April 16, 1978
"What's that?" Carmen questioned, observing the necklace. It was made from pure silver, and despite laying in the muddy ground for almost two years, its surface remained lustrous. The intricate grooves etched into it, pointing in various directions, were still discernible.
"A necklace."
"Yeah, I'm not blind, but why would you pick it up?"
"You coming?" Velvette shouted from a distance, standing near the vintage black car, cutting their conversation short.
The car's sleek, polished bodywork shone with a deep luster, reflecting the surroundings like a dark mirror. Theo tucked the necklace into his pocket and followed Carmen to the car. Velvette took the front seat, and the others sat in the back.
The interior of the car had a distinctive smell—a mix of aged leather, polished wood, and the faint scent of oil and gasoline.
The driver didn't say a word. He wore a black uniform and a distinctive chauffeur's cap, an essential part of the attire. When the sound of seatbelts clicked, he began to drive. The headlights provided minimal illumination, but it didn't seem to bother the driver, who sat straight and calm as he navigated the forest road.
Theo was sitting in the middle, his hand bent down. When he lifted his head, the driver looked at him with a sudden, eerie precision. Theo's heart pounded as he saw the driver's head spinning unnaturally fast, his face morphing into a nightmarish visage he recognized from his dreams.
Carmen immediately noticed his distress and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder."You're claustrophobic?" he asked as Theo's breath began to slow.
"Why would I be claustrophobic?" Theo replied.
"Well, you seemed quite anxious, and we're in a small car, so…".
Theo realized he was the only one seeing this. The driver's scent—a subtle, chilling aroma reminiscent of cold iron—matched the necklace's.
"I just have a hard time getting used to the air…in this world," he lied.
Carmen turned to the window, watching the tall trees blur past.
Theo glanced back at the driver, who smirked at him, eyes replaced by endless voids. Suddenly, the driver's head fell off, and dark matter began to envelop him.
"We have to get out," Theo stated, his vision returning to normal.
"Why?" asked Victor.
"Because I'm gonna throw up," Theo lied again.
The driver immediately stopped in the middle of the road.
Carmen stepped out, followed by Theo, who shouted, "Velvette, Victor, get the fuck out!"
The driver started transforming, his head falling off and becoming enveloped in dark matter. This time, everyone saw it.
Victor managed to escape, but Velvette struggled with her seatbelt, panic washing over her. When she finally unbuckled, she rushed out, but the creature's claws scratched her arm. It tore her sleeve apart, like a razor blade slicing through a delicate fabric and created a deep wound on her arm, causing her to sense a strong stinging pain.
This made Theo realize how much pain Ethan must have been back when they had escaped, and just hid it from him.
Velvette placed her other hand on her wound, feeling how the warm blood ran over her skin .
"Velvette!" Victor screamed, trying to charge his gun.
The creature grabbed her by the collar. This creature was taller than the ones in the library—about 9 feet tall, it even had trouble getting out.
Theo was the first to shoot, hitting the creature in the head, making it release Velvette. He stood frozen, chest pounding. The loud gunshot attracted more creatures from the forest.
"We have to drive, like now," Carmen urged.
"None of us can drive," said Victor, reaching Velvette.
A wave of panic washed them all like enormous waves washing over everything in their path during an evening under a turbulent sky.
"We have no other choice," Carmen insisted.
Victor hesitated but rushed to the front seat as Carmen helped Velvette into the back. Theo sat in the front, the window opened, shooting some of the approaching creatures.
Victor stepped on the pedal and the car started moving in rattling movements.
"Victor, just keep holding the pedal. It's not that hard," Theo complained, his voice annoyed.
"You're so smart? Then do it yourself," Victor responded, provoked.
He sighed, raising his voice, "I'm obviously trying to not get us killed." He shot another creature and Victor managed to get the car moving. A few moments passed, and the car gained speed, soon they were far enough from the emerging creatures.
Victor looked in the car mirror—no creatures in their sight and slowed down a bit.
Theo put out the gun and closed the window.
Meanwhile in the back, Velvette's wound was bleeding out, she looked weak.
Theo looked back at Carmen and directed, "Look in the trunk. A medkit could be there, perchance."
Carmen nodded and leaned over the car seat. Luckily, a medkit really was laying there. He took it and immediately opened it, finding just a roll of bandages inside. "That could at least stop the bleeding," he said. "Want me to wrap it for you, or…?" He asked Velvette, who was wincing in pain.
"Yeah," she tried to not make her voice sound cracky.
Carmen began to gently wrap the bandages around her wound.
"Lucky the cut didn't go through your artery," Carmen said, as he tightened the bandages. Velvette flinched and then murmured, "Mhm".
"All done," Carmen said softly.
"Thank you," she gave him a weak smile.
"Theo," Carmen began.
"Hm?" Theo turned to him.
"How did you know that we had to get out?" Theo glared. "I…Uh…Need to really throw up this time," he opened the window and vomited out of it. He wouldn't answer anyways. He struggled with schizophrenia ever since he was a kid, ashamed of it because it was stupid and it was always no good. But now, it saved them. His illness predicted the upcoming danger.
"Guys, I think we're getting closer to the city. I can see buildings," Victor mentioned.
The blurry contours of various types of building were appearing, the closer they were. Soon they got to the city and were surrounded by little coffee shops that used to serve the best coffee of its kind. Small boutiques, led by unappreciated artists and well known boutiques hundreds of people used to visit a day. Music shops that once used to play the loveliest melody. Bookshops owning overlooked books that will never tell their stories now. All of these have been closed overtime, as time passed, though in this world, the memory of everything will remain. And houses—scary that just a world away those houses still stood, with families living in them. The streets used to be filled with the colors of various flowers, offering a contrast to the sadness. Trees provided a little shade on hot days, but now they were dead.
"Victor, stop here. Like immediately," Velvette stated, eye glancing to an elegant boutique, with broken french windows, whose glass shards laid on the ground, shattered into pieces. The shop window was filled with mannequins, either dressed in just a bit damaged dresses and suits—or fallen on the floor like a tree blocking a path.
Victor stopped the car in a hushed move, making them all jump.
"What? Are you okay?" Victor asked, worried.
"Yes. But look at this dress, this boutique. I need to go there," Velvette begged. "Please," she pitched her voice and extended the word.
"I want new clothes too," Theo yelled out and Victor sighed.
Like joyful children, Theo and Velvette rushed out of the car, towards the boutique.
"Look at both sides. We don't want you to get run over by a car," Victor yelled out, slowly getting out of the car. Carmen chuckled and then followed.
Inside were various types of clothes, hanging. Plant pots where colorful flowers once grew, yet now they were embraced by dark matter. Theo tried to turn on the light switch but when it didn't work for the first time, he frantically pressed the switch several more times. Carmen crossed his arms.
"That won't work," he said.
"Oh yeah, I know. I just love doing this," Theo explained. Carmen walked to the back of the store, where there was an office. A few moments later, he came back with a lighter and began to light up some candles that laid around the store, their knots untouched.
"A smart move," Victor admitted.
"Luck," Carmen cackled.
The little light the candles provided beam over the clothes, now their patterned design was open to human's eyes more clearly. The boutique was painted in white, and the moldy floor made from maple wood added an eerie atmosphere to this place. The paint seemed to slowly peel in some corners, revealing aged bricks underneath. The paintings used as a decoration, painted by artists, whose paintings may now be hanging in famous museums told their own different story, nailed up to the walls firmly, and most of them didn't even tilt.
"Well this will be a shopping spree, like no other," Velvette's face lit up in excitement.
Victor sighed, "Just get something more comfortable to wear. We have to go".
Velvette rolled her eyes and began to rummage through the clothes, Theo joining.
Carmen meanwhile sat on a small stool, that used to be used to try on shoes. Behind that was a mirror, all its pieces held together like a perfect puzzle.
Victor sat on the floor next to him, resting in a long sitting position.
Carmen placed his elbow on his knees, resting his head on his palm, slowly closing his eyes.
"Tired?" Victor questioned, glancing at Carmen.
"Mhm," Carmen murmured. "More like the darkness in this world, nights make me sleepy," he added, opening his eyes again.
Victor responded with a slight smile.
A moment passed—or minutes, perhaps hours, time in this world didn't make sense. Sometimes it felt like time wasn't moving at all, yet in other moments it felt like a decade had passed since the last breath.
Velvette approached Victor, showing off her outfit. She was wearing a light long sleeved white dress with a pink flower pattern, covered by a white cardigan. Instead of pants, she wore black nylons with white leg warmers placed on her elegant black shoes that were still so shiny, that they made the reflection in them almost resemble the one in the stained mirror.
"How do I look?" She asked.
"No way this is more comfortable," Victor doubted.
"I think you look great," Carmen complimented her.
"Thank you," Velvette answered. "At least someone answered," she looked directly at Victor.
Theo then approached them in his new outfit: brown wide-legged pants that draped over his black shoes from his original attire. He wore a warm sage green sweater with the sleeves slightly rolled up, revealing a tight black T-shirt underneath that he had initially wanted to discard. His mother's necklace he had found earlier added a nice finishing touch.
"A fashion icon over here," Velvette cackled.
"You two really played dress up," Victor mentioned checking Theo's outfit from top to bottom, noting every detail from his head to his shoes.
"I thought you were getting rid of that T-Shirt," Carmen recalled.
"I never said that. I just hate how I looked in it, if I hadn't kept it, I'd freeze to death," Theo answered.
"Yeah, but still, who are you two trying to impress? Creatures? Make sure to clean your organs to enhance their flavor," said Victor.
"I wasn't talking to you," Theo glared at Victor.
"Enough. We should go," Velvette stated, brushing dust off her dress. Uncomfortable wave of dust filled the air, making her cough.
Carmen and Victor got up simultaneously and they all left the place, forgetting to blow the candles. The candles inside created an illumination just as far as light could reach, casting a warm glow over the street's darkness, until it gradually faded in the distance.
"Are we driving again?" Velvette asked, looking towards the car, that was gently lightened from the boutique's warm lighting.
"I think it'd be better if we didn't, because there could be a lot of obstacles along the road," Carmen explained.
"I could easily get past them," insisted Victor.
"Sure. And how would you get past a fallen enormous tree in a narrow street?". Velvette asked, crossing her arms.
"I would use my great magician powers and fly over it, obviously," bragged Victor.
His voice was loud and boastful, filled with exaggerated claims of powers he clearly didn't possess. Everyone skeptically glanced at him.
"How come I've never seen you use these powers before?" Velvette teased him, a slight smile on her face.
"Eh," Victor blabbered.
"Exactly," interjected Velvette.
They strolled through the city streets, with only the blue moon and stars illuminating their path. The buildings they passed seemed abandoned, and small rocks crumbled beneath their feet, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a forgotten city.
"Look, the apartment over there!" Velvette called out, gesturing towards an apartment window illuminated amidst the darkness.
The tall building, with its twelve floors and numerous windows, mostly shrouded in darkness, had one window that stood out conspicuously, like a brilliant star that absorbed all its surrounding light. A human figure entered the balcony connected to the window, holding onto the railing. Then the silhouette looked in the group's direction and left from the balcony, back inside the apartment.
"That could be who we 're looking for," Victor exclaimed. They all stared for a bit then moved closer to the apartment.
They were just across the road when the apartment door opened, revealing two figures. As the figures descended the steps, their appearances became clear. On the left was a girl with hair that appeared dark in the shadows but turned auburn in the light. Her hair was tied in two thin braids, her forehead curtained with bangs, and she wore an all-black outfit, reminiscent of the ones they got back at the orphanage—rather a laboratory now. T
heo immediately recognized the boy beside her—it was Ethan. Their eyes met and both stood frozen, staring at each other. Theo began to walk toward the apartment, while Ethan descended the steps. Ethan's wavy hair was half pulled back and two strands of his hair fell in front of his face. He wore a tight black T-shirt layered with an oversized red one. His baggy slate blue jeans, with a worn out faded color tied with a regular belt, hung loosely around his frame.
As Theo stepped up onto the curb, he suddenly tripped over his shoelace and fell face-first to the ground. He heard the others giggling behind him and couldn't help but feel the same. Looking up, he saw Ethan extending a hand to help him up. Theo grasped Ethan's hand and stood, still holding on. They exchanged a brief look before Theo pulled Ethan into a hug, finally feeling the comforting embrace he had missed.
"You really fell onto your knees for me, didn't you?" Ethan chuckled, but his voice was quavering and unsteady. Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision.
"Shut up," Theo's voice also quavered, but he was laughing. "I thought you were dead," he said, pulling away from the embrace, wet tears streaming down his face.
Ethan grabbed both of Theo's hands firmly. "I'm not. I'm here," he said, gently brushing away Theo's tears, feeling the warmth of the liquid on Theo's cold skin.
"Everyone's staring," Theo said nervously, glancing back at the others.
Ethan's expression turned neutral, and he let go of Theo's hands as the others approached. "What are they doing here?" Ethan asked, glaring at Velvette and Victor standing beside each other.
"Long time no see, Ethan," Victor smirked.
—
Meanwhile, Carmen ascended the stairs and sat on one when he got there. "I feel like a side character in their drama," he confessed to Elodie, his voice tired.
Elodie chuckled. "I'm Elodie," she introduced herself, sitting next to him.
"Carmen," he replied.
Elodie extended a hand, and Carmen reluctantly shook it. "Good to meet you, Carmen," she smiled.
Ethan approached Elodie. "I guess we should take them in, right?" he asked.
Elodie nodded and stood up. She held the door open as everyone entered, with Ethan leading the way. The building was mostly crumbling, and the inside was dirty, especially the slowly rotting stairs.
Theo ascended beside him and noticed something hanging from Ethan's ears: earrings in the shape of a starburst, metallic with a dark, glossy center and outlined in a lighter metallic color.
"You got your ears pierced?" Theo wondered.
Ethan took a deep breath. "Yeah, I pierced them myself."
"Cool," Theo admitted.
As they continued upstairs, they passed a lot of mess—pieces of furniture lying in the hall, small pieces of the building, even glass from broken windows. Some apartments were so destroyed that the doors were missing, and the insides looked like a hurricane had rushed through them. They soon reached the 9th floor, which was the best looking and cleanest of all they had passed. Ethan opened the door to a large apartment, warm candlelight welcoming them. The walls and furniture were a bit dirty but better than expected, considering it was over thirty years old. Stepping inside felt strange to Theo, the old apartment reminding him of what 'normal' life was like. The interior felt warm, unlike everything else.
"The apartment has a lot of space. You can stay if you want to," Elodie suggested.
"Thank you," Victor said with a grateful smile. "We were supposed to join your team anyway—or you ours, I don't know," he added.
The apartment started with a small hall leading to a large living room connected to the kitchen and dining room. The windows were regular but large, giving the apartment a fancy design. The living room had a worn-out red couch with torn pillows, feathers spilling out. A lighted fireplace filled with wood stood across from the couch, with a big mirror hanging above it. A striped couch resembling zebra patterns covered most of the room. The walls had a luxurious golden leaf design and various sized paintings hung there.
"This apartment has three bedrooms," Elodie explained. "They each have one double bed, except for one that has two single beds. Me and Ethan share that one, by the way, but."
"But what? Oh, you don't like me as your roommate?" Ethan teased.
"I'd much rather share a room with a girl," Elodie stated.
"Same," Velvette agreed.
"I'm not sleeping with either Ethan or Theo," Victor declared.
"We don't want to share a room with you either," Theo said, and Ethan nodded in agreement.
"What about Carmen? He barely knows any of us," Theo suggested.
"I don't care, I just want to sleep," Carmen answered.
"Since Victor won't share a room with Theo or me, he should be with him," Ethan proposed.
"Sure. Can we have the room with separate beds, though?" Victor asked.
"Yeah," Velvette confirmed.
Unlike the living room, the bedrooms—they all were basically the same, only in different color coats, were like staring at a half-written book someone forgot to finish, yet still got it published. The room Theo shared with Ethan had windows that were dressed with light-colored curtains, which were neatly tied back, enhancing the room's airy and open feel. In the centerpiece of the room was a large, comfortable-looking bed adorned with a light-colored quilted bedspread and multiple pillows. The bed had a unique, plush, teal-colored headboard that extends up the wall, giving it a modern yet luxurious feel. It was also facing a small wooden closet. The walls were just plain white, nothing more added to them.
Theo jumped on the bed, sinking in its mattress. "When did beds get this comfortable?".
"Right?" Ethan chuckled, sinking next to him.
Suddenly, they heard a knock and Elodie entered.
"Hey, you two, are you joining us for lunch, dinner—whatever meal we're having?" She asked, leaning against the white door trim.
"Yeah, sure," Ethan answered, and Theo gave her a look of agreement.
She smiled and closed the door after her gently, leaving.
"What food has lasted that long?" Theo questioned, his voice a mix of curiosity and seriousness.
"Damn. You don't want to know what we eat the most," Ethan sat up, looking back at Theo.
"I do," Theo insisted, sitting up, his legs crossed.
"Well, the good part is that if stored properly, white rice and dried beans have lasted, but… We don't find these too often, so we eat creatures," Ethan explained, letting his hair down while speaking
"You must be joking," Theo doubted. Ethan put his hair tie around his wrist, "Nope,"
he disclosed. "Don't worry, it tastes like the meat they gave us in the orphanage.".
Theo glared at him and then the realization hit them.
"Fuck," Ethan chuckled.
"No way," Theo laughed. "Tastes better than spaghetti, though," he added.
"What's your problem, they taste good," Ethan refuted.
"Yeah, whatever, at least I'm not allergic to them," Theo teased.
"I should've gotten you killed," Ethan, at first also teased, yet then the words he just said came to his mind.
"What did you mean by that?" Theo sputtered.
Ethan got to the door and grabbed the handle, "Nothing, forget it," he opened the door.
Theo rushed after him, "Ethan, what did you mean by that?".
"Can't you shut up for once?" Ethan snapped, clenching his fists. "I was joking," he added, lowering his voice.
"Then you could've just said that?" Theo admitted, annoyed.
"What's going on?" Elodie suddenly approached them.
"Nothing," Theo and Ethan shouted at the same time.
"Okay. The meal will be soon," Elodie announced, leaving back to the kitchen, Ethan and Theo following silently. Their room was the one near the main door and opposite the bathroom. They had to walk through the hall briefly, before reaching the dining table that was just behind the couch—or next to the wall where the bathroom ended. Theo sat next to Carmen, and Ethan opposite him, next to Velvette.
Victor was standing near the couch, wearing a ridiculous magician head, "Choose your card," he offered a stack of spreaded cards to Carmen.
"Victor, this is hilarious," Velvette grabbed her forehead in embarrassment.
"Sh. I'm performing," Victor shushed her.
"This one," Carmen picked a red seven.
Victor put it at the very bottom of stacked cards and started mixing up the ones above this one.
"Is this your card, sir?" He called out, showing Carmen the red seven he had picked from the bottom.
"Wow. How did you know," Carmen put on a tired surprised act.
"Sit down, Victor," Velvette instructed, and Victor sat down, placing his hat on the table.
Meanwhile, Elodie finished cooking the food; creature meat cooked in salt water, white rice and canned vegetables that somehow managed to last. She gave a portion to each of them and sat down at the table.
"It probably won't taste the best, but I tried," Elodie apologized, sitting down.
"It's okay," Velvette gave her a reassuring smile and everyone seemed to agree. They all began to eat their meal—it tasted pretty good for something made from a monster so disgusting. The taste of the meat could be compared to what beef tasted like.
Ethan took a few bites and then he pushed his chair back abruptly, the legs scraping loudly against the floor, and bolted from the table, "Excuse me," he said softly, leaving to the main door.
"Isn't he allergic to gluten or something?" Velvette looked straight at Theo who nodded.
"This doesn't contain gluten though," Elodie clarified.
"I'll go after him," Theo got up from the table, pushing the chair back towards the table.
When he left the apartment, the warmth of it disappeared and the air turned cold again. He heard footsteps coming from the upper floors and decided to follow them, sliding his hand along the stair railing as he made his way up. As he got to the top floor—twelfth, he noticed a ladder leading even higher. He climbed up and found himself on the roof of the building, with Ethan sitting on the edge, the breeze gently swaying his hair back.
"Hey," Theo slowly approached him and sat down next to him, swinging his legs slightly. "This reminds me of how we used to sit on that roof in the orphanage together," he recalled.
"Mhm," Ethan murmured softly, "I'm sorry. I should've snapped at you," he apologized.
"It's okay. It's okay, really," Theo talked fast out of a quick attempt to reassure Ethan.
"Thanks," a grateful smile appeared on Ethan's face. Ethan put the cigarette he was holding to his mouth.
"You smoke?" Theo noticed.
"Yeah," Ethan answered.
Theo coughed, the smell of cigarettes getting into his mouth. "You're gonna die of lung disease," he stopped coughing.
"I won't. I'm immortal," Ethan admitted.
Theo rolled his eyes, gazing at the view. They sat in silence for a while, then Theo broke the comfortable silence with one of his random questions. "Does it ever rain in this world?".
"Sometimes," Ethan answered, gazing at the view of nothing but darkness. This view of emptiness really resembled the one in the orphanage.
"Do you like the rain?" Theo asked.
"No," Ethan paused, "But I like you". Theo wanted to answer, yet before he could, the sight of fire spreading caught him.
"Fire?".