Time
~Chapter 1: Memories~
"We're back!" The tan male, Justin, announced as the four entered the small apartment. A young boy, no older than six, slowly emerged from the room he was staying in.
"Justin! Ghost!" he squealed, running over and hugging them. Justin chuckled, picking the child up and swinging him around.
"Alex. Mikey. This is Gizmo," Ghost spoke, looking at the giggling child, who was playing with Justin. "We found him home all alone. So, we took him. We're guessing his parents are... ya know, gone."
"So, it's just you three?" Mikey asked as both he and Alex looked around the small apartment.
"Nah! There's like... two more of us, but they're out!" Justin replied, smiling over at them. "I'm sure they'll be back soon!"
"Just make yourselves at home." Ghost gave the two a warm smile, before disappearing into the only room in the apartment. Gizmo deserted Justin, walking over to Alex, gently tugging on the bottom of his shirt. Said male looked down, smiling at the child.
"You look like a person my friend knows!" he giggled, clapping his hands together. "She said his name was Alex, too! And that he was really nice to her, and always made her smile!"
"Really? What's her name?" he asked, thinking of any females he knew. But, it couldn't be any of them. They were dead. And he watched them die, unable to save any of them.
"We all call her Grim!" Gizmo replied, quickly bringing the Mexican back to reality. 'Grim,' he repeated in his mind, the smile on his lips. 'Where have I heard that before?'
"Well, I don't really know anyone named 'Grim'," he told the child, patting his head. "Maybe I'm just similar to the guy she talks about?"
"Maybe! But you look exactly like him in the picture she has!" And with that, the child skipped off, going into the room with Ghost. Alex stood there, the words sinking deep into his skull.
"Hey, man. You alright?" Mikey gently laid a hand on his friend's shoulder, watching as he nodded.
"Yeah. I'm fine," He smiled back at the Italian, who could only shrug slightly.
Hours passed. Seven to be exact. The small apartment was lit with bright lanterns, along with some candles. The five sat in the small living room, talking and laughing about the past, whether it was before or after the world turned to shit, their past adventures were told. But, Ghost frowned as he looked down at his phone.
"It's almost ten, and they're still not back!" he spoke, worry in his voice. Justin shrugged.
"Grim said they'd call if anything drastic happened," he reminded his friend, pointing to the lit screen. "No missed calls, so that means nothing too bad happened. They're fine!"
"Don't worry too much, Ghost," Mikey chimed in, smiling at the Norwegian. "I'm sure your friends are fine. They're probably smart enough if they managed to stay alive this long."
Justin stood up, stretching as he did so.
"Well, I'm tired!" he chuckled, looking down at the others. "Not sure 'bout you losers, but I'm gonna go to sleep! Alex, Mikes, you guys can either find a spot in the room, or crash out here."
"We'll stay out here," Alex spoke, Mikey nodding in agreement. And in about three minutes, Justin, Gizmo, and Ghost were in the room going to sleep. Gizmo had brought out pillows and blankets for their guests, bid them a goodnight, and went back into the room. Two couches were in that small living room. Alex took one near the door, and Mikey took the other by the hall. The door was securely locked. If the two unknown people were coming home, Ghost said they were going to enter through the window that would be slightly ajar in their room, so Alex and Mikey didn't have to worry.
Alex laid there in the darkness, his eyes staring at the ceiling, as his mind drifted somewhere else.
"Ha ha ha! Sorry. I don't like America."
"Ha. What are you gonna do then? Move to Germany?"
"Yep!"
"Well, how are ya gonna get there?"
"There's a thing called traveling."
"There's a thing called money."
"And that's something I have!"
"How do you have money, while I'm broke?"
"I have my ways."
"And what are those ways?"
"I sell drugs!"
Alex couldn't help but smile as the memory came back to him. That's all he did at night anymore. Before he could go to sleep, he always thought of the past. Whatever happened to it all? How did all of this come to be?
He sighed quietly, rolling onto his side, his eyes shut. Soon, though, his lips curled into a small smile.
"Schatz..." he muttered softly, the words seeming to make everything for that split second okay. "Heh. Haven't heard that since..." The smile was gone, being replaced by a frown. "Where did you go?"
Reality slowly slipped away, allowing the Mexican to finally sleep. The sunlight surrounded him, but he couldn't feel the extreme heat. He looked beside him, finding that same person walking by his side, her head down, dark brown hair covering her red face.
"So... will you?" The words slipped from his mouth, deja vu hitting him like a freight train. He could feel his blood rush; his adrenalin pick up. She gave a small giggle, nodding her head.
"Yes." she replied softly, though he heard it. He heard it clearly.
"Yes?" he repeated, looking at her. Once more, she nodded, and he couldn't hold back a large grin from spreading across his face. He pulled the short female into a hug, feeling her also cling to him. "She said yes! She said yes!"
The happiness that one day. He loved it. He loved how it felt under that shady tree, hugging the female for what seemed like forever. In his dream, he was smiling like a madman. But in reality, as he slept peacefully, hot tears rolled his down face.