It's a silent ride home from the hospital in an overcrowded taxi, expertly navigating the crowded red dirt roads. Sulk's wearing his ridiculously over-sized jacket, despite it being a thousand degrees outside, making me sweat like crazy since we're packed in like sardines. I haven't seen Mom in so long--for a second I thought she was worried about me, but no. She's not even in this taxi right now. She just gave Sulk a hug on her way out the hospital. She's a storm that blows in and out of my life without a care. What the hell is with that?

"Hey...Chimney stack. Move over," I nudge Sulk's foot with the butt of one crutch, but I already know it's impossible.

By the time we reach our stop my legs are already numb, so the crutches are a god-send. Till I realize we have to walk down a hill that's suddenly much steeper than I remember.

...

Sulk crushes his last used up cig in his hand, standing by the front door to my house in agitation. Apparently I'm not moving fast enough for him. He's shifting his weight from one foot to the other, periodically glaring at me out the corner of his eye. I take my time, partly out of stubborn defiance, partly because it's fucking hard to walk like this after a while. My armpits are killing me, for one. I can't wait to throw these stupid sticks aside and flop on the couch--just pass out.

"Uh, I got the key," he mutters under his breath once I'm close enough. 

"Great. Could you open the door?" I say while leaning a bit closer to him. I'm just eager to get inside. Beads of sweat are trickling down my cheek and neck, and I can see Sulk's condition isn't much better. Today feels hotter than normal. 

Sulk makes a face like something smells horrible--probably me since I don't know the last time I showered--before shuffling in his coat pockets for my house key. Better remember to get that back later. He pauses a moment, key still jammed into the lock, and glances back at me. A minute of uncomfortable silence passes between us before finally he says, "Don't freak out, but we cleaned up a little. Just...don't freak out."

My irritation levels bump up from mild to hot the longer we're standing under the punishing sun. "Yes, fine. Can you please open the door now?" And then kindly leave afterwards, thanks. He can't possibly want to linger around me much longer anyway.

Strangely, Sulk hesitates to open the door.

It's--

--quite amazing actually. At first I'm positive we're at the wrong house. The outside looks the same, sure. But inside is immaculate. A shiny wooden floor I haven't seen in three years, clean enough to eat off of. The ratty old couch is covered over by fresh linen sheets, there is not a single piece of dirty laundry in sight, and the air smells of gentle lavender instead of the usual mold and dust.

I'm not sure how long I stood there with my mouth open. Sulk nudges me inside and I stumble a bit, but quickly find my footing. The lack of empty chip bags is almost unsettling. It's just weird, like a dream. Nice, but weird. Above all, it's confusing. Why would anyone go through all this trouble? It doesn't make senssss--

"Ah," I freeze halfway into the kitchen, suddenly the air chills and my whole body seizes up.

"Oh! You're back!"

Now I know this is a dream. One pro-longed, confusing, horrible dream--because why else would that man be standing in my kitchen casually wiping down a counter top instead of tearing the place to shreds.

He's not naked anymore--worse than that, he's wearing my clothes. A black turtleneck and dress pants that are absurdly small on him, straining to contain his larger build. His forest green eyes are bright and warm, not dark and hungry like that night. He's smiling broadly as though he's seeing a friend for the first time in ages. I want to run away screaming and sit down for a chat at the same time. Clearly he's not...out to kill me, right? 

What the fuck.

My breath returns albeit shallow. I swallow before attempting some kind of sound. "H-Hi." My heart won't stop slamming my rib cage, demanding answers. I spin around, nearly losing balance, to stare wide-eyed at a constipated-looking devil. He probably knows exactly what I want to ask, too.

Sulk heaves a sigh while scratching his head. "It just kinda happened."

"Kinda happened," I harshly whisper, hobbling out of the kitchen and rounding the devil currently avoiding my gaze. "Are you insane?! HOW did this happen?"

"Calm down," he shuts his eyes and sighs again--the bastard has the nerve to be exasperated with me when I'm the one literally wrapped in bandages.

Shit, maybe he really is trying to kill me. The first time didn't work, so now they're tryin' to do me in by cleaning my house and acting friendly. Well I see right through them.

"Get out and take him with you." I demand sharply when a pair of hands land heavily on my shoulders. My whole body jumps with a yelp escaping my lips.

"Sorry about what happened. I got a little excited," the voice behind me is absofreakinglutely jovial. 

I know I'm supposed to be afraid of this guy--my brain is screaming at me that I should be--but this idiocy is the boost of courage I need to tear these two a new one. I jam an elbow into the brute behind me, hearing a satisfying 'oof' just as I spin around to jab a finger in his (very solid) chest.

"Look, I don't know you. I don't want to know you, but you did this to me and expect me to be okay?! Get out, NOW," I shout loud this time, trying to shove him but it's kind of hard when you're balancing on crutches. My ankle is still spiking balls of pain up my leg anytime I accidentally press down too hard.

Sulk rests a hand on my shoulder but I shrug him off too. "Hey, he helped clean up the place. Don't be a dick."

Oh my fucking gods.

"No one asked you to, Young." I bite back through gritted teeth. Actually, it's fucking embarrassing the more I think about it. My house was perfectly clean before they came, and I was doing just fine on my own. 

"He's trying to make up for what he did, ya brat," Sulk hisses back, stepping closer till we're nose-to-nose. This is the first time he's ever gotten in my face like this, so it does take the wind out my sails a little, but I'm not done yet.

"You brought him here in the first place. How are you making it up to me?" I lean forward so our noses actually bump together, our breaths mingling together and damn, he stinks of tobacco. 

Sulk narrows his eye and I can see the twitch in his brow. 

"I see you two are close," the not-naked man laughs loudly, instantly dispelling the tension.

Like a spell had been broken, Sulk snaps back into focus and backs away, awkwardly ruffling his own already messy hair. "Yeah, right."

I can't. I'm too hungry for this shit.

The pale stranger's grin is the complete opposite of my angry scowl. Sick of seeing the both of them I make my way back into the kitchen. The sparkling clean counters, tiles, and table only serve to make me madder. I wanna roll around in the garden and smear everything in a filthy coat of "screw you". The kitchen's not the only thing that's been cleaned out. My eyes nearly bug out of my skull when I swing open the pantry to find absolutely nothing inside. All my food, snacks, cobwebs--everything is gone. My heart drops into my stomach when I swing open the fridge to find much the same. "Where... Why... What?" my brows furrow in growing confusion.

"Oh yes. We tossed everything. It was all mostly rotten or trash, you see. Your diet is atrocious. My name is Dom, by the way. You must have been curious," the stranger grins. He's now leaning against the counter with arms folded and his head cocked to one side, a lopsided grin splayed across his face. "I can kill something if you're hungry."

Kill something? What--like me? Kill and eat me?

So much nonsense is swirling around in my head I'm starting to see stars. Emotions battle to break the surface: panic, anger, depression. The third one's winning so far. For just a moment, my vision spots and I feel the world spinning above--in a flash, an arm wraps round my waist and I hear the clatter of plastic crutches against the floor. Dom (if that's his real name) is staring at me with a worried expression, for once not smiling like an asshole. I want to punch him right in his handsome, pale-ass face but I'm still dizzy and frankly a little scared of him.

Then I notice something.

Sulk's gone. 

I blink a couple times, glancing through the doorway into the living room where the devil had been loitering minutes earlier. Now he's nowhere in sight. For the second time he's abandoned me alone with this man, who now has his arms around me and I can't even run if I need to.