Another debt owed to that man who I do not know. 

Without skipping a beat I slide off the mattress that supplants what would have been an exam table ‘back in the day’, and carry on out of the doctors office. 

Yeah, if he was a real doctor he would’ve kept me there for a couple days to make sure I don’t fall over and die, but whatever. Probably just serves as an ER only nowadays. 

Walking down the darkened street, I brace myself against the mild gusts of cool air, although not cold, that are biting into my warm skin. I begin slowing my pace.

My body is aching, I’m getting cold from borderline warm breezes, I’m having visions and falling all over the place, what the hell is wrong with me? 

I continue walking in the relative quiet before noticing a person shadowed by the darkness in front of me, up against the wall. 

Here’s hoping I don’t get stabbed. That’d be a hell of a way for some homeless guy to die when the world is ending.

My body tenses up as I pass him for what feels like eternity, the feeling that my presence is known to him nearly unbearable, the feeling he might make a move, crushing. Even as I cross the next building pass him, the urge to look over my shoulder encapsulates me until finally I give in.

Slowly, I looking over my shoulder, only to see his hood up, hands in pockets, head faced down. 

Wasn’t he in the dark? I can see him so clearly now…

“Hey.” He says, as if next to me. 

I discount my ears for a moment, stopping slowly and frantically looking around for the person who said it.

That was right next to me, was it above me in this building? 

“I’m talking to you.” It repeats.

“Hello?” I call out at conversational volume.

“Over here.” 

I look back over at the person who was against the wall. Anxiety spikes as I realize he’s staring me straight in the face.

“What are you looking at?” He says, now as if his voice is coming from the appropriate distance, accusingly. 

Ok, just keep walking, I don’t know what’s going on.

“Hey! You gonna keep ignoring me?” a man says, right in front of me, poking me in the chest.

“Huh?”

I swear this voice was that guy behind me but it was someone in front of me? I must be going insane.

“Sorry, just trying to get home.”

“Don’t ‘sorry’ me. I got business with you.”

What kind of business does anyone have with some homeless guy walking down the street at night? This can’t be anything but trouble. 

Internally, I begin psyching myself up for a fight but at the same time self doubt creeps in.

I’ve never been in a fight so I really hope it doesn’t come to that…

“You gonna keep staring at me or what? I said I got business with you.”

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” I try to ask genuinely.

“Hey, you ain’t gonna get away with that, come with me.” He says, grabbing me by the hands and walking me down an alleyway like a mom death gripping her child’s hand across the parking lot. 

“Hey, let go! I don’t know you!”

“Keep it quiet will you, it’s not that serious.”

He stops suddenly and turns around to face me so fast I nearly ram into him on my shaky feet. 

“So, you were out there weren’t you?”

“Where?” I say, acting stupid even though I feel like he might know something about me being in the destruction zones after tragedy first struck.

“Forgive me god.” He says to himself. “Don’t play dumb.”

Continuing, “Listen, you were out in the destruction zones and I got a bit of info for you too, but first I need to hear it from you.”

“Listen man, I don’t know what the hell you're talking about.” I say, trying to sound tough but the adrenaline is pumping and at this point I might as well be as tough as spaghetti. 

“Alright, alright. Me first then. I know what you saw. There were people out there yeah? Strange people. Didn’t make much sense, right? Ah well, I don’t want to spoil too much but the world is full of inconsistencies.”

“Ok.” I reply, giving in to his talking.

“Eh, let’s see… I’m not the best at this. Why’d the boss give me such a stupid job, he knows I’m no good at speaking…” He trails off to himself.

“Anyhow, those pillars right? Don’t ask me how I know, but erm, eh, I’ll probably have to tell or else it won’t make sense. Alright, those pillars that looked really out of place, I’m sure you felt it. They have this energy to them, like they’re something more. Well, maybe that’s too much but, you gotta go back there, you’re the only one.”

“...”

“You get what I mean?”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

I mean sure, the pillars were out of place but energy? What is this guy talking about? How does he know I saw pillars and met people out there? 

“Ahh well, you’ll figure it out, just get back there.” He says, somehow with as little confidence as possible.

“Why the hell would I risk my life to go back out there?”

"I guess that’s above my pay grade, not that I get paid at all but… I’ll explain anyhow. Alright, listen up, so the energy in the pillars have to be harnessed into energy and directed toward the gods, that’s the only way to save us.” He explains.

This guy is thoroughly insane. Why did I let myself get dragged into an alleyway to listen to this crap. Better go along I guess.

“Alright, alright, I’ll go back out there, just leave me alone for a while, I just got out of the clinic.” I say, trying to sound as convincing as possible. 

Seemingly convinced enough, he nods to himself and walks off through the alley. 

Jeez, let’s get the hell out of here.