The distant chirps of an aerial lullaby consumed the morning as warm sunlight gently sneaked into the room. A man in a tank top and grey sweatpants lay there staring up at the ceiling with a vacant look before slapping both his cheeks and getting up.
"Gah it's Monday, gotta take class"
He trudged into a decaying washroom and washed his face, brushed and gargled on water before staring out the window and sighing.
"Why do classes have to be at 9:00 am? I know I'm an adult and stuff but man do kids even wake up this early? And do they even stay conscious during class?"
After walking into the bedroom, the man fell on the floor with a soft thud, almost as if the ground had a mattress. Then he proceeded to do pushups and a plank.
After droplets of sweat began to glisten upon his pale skin, he got up with a renewed glow on his face and sat down by the desk.
A device akin to an iPad yet larger in size, almost like a mini tv that was touchscreen hummed to life and the man could see himself.
'participants in waiting list:30'
'Allow entry?: Y/N'
He tapped on the screen before leaning back with a sigh.
"Alright kids, hope y'all had a great weekend, it's Mr.Shadow back for another session on safety and survival!"
The device remained quiet and the man, Mr.Shadow kept speaking with exaggerated hand gestures and vigor.
*About an hour later*
"Alright guys, that was a great class. Time for roll call! Bobby?... Bobby?... Guess he's present only in name eh. Mathhew?... Matt?... Guess it's the same situation here eh."
Shadow proceeded to call out a few more names all responding in the language of nothingness as his face gradually contorted into disappointment.
"Jake?!..."
A wet splash greeted his window as a boy stood outside, bones visible as his flesh dropped into his hands like warm wax.
"Ah Jake, how many times have i told you not to give me attendance like this?"
The man acted as if this was a normal occurrence while staring out the window. It was a scenery dipped in red and black, buildings greying and desolate as scores of people aimlessly wandered. Some lacking flesh while others had the texture of bark on their skin.
Shadow sighed, looked outside and waved at a lady across the street.
"You look pretty as always Ms.Selena, if only you'd stop 'bark'ing so much eh?"
Shadow broke out into giggles and said 'ehh ehh' expectedly, as if there were spectators who'd laugh along.
*A couple of hours later*
*Gasp* Shadow woke up with a wet cheek as drool had decided to color his desk yellow.
"Guess it's time, maybe I'll pick Selena. But Jasmine from next door is pretty too! Ahh so many choices and not enough bodies o' mine eh"
Shadow walked up to the front door mechanically, almost as if someone had programmed a robot and had it walk.
He stepped into the shine of an escaping sun as a filter of orange overtook his view.
Shadow jogged past the wax-armed boy as he toppled over trying to grab him. After reaching Ms.Selena, with her bark-textured body, Shadow grinned and kissed her.
"Guess this is my wish fulfilled eh, there goes that milestone of life."
Selena grabbed him and nibbled on his cheek, as the bark spread across his face Shadow just smiled and stared into her vacant eyes, as if he was embraced within a moment of intimacy.
"That's one helluva way to go out!" Spoke a garbled voice, it felt as if multiple voices were fighting to speak out from the same mouth.
"Ah hand me my 10 dougles, i knew he'd end up as fuel!" Spoke another garbled voice, this one carrying a volley of feminine voices.
"B- but he became fuel voluntarily so it shouldn't count-"
"But that wasn't the bet my love, now let's go grab them. They're about to mature soon."
As those words resounded across the scenery, a ship hidden within the sky removed it's camouflage. Two claw-like appendages popped out and grabbed the wood-like Selena and Shadow before throwing them inside an opening. With a closer look, one could tell it was an incinerator- like machine, burning these wood-like humans as fuel.
"Ahh, the new normal is nice. Who woulda known sending out a metamorphosing virus would replace this planet's wood? We're being environmentally friendly to boot so let's head back after a few more harvests and collect our award for greatness shall we?"
The ship blared before disappearing into thin air again, or maybe it flew beyond the speed of sight. We may never know.