Decent

It's hard to describe what's happened to me. It's hard to describe something you can't understand. Ever since I woke up, it's been a blur of events, rushing by me so fast I can't hold onto any of them. Then it crashes like a train right when I think something's going to work out. It never works out. I should know that by now.

"Anatase." Alexi says, resting a hand on my shoulder. "It's time for us to head out." I nodded in response, not trusting my voice to speak out. I couldn't trust myself at all anymore.

My head turns to look at my pale arms, the only reminder of my past life. Scar after scar marred each of them, bright red in color. I could determine there were somewhere near thirty on each arm. Two on my stomach, one on my collarbone. 8 on my back, not of my doing. Red, blistery gashes that stretched across my skin, providing a searing pain whenever I looked at them.

I'm dead. You might not understand it; hell, I can't even understand it. I am though... I'm dead. Killed myself by slitting my wrists, bleeding it out on the floor of my mother's study. Woke up soon after. Woke up to see a blonde girl staring at me, a curious yet mischievious look on her face. Sometimes I wonder what I was doing, tagging around with this lot. I still don't know why I stuck around. Guess sometimes, things just happen.

I stand, looking the red-head straight in the eyes. "Heading out?"

"That's right," he replies. "Our work's finished here."

I nod, looking over to Ian and Lyn, our blonde companions. "Who's our next target, then?"

Ian shook his head, laughing bemusedly. "I guess we'll figure that out along the way, Ana."

The two men stared down at the pale body lying on the ground in front of them. The back had been ravaged, was torn up and bloody. Light hair fell to about the male's center back, covering up a few of the slash marks. It was an unusual thing, for somebody to dig up a body after it had been deceased for about half a year. Unusual, indeed. There must have been some sort of purpose, must have been an instigation for somebody to put this much effort forward.

Why him, though? Why this cadaver? A boy, 15, scars covering his entire body. Died by suicide. Nothing special, just another depressive teenager who'd seen no other way out.

Was he, though? There seemed to be something about this deceased boy, something... different. Special. An air of existence that any other body seemed to have long lost. An air of life. He didn't seem dead, not entirely. Just paralyzed, apathetic... his eyes still shone brightly with that glimmer of spirit. A glimmer that seemed to read 'Alive. Alive.' Peculiar, it was.

Of course, even before the death, Anatase Montgomery had never been anything but peculiar. His absence of life seemed to change nothing.

"Congratulations! Your first kill!" Ian laughed, clapping his hand down on my back. Alexi smirked, looking me straight in the eye.

"Guess you're better than I thought." I removed my sword from the dead girl's body, wiping the blood off on my already blood-stained clothes. It's weird to know the dead can die.

"How many more?" I ask Ian, looking up at him. It's been pretty obvious he's our group leader since day one.

"Nine," he replies. "We've gotten three in the past nine days, though; off to a good start." Alexi nods.

"Hey, what're you talking about?" Lyn bounced over to us, smiling widely. "I wanna know, I wanna know, I wanna know!" Ian pats her head, laughing.

"Talking about our next target, sis." They're so different. All of us are. Though I guess death does bring people together, even if it's not how you expect it to.

"The Undead Legion."

"What?" Ian and Lyn ask at the same time, swiveling to face Alexi.

"The Undead Legion. We target them next."

"Are you crazy? You-" Lyn began, cut off by Alexi waving his hand in her face.

"We can take them, especially now. Besides, we either go after them, or they go after us. Which sounds better to you?"

"...we'll do it." Ian said. "Undead Legion is next."

I'm not really steady on my feet now. Haven't really been since I killed that girl from Tribe of Gallager. They're all dead now though, which means a better chance for me. Higher rate of survival.

Everything's crazy. It's a centrifuge- one thing, after another, after another that just pick you up and rattle your head around, killing all sane thoughts. Killing... it's a high. Now I understand, as horrid as it may be, why serial killers do what they do. That rush of adrenaline... there's nothing else quite like it. Nothing else as intense, or beautiful, or scary.

I've changed a lot in this place. I have no idea how long I've been stuck in the interface, but it's changed me a lot. I'm a completely different person here, completely different with these scars, these wounds.

"Shaddup!" A voice yells, obviously Lyn's. I bet she and Alexi are arguing again. Not unusual. I stare at the group ahead of me, my team. My clan. It's a foreign feeling, that sense of belonging. I never really realized how it would feel to be accepted; hell, the only thing I've ever been is an outsider. Death isn't really eternal. It's unusual, that's all I can say for it. Different.

"Make your move," The girl said, her voice practically spitting venom as she did so. I gripped the sword tighter, glaring her in the eyes, glancing for only a small moment at the hole in her neck. She charged, her black cloak swinging around her as she did so. I raised the blade slightly as she jumped, her poisoned knife nearly at my throat. Without thinking, I slammed the blade forward slightly, jamming it into a position to stun her.

My hand clasped around her knife, pulling it out of her grip quickly. Before the girl had a chance to think, I pulled back, sticking it straight through her eyeball.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed as the blood gushed down her face, white goo falling to the ground from her now decayed opthalm. I pulled back quickly, staring down at her. My third kill. Third. Amazing, isn't it, how quickly a light can fade, even from the dead? Turning, I faced Ian, who was letting the body of the other girl slide from his grip.

"Two?" I asked, earning a nod.

"The boy high-tailed it off. Couldn't catch him, unfortunately." I nod. Lyn looked down at our map, crossing out both Mei-Lin and Sylvia from our hit list. "Eight more left in the Undead Legion, guys!" She exclaimed. "We'll totally beat them, I know it!"

"Shut up, Lyn, and stop being annoying!" Alexi scowled at her.

"Fuck you, 'Lexi!" The blonde girl frowned, crossing her arms.

"Focus!" Ian screamed at both of them, causing Lyn to comedically fall over. I shook my head, suppressing a smile. These were the times I should cherish, especially when any moment could be my last. Friendships are amazing...

...but they drag you down, and you can't help but have a weak point for them.
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Uh, yeah...it's weird so far, I know...