A leisurely stroll.

That's how it began- in both ways you look at it- with a leisurely stroll to school.

I was walking. Just looking at the ground. I never met anyone on my route, until the intersection of Baker street and Skellington Drive. I'd been down this route so many times, I'd memorised it completely. It made things pretty convenient for me. I'm the type of person who has a LOT of thoughts, and needs time to process all of them. This time I was focused on a specific thought. Why was I late to class yesterday?

"What is this slimy thing?"

I simply couldn't remember why, but I'd been about 20 minutes late to class, which isn't something that happens very often. Weirdest of all, I had no idea what happened.

"Get away from it!"

Another thought that kept popping up, though I'm not sure why. I had a dream.

"What is that?"

I think I was walking, just as usual….and then-

"This is what I'm going to use to kill that thing, now get out of the way!"

I witnessed a fight. Yeah, that was it.

"It-it's gone. No-not even a body. Who are you? What was that?"

I think the dream was…...20 minutes...but, I mean-

"I can answer both questions at once. David. But this one prefers to be called Apollo."

There's no way it could have been real…..I mean, the sky changed, all the people froze in place and got those weird masks, and they're skin...and their behavior, and- Nevermind, it doesn't matter, it was just a nightmare.

"Look….chances are, you'll want to ignore everything that happened. You'll want to pretend it was all nightmare. But you can't. You have the potential. That means that you'll keep being pulled into this world, whether you like it or not."

I look up and see the city intersection. There's never that many cars this early. Almost everyone's working. Besides, while we've got some fancy tall buildings, the city of Blackwater isn't too well known, and is surprisingly quite. Some people come here on vacation to experience the quiet of the countryside, while not feeling too out of place. Honestly, it just feels boring.

"First off, what is the potential? And seconds, how is this another world? And, how is that thing you,, it looks look nothing like you!"

I stood on the intersection, looking both way, trying to wrap my head around my dream. My dream. That's all it was. Nothing more nothing less. I don't even remember the last thing the boy said to me-

"Well, he's…..my persona….."

Dammit.

Dammit, dammit, dammit! Yesterday, I…..I woke up late. That's what happened. I then made my way here….um oddly calmly, then got to this intersection, then the sky got dark, I mean…..that's when I realised that none of the others I usually see on this route are gone. That's because I was late, and they were at school.

Back in the present, somebody tapped me on the firmly tapped my shoulder. I panicked, a million thoughts rushing through my head at once. Most of them were simply: HOLY HELL IT WAS REAL! I spun around to come face to chest with a cop. Anticlimactic, I know, but it's the truth.

"Hey kid," The man spoke, "Do you think you could need an escort to school. With all of those people with Apathy Syndrome…...and well...I mean, there was that video from the internet…" His voice trailed off as he looked to his lower left. He then glanced back up at me for a second. "You've seen it, right?"

I shook my head, "I'm gonna have to say no to that, actually," I replied, as it was the truth.

The officer pursued his lips and shook his head. He reached into his back pocket, and pulled out a white Iphone 6. Show off. He tapped a few buttons and then turned it back to me. It was a youtube video, only about 2 minutes.

The video depicted a boy, taller than most, but not a giant. With blond hair, so light it was almost white, that wasn't well kept, he look at the ground. His clothes were nothing short of boring. A grey hoodie, grey sweatpants, and white sneakers.

He muttered nonsense to himself. Well, what would be nonsense to most people's. To me, it just my day….even more nonsensical. Yeah the boy was muttering to himself, "What is this slimy thing?" "I-it changed?" etc.

Yeah, that was me. Emile Wright. Yes I've heard all the jokes. Emile Wright: Ace Bore. Emile Wright:Normality for All. Ace Bore:Grey and Normalisation. But, I liked it boring. Thing is, if you show off, that's how you get targeted. So I really do think it's best to just try and fade into the background.

Anyway, the cop tapped the screen of the phone, and revealed the title to be, 'Apathy Syndrome Victim Talking!'. That's something I should have explained earlier, isn't it? Well, it started several years ago. It was big here, but comes with being in a place so small, we only get recognition for this on Top Ten Weirdest Epidemic's videos. The thing was called Apathy Syndrome. No one has been able to determine exactly what it is, or what causes it. People just stopped caring. Not to a normal extent, or just plain laziness. They just froze in their tracks. Then, they just, go about life, without a care in the world, other than walls. Walls, and breathing. Also, eating and drinking.

They just kind of wander around until they get near a wall. Then they change direction. When they get hungry or thirsty, they down the nearest thing that can quench their needs. Not in an asshole way, or an animalistic way. They just sort of…..eat it. Don't even sit down for tea. Oh, and when I say 'walls' that doesn't include anything else. These….things…..have died every way imaginable. Car crashes, walking straight into a construction vehicle, falling into an open manhole, you name it.

I look up and see the defender of the public trying to stifle a laugh.

"Really?" I give him a weirded out look.

"So-sorry it's just. Slimy things…..".

"Screw you!" I yell, for the world to hear.

That's how I learned that offending an officer of the law is a felony, as well as how I wound up late for school two days in a rows, one day resulted in me going viral, and the second resulted in me rising to school in the back of a police car.

He let me off right outside the school with a warning. Thought, it was right when the gym class happened to be running past the front door of the grey 2 story building of Blackwater High, so I can't say that nobody thinks that I killed some stray dog. What can I say? False or not, word travels fast around here.

I walked through the front doors into the empty appearing building. It was quite, but only because everyone was in their classrooms, like good little children, who have not been flipping a police officer the bird.

I walked down the empty hallways, glancing in all the windows. I noticed some spot me, and send me worried glances. I also saw a few snickers. Most ignored me. I do try my best.

I recognised almost every face. After years of being alone, you start to pick up a talent for eavesdropping. Most swam right by my vision, not much to take notice of. But there was one face in particular. I didn't notice at first when I saw it. I had to walk a few feet, before it hit me like a truck. That was him. The same slicked back, black hair. This same white tee and black overcoat. The same blue eyes. Most likely the same name. David.

I stopped in surprise. A million MORE thoughts began running through my head at a rapid pace. What the hell is going on? That phrase sums it up perfectly. But...I was late as it was. It would be stupid to try and go back for another look, with everyone watching.

I kept walking until I reached my classroom. I snuck in with the teacher facing the board. Good hour to show up. The teacher was that perfect balance of strict and not strict. He didn't care that you fucked up. But you fucked up, so you're still getting the thing that says your fucked up.

I took my seat, and immediately zoned out. I decided to man up and face reality no matter how unrealistic it is. I'd have to sit and think about everything that happened yesterday.