>>Only Human<<

The Car

Life. It goes like this. You grow up, you go to school, graduate high school and head to college, decide what you want to do with your life, get a job, fall in love, get married, have kids, grow old, and die.

Right?

Everyone says that's how it's supposed to go, but it never works that way.

Especially not if you're me.

Kate Winship, typical high school graduate stuck in that swirling vortex known as what-comes-next.

What-Comes-Next would have been lovely compared to what happened after the car. There are much worse swirling vortexes of terror out there that this world doesn't even know of. Ignorance is pretty blissful, now that I really think about it.

***

On a normal Wednesday evening in August, I was working double shifts at the local mini-mart, trying to egg my boss into giving me a raise, because, of course, I had to pay for textbooks and food, and also, there were some movies I wanted to see still.

Jim bailed on me, so I was left to handle everything on my own, with the exception of Lynne, who does the equivalent of nothing around the shop.

By the end of my double shift, it was dark out, I wanted to go home, take a shower, and die. This was life. This was the life almost all of my friends had, with the exception of the lucky few who didn't have to work for a living.

At 21, there aren't a lot of places I can afford to live, so I'm holed up in a simple apartment, and to be honest, it smells. There's a certain scent in the air when there's too many human bodies in one area.

It's teeny and claustrophobic, but hey, it's mine. I bought it with my hard earned money and a little something I like to call: I asked my mom to please lend me something for my place and she was nice about it.

Walking home, I brushed the sweaty strands of hair from my face because I felt like if anything else touched my body, I would die of heat.

I padded my way up the steps to the apartment, feeling gross from the dirt and sweat of the day, wanting nothing more than a nice shower, hot chocolate, and 12 hours of sleep. And for no one to see me like this.

Unfortunately, someone saw me like this. There was a man in the hallway outside apartment 3, just standing there. He wore a black shirt and pants, sunglasses tucked neatly into his collar. I had to shoulder past him to get to my room, muttering a 'scuse me, as I kept my head ducked down so he wouldn't make conversation.

He side-stepped so I could pass, and once I was halfway up the steps, I turned around to look at him. I'd never seen him in this complex before. Granted, I hadn't seen most people that lived in this complex before, but he seemed.... odd.

I got a strange sense of deja vu when I stole a glance at him, but then he looked at me and I scurried away so he wouldn't notice. Social encounters were hardly my strong suit.

After showering and collapsing on the couch in an oversized shirt and sweats, I was beyond checked out for the day. Most unfortunately, there was a knock on the door. I was silently cursing whoever interrupted me as I grunted my way into a sitting position and shuffled to the door.

I went to my toes to look out the peep hole, and saw a man in a suit and tie wearing sunglasses. His brown hair was combed nearly, and he peered over his glasses at me.

I opened the door a crack, feeling my heart fluttering against my ribcage at the prospect of talking to strangers.

"Can I help you?"