Peril

Three.

"Who are you?"

"Wouldn't you thank me first that I saved your precious life, little girl?" He approached me with a teasing voice. He drew nearer, his steps were already very audible. "Are you?" He asked and looked at me with his vivid green eyes. His face was very close to mine.

"Uhh, tha-ank you-u." I stuttered. His eyes sent shivers on my spine. It was cold yet mysterious. He smiled then stepped back. "You're welcome!" He said in a very astonishing voice. "I gotta go, I still have some business to do." He turn around and started to walk away.

"Wait!" My brother yelled.

"What?" He faced us with a swift move. My brother walked towards the mysterious man. Indeed, he was good looking and seems a year or two older than me. "Thank you for saving my sister. What's your name by the way?" My brother raised his question.

"That was nothing. Actually, I didn't intentionally save your sister. I just shot the zombie because it was annoying making moaning sounds. And yea, name's Colton." He did a salute gesture with his index and middle fingers stuck together. I got up and offered him a handshake.

"I'm Claeris. Again, thank you for saving me." I said with a very blank expression still shocked from what just happened. His eyes shot me a deceiving glare showing interest on my name. "Heh, what a unique name." He smiled exposing his dimples.

He wasn't that typical masculine guy. He wasn't even skin and bones. He was just enough. Maybe a bit of muscles and abs. He had his dark brown hair stiff in a quiff. Of all the things that caught my eye most was his eagle tattoo on the left side of his neck. It was enthralling. I never knew why I was so attached to it. I didn't even notice I was already staring at it for a long time.

"You better stop checking me out. You might lose your head. Haha." He snickered. " What?! I'm not. No!" I said backing off. We had a few moments of silence until my brother broke the serenity. "Are you part of the game assembly?"

He looked at us with disappointment, "I was once part of it, 3 years ago." My brother looked confused. "What? You were? Then why are you still here?"

"As you can see, you're just living for the zombies. They sent you here as food for the peckish monsters."

"You didn't answer my question." My brother said.

"I did. If you're smart enough you would understand what I just said." He sighed.

"What do you mean?" I interrupted.

"The center world was never a place nor home for humans. It's just like a penthouse or hotel, you come and go. Come and go. Come and go. If you're thinking this is just a game, well, no. It's a lie. They're just giving you false hopes."

"What false hopes?"

"You'll soon know. I gotta go, I still have some zombie hunting to do. Adios!" Then he ran and carried his gun in his strong arms. I was a bit scared of what he said. I told myself not to believe but his eyes told me all he was saying was true. A part of myself was telling me not to believe but I still did.

"Felix, what was he saying? Was that real?" I looked at Felix with a worried look. He looked at me with a peeve look. "You would believe that guy? He's been here in the exterior for already 3 years Claer. That means that guy was already crazy.

"But--"

"Claeris Amber, I'm the older one here so you must believe me not that stranger. Okay!?" He said with a blue in the face.

All I did was nod, didn't say anything in return. The whole time that we were in the grocery we stayed super silent and secluded from each other. My brother was busy searching for something useful while I was busy scavenging for food.