'Shots and Shit Like That

Music

Mega strolled through the forest, his chest full of bubbly excitement. The trees shaded him from the sunlight. He was going to a concert today. To hear one of his favorite artists. Live. For the first time. His grin almost stretched past the scarf wrapped around his mouth. He opened his map again. Traced the path with his slender fingers. He neatly folded it away once more, then stuck it in his pocket. He opened his communicator while he walked. Checking to make sure his audio recording software was working. The mute snapped his fingers. Played the sound back. Crisp as always. He reached a clearing after a few hours. Sat down. Ate some food. The bread and pork chops Zelk had packed for him tasted delicious. He almost wished Zelk had agreed to come with him. It would've been nice to listen to him chatter away about some menial thing as they journeyed to the concert. 

"I'm not coming with you," Zelk had said. It had been for the best. Zelkam said he needed to take care of the house and Ian. Ian.. the thought of the cat brought to mind his former owner. Mega remembered that day... he remembered when Skeppy had waved goodbye to Bad as he left with the murderer.. He remembers him coming back to the village at midnight.. leaving only him and Zelk to tell the tale. He remembers the feel of his communicator spazzing out with the death messages of his friends. He remembers the door breaking open. He remembers a mischievous boy with brown hair and glasses curling inward. He remembers the glint of silver in his chest. Run, he'd shouted. And Mega did run. He ran fast and long. Into the tree line. He remembers hiding up a tree as a familiar voice called from below. Zelk.. covered with blood. His arm bent at an unnatural angle. Zelk had survived.. The next day the two of them had went back to the village. Every body the found etched itself in Mega's nightmares. As did the mask.. and the message.. 

His communicator gave a phantom vibration. That happened a lot. He fingered the bright metal. Then closed his eyes and fell asleep. 

No.. nononononono. Zelk.. why wasn't he moving? "Wake up, WAKE UP!" Mega shakes his only friend by the shoulders. His communicator buzzes to the rhythm of his heartbeat. Growing ever louder.. WAKE UP. WAKEUPWAKEUPWAKEUPWAKEUP. He leans back on the balls of his feet, tipping over and falling onto a canopy of leaves. And... t h e s o u n d. Metal ripping through flesh. His communicator detaches itself and wraps around his neck. He claws at his throat. He can't breathe. His back arches. He tries to yell for help, but the words can't escape. And neither can he. He can only widen his eyes as Zelkam returns into his field of view. He's wearing the smiley face mask. Covered in blood. Zelk taps it, then reaches around to unclasp it. Every sound digs itself into Mega's throat. Like a knife. He tugs the mask off his face. Revealing a pair of soulless eyes.