《Exalted》


 Chapter 1

    Arthur has a problem.


    Whenever he¡¯s happy he drinks, whenever he¡¯s sad he drinks, and whenever he¡¯s not drunk he thinks about jumping off a bridge.


    He¡¯s a young man with asian features standing a few inches above the average height with a lean body adapted to surviving the catastrophes, the apocalypse dragged him into the deepest depths of hopelessness but somehow he managed to sink further as he wandered alone drunk and miserable.


    With a bottle in hand and a sledgehammer slung over his shoulder he stumbles around a well preserved ghost town, much like many other ghost towns the buildings are intact and the insides untouched which was good for Arthur since he could help himself to as many bars as he can.


    Arthur wobbles on the sidewalk trying to make sure not to throw up the alcohol he spent hours drinking, ¡°We can¡¯t waste beer in this economy¡± he mumbles.


    ¡°Am I right guys?¡± He turns around calling out to someone but his words echo in the seemingly lifeless city with no one to respond to, ¡°Guys?¡± He calls out once again.


    He scratches his head contemplating how he got into his situation before shrugging his shoulders and chugging another round.


    Within the streets of a town long abandoned signs of life may be amiss but it¡¯s never absent, a foul smell assaults Arthur¡¯s senses, a sun-dried corpse according to his nose. The scent wasn¡¯t intense but it was enough to almost make him retch.


    By sheer will he holds the contents of his stomach, Arthur reaches around for a small respirator one that only covers the lower half of his face. Aside from the yellow nubs which house the filter it was mostly smooth surface which was painted with bloodied gums and vicious fangs, assembled into a demonic scream.


    ¡°Come out you bitch! I can fucking smell you!¡± his muffled screams failed to echo in the vast emptiness.


    Hearing no response his head wobbled to the direction of the scent and found a distinctly human silhouette standing in the shadows of an alley, the antlers on its head made it appear taller but in truth they perfectly see eye to eye. The creature walks into the light revealing its grotesque form, a withered deer carried by human limbs which sprout unnaturally from the corners of its body, its original hoofed legs atrophied into uselessness turning into lifeless branches, its snout smashed in creating lines and wrinkles which resemble a human face.


    Arthur slings his half empty bottle which painfully bounces off the creature¡¯s skull, it recoils back and before it could recover Arthur splatters its head with his sledgehammer. Blood and brains paint the alley red, Arthur maintains a disciplined stance despite murdering the only threat in sight, his legs planted firm hands gripping his weapon wide, on the center of his hammer¡¯s shaft the words ¡®Exterminate Evil¡¯ are inscribed.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    The entire block stank of rotting blood and Arthur stands patiently at the center, a few minutes pass and the streets come to life. The shadows dance in grotesque shapes, ragged breaths, clumsy steps, and inhuman vocalizations fill the emptiness.


    They gathered at the alley¡¯s entrance, coyotes, dogs, and deer. All sprouting human limbs, all walking and standing as if they were people.


    With a hammer in his hands and the monsters right outside he charges and smashes into the horde without fear, without hesitation. Arthur¡¯s wide grip and control of his weight allows him to swing the hammer with speed and accuracy, every lunge, swing, snap, and flick either incapacitates or instantly kills.


    Blood thickens the air as the monsters that have faced Arthur¡¯s hammer either lay dead or screaming. At first the rotting scent and the cries of agony sobered Arthur¡¯s mind but as time went on it became an addiction, the monsters could do nothing and stand watch as Arthur broke them one by one. He lets his sadistic instincts take over, prioritizing the weak and afraid before moving on to whatever¡¯s nearest.


    His hammer was an object of fear and so were the vicious jaws painted on his respirator, many dare not to approach and the few who tried were quickly dispatched.


    Victory is easy when the enemy is too scared to fight back.


    Arthur stands alone in a river of bodies basking in his glory, as the ones his hammer failed to kill either crawls away in fear or writhed in agony.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Arthur hears a voice among the cries of pain, he looks over to see a tall woman staring back. White as a cracker he thought, her red hair felt like a gentle sunset against the puddles of blood, she covered her nose with a handkerchief to help her endure the smell.


    Arthur shrugs, ¡°About time I lost my mind¡± he says while walking off to the side with the intention of executing the incapacitated.


    The woman watches as Arthur uses his hammer to send the struggling into the afterlife, ¡°You¡¯re not seeing things, I¡¯m real¡± she says.


    Arthur pauses to look at the woman once more, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what a hallucination would say¡± he mumbles.


    The woman sighs, she draws a machete and approaches the nearest corpse, she cuts off a hand and throws it to Arthur which smacks into his face.


    Arthur¡¯s gaze switches between the hand and the woman, who crosses her arms waiting for him to approach. Arthur awkwardly shuffles forward, stopping at a comfortable distance from her.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Arthur says with a smile. He studies the woman¡¯s clothes, she¡¯s armed and armored with professional gear, her eyes are sharp and stern as she sizes up Oscar who wears normal everyday clothes adorned by objects he stole from a hardware store, aside from the painted respirator and sledgehammer he wears heavy steel toed boots and thick gloves for an extra layer of protection.


    Both know strength in numbers is a valuable thing, without exchanging words they¡¯re already in agreement.


    ¡°My name is Lisa¡± the woman introduces herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m Arthur¡± he responds.


    ¡°What were you doing?¡± Lisa asked.


    ¡°Nothing, just passing time¡± Arthur answered.


    Every possible interpretation of his words is a red flag, Lisa thought long and hard about travelling with a possible psycho.


    Arthur sees her confliction and makes everything worse ¡°By the way, I have a lot of issues¡± he says.


    Lisa shakes her head upon hearing his words yet despite being covered in blood and armed with a fresh murder weapon he felt harmless, friendly even. Arthur¡¯s eyes looked elsewhere as he waited for Lisa¡¯s answer, often glancing back and smiling just to let her know he¡¯s paying attention.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out where he was looking as his sight was locked onto a deer that¡¯s rolling in pain the same way a human would if a sledgehammer shattered their leg.


    Lisa sighs, she¡¯s at odds between travelling with a psycho or being alone for god knows how long. ¡°Arthur? You ever killed anyone?¡± She asks.


    ¡°No, not people at least,¡± he answers.


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s hope it stays that way¡± said Lisa.

 Chapter 2

    Somewhere in California an old lighthouse stands, there Lisa scouts the surrounding places with a pair of binoculars looking for anything of interest. She shares the deck with Arthur who¡¯s sitting in a corner sober yet bored out of his mind.


    ¡°We need a gameplan, jumping from place to place will eventually get us in trouble¡± Lisa expresses her concerns, ¡°We need to settle down somewhere¡± she adds.


    Arthur stretches his legs as he relaxes, whatever focus he has is spent admiring a bridge from far away.


    ¡°Hey Arthur, you have a place you wanna go to?¡± Lisa asks.


    ¡°Miami beach¡± answered Arthur.


    ¡°What¡¯s over there?¡±


    ¡°Miami beach¡±


    Lisa sighs, ¡°I guess it¡¯s up to me to keep us both alive¡± she says.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve been doing great so far¡± Arthur cheers.


    Aside from the shore and sand they¡¯re mostly surrounded by residential areas and to Arthur¡¯s dismay not a single bar in sight, their plan is to trail the shoreline to look for a boat not for anything important they just wanted to spend leisure time at sea Lisa inquires if they should go north or south.


    ¡°North is the safest¡± said Arthur ¡°You don¡¯t want to be anywhere near the Mexican border¡± he explains.


    ¡°People die in Mexico¡± said Lisa.


    ¡°People die in Mexico¡± Arthur repeats.


    Across a long stretch of sands they walked carelessly leaving behind a long trail of footprints, Lisa worries that the monsters might track them with the clues they left behind to which Arthur smiles and eases her worries as he covers his lips with his painted respirator while gesturing his hammer.


    ¡°I will make sure to smash their heads in¡± Arthur¡¯s words muffle against his mask


    Lisa chuckles ¡°You know what? Let¡¯s just stay out of trouble¡± she goes behind Arthur and pushes him to a more concrete side of the beach, ¡°by the way? What¡¯s the art on your mask called?¡± She asks.


    ¡°Demon¡± Arthur says while letting Lisa push her around ¡°It¡¯s really effective, nine out of ten times the monsters really hesitate to attack, I mean really hesitate¡± he emphasizes.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Oh, so it has some practicality behind it. I thought your kind did that just to look cool¡±


    ¡°Yeah that was the original intent, we wanted to look badass. We found out a bit later that monsters don¡¯t like big teeth¡± Explained Arthur.


    Half an hour passed and Lisa is still pushing Arthur while he goes with her flow, despite the silence they enjoyed the sun and sight making fun conversations as they¡¯ve always done.


    They haven¡¯t come across a single usable boat but they did encounter a large pier full of opportunities for recreational activities, their eyes quickly locked onto a simple stall which appears to rent kayaks, fishing rods and other kinds of equipment.


    Lisa spent the better part of the day setting up a grill and reeling in fish while Arthur fiddled around trying to figure out how to fish, often focusing too much on the mechanics rather than enjoying the moment.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get these dumb fish to bite my worm¡± he jokes.


    ¡°Maybe your worm isn¡¯t big enough¡± Lisa quips.


    ¡°It¡¯s above average,¡± said Arthur.


    Not much happened in the coming hours until eventually they heard vocalizations in the distance, they had an idea of the situation since the sounds came from where they came from. Lisa sees movement in the distance, she uses her binoculars to see a pair of monsters with canine features.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a pair of Type 3 coyotes, we¡¯re not in any danger¡±


    Lisa hears Arthur¡¯s muffled voice beside her, she glances to see him already wearing his ¡®Demon¡¯ painted respirator.


    ¡°What the fuck is a type 3 coyote?¡± Asked Lisa.


    ¡°Type 3, Anthromorphs¨C you know the ones with human limbs, flat faces¡± Arthur tries to explain. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you don¡¯t know about the taxonomy¡±


    ¡°Nerd¡± Lisa jabs.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m gonna go and kill them¡± he says while happily swinging around a hammer.


    Lisa watches him run along the pier to intercept the monsters tracking them. ¡°He¡¯s gonna come back with blood all over him and smelling like a zombie¡± she mumbles, ¡°I should have stopped him¡±.


    She watches as Arthur sprints with malicious intent, like deer in the headlights the two monsters froze as the young and possibly psychotic man crashes into them smashing open heads with disciplined hammer swings. He takes a few moments basking in his glorious victory feeling the seaside breeze as it carries the smell of rot deeper inland.


    A long silence ensues as Arthur waits for more monsters to appear ¡°Is that it?¡± He says, ¡°there¡¯s supposed to be more¡± he complains.


    Arthur sighs as he drags his kills into the water letting the waves get rid of the evidence, he then takes time to thoroughly wash off the blood before returning to Lisa who¡¯s in the process of grilling fish. She offers a few morsels which Arthur happily accepts, he hangs his wet clothes on the ledges as he once again joins Lisa in her fishing escapades.


    With his belly full he decides to catch some sleep, he finds a nice shaded corner and relaxes.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna clock in early¡± he says.


    Alone, she tries enjoying the ocean¡¯s bounty with only the fire to fill the silence. Lisa spends the rest of the day fishing and waiting for Arthur¡¯s eyes to open, it wasn¡¯t until the skies darkened when he finally awakens and for Lisa to have her own rest.


    ¡°There¡¯s food on the grill, you can eat it all¡± said Lisa, She finds herself a spot, a shadowy corner much darker than the night.


    ¡°Goodnight Lisa¡± said Arthur as he watched Lisa meld into the darkness.


    The moon shines bright, a little too bright for Arthur¡¯s liking. He could easily spot the signposts on the far streets, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness he could even see inside the buckets where Lisa kept her live fish.


    Just as she watched over him while he slept Arthur returned the favor, sitting through the long cold night awake, vigilant. Arthur has developed a habit of making the most out of the most boring, he learned how to appreciate the silence, so far his favorite pastime is looking up at the night sky and waiting for a shooting star.


    The sun rises along with Lisa, she first looks for Arthur who¡¯s sitting nearby looking at the only possible entrance of the pier meticulously cleaning his respirator. She says her good mornings and prepares for a day taking out the live fish and processing them for consumption.


    ¡°Arthur, do you have any dreams?¡± Asked Lisa.


    ¡°Yeah, every time I go to sleep I dream about jumping off a bridge¡± answered Arthur.


    Somehow Lisa was expecting that answer ¡°Any other dreams?¡± She asks.


    ¡°Getting hit by a truck, yeah that¡¯s also on the list¡±


    ¡°Okay, something that does not involve dying¡± said Lisa.


    ¡°Getting smothered with love¡± said Arthur, ¡°By a 7 foot tall woman, preferably blonde¡± he adds.


    Lisa grimaced, she¡¯s confused whether to be weirded out or disgusted but one thing is certain she¡¯s being very judgemental. ¡°That¡¯s better than the first two¡± she comments.


    Yet another boring day in the apocalypse, Lisa worries about the future while Arthur wishes for something to happen. Good or bad it didn¡¯t matter, falling off a bridge or getting hit by a truck as long as something changes that¡¯s his only wish.

 Chapter 3

    ¡°There¡¯s one in Argentina, another one in Florida, I heard about a few in Canada but I¡¯ve never been there¡± Arthur list a few locations on the top of his mind.


    They perched on top of another old lighthouse that stands higher than the rest.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡± Lisa shakes her head ¡°You¡¯ve been to safezone twice. You could be safe behind a wall drinking as much beer as you could get, why are you out here?¡± She asks.


    ¡°They ran out of beer¡± said Arthur.


    Lisa stares in silence, shaking her head in disapproval ¡°Is there any chance you could lead me to a safezone?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Yeah, we can go to Florida¡±


    ¡°You just want to see Miami beach, Argentina is easier we can just sail all the way there¡±


    ¡°Well we can, but I can¡¯t sail shit.¡± Said Arthur ¡°Also I¡¯ll probably get shot as a deserter¡±


    ¡°I guess Florida is our only option¡± sighed Lisa ¡°I always wanted to visit Argentina, it¡¯s a shame¡± she adds.


    ¡°Yeah, a little thing about Argentina¨C they went full dictator¡± said Arthur ¡°So it¡¯s best to avoid that place¡±


    The two converse on their method of getting to Florida, Arthur tries to talk about the few safe zones in Canada but Lisa brushes it off saying she doesn¡¯t want to act upon information based on hearsay and she later adds that she hates the cold.


    ¡°How did you get all the way here from Florida?¡± Asked Lisa.


    ¡°I walked¡±


    Impressed she taps Arthur on the back while giving a thumbs up, she¡¯s happy that there¡¯s a clear goal in front rather than wandering aimlessly from town to town.


    Their conversation was stopped short when Lisa spots something heading their way, a ¡°Pretty boy¡± according to her.


    ¡°Lisa, my sister in Jesus. Pretty boys are not real, it¡¯s a government conspiracy to turn redhead lesbians like yourself into proper tax paying women¡± Arthur says while scoping the direction Lisa is scoping at, ¡°oh wow, that is a pretty boy.¡± Arthur turns to see said redhead lesbian looking back at him arms crossed and with a smug look of victory.


    ¡°You were saying?¡± she says.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I doubted you, I¡¯ll try my best not to do it again¡± said Arthur with an unapologetic tone, ¡°Okay can we mug him?¡± He returns to finding the pretty boy who¡¯s currently looking up at the two.


    Another cracker, thought Arthur. Same as Lisa he wears professional attire, armed with a machete and armored with kevlar pads, the pretty boy is near and approaching. He stops at the stops near the lighthouse, waving for attention. Arthur notices a patch on the pretty boy¡¯s shoulder, his eyes focused in an attempt to identify it.


    ¡°White skull anchor on a black canvas, I feel like I¡¯ve seen that before¡± Arthur describes, ¡°Your pretty boy looks dangerous, I don¡¯t think we can mug him¡± he jokes.


    ¡°He looks like a normal white dude to me?¡± Joked Lisa.


    ¡°I think he wants in. I¡¯m gonna go down, see if he¡¯s cool¡± said Arthur.


    Lisa is hesitant toward the idea of meeting an armed stranger but Arthur states that every survivor is an armed stranger, Arthur then proclaims his ability to judge character and that he could see a red flag from miles away to which Lisa doubts.


    Arthur heads down and Lisa follows, at the nearest door they exchange awkward stares and awkward ¡®whats?¡¯. Arthur inquires for Lisa¡¯s intentions to which she states that she¡¯s concerned for his safety. At the foot of the lighthouse they meet, Arthur introduces himself and Lisa and the pretty boy does the same. Oscar is his name, he says he¡¯s only wandering the ghost towns and would appreciate a few companions.


    Both see the innocent nervousness in Oscar¡¯s eyes, the kind one might feel when trying to talk to strangers. Arthur and Lisa felt nothing off as they conversed he¡¯s similar to a new guy trying to fit in reserved, awkward, alert.


    ¡°That patch, where¡¯s it from?¡± Inquired Arthur.


    ¡°White Whales, any chance you¡¯ve heard of us?¡± Oscar responds.


    ¡°It sounds familiar. Also that patch, I don¡¯t see any whales on that patch¡± said Arthur.


    ¡°Yeah, apparently it¡¯s hard to design a patch around a whale and skull without it looking goofy, so one of them has to go¡± explained Oscar.


    ¡°White whales, white whales, white whales¡± Arthur mumbles in deep thought ¡°Ah! Moby Dick! The white whale that protects the other regular whales, now I remember¡± he says.


    ¡°Yeah that¡¯s us¡±


    ¡°I heard these guys think they¡¯re the second coming of christ, almost all the members have extreme cases of Messiah complex¡± Arthur whispers to Lisa.


    Lisa noticed that Oscar could hear every word so she silences Arthur with a firm elbow.


    Because of Arthur¡¯s loud mouth the productive conversation became a mexican standoff of awkward stares, Lisa fakes a loud cough before sending Arthur a message by jabbing her elbow into his rib.


    After recieving the painful telegram Arthur tries to change the subject, ¡°Maybe if you make the skull bigger and have the whale curve around it like a crescent moon or something, because I heard you guys mostly operate at night and I thought it might fit¡± said Arthur.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ that sounds like a good design, I¡¯ll try to talk about it to ¨CYou know, The people upstairs?¡± Said Oscar. ¡°Anyway would it be okay if I tagged alpng with you two? It¡¯s really hard staying alive when you¡¯re on your own¡± he says.


    ¡°One question, I heard White whales operate in teams. What happened to yours?¡± Asked Arthur.


    At first Oscar hesitates to answer but he knows keeping everything to himself might lead to rejection so he takes a deep breath and explains ¡°It¡¯s a funny story and also a long story but to keep it short you can say that my team forgot I was with them¡­ yeah they left me behind and didn¡¯t even bother coming back to find me¡± he looks away seemingly embarrassed at his predicament.


    Arthur leans in to have a closer look at Oscar¡¯s face, studies his effeminate feature and pretty hazel eyes ¡°Enough to make a mormon gay¡± he thinks out loud.


    Lisa covers her face as she tries to shake off her secondhand embarrassment, Oscar stares in disbelief weirded out by Arthur¡¯s description.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it, how do people forget they have a pretty boy among them?¡± Questioned Arthur.


    Oscar was insecure about being called a pretty boy but that¡¯s the least of his worries, at the moment he felt like if he answers incorrectly he¡¯ll lose out on a chance to travel with a group.


    Lisa steps in saying ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer that, you can come with us¡± she pulls Arthur close in an effort to control him.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Asked Oscar.


    ¡°I¡¯m not against the idea¡± said Lisa.


    Both looked over to Arthur waiting for his approval, his eyes looked switched between the two before answering.


    ¡°Yeah I¡¯m also cool with it but if people see that patch we might find ourselves in hot water¡± said Arthur.


    Oscar tears out the patch and throws it out to sea lacking any attatchment to its cause and whatever it meant, Arthur smiles and nods in approval.


    ¡°We¡¯re going all the way to Florida, are you sure you wanna come along?¡± Arthur asks.


    ¡°Anyone interested in Miami Beach?¡± Oscar asks.


    ¡°Yeah, this guy¡± Lisa points at Arthur who¡¯s nodding his head.


    ¡°Anyway, we met new friends. We should go find a bar and celebrate¡± Arthur proposes.

 Chapter 4

    Arthur wakes up surrounded by empty bottles of beer and with a mild hangover, he finds himself inside a bar with the sun slowly setting.


    Over at the countertop Lisa and Oscar are lining up pieces of equipment and their respective bags. They noticed Arthur rising and trade glances with Lisa in a victoriously smug pose.


    ¡°See? I told you he¡¯s gonna wake up on time¡± she says as she approaches Arthur ¡°Hey there buddy! How are you feeling?¡± She adopts the tone of a proud mom.


    He tries to process her condescending attitude but the headache stopped any kind of complicated thoughts ¡°You know, same as always. I just want to die¡± he answers.


    ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m going to crash now have fun with your hangover¡± said Lisa as she disappears in a dark corner behind the counter.


    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t need a partner? Keeping watch at night is a shit experience¡± Oscar says as he approaches.


    ¡°It¡¯s all good brother¡± said Arthur ¡°You go and have a good rest¡±.


    Oscar nods and helps himself to his own shadowy corner ¡°Good night Arthur¡± he says.


    Another boring night for Arthur to bask in, he wanted to go outside and watch the stars but doing so would put his companions at risk so he just sits behind a window and watches the lifeless streets.


    Outside he hears a familiar sound, a cricket chirping. He appreciated the noise it made since it added flavor to the silence he enjoys but he does contemplate on how much his hangover hampers his ability to appreciate the night.


    ¡°Okay cricket, you¡¯re my friend now and as your friend I will hereby name you Robert¡± he says, ¡°We¡¯re going to Florida, you wanna come with us?¡± He asks the cricket who responds by minding its business and chirping as usual.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes¡±


    Hours after Arthur¡¯s conversation with the cricket something moved in the darkness, he hears a set of more than four legs shuffling against the pavement zipping from street to street at inhuman speeds.


    ¡°That¡¯s no Morph¡± Arthur mumbled as he keeps his eyes and ears out for the creature outside.


    In the darkness it wanders with erratic bursts of speed, it¡¯s hard to be sure where it¡¯s going or where it is but one thing Arthur is sure of is it¡¯s getting closer and closer until it stops nearby. Arthur could hear its ragged breath its chest pulsing hard, its breath suddenly stopped and the night returns to silence the only thing to be heard was the chirping of a cricket.


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    Small steps circled where the cricket chirps, the last thing Arthur heard was a burst of speed which slams a large body into a wall silencing the cricket.


    ¡°Rest in peace Robert, you will be remembered¡± whispered Oscar.


    Suddenly the monster splatters itself into the window in front of Arthur casting its own shadow into the darkness of the bar, the monster revealed its strangely human physique its body is mostly skin and bone, its eyes had a faint viridescent glow, growing extra sets of limbs and those limb stretched further than any man could reach.


    The monster drags its face across the glass leaving behind bits of skin and flesh as it scouts the inside of the bar, Arthur avoids detection by posing as an intellectually handsome mannequin though there was no need as in the creature¡¯s eyes he¡¯s a shadow in the darkness even if he moved he will not be spotted. The monsters jumps to the other window and performs the same face dance moving on as soon as it confirms there¡¯s only darkness on the other side, this time Arthur makes sure to avoid making comments in order to remain unnoticed.


    The rest of the night lacked any notable events and lacked the pressence of a cricket, Arthur spends it alone while being tormented by a hangover.


    The sun shines revealing unpleasant stains on the window which went unnoticed for a short while until Oscar decides to point it out, Lisa asks about the evening which Arthur explains.


    ¡°It was fast, almost human, with long limbs, skinny body, green glowing eyes¡± described Arthur.


    Lisa shakes her head unable to come up with answers while Oscar rests his chin on his fingers seemingly in deep thought.


    ¡°Okay? What exactly are we dealing with here?¡± asked Lisa.


    ¡°It¡¯s a type 2¡± Arthur adds a hint.


    ¡°Type 2 what? Diabetes?¡± Lisa responds.


    ¡°Type 2 means it¡¯s a Fauna, if it¡¯s fast then it''s probably a creep¡± said Oscar, ¡°Which doesn¡¯t make sense, they¡¯re supposed to be afraid of the dark¡± he adds.


    ¡°Yeah that¡¯s exactly why I didn¡¯t kill it, that thing ran around like it owned the streets¡± said Arthur ¡°Something¡¯s probably up¡± he voices his thoughts.


    Lisa looks back and forth between the two with barely a clue what every word meant, the other two notice and try to help her understand.


    ¡°A creep is just a really fast monster with a lot of limbs. Anyway it¡¯s really weak, they usually don¡¯t pose any danger¡± explained Oscar ¡°unless you¡¯re a child, or a small dog¡± he adds.


    ¡°Or a cricket¡± Oscar joins in ¡°I¡¯m surprised you survived this long without knowing taxonomy¡± he points to Lisa.


    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly my area of expertise¡± said Lisa.


    Arthur makes his way to the counter and dives under the drawers looking for something of interest, ¡°nobody¡¯s perfect I guess¡± He says while clanking through glass.


    ¡°You checked yesterday, there¡¯s no gun there¡± said Lisa.


    ¡°I did?¡± Arthur¡¯s head pops out from under the counter.


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for a gun just go to a gun store or police station or something¡± said Lisa.


    ¡°That¡¯s too obvious, every man and their grandmother probably thought and did just that¡± Said Arthur, ¡°if you really want a gun with actual bullets inside, check under a counter, or a bedroom¡± he adds.


    ¡°Arthur is right, but you should also take into account that we¡¯re right in the middle of California you¡¯re not gonna find a gun under a drawer¡± Said Oscar.


    ¡°These days you can¡¯t be too sure,¡± said Arthur. ¡°Anyways, you guys ready for Arizona?¡± He asks.


    Lisa and Oscar first check the contents in their bags before giving a thumbs up, Arthur suggests moving but the other two press him on his lack of equipment but Arthur responds by saying he crossed the continent with just his hammer and thick clothes. Lisa throws an empty backpack and commands Arthur to fill it with necessary equipment to which he lazily complies.


    Rolls of rope, a raincoat, spare clothes, and some other bare necessities nothing more. Travelling light and living off the land is how Arthur prefers to travel, with melancholic eyes he stares into the contents of his bag and the pockets of empty space inside somewhat reminiscing a memory in the not so distant past. The other two were nervous checking their readiness and then checking again, Arthur walks near and eases the two before Asking if anyone has a spare knife.


    Lisa takes out a sheathed knife from one of her backpack¡¯s pockets and hands it over to Arthur who says his thanks but hesitates to accept, everyone notices the imaginary wall between the blade and the young man who finally breaks through upon feeling the eyes of everyone else in the room.


    ¡°Is there anything bothering you?¡± Asked Lisa ¡°I¡¯m here if you want to talk about it¡±, she only saw a slight hesitance in Arthur but felt there¡¯s something more beneath.


    Arthur looks Lisa in the eyes and smiles ¡°I¡¯m good, thanks for asking¡± he answers, slowly he unsheathes the blade and feels an overwhelming familiarity as he grips onto the handle.


    Oscar stands near the door watching the entrance as he waits for the other two, Arthur approaches still trying to figure out how to strap the knife onto his belt which Lisa steps in to assist.


    After a final check they head out to the empty streets as ready as they could be.

 Chapter 5

    Far from the sea in a land they don¡¯t know, they tried to figure out where they are but every street and every corner looks the same to the point the simple twists or turns made them feel nauseous.


    Perched above the highest building they attempt to solve their problems but instead become lost in a sea of suburbs, Lisa pulls out her compass only to see its confusion as the needle struggles to find north.


    Meanwhile Arthur sits close his eyes watching the only entrance to the roof, he rests his hammer in his arms as if it was a baby caressing the engraved words on its shaft. Lisa gives up trying to figure out where they are and sits next to Arthur hoping he¡¯d help with her frustration but he doesn¡¯t notice Lisa as his eyes are focused on one point.


    Lisa sees the engraved words on his Hammer, ¡°Exterminate Evil¡± she reads ¡°What does it mean?¡± She tried to start a conversation with Arthur.


    ¡°It¡¯s my job, that¡¯s what it means¡± said Arthur, his eyes still glued onto the door in front.


    Lisa nods understanding his words ¡°You¡¯re a lot more normal than I thought you¡¯d be¡± she says.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I am normal¡± said Arthur ¡°I do things differently but in the end I¡¯m just like you and that dumbass over there¡± he points to Oscar.


    ¡°Fuck you Arthur¡± Oscar responds. ¡°anyway, we¡¯re still lost so we need to figure this out¡±


    Arthur mentions that they¡¯re still in California, he points to a direction which he says leads to a highway that goes straight to a city near Arizona.


    ¡°How are you sure? Everything here looks the same¡± said Lisa.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say one of these houses isn''t like the others,¡± said Arthur.


    As if remembering something Oscar uses his binoculars to scour the houses, ¡°you mean torched?¡± He says.


    Lisa also uses her set of binoculars to look at the surrounding buildings, everything is well preserved aside from one blackened by fire.


    ¡°Did you do that?¡± Lisa asks but she has a feeling the one responsible is nearby and carrying a hammer.


    ¡°It¡¯s hurtful that you¡¯d suspect me of committing arson without any prior evidence¡± said Arthur ¡°Well I did burn that house down, but how did you know it was me?¡± He asks.


    Instead of answering the other two just shake their heads, Oscar proceeds to look for the highway Arthur mentioned while Lisa confronts the arsonist.


    ¡°Why did you burn that house down?¡± She asks.


    ¡°I grew up over there, just thought it would be funny,¡± said Arthur.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°What?! We¡¯ve been lost in this maze of a town for days and it turns out you actually lived here?¡± Said Oscar.


    ¡°You two were too busy sightseeing, I didn¡¯t want to take away your enjoyment¡± said Arthur.


    ¡°Okay fair point, but having a tour guide would lead to a better experience. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Said Oscar.


    ¡°You have to be lost in order to find a place that can¡¯t be found,¡± Arthur says with his best pirate voice.


    ¡°Okay, I see what you¡¯re trying to do but that Jack Sparrow quote has nothing to do with whatever this is¡± said Oscar.


    ¡°It was Captain Barbossa who said it¡± corrected Arthur.


    ¡°Who the hell is Captain Barbossa?¡± Asked Lisa.


    The two look at Lisa and then trade quiet glances, Oscar decides that he¡¯s still not done sightseeing and asks to be guided through the ghost town Arthur once called home. Arthur agrees but sets his own terms, he will show them around town but in return he¡¯ll be allowed to drown himself in beer.


    All parties shook hands and the tour started with Arthur finding the nearest bar and supplying himself with drinks, as per agreement he showed the interesting parts of town, from a scenic lake to his favorite bridge Arthur delivered what he promised ending the tour within the comfort of an overly fancy bar.


    There was no source of electricity to light the inside of the bar so Oscar and Lisa settled onto a window side table playing a game of chess while Arthur wobbled in the darkness drinking to his heart¡¯s content.


    Within the unseen darkness of the bar Lisa hears something scurrying, it sounded too light and too small for a human and the way it moved felt eerie. She signals Arthur to be alert and calls Arthur to her side, Arthur stumbles towards her mumbling with slurred and incomprehensible words.


    She positions herself between Arthur and the darkness using her body as a shield for her most vulnerable member, she draws her machete and attempts to triangulate where the creature is. Her focus is drawn away from the shadows as she feels arms resting on her shoulders and Arthur¡¯s weight pressing down on her.


    ¡°Relax Lisa, whatever¡¯s running around over there is too small to be a threat¡± said Arthur.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be too sure¡± said Lisa, she gently shakes off Arthur who felt the message and gives room.


    Oscar shuffles closer to the two and takes responsibility for the intoxicated Arthur.


    The creature finally reveals itself as it slowly peeks out of a corner, it looked like a newborn baby but it had no trouble standing and walking on its own, its eyes glowed a faint green against the dim room, its skin is an unhealthy shade of gray, its arms thin are thin but its stomach is bloated and full of green veins.


    ¡°A baby? Really?¡± Arthur remarks unimpressed by what he sees ¡°That¡¯s not very original¡± he says before wiping his mouth.


    Unnerved by the sight Lisa steps back she looks over to see Arthur missing and Oscar with a disappointed face, Lisa sees him pointing at the baby to which she turned at a perfect time to see Arthur appearing from the darkness and kicking the infant across the bar.


    The baby flies into a window and splatters on a table, limbs and spine bent yet still alive and fighting for air.


    Arthur celebrates as if he¡¯s scored a goal in the world cup, he raises his arms high cheering for himself in a sloven fashion. The other two watch as Arthur approaches the baby hammer raised and ready, he could just step forward and swing but for many reasons he presents himself as a slow and dangerous entity.


    Paralyzed and out of options the baby starts to transform, its torso expands, its arms and fingers stretched longer and and further than any man could reach but before the creature could grow into a bigger problem Arthur smashes its head with his hammer.


    For a moment the room turns somber, blood spills out of the table and drips to the floor. Arthur sets his hammer aside as he draws his blade, he cuts the monster open and extracts the liver.


    For a second Arthur pauses staring at the large organ in his hands ¡°Fuck I don¡¯t have anywhere to put this¡± he says.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry buddy, Oscar is here to save the day¡± He says while running into the darkness, opening doors and drawers along the way.


    The other two stand quietly as Oscar returns carrying with him a metal container and packets of salt, Arthur submerges the liver in a mixture of beer and salt while Oscar studies the corpse.


    ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Asked Lisa.


    Oscar and Arthur exchange glances, before staring at Lisa.


    ¡°Securing food¡± said Arthur as he returns to work.


    ¡°Are you sure it''s food?¡± Lisa notes the creature¡¯s uncanny resemblance with humans.


    ¡°This is a type two Mimic. Almost every type two is edible, especially their livers¡± Explained Arthur.


    They flee the crime scene and take shelter a reasonable distance away from the site of murder, Lisa sits alone in a corner unable to relate with the other two as they talk with excitement about Arthur¡¯s recent kill. As their conversation died down Arthur spots a quiet Lisa and decides to join her, his approach was awkward and he struggled to start a conversation so he sits near waiting for the right words to come to mind.


    ¡°Do you Enjoy killing monsters?¡± Asked Lisa.


    Arthur hears her loaded question and hesitates to Answer, but he thought about their first meeting and how she accepted him despite being covered in rotten blood.


    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t deny that¡± Arthur answers with honesty.


    Lisa had another question in mind but she doesn¡¯t want to ask, Arthur could sense it from the look on her eyes.


    ¡°Killing monsters is all I¡¯m ever good at, it¡¯s what I¡¯m meant to do¡± said Arthur, he takes out his hammer and uses a piece of cloth to wipe away the drying stains.


    ¡°This thing is all I have left¡±