It was dark when Joel returned to the classroom he slept in. Their settlement, Skyline, had been named after the old high school they resided in. His room was small and musty, with yellowing posters and butcher paper peeling from the walls. An old mattress had been taken from one of the abandoned homes nearby the school. He had set it in the corner of the room, close to a small shelf that held worn novels. 

Despite being in a small town, the school itself was spacious and well furnished. It had been built shortly before the torments had happened and the school district had invested heavily in it to make sure it was durable. The former school had been decked out with solar panels, some of which still worked, giving electricity to certain parts of the building. It was unreliable, but still greatly appreciated. And that wasn’t even the best part. Skyline still had running water through its pipes. It wasn’t hot, but Joel knew he couldn’t complain. He had it good. 

Joel’s eyes were tired and burning from his late shift, but he couldn’t go to bed quite yet. He needed to make a plan for the following day. It would be at least a twenty day walk to make the entire trade route Maria and Luca would have taken to New Helena. Joel made a mental list of where the twins usually stopped on their trek. He’d gone with them once before to trade and scavenge, but that had been over a year ago. He remembered them traveling to the settlements of Hudson and Moose, but knew that they sometimes stopped in Gomorrah as well. Hopefully, some of the residents would have information that could lead him to them.  

Joel shuffled around the classroom, pulling drawers open to gather his supplies. He managed to scrounge up a water flask, some dried meat and fruits, a blanket, a few changes of clothes, some hygiene products, and a first aid kit. He could use the medicine in the kit to barter with if he needed more supplies along the way. He tossed a book and his charged mp3 player into his overstuffed backpack as well. Combined, they would hopefully provide enough entertainment to hold his sanity.

He’d planned on waiting another day or two before starting his voyage, but there was no point in delaying it any further. Nan and Sandra already knew what he was planning on doing, and he had already gathered the supplies he would need. He laid across his lumpy mattress with a book in hand, as well as his crank flashlight. 

He didn’t want to sleep yet. Joel knew the nerves churning in his gut would doubtlessly be a catalyst for one of the night terrors that had plagued him for the last three years. He could never remember them in their entirety. They were always hazy, like gazing at wisps of smoke in the air. Despite not knowing what they were about, he still woke up screaming, trembling, and covered in sweat. 

Eventually, his tiredness became too much to bear. Joel shut his book and buried his face in a pillow that smelled like mildew. He knew he needed to savor this last rest. No one would be on watch while he slept once he left this safe haven. 

—

He woke to a harsh knock on his door the following day.

“Joey!” a high-pitched female voice called out. “Are you there!” 

Joel groaned as he checked the analog clock on his wall. It was nearly eleven thirty. 

“Joey,” a voice called out again. “Hello?”

Joel scrubbed a hand over his face before he pulled back the covers to his bed and trudged to the door. He already knew who his unexpected visitor was.

“Hello, Nikki,” he said groggily, leaning against his door frame for support.  “To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

Nikki was a shameless flirt. Joel had made out with her a couple of times, but had cut things off quickly. There was no chemistry between the two of them, and he never felt the desire to do anything sexual with her. 

Joel didn’t think he was a virgin, figuring he was probably somewhere in his mid to late twenties, but he couldn’t remember ever sleeping with someone. He knew it was silly, but the idea of being that intimate with another person made him feel too vulnerable to enjoy himself. If he was going to let his guard down like that, it needed to be with someone he trusted, someone he really felt a connection with. 

Joel often wondered if he’d been in any serious relationships before losing his memory, but the thought always made his chest hurt. If he’d been with someone, why had they unceremoniously dumped outside of the Skyline three years ago, bleeding, broken and on death’s door? It was more comforting to believe he’d been alone, and wandered here by chance. 

“Tell me it’s not true,” Nikki said with a dramatic pout.  

Joel ran a hand through his dark hair, stroking the familiar ridges of his scar. “That depends. What are you referring to?”

“Are you really leaving?”

“Who told you?” Joel answered his own question before Nikki could. “Sandra, of course.” For some unknown reason, the redhead seemed dead set on making them a couple. Matchmaking was a hobby of hers; it was one she was terrible at. 

“So it’s true?” the blonde persisted. “You’re leaving?” 

“Maria and Luca have been gone for a long time. I have to try and find them.”

Nikki set her mouth in a grim line. Joel knew what she was thinking, there will be nothing to find, they’re gone, but she knew better than to voice that thought. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. It’s really dangerous out there.” 

Annoyance flared in Joel’s gut. He was well aware of that. He’d traveled outside the camp once, and had been terrified the entire time, but he didn’t have any options. 

“Yes, I am sure. I don’t feel like arguing about it. So please drop it.”

Nikki chewed the inside of her cheek but nodded, seeming to know a lost cause when she saw one. Joel was known for being kind, but he was also stubborn. He was fiercely loyal to those he cared about, which mainly consisted of Maria, Luca, Sandra, and Nan. And sometimes Nikki, when she wasn’t pestering him. 

“Can we at least get lunch before you go? I need to drink in that cute face if you’re going to be gone for a few weeks.” 

Joel leaned away at the compliment. He didn’t like it when she said things like that to him. He knew what he looked like, and her words made him uncomfortable. The deep scar that curved near his left eye and marred his cheek was the first thing he noticed when he looked in the mirror, and he knew others must have thought the same. Still, he nodded at her offer. 

The school's cafeteria was almost always open. Like guard duty, people would take rotations cooking, though some were much better than others. Their meals varied depending on the season of vegetables growing, and the type of animals they caught in their traps. Joel hoped that Brenda was on kitchen duty. No one that lived in Skyline had been a chef before the apocalypse, but she was at least a decent cook. 

“That sounds nice,” Joel said. It didn’t really, but this would be his last day here for a few weeks. Having lunch with Nikki once more wouldn’t hurt. “Give me a second to change.” 

Joel shut the door before getting dressed, not willing to give Nikki a free peep show. He pulled on a pair of jeans and boots before buttoning up his favorite shirt. He stretched his body as he stepped back out into the hallway, where the blonde immediately started chattering in his ear. All of her anxiety and concern for Joel’s safety had already faded away. She was a bit self-involved, which had only solidified Joel’s decision to cut things off with her. 

They made their way by the front office as they went to the cafeteria. It was one of the only ways to enter the building and Joel was surprised to hear the front door creak loudly as it opened. Whoever was on watch would ring the alarm bell continuously if a stranger or threat were approaching the settlement, but only once if the individual was known. He must have slept through the bell that announced this person’s arrival. 

Joel could feel his breath catch as a familiar face walked through the door. Whether or not this particular individual was a threat was still up for debate. 

The demon Levi was impossible to miss during his near monthly visits. Most residents had been livid when Nan had first invited a biblical entity into their safe haven. The entire point of the sigil covered exterior was to deter angels and demons from entering their home and destroying everything in sight. 

It had taken many, many town meetings for Nan to convince everyone that Levi, the massively tall, black horned demon, was actually harmless, and an asset to their community. Nearly everyone had disagreed, until they saw all of the goods he was willing to supply. Guns, ammo, seeds, tools and, most importantly, medicine. No one was quite sure what he received in return, but residents loved to speculate about it. 

Joel had been frightened of Levi at first. The demon had shown up soon after Joel’s arrival at the camp, while he was still learning about biblicals and the havoc they’d wreaked on humanity. 

Though angels and demons were equally treacherous, demons had a more unsettling and varied appearance, making them look more threatening to the average human. Joel wouldn’t say he was necessarily scared of this particular demon anymore, but his presence was undoubtedly ominous. 

As if reading Joel’s thoughts, Levi turned his head in his direction. Midnight black eyes with gold irises met his own for a brief moment. An unreadable expression flashed across the demon’s gray face before he quickly turned his horned head and made his way towards Nan’s residence. 

Nan lived in a portable at the back of the school. Levi would usually leave within an hour, and Nan would distribute most of the goods he had brought. Guns and ammo always went to the armory (an old gym closet), and medicine stayed at Nan’s. Sandra had been a nurse years ago and their home acted as an infirmary when any of the residents became ill. 

Disgust was written across Nikki’s face when she noticed Levi moving through the building. “I don’t understand why he doesn’t walk around the perimeter to get to Nan’s. It’s like he wants to make a statement by cutting through here.”

Joel shrugged. “It is the shortest way to Nan’s place. It’s not like he’s dangerous.” 

Nikki made an amused noise. “I always forget you don’t remember when the bibs first showed up. Demons burned down about half the world while angels flooded the other half. They may have mellowed out now, but you shouldn’t let your guard down. You can’t trust he won’t do something shady.” She leaned in closer and whispered, “Plus his eyes are so weird. They give me the creeps.”

In Nikki’s defense, biblicals had leveled most of the remaining cities in an attempt to kill each other when they’d first arrived. They seemed to have no regard for human life and no remorse for the people they’d killed. Humans had already been nearly extinct after the torments, and their numbers only dwindled further after the bibs appeared. 

“We’re nothing more than ants to them. Best not to get in their way. C’mon, Joey,” Nikki said, her voice much more somber than before as she linked their arms together. “Let’s walk faster. I don’t want to be out here with him.”

Lunch was uneventful. The blonde had talked about herself for longer than necessary and given Joel a parting kiss on each cheek and well wishes before he headed to Nan’s. 

Nan’s residence consisted of three portable classrooms that had been joined together. One acted as an office area, the other an infirmary, and the last was where her and Sandra personally lived. Joel knocked on the door that led to the office, which was promptly opened. 

“Joel,” Nan said warmly. “It’s good to see you, dear.” 

Joel gave her a kind smile. Her voice was soothing; it had a way of putting everyone at ease. “You as well,” he said, following her inside. He reached for the armchair across from her desk, but stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed they weren’t alone in the office. 

“I–, um, I’m sorry, did I interrupt something?” 

Nan’s office is where she held meetings with individual residents and representatives from different human settlements. The area was clean and cozy, adorned with paintings Sandra had made using leftover materials in the art classrooms. Across from Nan’s office chair and chestnut table, sat three comfortable armchairs. The back wall had a large leather sofa pressed against it. 

Lounging across the sofa was the demon Levi. Levi visibly tensed at Joel’s presence. He swung his booted feet off of the cushions and planted them on the ground as he straightened to sit up. 

Nan just waved her hand lazily, as if the presence of a biblical in their enclosed space was inconsequential. “Don’t worry about him. He won’t mind waiting.”

Joel highly doubted that. “Are… are you sure?” he said shakily. “You know what, I’ll just come back later. It’s no trouble.”

“Sit, Joel,” Nan said as she poured hot, bubbling water into two mismatched tea cups. “The tea is mint, your favorite.”

He slowly lowered himself onto a chair as she handed him a saucer. He brought the cup to his lips. The water was still boiling hot, but he drank it regardless, grateful he had something to do with his hands. 

He felt like a complete hypocrite. He’d told Nikki earlier that Levi wasn’t a threat, but he was just as nervous in his presence as everyone else. He tried to ignore the demon and focus on Nan instead. 

Nan tapped her fingers against her desk, staring at Joel thoughtfully before she started speaking. “I know I shouldn’t have favorites at the camp, but you must know how dearly Sandra and I care for you.” 

Joel could feel himself flush at the praise. “You’re one of my favorite people too, Nan. You and Sandra both.”  Nan’s smiling face was Joel’s earliest memory. She’d been leaning over him and stroking his hair, which had doubtlessly been caked with blood and grime at the time. Her calming voice had been whispering kind words and encouragement as he groggily roused into consciousness. 

There you are, she’d said soothingly after he’d opened his heavy eyes for the first time. Welcome back, Joel.

She gave him another fond look across her office table as she continued to tap her fingers. “It’s been wonderful watching you grow in the three years you’ve been here; seeing how hard you’ve worked to prove yourself. I know that you want to help find Maria and Luca, but I can’t have you risk your safety by traveling alone. It’s reckless, Joel.”

He felt his veins go icy at her words. This was why he’d planned on leaving without saying anything. He was going to write a note, he didn’t want anyone to worry, but he’d assumed that someone would try to stop him. He was going to leave regardless, but he didn’t want to see the disappointment on Nan’s face if she disapproved.

“Nan, tell me you’re not suggesting we do nothing.” 

“Of course not,” she said. “I know you’ll leave no matter what I say. What I’m suggesting is that you don’t go alone.” She stood, gesturing between him and the demon on her couch. “I’m going to have Levi go with you.”