We fall on the rough ground on the other side of the arch.

I look up at the yellow, evening sky.

My cell mate pulls himself up and rushes back to the arch, puts his hands on the sides of the panel, and pulls.

I roll myself around and lift myself up, looking at the snake I'd forced along with us. She was frozen. She looked like she was in distress, but also blank. Like she's trapped in her head, trying to solve the solution to her problem. 'Grab a weapon.'

The sharp sound of tearing metal gains our attention. We both face it.

My cell mate was still pulling at the panel, bits of the metal had torn off the sides, and he pulls harder. Yanking the panel out of the arch, and throwing himself to the ground in the process.

The arch stops its hum, and the glow around it vanishes, the torn side letting out small sparks.

I face back at the snake next to me. She does the same, the fear was gone, replaced with the normal probing stare, but more tense. She looked ready to take action, ready to choke me.

I take a step back, my shoes scratching the earth, giving a loud grind. "W-why did you help us?" I ask.

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She just stares, then she opens her mouth, "It will not take long for them to find you." She gets up from the ground, keeping her eyes locked on mine before walking off 'She's going to snitch.'

"Where are you going?" I shout. She doesn't answer.

My cellmate was facing me, I go up to him and look down 'He's dumb, and you could use him for muscle.' "Do you want to come with us?" His ears give a flap, and he gets up.

My bag was where it was taken off, I look inside. There was only one thing left 'The emergency food. The definition of a prick? A substitute brick?' Cactus! How long has he been here, I take him out, as he throws his usual fit. How could I forget him?

Why take everything else but leave the bag? I put Cactus on my head and put my backpack on, holding on tight to the straps. We walk again trying to find the pet shop.

The outside of the old store looked the same, but the inside was messier.

More shelves had dropped to the floor there were small bones and blood stains on the floor. And the vent running through the roof had been torn open.

"Alice? You still here?" Someone looks up from under the shelves. It was her.

"You look familiar." she gets up showing the dried blood splattered on her cheeks, "Oh, your- you're that kid, who were you?" she jumps up, carefully steps over the dropped shelves until she was in front of me "Where did you go?"

I look at my clothes, partially damp, then I look at my hands, thinking of everything that happened. The tests, the pain, that stare. "I-I went for a walk." I give out, looking up at her again.

It was over, I didn't need to remember. I couldn't, it didn't matter, it just needed to stop.

She looks at me, with a sad face, or a disappointed one. Then it switches to a sympathetic one, "I forgot too."