Meeting Stain

Guilt forms inside of me…

I know… I know before it happened, what they paid those scientists to do, but we did nothing, we couldn't stop this destruction, even if we wanted to… how do I tell her this? How do I say?

Hey, I know and I did nothing because they fuc-ing threatened our families?

But it didn't do me any good by keeping quiet, my family died, I can't let this information slip from my lips.

Yeah… I know I'm making a mistake by not telling her everything about me, but I can't risk this friendship now, and no way am I spending another year alone, just because of some lunatic who couldn't find happiness in the world.

"Where are we even going?" I shake the thoughts, "I have a few houses placed in a few cities, I wanted to be prepared," "Oh, I see… w-watch out!"

Smoke enters my nostrils as soon as I open my eyes, the engine, I hit my tree, "Lixa…" She moans in a slight movement, "Are you okay? Damn it, those animals,"

"Y-yeah," I battle outside the car, my spinning head burns my eyes, the smoke doesn't do me any good, she follows my scrapping slowly.

"Come on, we need to move on, nighttime," She nods exhausted, "All right,"

A few hours have passed since we left our only car behind. With the moon hanging bright in the dark sky, it somewhat lights the path toward our next destination.

"Is this safe? Should we be worried?" I scan the surrounding area. It might be safer if I carried her, but I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable.

"Yes, but just keep walking, we're almost there," I glance at her blues scanning restlessly around, "What happened to you? The marks on you?"

I can feel them piercing into me, scanning every cut, every tattoo… "There was a family, parents and a little boy… never can I forget his green eyes… anyway, a shoot-out happened, a-an explosion took their lives and almost mine, so, they changed me into something… different, replaced my parts with…"

"Bionic parts… I mean I know about it, but I never thought it was possible," "When they told me they could change me… I didn't think they meant… literally,"

She nods whilst scanning the surrounding area, "It must have been hard for you, learning to deal with a body like yours,"

"Not really, I had to learn fast…" I peek at her pin eyes, "Me too…" In shock, I gawk at her, "You too?" "Yeah… but I won't bore you the details," "I have all night,"

She chuckles peeking at me, "All right… there was this couple, I still up to this day don't know, who was trying to kill who… I calmed them enough to talk sense into them… before any warning can be given, a bomb activates and everything shuts down,"

"I'm sorry… I guess we both learned the hard way?" "Yeah, I guess so,"

The bright sunlight battles into our tired eyes… nothing but jungle… "We need to find a house or anything related, I can't keep this up,"

I nod along scanning the surrounding area, no homes, no huts, nothing… just fuc-ing jungle.

"I don't know where, it's been a while since I have passed this side of town…" "Hey, Ethan," I glance at her minor smile, "Thanks again for saving me,"

"Ah, no problem Lixa," She jogs, and I follow exhausted behind her, "I see something, can it be?" "Wait, it's a house…"

I hesitate to pull her backward, houses aren't safe anymore, many predators live near and around them and it's inside the jungle road, then it's a no, I pant staring at the house before us.

"Lixa, it's not safe," "Come on Ethan, we have no choice," I nod creeping along with her toward the house, I swear with every sound I hear paws creeping toward us.

"Hold on, do you hear that?" She holds before me, "Yeah… it sounds like… inside the house," She jogs and swings the door open, "Come on, Ethan…"

I follow her in a sigh… "You can't just burst inside a house Lixa… what? What happened here?" Part of the house covered in vines, impossible for us to break through, I close the door and she disappears into the only free bedroom.

"I guess no one cares much for houses anymore, right?" Her question lingers in my thoughts when I found my house; they also trapped it in vines and things I don't have the energy to deal with…

"I guess so, wait…" I peer through the spike vines, "There is something on the other side," She rushes over to me and also peeks through.

"Someone lives here, right?" It looks like wooden furniture. Could someone be living here? Or perhaps something?

"What's wrong?" She backs away, "I saw… someone," I peer through the vines again, "But I see nothing… damn it, what the heck?"

Something cuts through the vines furiously, "Who are you? Get out of my house," I push Lixa behind me, "We don't want any trouble," His furious hairy expression breaths heavy.

"You're looking for it," "Stain… that can't be you," She steps behind me, peering at him in memory, his gray eyes stretch at her, he swipes some white locks from his eyes.

"Axe? I haven't seen you in years," She stands in shock. Great… just what I need.

"What happened? I thought you were… dead," He smirks, "The same here Axe, so who's macho here?"

"What…" Lixa holds my chest… "Whoa, there, cowboy," His focus remains on her, typical… "This is Ethan, he saved me a few days ago,"

His grays scan me from head to toe and his focus returns on her, "Guess even with a world like this, fitness is a number one priority," A way to piss me off, what's his problem?

"Lixa, we need to move on, my house is still a few blocks to go…" He throws the machete onto the wooden floor behind him and stretches his arms toward us.

"You're welcome to stay here, I don't mind any guest," Black is all I have to give this man, he is… something else, I wonder how she coped with him all those years, guess he was as annoying as he acts now.

"No, not at all, it's not a problem… right Ethan?" I glance at her bright smile and his crook smile, "Yeah…" She follows his trail like a minor girl, "So, what's up with the vines? Tired of chopping them?"

He plugs on a wooden chair, "They keep growing back, do you know how many times have I cut them down? Probably a million," She chuckles at him and rests her back against the wall.

"I guess these mutations don't stop, right?" "Nah," My cue to leave, she's safe with this moron, I think… I disappear from their sight and reach for the icy metal.

Rushing feet stops my movement, "Ethan, where are you going? We're safe here," I sigh, avoiding her burning blues. She need not know, she has this moron to keep her company.

"Getting some fresh air, I'll be right back," I shift out of her grip and close the door behind me… I exhale the breath I'm holding, not coming back here again.

I need to find my other home���

The road feels longer whilst I walk, I'm alone again, just like the first time, with no one to keep me sane.

I can care less if something attacks me now…

The only thoughts I have are my family…