking the wrapper and tossing it out the window. I clear my throat.

  “Jake,” I say a little too quietly, but he nods like he heard it so I don’t repeat myself.

  “Call me Ace.” He jabs a thumb at himself and winks. I didn't know guys who acted like this even existed in real life. The grin he flashes me is quick, but genuine. I nod in response. After a few minutes of awkward silence, he continues.

  “How’d you end up like that anyway?”

  “I ran into some trouble,” I say simply.

  He lets out a laugh, brief and soft, almost like a breath.

  “Okay, fair enough, I guess. Not many people in this area. How’d you end up here?”

  “I live nearby. I think.”

  “You think?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I see.” There’s a pause. “Are you heading anywhere?”

  “Do you know where the nearest internet service provider building is?”

  He gives me another funny look, so I continue.

  “My internet went out,” I say, “and I want to play Dark Souls.”

  “Right,” he says with a confused smile. The uncertain silence returns for a while before he shrugs. I shrug back for lack of a better response.

  “You need some company?” he asks, “Things can get pretty dangerous out here, and it’d be a shame if you died so soon after I saved you.”

  “Where are we, anyway?” I ask instead of replying, distracted by my own curiosity.

  “Suburban Heights, along the south edge,” he replies. It must be clear by my expression that I’m lost because he continues: “It used to be a residential area before the Shift, then got broken up into three tall plateaus that overlook the valley. Lots of birds like to roost around these parts.”

  “The Shift.”

  “Yeah. You know, whatever it was that made everything… like this.” he explains, gesturing vaguely, “What, do they not call it that where you’re from? I thought that was pretty much universal.” I shrug instead of explaining myself.

  “So?” he looks at me expectantly.

  “What.”

  “My question from before! You fine on your own, or do you wanna tag along? I can take you to the nearest town if you’re willing to come with me while I finish up this hunting job I’m on. Besides, safety in numbers and all that.”

  I don’t reply immediately. Travelling together seems smart, and he’s already saved my life, but I still hesitate. First of all, he looks like a douchey Mad Max character with his hair and piercings, not to mention his skull necklace, or the tribal tattoo on his upper arm, or what appears to be eyeliner, so I’m definitely getting more than a few fuckboy vibes from his appearance alone, even if he seems nice. I learned a long time ago not to ignore fuckboy vibes. There’s also something beyond that I can’t quite identify about his behavior that makes me a little uneasy, like he’s sizing me up or analyzing me, seeing if I’m useful to him, if I was really worth saving. No, I definitely don’t trust him yet, not by a long shot.

  Then again, if I just barely survived my own backyard, I can’t really have faith in my ability to survive whatever is waiting for me outside this room. I’d have to take a quick detour to follow him on this job of his, but I can probably afford to lose that time if it means I’m safe, right? That said, I still don’t even know where the ISP building is, so maybe I actually can’t spare the time, given my limited supplies and lack of survival knowledge. Really, it all depends on the distance of the building and if I can -

  “Hey,” he says, bringing me out of my thoughts, “It’s cool, I wouldn’t trust me either. How about we stick together while your… everything heals, and then you can ditch me if you want when we get to town. I’m sure someone there knows where that internet building is, so it’s probably your best bet.”

  Oh shit, did I really say all that out loud? I can’t keep talking to myself like that if I’m going to be interacting with people, especially if I don't trust them. I have to get back on his good side.

  I scratch the back of my neck nervously and nod.

  “Yeah, that sounds good. Sorry.”

  He smiles and claps his hands together, standing.

  “Great! Can you walk? We should move before nightfall.”

  “Wait! Um, Ace, before we go,” I say, propping my torso up on my elbows, “Why do you want me to travel with you so much? I don’t understand what you’re getting out of all this.” I figure if I already let it slip that I don’t trust him, I might as well ask what’s on my mind. His smile wavers and he shifts his weight from one leg to the other.

  “I… well… is it even important?” he doesn’t make eye contact with me, “Just be glad I’m willing to protect you while you recover, okay? Most people you meet out here would just leave you for dead. Besides, it would just be a waste of resources for me to kill you at this point, if that helps you feel more at ease.”

  It doesn’t, but I decide the situation is safe enough that I can deal with it later. He’s probably playing a long game if he’s planning to betray me; I still have some time to figure him out. He gives me a concerned look as I shakily sit upright and place my feet on the floor. I give him a thumbs up in lieu of a verbal response to his answer and he flashes another smile my direction before moving to the window and opening it.

  “Right this way, hunting buddy,” he says, and climbs out onto the roof below.