You are Dylan again. You’ve been on the hike path for about an hour or so now. You feel you’ve needed a change in scenery for a while, but especially now. Although you’re alone, you understand you’re not in danger most likely, so you’re not feeling as exposed as you did behind the walls of the campus. You have been thinking a lot, mostly about what you are aiming for, and you don’t know what your goals are anymore, just that you’re still going and you can’t stop. You know you want to leave the campus, kill your tormentor, etc, but that’s not something you feel is as long term as what you’re searching for. You have a gut feeling you’re gonna achieve all those goals for improving your immediate situation eventually, but you need something for after that. You have no clue what comes next, but you’re coming to realize that’s ok. You’re glad you don’t know what’s to come in some form, because you’ve been living in fear of what could be for a while.

You’ve also had some other revelations on your walk, those being that even if you’re not wholly you, you are stuck with who you are now. Like if you had parts of your mind erased, then you’re not getting those back and so you just have to carry on, but if you can get them back, then you’ll still need to keep going on to that point. And all that is a big if, and less likely because of what seemed to be honesty from Orson. She said it would be no fun if she changed your personality or mind and she was extremely transparent about everything prior. Still, the thought lingers that you’re not you mentally all the way, but it’s become a bit less of a bother to you. Physically you know what you’re stuck with, although you’re not too sure about this form, or if you will ever like it, but you know with time, you’ll grow used to it and at least tolerate it. You’re doing better than yesterday, that’s for sure, you’re handling it much better, but the snap was rather worrisome. You think it’s just because you had far to much happen and couldn’t handle it, then it triggered something within you, but that it was a one time thing. You hope it’s a one time thing at least.

You eventually reach the top of the mountain and gaze out over the land below you. It looks dead, but not in the way you expected. There are miles of unkempt farmlands but no people just dead men walking and an assortment of wildlife, just untamed wilderness that wasn’t there two years back. It’s like coming back to your old neighborhood and seeing it went to shit, except this is different, this is everything. It leaves you feeling small, but not in a bad way like you’re used to. You feel like you should feel terrified that there’s nothing out there anymore, but you’re not. You feel important, like you’ve been spared or something, that you’re here for a reason. The air smells fresher up here, fresher than you’ve ever smelled, it’s like everything has been reset, like you are the explorers who first saw this land. These lands stand before you and you’re here to rediscover them.

You continue to gaze and notice shapes moving out in the distance. They look like a group of three people and they stand in the middle of a field. You first took them for zombies like the rest of the human shapes, but these ones move like they’re alive. You saw them a couple of times before and thought they were maybe scarecrows by how still they were, but they did eventually move slightly. You then thought they were zombies but that’s not right and you don’t know why. You know they’re alive but something feels off, something about how they’re just standing there. Then it clicks, they’re watching you, and you don’t know why. You can’t make out much about them, except that they’re dressed in brown and one’s a furry who has some cloth on its back, a vibrant red one. You decide to wave and they don’t wave back, just continue watching.

You wonder why and then think that maybe they’re not watching you, maybe they want you to watch them. You don’t know why they’d want you to watch them, but it seems like it’s the right guess. You know it is, and that thought terrifies you because you don’t know why. You turn around and start heading back to the campus as fast as you can, nearly running once you’re able to. You make good distance but then you stop to catch your breath. You don’t know why you feel exhausted or if you are actually, but you stop anyways for a few minutes. You look around, you can’t tell why, but something tells you there’s danger. You dart your eyes around the base of the mountain and when you can’t see anything, you go into the forested areas again. Once inside the forest, you pick up the pace again because you know you’re not alone but you can’t see what’s here with you.

You don’t run, just jog, but jog as fast as you can, then you see something, a glimpse of someone a ways off, watching in the trees. You see eyes blacked out and a mouth covered, plumes of feathers and brown skirts. Creatures wearing plates and rusted blades, all watching from a ways off. You begin to sprint, for you don’t know what lies out there, and you must get to safety. You can’t die but that doesn’t even register, you don’t fear for your life, you fear something else, something worse. You keep going and going back down the trail, then you smell something. Something foul. You keep going though, until you see it. Bodies, hundreds of them. Fresh ones, hung from the trees, arms out and nailed into the canopy as if there were Christ. Mostly white men with looks of terror on their faces and their eyes wide and fearful. Their entrails hang out of their stomachs and their throats leak. These bodies were new, very new, and weren’t here when you passed by twenty minutes ago.

The fear returns and you begin to look around again, seeing the forest creatures… no… these are people, dressed in strange clothes, skirts, trash, helmets, and black goggles and bandanas. These aren’t savage beasts at all, they’re just people. That scares you more. They just watch you. They say nothing. They don’t move, they just watch. You begin to run again, and don’t stop, don’t look around, don’t do anything until you eventually see the campus. You get to the wall and scale it without looking back. You go and go, and then once you’re on the other side, back in civilization, you look back through the fence parts of the walls and see McKay, standing a foot away on the other side of the wall. He says nothing, just smiles and puts a finger to his lips, then walks into the forest and out of sight.

You stand there for another couple of minutes, just watching, waiting for the men in the forest to show, but they never do. Welp, you feel scared again and need company. You feel like you should head back to Suzana, as you want to talk about what you just saw and she won’t think you’re crazy. But you also could go to Brian and Ricardo, maybe they saw this stuff too and maybe they could help you understand the what and why of it all. Who do you chose?

PAGEBREAK

You turn away from the fence, and walk back into the more populated areas of the campus. You’re going to see what Ricardo and Brian know about this. You know that Bailey probably would know more but you don’t know if he’ll tell you or if he’ll tell McKay you said something. You think the creepy bastard wanted you to stay quiet about all this, but you wonder how quiet. If he knows everything about you, then wouldn’t he know you’d say something? Wouldn’t he know you’d talk to people? Does he intend you too? Was he even there? Did any of that happen? You know you’ve thought that everything happening was just a dream before, but maybe this one really was, or maybe a hallucination. Those people didn’t act like people and looked like weird cosplayers or something, weird romans. Maybe- no, you gotta stop with this, you need to talk to people about this.

You eventually arrive at the two’s general spot and see them selling their product. Brian waves to you as Ricardo is measuring an amount for some guy. What confuses you is that Ricardo looks like he’s nearly dead, bloodied, and bruised, did he fall down the mountain on the way back or something, or did your hallucinated indian do something to him? The dude they’re selling to pays and leaves and then Ricardo greets you.
“What’s up?” Ricardo says
“I might be seeing some shit.” You say
“What do you mean?”
“Like hallucinations. I kinda snapped yesterday.”
“How so?”
“Thoughts took over, threatened Roberto, broke down, may have ordered a hit, a lot of shit.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah… so I gotta first ask, what happened to you?”
“Had a little dispute with our locals, didn’t win.”
“Those locals Navajo or something?”
“Yeah.”

“Cool, cause I saw him in the woods after being stalked by a bunch of creepy roman looking guys, he-”
“Were they wearing skirts, sports gear, and weird black goggles?”
“Yeah.”
“Ok, so, that’s the Legion, they’re the main sort of power back west, to my understanding. McKay is one of their spies or scouts or whatever. What were they doing?”
“Stalking me, watching me, following me, and I don’t know why and I am having a hard time believing it happened, because they were always in the shadows, then they were all just everywhere.”
“Ok, I think that’s normal, cause we sorta had that happen.”
“What do you mean?”
“Alright babe” Brian says “They kinda just had like a group of three watching us from a bit away, and when we went to say something, eight of them just emerged from the woods.”
“Ok, that sounds like exactly the same thing that happened to me.”
“Yeah, what did you do?”
“Ran.”
“Ok then, we kinda just surrendered and were laughed at. I think they just like to spook people or something cause they talked to us briefly afterwards.”
“Oh… well shit, I don’t know how I should feel, that’s fucking rude, but like I expect other groups would just kill you.”
“Yeah, they’re more tame then you’d expect.”

“They’re not fucking tame.”
“Yeah, the guy thrashed me up.” Ricardo said
“No, I mean that they strung up like a hundred dudes in the trees, crucified them and gutted them.”
“Oh” Brian says “I mean, that’s kinda their trademark, crucifixions and gigantic displays of death.”
“Oh that’s fucking great then. I’m not insane and there really are shadow people who can string up hundreds of bodies in twenty minutes about 20 feet in the air.”
“Dylan, I don’t think you were ever like on the verge of insanity or something.”
“No, I most definitely am and I think this place is making it worse, this damn mountain. Listen, I really am losing it, and I think the social isolation and being stuck here is making it worse.”
“Aight man, don’t worry, we got you, listen we’re-”
“Doing a bbq, I know, Suzana invited me.”
“Yeah… you gotten real close to Suzana lately haven’t you.”
“Mhm.”

“Nice man.”
“It’s not in that way.”
“Sure it ain’t”
“No… she just sorta gets me, like she knows what to say and what to do when no one else does. She’s a great friend.”
“Dang, you getting friendzoned. Never gonna sleep with her while letting yourself get put there.”
“Well…”
“No. You fucking didn’t. Like actually?”
“Sort of. I slept with her but didn’t sleep with her. I was in her bed and we slept together last night.”
“You’re goin to sleepovers now. That’s adorable.”
“Don’t patronize me pothead.”
“You calling me pothead like it’s supposed to mean something. You can do better than that, you said you laid into the Orson, so show me some of that fire.”
“I don’t need to come up with something creative to get to you.”
“Prove it.”
“Ok. N-”
“No! Never mind, I should have seen that coming.”

“Probably.”
“Whatever dog. So how are you going insane?”
“Identity crisis flared up, Roberto said he’s always found me to be annoying and shit like that. Probably the worst shit possible at one of the worst times.”
“He fucking what?” Ricardo says
“He said he just found me really annoying back then, but misses how I’d depend on him for attention, then went into some rant about how great I am or something- look I don’t want to talk about it. Actually I know what I do want to talk about, why are you so quiet?”
“Face hurts” says Ricardo
“I- I guess that makes sense. Anyways, his rant made me violently lash out, I started going to people, first went to Bailey, had some weird talks about all sorts of shit, called him out, he said he’s gonna do something to Kylie cause I told him to, yada yada, went to Suzana’s next, interrupted her being intimate, confessed some shit I wanted to believe wasn’t happening-”
“Like what, you into Marshal now or something?” Brian says
“Not exactly… I think the hag switched up my sexuality or something.”
“Oh.”

“Can you not go around telling people that though?”
“Sure… you into me though?”
“No. You’re crusty and smell like poor judgement and bad decisions.”
“That’s fair.”
“Do… do you think I’m attractive? No-”
“Hottest skunk I’ve ever seen.”
“Ugliest too then?”
“Nah, I think the normal ones look worse.”
“Well that’s still not saying much.”
“You’re like… shit I don’t know, you’re a specific but good taste. Like you’re not as universal as chocolate or something like that, but you’re like taffy.”
“Is it because I’m the texture of ta-”
“No. Like if they’re not into furries, you’re eh, but if they are you’re a solid 8 or 9.”
“Damn.”
“So, if you are into dudes now, what’s your type?”
“Don’t know if I have one or if I actually am into dudes.”
“C’mon, if ya-”
“Probably twinks or something, more feminine guys.”
“Ok, maybe you just want power or something so you want to go for the weakest?”


“I don’t fucking know, but it ain’t just that, it’s more general, but- Gah! Can we not talk about this.”
“You brought it up.”
“Yeah but- Ricardo-”
“I’m not judging your decisions or tastes.” Ricardo says
“No that’s not what I meant. Fuck.”
“Aaaaah, we’re just playing wit cha. Nah but for real dog, we accept ya if ya are.” Brian says
“I’m not worried about acceptance in that way, like, if anything would have driven you away, it would be the skunk bit right?”
“That among other things.”
“Yeah, so I don’t doubt you’ll accept me. What I’m worried about is if it’s my own thoughts or if it’s Orson, or if it’s both, then what and how much. Just- everything is confusing and sorry you have to hear me blabber on about shit.”
“Nah it’s cool. Like to be completely honest, I find it really interesting what you’re going through an-”
“I AM NOT YOUR FUCKING SCIENCE EXPERIMENT!” you yell

“I didn’t mean that. Th-”
“Ya know what- no, let’s- let’s just talk about something else, kay?”
“Ok, but l-”
“No no no, Bri-Bri, we’re putting a pin in it, just tuck that away, don’t-”
“You sure you’re doing alright?”
“Oh? Am I sure… for someone who says they find me so interesting to listen to, you sure haven’t been listening to ANYTHING I FUCKING SAID! WHAT THE FUCK MADE YOU THINK I WAS FINE YOU FUCKING MORON?!”
“I don’t-”
“You don’t mean it like that? Is that right Bri-Bri? Ya-”
“Dylan. You want us off the topic, we’re off the topic, ok.” says Ricardo
“You j- no, we’re ok. I’m ok. Yeah, let’s just move on from that. Don’t need that shit today. Yeah.”
“Ok, bu-” Brian begins but Ricardo immediately cuts him off
“No, you shut it, it’s not the right time. Just shut it.” Ricardo says

“Fine.” says Brian “Dylan you’re not a vegan or some shit right?”
“No?” you say
“Ok good, cause I’m not cooking that shit.”
“You aren’t cooking shit anyways, you’re ass at that.” Ricardo says
“Man… shit, you ain’t wrong.”
“I know. Anyways, we don’t have everything set up yet, do you want to help?”
“Yeah” you say “The work will keep my mind off stuff.”
“Ok. So, I’m setting the place up but Brian’s gotta get the ingredients, who do you want to go with?” Ricardo says. Do you want to set up the barbequing area with Ricardo or get ingredients with Brian?

PAGEBREAK

“I’ll get the ingredients.” you say
“Alright, poggers.” Brian says
“No. fuck that, I’m going with Ricardo now.” You say and Ricardo starts laughing
“What’s wrong with poggers?”
“That word has been dead for like two years.”
“As far as you know.”
“Should have been dead for longer.”
“Listen man, I’m tryna be a funny guy.”
“Brian you’re hilarious, like an old women falling down the stairs. Making the entire crowd burst out in laughter.”
“Dude you get really fucking dark when you’re pissed.”
“Things tend to open up the interworking crawlspaces of my mind, filled with the tentacles of despair and death, you-”
“Never mind man, I get you’re coping, so I’mma get off your dick about it.”
“I wish I still had a dick for you to get off of.”
“That’s gay as sh-” he begins but just stares at you for a second instead. “Ok never mind, so…”
“How are we getting ingredients?”
“Selling some fun vegetables to the chef.”

“You know it’s not that hard to just go in and take stuff, they don’t really care or notice when things go missing.”
“I mean obviously they do.” he says and you stare blankly at him. You speak no words or no expressions, but he picks up on how much that comment made you want to sack him. “I’m sorry, but like I keep forgetting I’ve got to lay off on you.”
“No no, go ahead, embrace the dementia Bri Bri.”
“You get really fucking weird when you talk angrily.”
“C’mon Bri Bri, dontcha think I know that.”
“Well y-”
“Ok, Dylan, I’m going with you instead cause Brian’s a fucking moron.” Ricardo says
“So be it.” you say
“Wait does that mean I have to set everything up?” Brian says
“Yep, cause you can’t keep your mouth shut.” Ricardo says
“Bruh, I don’t have gorilla strength like your dumb ass.”
“Shoulda considered that before.”
“Man, fuck.” Brian says and begins walking off to the wall. Ricardo then grabs a duffle bag and ushers you to follow him.

You walk for a while in silence before he speaks again.
“So Dylan, what exactly happened after you left? Like right after?” Ricardo says
“Well…” you begin “Bailey filled me in on some of the gaps with stuff on the outside world, though I doubt a lot of it, he doesn’t look like a soldier boy or anything, but said he was some beast in the military. What about you, how’d you get that fucked up?”
“Well, lets just say, MacKay wasn’t too happy about my retaliation to him threatening to kill you, so he decided to teach me a lesson, even if he planned on me doing retaliating in the first place.”
“Why are these guys such assholes?”
“Sadistic, suppressed, I don’t know, their leader puts most of the neo cons who run this country to shame with his levels of tradition.”
“Who was their leader?”
“Caesar, the guy who ran for president and dominated the popular vote but lost none the less.”
“Oh shit, really? That’s who? I mean Bailey told me the Beast of Arizona was part of McKay’s people but I guess I didn’t put two and two together.”
“Yeah. That dude was fucking scary, not as bad as the Adam Sandler looking one tho.”
“Yeah, how did that dude make the Navy Seals just submit like that?”
“No clue, but I don’t doubt it, McKay is one of his regiment or something.”

“Oh… really? Ok, I’m gonna be honest, I feel a bit bad about some thoughts about you earlier then.”
“What thoughts?”
“That you’re fucking sad if you got your ass beat by some shrimp of a dude if you’re that big and carrying a gun.”
“Yeah, I get that looks kinda pathetic.”
“Yeah, but if he’s one of those dudes, I think I judged you a bit too harshly.”
“Maybe… anyways, thanks for changing your mind or something like that.”
“Eh… I don’t know what I’m thinking anymore these days.”
“You will eventually.”
“Maybe. I don’t know what extent her curse went to.” you say as you finally reach the cafeteria and enter. Ricardo directs you over to one of the servers and then asks for a specific chef by name. The server directs him over to the kitchen area, then Ricardo meets the dude, exchanges the bag for a cooler, then leads you out.

“We should probably make sure Brian hasn’t fucked anything up yet.” Ricardo says
“Probably… why did you two become and stay so close, like besides semi similar political stances, why do you guys hang out, I know it’s not business.”
“He’s trustworthy, just socially inept at times, not too smart, but smart none the less. He’s reliable and unreliable, but I like his character.”
“You two aren’t dating or anything right?”
“Oh no, we’re definitely homiesexuals.”
“No, like seriously.”
“Nope. We both like women.”
“Interesting. Are you sure-”
“Dylan, if you’re looking for someone to relate to or take tips on getting with men, there’s probably no one here with remotely the same situation as you, likewise the-”
“No, I have money on this.”
“Oh… money is ki-”
“Metaphorically. I have shit I have bet on this.”
“Welp sorry bro, I guess I’m just adding to your bad luck then.”
“Not really, that’s not luck, just bad intuition I guess.”
“Who were you betting with?”
“Suzana.”
“You never should have taken that bet.”

“Yeah, but I really thought you were… never mind.” you say as you reach the wall and climb over. Ricardo hands you the cooler then follows.
“So, you said you may have placed a hit.” Ricardo says
“Maybe.” you say “I don’t think I did, but then again, if Bailey is telling the truth, then I did just put a hit on Kylie.”
“Funny how you didn’t pick Francis.”
“It’s less for my sake… Francis kinda backed off, but Suzana still has issues with Kylie, so I thought I could maybe help her like she helped me.”
“That’s rather noble Dylan.”
“No… I feel indebted, like I owe you guys something.”
“You owe me nothing, I don’t think anyone else feels like you need to repay them either, you’ve been fucked over really badly and we’re here to help you.”
“I guess I’m just not used to so much kindness without some sort of need to pay back it.”
“I’m gonna help you break that mentality, you’ve been abused for too long by this system and the socio-”
“Don’t go all tankie on me, I don’t need to hear it ok.”
“Sure.” Ricardo says and you walk quietly for a couple of minutes until you reach the place where they were setting up and find Brian fucking with a fire pit.

“Yo man, was it the green or the brown stuff that made more fire?” Brian says
“Green makes smoke, dry makes heat, you want the brown dead shit.” Ricardo says
“Cool. You got the shit?”
“Yeah.”
“Fuck yeah man.”
“What’s in the cooler?” you ask
“Meat mostly. Marshal’s bringing beer, Suzana said she would get bread and buns. We talked to Bailey too and he said he’d get some other stuff for it.” Ricardo says
“Bailey’s coming?”
“Yeah, why not?”
“I don’t know, I guess I didn’t expect you to invite people we barely know over.”
“It’s to get to know them.”
“Ok… do you need help with anything?”
“You don’t need to help, you’re a guest.”
“I know but I want to feel useful.”
“Ok. So we have a need for seating and stuff, can you help me set up the chairs or something” he says while pointing to a stack of metal folding chairs and those foldable cloth ones you see in sports stores. “We also could use some kindling for the fire cause Brian didn’t find any, would you rather go and get some leaves and wood shavings?”

“I’m not sure if there’s wood shavings.”
“There’s wood all around and you have a knife.”
“That’s true you say.” Would you rather set up chairs or get kindling?

PAGEBREAK

“I’ll go and make some kindling then.” You say “how much do you need?”
“Like not much at all, have you never lit a fire before, it’s about like a palmful maybe, and that’s of all sorts of shit.” Ricardo says
“Normally I use gasoline for starting fires.”
“Sounds dangerous.” Brian says
“Only if you’re being stupid with it.”
“My cousin lit himself up starting a fire with gasoline.”
“How close was he to the fire?”
“Pretty close, he was still on the Chili’s when it went up in flames.”
“So your cousin killed himself trying to burn down a Chili’s?”
“No he killed himself burning down an abandoned building, he survived the Chili’s.”
“Were you guys bred stupid?” Ricardo says “What did they put in your water to make your family this dumb?”
“Idk, he’s from- was from Michigan, so probably lead.”
“Oh hey, Bailey’s from Michigan.” you say

“Do you know what part?”
“Detroit.”
“Poor guy.”
“Yeah... so, what do we do after we get set up.”
“We gather everyone.” Ricardo says
“Well yeah, but like aren’t we planning on doing this at night? It’s near lunch time.”
“Yeah. Don’t you Americans love your fucking mid day grilling sessions with the neighborhood.”
“Don’t you Cubans love your milk?” Brian says
“What the fuck does that have to do with anything, and no that was just Fidel Castro.”
“I don’t know, I felt offended.”
“How did that offend you?” you say
“Why are you extra stupid today?” Ricardo says
“Hungry.” Brian replies
“You’re like a dog…”
“Go on.”
“No.”
“So… I’m going to go shave wood.” you say and do so as Brian and Ricardo stare at each other for about five minutes as if it were some sort of psychological warfare between two wizards. You watch them to see what’ going to happen, remembering that you can’t damage yourself, so you stop focussing on the knife, but end up nicking yourself and remember that you still feel pain.

You finish and then begin setting up the chairs, and eventually the two simultaneously look away and get back to setting up. You ask them what the fuck happened and they tell you it sorta just started and they both wanted to see how far it would go. You call them both idiots and get back to work. You eventually finish and the three of you go off to get everyone. First you swing by Suzana’s as her aura just seems to calm you and the two morons sort of just follow you. She’s not there so you ask if they know where Marshal resides, and they lead you to his place. You get there and knock on the door, and he opens it dressed in a toga.
“We got the party crew!” Marshal yells to his dead silent house
“Why are you wearing a bed sheet?” you ask
“Cause I forgot my fucking clothes weren’t clean.”
“Dylan, the Romans got to Marshal too.” Brian says
“I thought that shit was Greek.”

“Romans stole it, just like the US stole half of Mexico.” Ricardo says
“Nooooo, no politics, more fun.” Marshal says
“Why is everyone acting like a neanderthal today?” you ask
“Party!”
“You guys are fucking idiots, the whole lot of you.”
“Booooo! Dylan, no serious shit, it’s time for getting wasted and then having regrets in the morning.”
“Alcohol does nothing for me, and I already always wake up in the morning full of regrets.”
“Do you need a hug man.”
“More than that. I just need a distraction or something. That’s why I’m here.”
“Shit m-”
“Can you guys not show up at fucking 1 in the afternoon while, I’m taking a shit.” Suzana yells, walking out from what you assume is a bathroom. “Seriously, what are you doing here so early?”
“What? Did you have other plans today?” Ricardo says
“No… I just thought it was going to be later. That’s all.”
“So…”
“I don’t know, I haven’t gotten what I said I would yet.”
“Ok, what about you Marshal?”
“I’m always ready.” Marshal says, leading you over to a cooler packed full of about like thirty different kinds of beers.

“Why do you have so much and where did you get it all?” You say
“McFattass mostly, he’s got all sorts of shit.”
“Ok, where does he get it?”
“No clue, probably from wherever they get the food from in the big ass vans”
“Makes sense I guess… where do the vans go if-” you begin but stop
“What?”
“Never mind.”
“Ok man. Yo Suz, you good to get shit on your own?”
“Yeah, probably.” she says
“Alright then. So where’s the site?”
“I’ll lead you to it.” Brian says as he grabs the cooler and the both of them carry it away. You tell Suzana that you’ll see her later and then you and Ricardo round up the rest. You get Bailey, who says he doesn’t need help bringing his surprise, then McKay who you found just standing on top of a building watching you and Ricardo. When you ask why he’s up there, he says he likes the breeze going through his hair as he meditates. You then get Tim, he tries to flirt with you, Ricardo threatens him, and he walks off to the site. While walking back to the site, you pass by Suzana, who looks very shaken up. You ask her what happened and she desperately tries to avoid the question, on the brink of tears.

You hug her and lead her over to the site. Upon getting there, Marshal sees and goes over to comfort her. He takes her over out of earshot and starts asking her questions and you can hear her full blown crying, which is extremely odd for someone who’s normally extremely tough seeming. You think to ask McKay to see if his omniscient ass would know. You just sort of look at him and he says simply “Soon” then goes back to roasting what looks like deer on a spit. You try not to think too much about whatever’s going on with Suzana but know that isn’t the right action, you should be there for her, but can you? You need to stop thinking before the intrusive thoughts take over again. You ask Bailey what his surprise was in order to distract yourself, and he opens a bag he brought. In it is about five bottles of some expensive looking Irish whiskey and a long ass sausage rope. He says he smuggled this shit in earlier today as well as some other shit. You ask him about the phone he said he was gonna bring, but instead he hands you something wrapped in christmas wrapping paper. He says to open it later.

An hour passes and the party is going on. It’s pretty fun to not have to think about shit right now, but you know that’s not going to last long. Suzana did come back after a while and nobody mentioned it, but after the food was all cooked, McKay speaks up.
“Now that most of us are liquored up” he says, noting you and him weren’t drinking “I believe we should get some clarity in the persisting situation of miss De La Cruz.”
“No.” Suzana says
“You don’t want to talk about it do you? But you know if you don’t, questions will be left, rumors will spread, and the thoughts will eat you alive. You know it will, it’s happened to your new friend, and you don-”
“Shut the fuck up!” You yell
“D-” Suzana begins, tears welling up in her eyes.
“So it speaks y-” McKay begins
“Don’t call me an it, I’m a fucking person!” you say, fuming “I’m not letting you do this shit again, I’m not letting anyone else get tortured by your fucking magic, you sick bastard.”
“Ha, you thi-”
“SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!” you yell as you draw the switch blade on him.
“Seems someone grew a spine, but when you use it is dumb.”


“Why? Why is it dumb now?”
“You’re threatening someone who could-”
“Who could what? You can’t kill me, you can’t torture me, you can’t insult me, I’ve got nothing to lose, but you do. You have nothing to threaten me with all your might, so what are you going to do?”
“Duel.” he says, pulling out two machetes and throwing one at your feet.
“Dylan what the fuck are you doing?” Brian says, a bit worried
“Dylan, you know what h-” Ricardo begins, but you cut him off
“He can’t do that to me can he, he can’t do shit.” you say
“Still.”
“Hey Dylan, what are you trying to prove here?” Marshal says
“Dylan, please…” Suzana says, in tears. You then look at Tim who’s very drunk and very excited, then to Bailey. Bailey says nothing, but just nods.

Are you really going to have a machete duel with some guy? Regardless of what he’s said and done to you the past two days. Will you pick up the machete and fight?

PAGE BREAK

“No…” you say kicking away the machete “I’m not gonna do this, this isn’t my fight. I-”
“You were so close” McKay says, smiling at you “Alas, audentes fortuna iuvat, you will go no where as a coward”
“This isn’t some form of cowardice, no one but you wants me to do this, just please don’t push things.”
“Acta non verba, so make me.”
“No t-” You begin but are immediately struck in the side of the head by the machete. You feel like your head should have split open as you slam onto the ground, semi conscience, and in shock. On the ground you get turned over and then are stomped by McKay in the stomach. You vomit up into the air, then flop over again as he rams his heel into your crotch, making you wince and curl up.
“Alea iacta est, stand and fight, you don’t have a choice.” he says, and that awakens something in you. Have you ever had a choice? Have all of the decisions in your life been made for you? Ha- you are kicked in the side of the head.

You watch as your friends stare on, not knowing what to do. Ricardo tries to do something, yet McKay wards him off, Tim laughs and claps, the worm doesn’t care, but Bailey stares at you, not a look of anything in particular, but as if he were waiting for you. What’s he waiting for- you get hit again, this time in the back, sending pain up through you. You’re getting very tired of the bastard kicking you and spouting nonsensical latin. He kicks you again, in the stomach. He tries it again but you grab his leg and bite into his calf. The taste of blood is strange, almost magical, it makes you feel strong. Makes you feel hungry. You yank him to the ground and bite his forearm as he tries to guard his face. He begins laughing, such a stupid laugh. So much noise, you’ll stop it. You grab McKay’s throat, pushing the sharpened claw-like ends of your thumbs into his Adam’s apple. Then suddenly, you hit the ground again. You were tackled, you realize, and find Ricardo trying to hold you back.

You try to wriggle free but, that doesn’t work, the Cuban has a death grip around your arms and stays in a position where you cannot bite him. You shake and shake, but can’t break free so you try looking around for something to pry him off, but end up seeing the face of Suzana instead. She has a look of horror on her face, not like before, it’s no longer a fear of what could happen, she looks at you like you’re some wild animal, some dangerous beast, what you feared you would become. You cease struggling after the realization and stare off blankly into the forest.
“Are you good now man?” Ricardo asks
“No.” you say, choking back tears.
“In what way?”
“I’m some fucking beast… what did I do?”
“What was e-encouraged.” McKay says, from behind you “A st-rkh-step in th-the right direction.”
“WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR GOAL?”
“Entertainment and knowledge.”
“Fuck you!”

“You already have.” he says, laughing and coughing as well. You sit there for a little longer with Ricardo still pinning you. A few minutes pass and you ask him to let go.
“Are you going to immediately do something stupid again?” Ricardo says
“I’m not planning on it.” you retort
“Ok then.” he says and releases you. You get up and then sit back down in your seat, staring at McKay. You watch as he pulls some weird porcelain bottle out of his coat and drinks it, then gets some leather pouch and spreads a powder over his wounds. You ask what that is and he says it’s medicine. The group is silent for a little while before Bailey pulls up a guitar case that you didn’t originally see. He asks what everyone would like to hear as he opens the case and pulls out a nice looking acoustic guitar. Ricardo asks if he can play something about Cuba and Bailey says he knows something that he’ll like.

♫IT'S TIME TO INVADE! The bay of PIGS! They're out for blood tonight, they're the widow-makers. Killer Elite: Cuba Invaders. A Motley Crew in the line of fire. A raging horde of criminal pilgrims. Murder patrol of heavy drug addicts.. Burning wheel on the road to ruin♫ Bailey sings
“What fucking song is this tankie shit?” Marshal asks
♫THIS IS THE DARK CHAPTER OF FREEDOM♫ Bailey continues
“I don’t know.” Ricardo says
♫BUT NO ONE CARES, WHERE IS THE READER, NOW?♫ Bailey continues
“But I like it.”
♫THE WORDS ARE GONE SOMEHOW BUT I JUST CAN'T TAKE IT SO: Break the chains one final time! We’ll see you on the other side! The Revolutions bound to fail! And God is on your side! They aimed to take the residence! Left buy their own president!♫ Bailey continues
“It’s a little bit too tankie even for me, dog.” Brian says
♫Failure is what people say♫ Bailey continues
“Oh cmon, like it’s a good song none the less.” Ricardo retorts
♫About the Bay Of Pigs♫ Bailey continues
“Fine. Bailey can you stop for a moment.”
“Oh bullshit, yer dumb arse didn’t just cave to the fecking holy show of a senator’s son and the fluthered businessman’s son. Deadly fine group to call one out on being a communist, I’d bet my left nut the feckin’ eejit in the Letterman can’t name what communism is other than ‘when the government does stuff’, I’d almost take that bet if I didn’t give up gambling.”

“Bailey what the fuck does that mean?”
“Ya listened to the bourgeoisie’s view’s on a song about a feckin’ communist dictatorship, and ya fucking took after it like a feckin’ eejit.”
“Bailey what the fuck did you m-” Brian begins but gets cut off
“Here, I’ll put it into American terms: you got gaslighted by the feckin’ elite despite you knowing the song was good.”
“I didn’t gaslight-”
“Come here to me and I’ll put your manky arse in the ground! I ain’t above fighting.”
“Yeah right, I could snap your arms like a twig.”
“You can’t” McKay says “I’ve seen him fight first hand, he’s fairly unfathomable, uses stuff he learned from video games and wins with it.”
“And? So-”
“Muller, I’ve seen the guy kill what’s essentially a small dinosaur with a blunt switchblade before. You’re not going to win this.”
“Is that so fancy Latin boy?”
“Wait, so is Bailey actually some badass who rose the flag over the Reichstag or something?” you ask semi jokingly
“Yes.” McKay says to some confusion from the rest of the group. You say nothing, you’re stunned that someone else would back up his strange and unbelievable claims. You’re not exactly sure what to believe about all that, but maybe there’s some truth or something.”
“So how’s about another song eh? Any requests?” Bailey says

Do you have any requests for what Bailey should play?

PAGEBREAK

“Yeah su-” you begin but immediately get cut off
“Free Bird!” Tim yells
“Yer really gonna tell me to play feckin’ Free Bird on this piece o shit. Jeanie Mac! Yer puttin’ me to work.” Bailey says
“Yeah, and?”
“Yer a bit of a cunt aren’t ya?”
“You want to say that to my face?”
“I just did ya feckin’ eejit! How many chromosomes do you have?”
“More than you, girly man.” Tim says which causes Bailey to start laughing to the point of tears.
“You- you did not just- you didn’t just feckin’ say that?”
“I did, do you have a problem?”
“No, but ya just said ya had down syndrome you feckin’ moron, saunter on off ‘fore ya make more of a fool of yerself.”
“Bailey you said you’re American right?” Roberto asks
“Yeah, born in the states.”
“Yeah, so why the accent and speaking habits?”
“Well I wasn’t raised by some feckers in Nashville or somethin’, Parents where immigrants and I lived with them, they spoke how I spoke.”

“How were your parents? Like why did they leave Ireland?”
“They were feckin’ neo-liberal shills, and they left cause of work. Listen, I kinda don’t want to talk about my life right now, I got a mood to set and stuff-”
“Tell us pretty boy.” Tim says.
“Fine... Ye want some fun facts about the opposum ey? Anyone else wanna hear some?”
“I mean we kinda invited you over here to get to know you.” Ricardo says
“Well ain’t that a dryshite response. What of the rest of ye?”
“I don’t care.” Marshal says
“Sure.” Suzana says semi solemnly
“I know the tool in the cowboy hat knows what he wants to, what of me rubber boy and the senator’s son?” Bailey says
“Why not Bailey, enthrall us.” Brian says
“Yeah… mostly just want the heat off me right now… or in general.” you say
“Fair play. Aight, so to begin, I am a serving member of the Spanish military, specifically their army, and I have no feckin’ connections to the US’ army. I’m a big fan of Dark Souls and I roll around a bit when fighting people, which the mates make fun of… until I feck someone up with it. Lastly I probably got a higher body count than the rest of ya combined.”
“I don’t doubt that.” you say
“I do, how many do you have sissy boy?” Tim says
“Over a hundred is when I stopped counting.” Bailey says
“Bullshit, how the fuck did you get that high?”
“Well, fer starters most of it wasn’t consensual.” he says to utter silence for a few minutes “Before ya start plotting to kill me, I was the one who didn’t consent.”
“Holy shit what the fuck kind of neighbor-” Brian begins
“Detroit… Detroit in its best parts are worse than hell in its worst. Ye can test that for yerself, I have, I can attest.”

“Bailey how can you so casually admit you were raped?” Ricardo says
“Happened in the past, also got a bit of revenge.” Bailey says to more silence “Not speakin’ again are we?”
“Did you actually?” Ricardo asks “Like your tone with this makes me feel like you didn’t”
“Well feck you too. Listen Joseph Stalin, the prick with the funny moustache, he said that one death is a tragedy but a million is a statistic, it applies to thi-”
“But it happened to you, not someone else.”
“Who says I can fathom or remember it all, I just remember it happened and how I felt, and how I don’t feel those things anymore. The Bailey who was a victim isn’t the Bailey that’s around anymore, neither are those who did things to that Bailey… but ya know, the more its spoken of, the less I can forget, can we turn the subje-”
“PLEASE TELL ME HOW YOU DEAL WITH IT!” Suzana yells, pouring tears from her eyes
“Me in specific or some shit I tried that didn’t work?”
“What works? Please!”
“For me, the answer seems to be faith and violence, the knowledge that there is a world beyond and that someone will be there to guide ya through the thickets. Violence is simply a means of therapy, not as revenge however, you must strike to prevent, not to remedy, by slaughtering the wicked to make sure none else feel what you have, ye can make sure the cycle ends. Ye will find solace not in vengeance, but in being who ye needed in that time, but never had. Does that make sense?” Bailey asks and Suzana shakily nods as Marshal hugs her and whispers something to her.

“Ye, all that and constant distractions, work takes the mind off the trauma and when yer left with time to think about thin’s, yer mind is bound to swing to trauma. Keep the mind busy wit’ work and it will not turn to that, but don’t think too much on it if ya fail what ye were trying, that’ll make it worse. I was once told simply to ‘keep moving forward’, n’fact it was not too long ago, though it feels a grand bit back. Man who told me it was off his rocker, but the saying works here. You just gotta keep moving on, ye?”
“Would that work for me?” you say
“No, yer arse simply gotta smoke the cunt who turned ya. Revenge in your case gonna be the correct path, that bitch chose you in specific an’ you gotta do the same.”
“Isn’t revenge a sin, like one that w-” Brian begins
“Yeah according to a book written a few thousand years back in the day, the Ol’fella who spoke the words in it didn’t think the vast fiery pit in the center of the planet had a capacity, back then there were bout a million total, now we got that many sinners dead a week. Shit’s been written off an not sendin’ feckers to better Detroit, the Pope is goin’ round tellin feckers that things aren’t sins anymore, but leavin’ out the part that Hell’s overflowin’.”
“Then why did-”
“Revenge leaves no satisfaction. That’s all. But for ya, she ain’t gonna stop until ya burn her ass.”
“Ok…” you say and there’s silence again except from Suzana speaking under her breath and Marshal trying to consolidate her with whispers. You want to help but don’t know how or if you can.

“Ingens silentium, how about a bit of Johnny Cash.” McKay says, smiling at you.
“Sure, what be yer choice of em.” Bailey asks
“Ghost Riders.”
“Ye, that’s a good one, and it do be that time after all.” Bailey says as he begins to play the song on his guitar. You sit there some more, thoughts rushing around in your head about what you can do. You look back at Suzana to see her covering her face with her knees. You know how she feels, you hate how she feels, though you’re on the opposite end of the situation for once, you’re the onlooker who just stares. You wanted this, to be on the other end for once, but you didn’t all the same. You co- you stop having a mental breakdown because there is a large explosion from behind you, towards the school. You and everyone else turn around to see what it was and see a large smoke colum rising above the trees. You’re confused and start looking back at everyone else to see if they know what’s going on. They all seem confused except for Ricardo, he has a look of fear, and he’s looking at Bailey who’s still playing Cash, except now you hear the lyrics are off.

♫Well I started out with petrol bombs, and throwing bricks and stones, with a hundred more lads like me, I never was alone, but soon I learned that bricks and stones won't drive the Brits away, it wasn't very long before, who did I join? I joined the IRA♫ Bailey sings
“Bailey?” you say, a bit shaken
“Yeah?”
“Did you-”
“You ordered it.”
“What do you mean I ordered it? WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO!?”
“Kylie White, a bit of a slag, bit of a cunt, bits and pieces now.”
“What?”
“You placed the hit didn’t you?”
“I DIDN’T TELL YOU TO BLOW UP THE FUCKING SCHOOL!”
“Oh hardly, that probably didn’t take out but one cell of your prison of a dorm situation.”
“Did you… what did… Bailey?”
“Mhm?”
“How?”
“Gasoline, a candle, and a humidifier. Anyways here’s wonderwall.” Bailey says and begins to play. You sit there for a second in shock. He really wasn’t lying was he? And if he wasn’t what awaits you beyond the school?

Copyrights:
Caesar’s Legion- bethesda/obsidian/microsoft
Bay of Pigs- Civil War/Nuclear Blast Records
SAM Song- Gerry O'Glacain