I woke up to the wetness of my pillow from last night and got up. I took a quick tour around the house to check if anyone was up yet -they weren’t- and sat down on a chair in the “living room”. (Is the name because of how you’re supposed to spend most your time there, or did Shakespeare write another play again?) I took my phone from the back of the old bookshelf where I’d taped it and looked out where the windows of this building used to be some time ago. My dad had covered them with some old semitransparent packaging material when we had moved in here. It felt like ages ago, though it was only 3 years in reality. (Spoiler note: You think that’s a lotta action in 3 years? You have no idea what’s coming up. Heh heh heh...) I tapped in the password -the timeless classic, 1234- and swiped through the apps within. I tapped onto the weird symbol with that awkward blue background -Discord- and once again waited for the app to set itself up. I hid the phone under my legs a couple of times because I thought that I had heard my parents get up. Once it was ready, I browsed through my short list of friends which, surprisingly enough, included Boomer and Misha. (You might wanna keep this in mind. Juuuuuust in case, you know.) I checked a couple servers including the then-famous AllWeb, where literally everyone was, and a couple other which James, too was in. (He didn’t know I had an account on Discord in the first place, though.) Once I was done checking through my daily dose of fake stories and some useless flexes, I texted our DMs -just me, Boomer, and Misha- .

Pat Hey. Today at 7:32 AM

I stared at the screen for a couple seconds and then closed the app and swiped around, waiting for a reply to come. I heard my parents mumble in their room. They were getting up, though my mom would probably insist on staying in bed with “her muffin” a couple more minutes (which would end up as half an hour usually) A notification popped up, and I tapped on it.

Boomer Hi, how are you? Today at 7:37 AM

I asked this question to myself with all honesty. How was I? My brain started to flow with multiple answers. “I am bored, tired, angry, sad, and scared.” I shrugged. The usual squad, I thought. So I wrote the usual answer.

Pat: Perfectly alive, and in fact, moving. Today at 7:37 AM

Boomer: Oh, where? Today at 7:37 AM

Pat: Somewhere in the west? Today at 7:37 AM

Boomer: So, like Los Angeles or Las Vegas at least? Today at 7:37 AM

Pat: Speak new, Boomer. Today at 7:38 AM

Boomer: Hm... Today at 7:38 AM

Boomer: So..you’ve heard of Blue Sky? Today at 7:38 AM

Pat: Guess. Today at 7:38 AM

Boomer: You have not. I’m explaining then. Today at 7:38 AM

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I took a deep breath. The old man just couldn’t stop telling it the long way, could he? As if we were living in the 50’s or something. Wait...I think I owe you an explanation on Boomer, do I? Nobody cares if I do, so I’ma continue.

Boomer: I’m not sure if these people are a thing anymore in the first place, but they sure did start some of the green tribes, you know. Today at 7:38 AM

Boomer: As far as I know, they formed up around 6 months after the world ended and are the pioneers of the whole “we can go back” trend, you know. Today at 7:38 AM

Pat: Hm... Today at 7:39 AM

Pat: There is more to it, I feel it. Tell me. Today at 7:39 AM

Boomer: oahndkjasdnwk Today at 7:39 AM

Boomer: dfl2,1n23rknmskjdk Today at 7:39 AM

Boomer: If only Misha learns to be a nice boy! Today at 7:39 AM

Misha, well, he’s that kid with us. You’ll probably get to know more of him later on.

Pat: lol Today at 7:39 AM

It’s Mikhail: Heyyyyyyyy Today at 7:40 AM

Pat: If it’s that literally ancient number of y’s thing, I’m blocking you. Today at 7:40 AM

It’s Mikhail: Chillchillchill. Today at 7:40 AM

Boomer: Shall I leave you two alone now with Misha around or continue? Today at 7:40 AM

Pat: Continue plz Today at 7:41 AM

Boomer: Alright, give me a second... Today at 7:41 AM

Boomer: They -oddly enough- didn’t really try to form a society tribe, you know. They were known to be busy with all these contraptions and such, trying to fix the earth, and the Earth. Heard that they had allowed a new group of people among themselves, and that got ‘em killed. Today at 7:41 AM

Pat: Sad story? Today at 7:41 AM

Boomer: Meh, but teaches you something at least. Today at 7:42 AM

Pat: Aaaaand, how do you know all about this, if they were over here? Today at 7:42 AM

Boomer: Funny enough, I don’t even know. Today at 7:42 AM

I smiled. That man was full of stories.

It’s Mikhail: Pssst. Boomer. Today at 7:42 AM

Boomer: Yes? Today at 7:43 AM

It’s Mikhail: Did you see what James sent? It’s MAD! Today at 7:43 AM

Boomer: Tell it, I don’t wanna check it rn. Today at 7:43 AM

It’s Mikhail: Their school was raided, and Tris and him fought n shit! Today at 7:43 AM

Boomer: Damn... Today at 7:43 AM

Boomer: Are they OK? Today at 7:44 AM

It’s Mikhail: Yep. He’s moving too. Today at 7:44 AM

Boomer: Pat, you know anything nearby like this, lad? Today at 7:44 AM

Pat: Not really. Today at 7:44 AM

I know what you’re thinking, and yes, he apparently was our good ol’ motherfucker James. I was suuuuuuuuch an idiot, I know, I know. Just as I was reading those messages, I heard my parents’ room’s door open, and I shoved it into one of my pockets. My mom walked over and looked down at me. “Up early you are, huh?” She walked over to one of the sacks laying on the ground, and placed whatever that was inside on the “counter”. (Does that thing even count? Haha, I’m pretty sure I just made an accidental pun.) I heard her put some food onto a couple of plates. (Which, sadly, aren’t even chestplates!) I worked my fingers and shut down my phone and put it back into my pocket. My dad got up and we all had breakfast, loaded all our stuff to a couple of cars and filled our backpacks to the brim, and the journey started.