The Gods Among Us

Chapter 23: Surprise

A:

"I hate the bus," I say as Alfred, Alieen, and I all walk together. "I hate the bus so much. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it."

"Will you calm down," Alfred asks. "So someone spilled some soda on you? That happened to me once and it wasn't even the worst thing."

"I am afraid to ask what the worst thing was."

The sun is setting as the three of us walk on an empty street with what looks like abandoned and forgotten buildings on both sides. There is trash all along the streets and graffiti pained all over the walls and buildings. There are a few lights already on but most of them are flicking, not staying on.

"Enough," Alieen says, quieting the two of us. "A, are we here? Is this the alleyway where you first woke up?"

Stopping in front of a narrow and dirty alleyway, I look around the said alleyway. I walk in and look around some more.

"This is it," I say, more than halfway into the alleyway. "Yes. This is definitely it."

"Not to doubt you or anything," Alfred says from the sidewalk, "But how can you be sure? I mean, this doesn't seem any different from the other alleyway San Francisco had. What makes you so sure this is the right alleyway?"

"Believe me," I say, looking at Alfred. "I would recognize this place anyway."

I look toward the end of the alleyway. There, I see a similar trash pile to the one where I woke up two years earlier.

"Well," Alieen says, spreading out her arms and she and Alfred walk into the alleyway with me. "Anything? Is any of this sparking any memory?"

"No," I answer, looking around the dirty, narrow alleyway before looking back at Alieen and Alfred. "No. None of this is bringing back any of my memory. At least, not any memory I do not already have."

"Okay," Alfred says, looking around. "So if this place is a bust, then where to next?"

"I cannot answer you," I reply.

"Why not?"

"Because besides this alleyway and my gas station, there is no other place that holds any value to me."

"There are no other places," Alieen replies.

I nod my head and explain.

"As I told you and the others, shortly after waking up here, I simply wander around. I had no place to go or go back to. I did not know what to do or where I could stay until I stumbled upon the gas station."

"Well, I guess we need another plan," Alfred says, winding up his foot to kick an empty car on the ground. Kicking the can into a nearby trash pile, the same can then shoots out and hits me in the head.

"Hey," I say, rubbing my head. I look at Alfred who is stepping back with both his hands in the air.

"I swear," he says, "I did not do that. At least, I don't think I did."

Still eyeing Alfred while rubbing my sore spot, I turn when I hear something. The nearby trash pile starts to move.

"Get behind me," I say, pushing Alieen and Alfred behind me. As they get behind me, the trash pile bursts open and the shadowy figure appears.

"Get out of here," I say, now pushing Alieen and Alfred out of the alleyway. Alieen grabs Alfred's hand and together, the two run. I turn back to see the shadowy figure flying toward me.

I cross my arms as the figure kicks me into the wall of the alleyway. The figure flies toward me again with an arm pulled back. Stepping to the side, the figure punches the wall instead, breaking and leaving behind a hole.