Chapter 3: Battle in the Boxes

Foraging for food turns out to be a heartbreaking experience.

Boxes are stacked high in patches of hills around the garage, heavy with freight. One of them is bound to have food of some sort in them. People forget that out neck of the woods hasn't been abandoned for very long. Along with the normal goods around here, we've been stealing from trucks whenever possible. It's hard to think that I came here because I was given a second chance. Now I'm a stone-cold felon again.

There's a noise behind me, and I'm not stupid enough to think it's just the wind. My steps lighten as I come to a stop and look behind me. Light reflects off of someone's eye. I see how the shine breaks the darkness with the tell-tale blue. Oddly, I am not alarmed. That stare is only half there. It's only Batty.

As he gets closer, I can make out the shape of his body. He's always been shorter than me by a long shot, even with his rigid posture. His sandy brown hair is swept to the left and is hanging over his forehead. Scars are dashed around his face. Only one of his eyes have that eerie luminescence that counters their natural green hue.

I don't shift my glance from him when I talk like the others do. "I'm not staying here while we slowly die off." I tell him firmly. I don't realize until his face turns angry that he's holding what looks like a rope. "Are you okay-" Before I can process what's going on, a small band is wrapped around my neck. Choking sounds echo off the walls, magnifying my terror with it's acoustics. The pressure loosens as a hear a click, and he's off me.

Nothing about his face belongs to him.  It's filled with wrath that I can't place. Within an instant I know he's taking commands through the interface. Apparently he was wrong when he said he was completely freed from it, which makes me wonder how long he's been fighting it. Even now I can see the battle he's losing inside.

Remembering our plan for this possibility, I sweep his legs and reach into his pocket. A slip of paper is crumbled up inside. A moan erupts from the poor guy as I read the short note.

To whomever found this,

You're reading this, so my defenses have broken down and the boys up top have taken over my actions. Don't hesitate to do anything you need to. My belongings are under the floorboards in the main room, in the corner left and furthest away from the door. If push comes to shove, I'm particularly weak in the back if you need to take me out.

I'm sorry, 

Batty

Damn it, why do you have to make this harder for me? I never really liked the idea of him keeping emergency plans, "just in case". But this? It never crossed my mind that he would want to be ganked. He's known for a while that he was losing his grips. Anger is strange, taking you at the most inappropriate of times. One of those times is when your best friend is being beaten in a fight against himself. Ignoring my thoughts, I'm still taken with the feelings of betrayal you ironically only get whenever someone can't help but make you mad.

Even though it's stupid, I go and check if he's alright. His hand grabs mine softly. My efforts at coaxing him into tell me how to help are cut off whenever he reaches for my neck. There's something there I didn't notice before, like a collar. It's not budging. All of the energy that was in his body is worm down, and I can see he has control over himself temporarily. "Please, get out." his voice trails.  I simply shake my head in response. "I mean it. That thing," He points at the strange band. "it'll have you dead in 3 days. You've only got 72 hours to live the rest of your life. Have some fun."

My words feel like hurdles, requiring effort to even make sense. "This is going to kill me? W-why?"

"Cypress doesn't like loose ends." he replies with a wheeze.

"They've never tried to kill us before!" I plea, becoming irrational.

A round of gunshots rings off close by and he sighs. "They already have."

Piercing pain fills my head, and my vision blurs. Noises are coming in from every direction. One sound is dominating the others, a voice maybe? It's yelling between sharp breaths, getting louder by the second. I've never seen their eyes before, but I'm already tired of seeing that damn blue.