I awoke to the sound of screams in the middle of the night.

A feeling of déjà vu struck me. This was the second time I had been woken up by a loud noise.

I considered just staying in bed, but then I heard the scream again. It sounded like a little girl.

Could it be her?

The memory of the old man resurfaced in my mind. This was a bad idea waiting to happen.

Yet, something compelled me. A force… an eagerness to see what was happening.

It could be her. I needed to hurry.

I grabbed whatever weapon I had and ran as fast as I could to her house.

When I arrived, I noticed that the door was closed this time. Had someone already come to help her? But if so, wouldn’t the door have just opened again?

I needed to find out.

I slowly opened the door and heard a voice.

"Is someone there?"

It was the little girl’s voice.

I sighed in relief, knowing she was okay.

The voice came from down the hall.

"Almost there," she said again.

Something felt wrong.

I hesitated at the door.

A part of me wanted to turn back, to forget this ever happened.

I couldn’t bring myself to open it.

Not again.

Not another shock like before.

The girl sounded… too pleasant.

She hadn’t acted like this before. Why now?

Maybe she had someone with her. Maybe someone was helping her.

But something didn’t feel right.

I sighed, bracing myself for whatever was behind that door.

As soon as I opened it, my voice almost bled out a loud screech.

There, on the wooden floor, was the girl.

Her body was limp, as if she had struggled before she died. A pool of blood surrounded her. It looked like she had been thrown against the walls like a ragdoll.

I wanted to scream, but nothing came out.

My hands clenched into fists.

"God damn it."

"Fuck. Fuck!"

"I could have saved her… I could have… saved her."

But somehow, this wouldn’t be the worst thing I would see that night.

A loud thumping sound approached.

"Shit," I mumbled under my breath.

I hid inside her closet, leaving a small opening to see what was coming.

And then I saw it.

It was just as horrific as the creatures from before.

A being made of metallic poles, conjoined together with bolts.

The poles formed its long, unnatural limbs—so large they could probably crush a car.

Its stance was hunched as it moved on all fours.

Its fingers were almost perfectly human.

But its face…

Its face was a white comedy mask. The kind seen in old theaters.

But unlike those masks, this one was simplified—no distinguishable nose, no details, just hollow, empty features.

And then it spoke.

"Where are you?"

In the little girl’s voice.

It had lured me in like bait on a mousetrap.

And now, it was looking for me.

I covered my mouth, trying not to make a sound.

I was crying.

Not just because of the girl…

But because I knew I was close—so close—to suffering the same fate.

Again and again, I had cheated death.

But for how much longer?

The creature left the room, calling out again.

Its voice echoed through the halls.

I had to move. Now.

Slowly, I crept toward the front door.

I reached for the doorknob.

And then I saw it.

The creature stood there.

Its mouth slowly elongated to its chest.

Blood poured from its hollow sockets as two human eyes rolled out.

Its head twitched violently—an unnatural, rapid shake.

I slammed the door and ran.

It burst through, chasing me on all fours.

"Someone help me!" I screamed.

But I knew—this time, I wouldn’t be lucky.

I tripped.

The creature grabbed me and hurled me across a car.

Darkness took over.

When I woke up…

I was lying on a medical bed.

I was still in a daze from the impact. There were many questions in my mind. Where am I? How did I not die? Is that creature still alive? I tried to urge myself to pull out of bed and leave the room, but I had no energy left in my body to perform such a task. Even if I did, I was still disoriented, and I would probably pass out again. I thought about staying in bed, but I wasn’t sure if that was the right decision. My hesitation quickly ended when Melody walked in. Now, I had even more burning questions.

“You were very lucky. You were most likely going to be killed sooner or later,” she said.

“What happened after I was knocked out?” I asked.

“A lot of people heard the commotion and rushed outside to see what had happened. Most weren’t prepared for what that creature was capable of. People died out there. So many blood-curdling screams of agony and pain. I stayed inside and watched—I don’t think I’ve seen such a massacre in months. I’m kind of used to seeing death, but not to this extent. It took a lot of firepower to bring it down. I’d say somewhere around seven people died that night. So many lives lost for one monster, and that alone terrifies me. Once the creature had been beaten, I went looking for survivors, and that’s how I found you.”

“I cannot thank you enough. I really mean it. Without you, I don’t think I would’ve survived for much longer,” I admitted.

I considered telling her about the girl and the old man, but I decided against it. It didn’t feel like the right time. She already seemed worried about me and the massacre she had witnessed. I felt sympathy for her, knowing she had to see all of that horror unfold right in front of her eyes.

Some people would call Melody flawless, but after spending enough time with her, I could see that wasn’t true. She had her faults, and she had confessed some of them to me. For example, despite having a job, she wasn’t very good at it. She told me there was a machine she used that she struggled to operate on her own. Sometimes, she had difficulty determining what was right or wrong. She even admitted that once, she deceived someone to get something she needed, and that same person died trying to retrieve it because of the creatures. She said she carried that guilt with her and didn’t want to ask for favors anymore.

When she tells me these things, I feel like we’re connected in a way—our actions aren’t always perfect. I think she feels the same, or else she wouldn’t open up to me like this. It makes me look past her odd behavior and see her as a regular person. That’s why I believe I wouldn’t have made it this far without her. She is the epitome of hope for me, the embodiment of a chance at survival. Together, I feel like we can fight for a better future.

---

It seems like the chess match is coming to a close. The majority of my pieces have been wiped out, while my opponent still has the advantage in terms of strategy.

“Damn it, I think this is the end for me,” I mutter.

“Such is the way of friendships,” my opponent replies. “Most cannot last forever. Your time is almost up. I shall not yield so easily, as unlike you, I have a natural talent for this game.”

Friendships...

“Friendship is an ideology that fulfills one's need for happiness. However, friendships are generally unnecessary—like philosophy, like art. They have no survival value. Rather, they are among the things that give survival its value.”

---

Each day is starting to feel more and more meaningless. I feel like I’m not doing anything new, just repeating the same tasks over and over. I’m not sure what else to do to pass the time. Maybe I should spend more time with Melody. She’s been enjoying my company and helping me through everything. I don’t think she would mind a visit.

At the same time, my mind keeps telling me to continue digging for clues. My gut tells me I should leave that for later—Skip has been offline for quite some time anyway. Maybe I’m wasting my time searching. It feels like I’m endlessly digging for something that I’ll never actually find.

I feel torn between my choices. My mind and my gut both have valid reasons, but I have to decide. Right now, I feel bored and lonely. Digging for answers won’t keep me company, but Melody will. So, I decide to visit her instead. Maybe I’ll finally be able to confess some of the things I’ve been feeling and hear her thoughts as well. It might help us understand each other better.

Although, I’m still a little insecure about opening up. It might take months—maybe even years—before I can really do that.

---

I knock on Melody’s door. She opens it without hesitation.

“Surprised to see you,” she says. “Anything the matter?”

“I just thought I’d visit today. Ever since you took care of me, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. N-not in a creepy way, of course! That’s not what I meant. I guess I just didn’t think someone in this world would actually help me. People here are selfish assholes, you know? I’m just really thankful that we’re good friends.”

Why did I say that…

“Yeah… same here,” she says. “But you really should be resting. I’m surprised you’re still this eager and energetic.”

“To be honest, with how shitty my luck has been, I’m surprised I didn’t break any bones.”

“So, would you like to come in?” she asks.

“That seemed a little too eager,” I joke.

“Well, it’s not like you’re some creepy 40-year-old,” she laughs.

“Er… well then, I guess I’ll come in.”

She sits on the couch and asks if we can talk. I sit beside her, struggling to find a way to start the conversation.

“So, um… what exactly do you do for fun?” I ask.

“Besides my basic job, I enjoy cooking, drawing, and engineering,” she replies.

“I’m good at engineering too. I took a class back in high school and was planning to apply for it in college before… well, you know. People say engineering is a burden, but I think the risk is worth the reward.”

“I’m mostly new at it,” she admits. “But I’ve always dreamed of building my own robot companion. Ever since I was little, I’ve been fascinated by robots—even though, back then, they weren’t nearby as advanced as they are today. I think there was something similar earlier…”

I’m just glad we have similar interests. I could probably teach you some skills if you’re available. Don’t get overwhelmed with it—it’s a very precise process that takes time, but it’ll pay off, trust me.’’

‘’Yeah, that would be nice if I have some free time.’’

‘’I also generally like to write in my journal to recall each day of my life ever since the event. Keeping notes about each day fills me with something productive.’’

Calmly talking to her made me realize that when I'm with her, I don't feel so insecure about myself. I was about to take a risk and tell her one of my deep secrets.

‘’So, um... can I tell you a secret?’’

‘’Uh, sure.’’

‘’Well, when everything was normal, I had this huge crush on one of my classmates. He was one of the popular kids, so I knew right away he was out of my league. You know, the basic popular kids that every school has for some damn reason. It died down in high school because fewer people cared, but honestly, it’s kinda sad how common they are. Anyway, I tried desperately to get his attention. Some days I would write anonymous notes on his locker and would also try to talk to him, but I was always just a shadow in the distance. I always thought of myself as a loser to him, but I didn’t give up that little confidence I had left.’’

‘’What happened with your situation?’’

‘’Well... I decided he wasn’t the right person for me and ditched him for someone else.’’

‘’Someone else?’’

‘’I met this guy at one of my clubs, and we spontaneously became friends. Over time, we developed our friendship into an actual relationship. We had many things in common, so I thought we had something real. Unfortunately, that dream of mine didn’t last long. I hadn’t realized that having a relationship with him was a very big mistake I deeply regret.

I found out that he wasn’t all that he appeared to be. He had been with a girl this entire time and was only dared by his friends to pretend to be my boyfriend. I only realized the truth when I overheard a private conversation at a party I was invited to. I couldn’t figure out how to respond to that. After everything I thought we had, the news of his backstabbing tore me to pieces...’’

‘’I’m so sorry you had to experience that.’’

‘’No need to apologize over something you had no control over. It was my mistake for thinking this could ever work. Looking back, I should have seen the red flags—the weird behaviors he had when we were together. It makes me feel stupid and pathetic. If I had realized sooner, I could have easily avoided it and found someone else.’’

‘’You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. You had no clue that any of this was happening.’’

‘’I know, but the fact that I could’ve done something about it when I had the chance still irks me. Whatever, it’s in the past. I only wish I could have told him to go f*ck himself, but at that point, it’s like beating a dead horse.’’

‘’Just want you to know that I’m always here to support you. If you ever have an issue with anything, feel free to talk about it.’’

‘’Thank you.’’

‘’No problem.’’

My phone's alarm rang. I checked to see what it was—it was my daily junkyard reminder. I set alarms relating to the junkyard every day, though the time differs depending on what happens on that specific day.

I sighed. ‘’I have some... business to attend to, so unfortunately, I have to leave for an important matter. I should hopefully be able to see you tomorrow so we can talk some more.’’

‘’Well, I guess I won’t intrude on whatever you’re doing. I’ll see you another time then.’’

‘’Take care.’’

I waved goodbye, walked out the door, and started heading toward the junkyard.