Day 60: A Familiar Stranger
The sun was beginning its slow descent in the sky, casting long shadows over the broken city. Luke, along with Cass, Sara, and Dom, prepared for their scavenging run. The group was still reeling from the loss of Blake, but they knew they couldn't afford to pause. Supplies were dwindling, and the next tax payment to the Black Fangs loomed over them like a dark cloud.
Luke, his broad shoulders heavy with the burden of leadership, tightened the straps on his pack. His once-strong frame now seemed more worn, the weight of their reality etched into the lines of his face. "We need to make this trip count," he said, his voice firm but laced with the exhaustion that never fully left him.
Cass nodded, her dark eyes steady and composed. She had seen too much to let fear overtake her now. "We'll cover more ground if we split up into pairs. Dom and I will take the west side; you and Sara can check the east."
Sara, shorter and more compact in build with her dark, wavy hair pulled back in a braid, nodded in agreement. Her green eyes were sharp and alert, always scanning for threats or opportunities. "If anything goes wrong, we meet back here at the old library," she suggested, pointing to a building still standing in the distance.
Dom, his muscular frame and silent demeanor giving him an air of quiet strength, grunted his agreement. His dark eyes flicked over the group before he adjusted the grip on his bat, ready for whatever they might encounter.
The group moved out cautiously, the eerie quiet of the city broken only by the sound of their footsteps crunching over debris. The buildings around them loomed like silent sentinels, their windows dark and empty, hiding whatever dangers lurked inside.
As Luke and Sara made their way down a crumbling street, they kept their movements quick and efficient. They searched through abandoned cars, ransacked stores, and anything that might still hold something of value. But each discovery only added to their frustration—most places had been picked clean long ago.
They had just started to turn a corner when Sara froze, grabbing Luke's arm. "Look," she whispered, pointing ahead.
Luke followed her gaze and saw a figure wandering aimlessly in the distance. The person was alone, their movements slow and unsteady, as if they were searching for something—or perhaps just lost. Even from a distance, Luke recognized the distinctive silhouette of a knight's helmet, one that had become all too familiar to them.
"Do you think that's…?" Sara trailed off, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Before Luke could answer, a low growl rumbled through the air, sending a shiver down their spines. They turned their heads just in time to see a massive dog-lizard creature emerge from the shadows of a nearby alley. The beast was nearly the size of a car, its body covered in scales that shimmered with an oily sheen. Its eyes glowed with a predatory hunger as it zeroed in on the wandering figure.
The person noticed the creature and stopped moving, their stance shifting subtly. Then, to Luke and Sara's astonishment, the person didn't run away—instead, they seemed to brace themselves, as if preparing for a fight.
"Is that really Eli?" Sara whispered, her heart pounding. "He's the only one who had that helmet."
The creature lunged forward, its powerful legs propelling it toward the figure with terrifying speed. But the figure was faster. In one fluid motion, they unsheathed a long knife and met the beast head-on.
The fight was over almost before it began. The figure dodged the creature's initial attack with surprising agility, sidestepping its snapping jaws and driving the blade deep into its side. The beast let out a pained roar, its momentum faltering as the figure twisted the knife, tearing through vital organs with practiced precision.
With a final, guttural growl, the creature collapsed to the ground, its body twitching before going still. The figure stepped back, their breath visible through the narrow slits of the helmet, but they seemed otherwise unshaken by the encounter.
Luke and Sara watched in stunned silence, hardly believing what they had just witnessed. The figure was clearly skilled—more than that, they were dangerous. And there was no mistaking that helmet.
"It has to be Eli," Luke said, his voice filled with a mix of shock and something close to relief. "But how…?"
Sara gripped Luke's arm tighter, her eyes wide with a mix of hope and fear. "What happened to him? He's not the same as when he left."
Luke took a hesitant step forward, his heart pounding. "Eli… if that's you, it's us—Luke and Sara."
The figure froze at the sound of his voice, their head tilting slightly as if they were listening. But they didn't respond, didn't remove the helmet to reveal their face.
"Eli!" Sara called out, more urgently this time. "We're here! Come back with us!"
For a long, tense moment, the figure remained silent, their gaze fixed on Luke and Sara. Then, without a word, they turned and began to walk away, disappearing into the shadows of the alley from which the creature had emerged.
"Wait!" Sara called after them, but it was too late—the figure was gone.
Luke stood there, his mind racing. It had to be Eli—there was no doubt about that helmet. But why didn't he come back with them? What had happened to him out here on his own?
"We need to tell the others," Sara said, her voice shaky. "If that was Eli… he's changed. He's different."
Luke nodded, though his thoughts were still swirling. "Let's finish up here and get back to the museum. We'll figure this out together."
The two of them quickly resumed their scavenging, but the encounter with the mysterious figure lingered in their minds. They couldn't shake the feeling that they had just witnessed something important—something that could change everything for their group.
As they made their way back to the museum, the weight of what they had seen hung heavily over them. If the stranger was Eli, then he was no longer the person they had known. He had become something else, something dangerous. And whether he would be friend or foe the next time they met was a question that haunted them both.