12. Help yourself

"Thank you." Hunter patted the boy on the head and Lilly brought him into his room. Hunter turned back to the terrified people in the room. "Can anyone remember a year later than 2035?" Everyone looked at each other, while the middle aged women continued to cry and whisper to herself that everything was all right.

"No one?" Some shook their heads and some didn't react.

"Okay, since that is the latest year, we can assume that when the incident happened it was 2035. Now the question is, what is messing with our memory?"

"Like... a supernatural being?" The long haired man sneered. Jack didn't like his attitude and asked while smiling "What's your theory then Mr. Brilliant?"

The other guy was taken aback for a moment thinking aloud to himself "I'm Casper.....Sonic waves?" 

Lilly came back and replied "Your lungs would burst before you could lose your memory." The blond guy from upstairs leaned on his arms which were placed on his knees, looking rather bored. "Does it matter?"

The old man shook his head "Young man, what do you think is happening, don´t want to know?"

"Not really..." He leaned back and looked as if he didn't want to continue the conversation.

The short haired woman suddenly screamed and threw herself at the black haired beauty, trying to scratch her face "That should be me, I am not old, it's your fault, why are you here, looking so beautiful when you are just a bitch!" She couldn't get past Lenny who had a murderous look on his face while he held her down fixing her hands on her back. The beauty giggled and looked like she didn't realize that she was almost attacked. She stood up and hopped to Jack saying "I'm scared, are you protecting me?" Jack looked at her smile in question then looked at Lenny who was fletching his teeth at him. 

Hunter furrowed his brows and opened his mouth to diffuse the situation when the door opened and two men walked in, with bulging backpacks. The taller one, with a short beard, looked at the comotion and asked in a deep voice "What's going on here?" 

Hunter changed the words he was about to say and rather than explaining he asked "What year do we have now?"

The taller guy answered promptly : "2029" The guy behind him with outgrown blond dyed hair had his eyes on the black haired beauty while answering at the same time "2026" They looked at each other, then around the room and Hunter said : "That's what's going on."

Lenny suddenly jumped up from the short haired woman and punched the guy with the dyed hair in the face. Nobody reacted and Lenny said "I said I'd punch you everytime I see you." The other held his bloody nose and turned his head in hatred "It was in mutual consent..."

"Want another one?" Lenny growled and took the beauty by her hand leading her out of the apartment. She didn't even look at black hair as she turned around "I'm Emily" she brought her hand to the side of her head, saying "Call me".

Dyed hair saw this and his face looked even uglier.

Jack asked himself how to call without a phone, a phone number or electricity and chuckled.

They left with Casper, throwing a nasty look at the people in the room, and Dale. The room was suddenly silent. The short haired woman was still lying sideways, looking blankly at the floor. Nobody came to help her up.

Jack contemplated, but decided against it. He didn't know where her room was and he didn't want to get scratched for his beauty.

The two guys opened their backpacks and piled their findings on the couch table. Everyone got up to take some, the taller guy turned to Jack and Hunter and asked " Are you staying?" 

Jack asked back "Can we?" 

"Are you going to loot the vicinity with us tomorrow?"

"No problem for me, don´t know about Hunter with the cast." Jack answered confidently.

"Let Lilly look at him and help yourself with the food."

Jack and Hunter weren´t polite and took some packed bread and water.