The ambient temperature was a delight. Expectant faces not so much, but they still reminded me of the happiness I used to have. They all looked at me as though at an enemy now. In their eyes I was a kidnapper, at very best.


    “You may all be wondering why I’ve gathered you here today… and that’s because one of you is a most heinous killer,” I misquoted some movie I’ve partially seen long, long time ago. Joke hadn’t landed, and from the tension I realised they too must have stashed away a body or two. Now there was more agitation and not just from sullen brat.


    I threw an arm out, “None of you seen that movie?”


    “No, asshole, we don’t sit on our asses all day!”


    They must be too young. There weren’t many TVs even back when we’ve been little. The shop in which we’d catch occasional glance had theirs stolen years ago. Guess who got blamed. In truth, we would have – but the task had been beyond our amateurish capabilities at the time.


    “Isn’t that exactly what you do?” I asked of the apprentice pickpocket. Granted, that involved a lot of running too – but only if he was very bad at it. And I suspected this punk peddled other things on the side, which did in fact involve staying put.


    “We’ve been promised some answers,” Tom calmly put forward and that’s when I knew time was up. As the (formerly) blind man he always had to be careful with words and spent more time listening than interceding and potentially causing problems.


    I also knew I forced familiarity too much, but kept hoping that maybe it would trigger something and maybe they’d remember anything. The cold stares were difficult to withstand.


    “Citrine, I lied. There’s no party. I just didn’t know how to say this,” looked away from the confused young woman into entirety of the group. “There has been monster attack on the city, it’s destroyed. Everyone’s dead. You are the few survivors, and perhaps several more of your friends will arrive later.”


    “Ya… are jokin’, right?” Citrine eventually disturbed fireplace’s peaceful crackling and attempted an unconvincing smile. Tom shared same broken expression. The younger two just looked mystified. In summary, they all thought they’re in a company of a maniac and are about to die. Dangerous state of mind to have right now for everyone involved.


    “I realise I didn’t establish myself as the most genuine guy in the room thus far, but I’m serious about that bit. It’s true. It’s real.”


    “Nonsense, troops are armed to the teeth! Militia too. Everyone’s armed. There’s cannons, perimeter.”


    “Ah yes, the deeply porous perimeter wall everyone crosses to loot or dump bodies,” I pointed out. “And you are, of course, aware that not all monsters die to bullets.” If they did, the whole of humanity wouldn’t sit barricaded indoors.


    “Still, that’s a lot of people! Half a million, at least! You’ve got audacity to claim everyone’s just gone? And I don’t remember any of it. How did we get here? Did you drug us? What are you playing at?” Dentist stood with fists balled up again.


    I could argue that abducting handful of losers living on the fringes was way too much effort and perhaps these particular few would lack imagination and believe impracticality of it, but my heart wouldn’t be in that explanation. I knew better. I could also point to the almighty demon in question, but did not want us to become the reason of their demise. There would be no salvaging that first impression.


    “What is the last thing each of you remember?” I misdirected instead.


    Warm light danced on frowning faces. Tom, as if noticing it too got up and walked to a window.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    “There’s snow,” he sounded aghast. “And firs. Where are all the flats? Are we in a rich neighbourhood?”


    “No way,” Dentist strode up to take a gander too. Intrigued, girls followed.


    “Of course there’s snow, Peachy gave me her jacket because of it,” Isla confirmed, but I’ve remembered the event and it was whole different winter. Well, obviously.


    It was such a skimpy little thing that it fit the child comically well. For a time Isla was the most stylish six year old around. Whatever happened to it? I couldn’t recall at all. I also let a frown slip out because of course that traitorous bitch remained comfortably tucked up in their fond memories. Not me.


    “I… I ‘member tha’. But feels… wrong somehow,” Citrine stuttered along.


    Forgetting me and unobtrusive monster they deliberated among themselves for a couple of minutes. I let it play out, taking a moment to calm my rocketing anxiety. The hands were beginning to shake. I was dying to crack an inappropriate joke and make everyone forget this dumb situation. Myself first and foremost.


    “That doesn’t explain how I’m able to see. And I have all the missing teeth again too. No brand, either.”


    “Or why he that much older. I wusn’t even sure tha’s Dentists at first. How long has‘t been?” woman in the ridiculous bathrobe added in, overlooking that Isla didn’t grow at all.


    “Citrine, you’ve changed too! Your face is like new,” Isla complimented eagerly. She wasn’t wrong.


    “What the hell is going on?!” Dentist shouted and remembered there should be someone with all the answers. And indeed, here I was! What an impressive glare. Fuck.


    I could say military patched them up with some advanced tech? We knew they hoarded most precious resources for themselves, but therein was the conundrum. And why would they drop off the survivors so far away, at some unheard mountains? Though locals wouldn’t be able to disprove this bold claim, but at that point I’d have bigger explanations to do. Fuck, all of this seemed smoother on paper. Why couldn’t their brain damage be at least a bit useful?


    Still as observant as ever, Tom put in, “Why do you act like you know us?”


    Air whooshed out of my lungs for I really desired to tell them. Issue was, there was no situation in which they’d believe they’d forgotten one of them. They completely dismissed the monster attack, which was a frequent and far more likely occurrence. But that question still provided me with a buoy.


    “Ruby,” I muttered the forbidden word which burnt that empty space in my chest where soul ought to be. “I’m friends with Ruby.”


    The befuddled group exchanged raised up eyebrows and my heart sank. He couldn’t have been completely erased too! After all he’s done for them.


    “Whe’ is he?” Citrine demanded.


    Oh, thank fuck. “I am hoping he’ll be here soon,” I didn’t even lie.


    “This asshole is just distracting us! He told us literally nothing, just stalled for time!” Dentist bristled up again. This child was genuinely making us proud. “We should go.”


    I interrupted the tantrum, “I need to know. Do any of you remember him getting shot? What happened afterwards?”


    “He was shot?!” multiple voices muddled, then Citrine retracted and tried again, “Wait. He wus, wusn’t he?” Anticipation was concentrated into a gravitational force and aimed at the sharp-featured woman. Her lips scrunched up this way and that. “Tha’s all. I vaguely know we lookt fo’ doctor. Is he alright? Did we find someone?” she asked of me, doing her best to weaponise the expectant air against me now.


    “You did,” I revealed and chortled at ridiculousness of that. I, who wasn’t there, knew more.


    Dentist had finally had enough. He strode forward with bigger than mine frame, grabbed onto the many sweaters and shook. “What’s so funny, fuckwit?!”


    That I don’t know any more either. “Your face,” my idiotically grinning lips delivered. Don’t know why I kept antagonising him. Because he was my replacement Ruby? How was that guy reacting at the start? I couldn’t remember.


    I was about to get several teeth removed, but overgrown child’s arm stayed fixed in the air, regardless of strain. And I saw him trying to force it. “What the fuck?!” he shouted at last, choosing to shove me instead and address his sudden paralysis. I wasn’t grateful for the save. Felt like I’ve been punched in the face anyway.


    Right then, someone knocked and front door burst wide open. The elder lady stepped over the threshold with a big plate in her hands. Two armed men followed her in, clearly not trusting their precious matron with brutes from the wild. Deservedly.


    Upon seeing a roomful of strangers, the old woman exclaimed, foreign men shouted and shoved her behind them and aimed guns at unexpected people. They spoke but I felt like most of it was swearing. Some things didn’t need translation.


    The tray with the buns was knocked over and everything lay on the ground. I couldn’t look away from the indifferently trampled food.


    Okay, so I knew this confrontation would come too, but right now was way ahead of the schedule. Ha - and I dared to think this heart-to-heart was disastrous before! I really should learn to dream big.


    Men kept shouting at us in a language I couldn’t understand. I couldn’t pacify them with funny remarks and plausible excuses. There was nowhere to run. This was it, I could go no further. This felt very much like drowning, just there was no surface in any direction. I turned to look at the poised guardian deity, who somehow managed to completely fold into a compact role of passive observer.


    “Help,” I whispered looking into dark brown eyes and they promptly brightened into red.


    It suddenly became hard to breathe, as though something sat on my back but also on the chest too. I need to not be here. It was a sole insistent thought in my head. I tried to walk, but couldn’t. Sweat broke out and I desperately wanted to check behind me, because there was something there, even if my rational mind knew I’m staring straight at the cause of this feeling.


    I needed to get to the wall. Turned away and tried sidling away, willing my frozen body to save itself. To at least not have my back exposed – then I can start thinking of getting through the doors.


    Finally, I arduously shuffled fraction of a step away and my knees buckled. To my utmost horror, I did not fall – something caught me. The something I didn’t see nor hear, couldn’t observe – but it twined around me. I would have flailed and screamed, but the air pressure still made my limbs feel leaden and lungs full of tar.