The In Between

Chapter three

• Birds are mean • 

James

 • October 27 •

It had felt like it had been a year since I met up with Ricky, but it really was only 2 days ago. How did he even have friends? I didn't understand. He was really annoying. Seriously, getting caught in a sundew yesterday? That was literally one of the worst experiences I've ever had in my life. My dead-life and my alive-life.                                    

We woke up and got moving immediately. It took about 2 weeks to get to Tamir - as long as there is no dilly-dallying involved. It was really hard to not dilly-dally with Ricky around. I wished I was legally allowed to murder him, but if I did that, then I would have to die, die. I didn't particularily want to die, die, so I didn't murder Ricky. We both stayed perfectly alive-dead. Except it wasn't perfect because I wanted Ricky to be dead, dead. And he wasn't. He was alive-dead like me. I thought about murdering Ricky and being dead-dead with him, but then I would have to be dead-dead. With him.

"What happens when we get to the dead world?" Ricky asked. 

"If we get to the dead world." I corrected.

"What happens if we get to the dead world?"

"Depends." I said, not bothering to elaborate. "Also, it's called Tamir."

"What happens if you die, die?" 

"Then you die, die." 

"Why do you need to be a guide?"

"So that you can get to the dead world." At this point he was just being stupid. Like always.

"I know, but why do you have to be a guide?" 

"Do you want to get to the dead world or not?" 

"I do, but-"

"Well, we aren't going to get there if you don't shUT THE FRIK UP, YOU HALF EATEN SANDWICH!" 

He stopped talking. For a few seconds.

"I-"

"I swear to god, Ricky, if you do not shut that big mouth of yours, I will invert your ribcage." I said. 

"Ok." He replied. "I would prefer it if you didn't."

I pulled out some dinosaur chicken nuggets from my bag. Ricky opened his mouth to talk again, "DON'T ask where these came from." I said, before he could say anything, and passed the chicken nuggets to Ricky. 

"How the frik? You literally gave me an apple this morning. We could've literally eaten freaking gourmet waffles and you give me an apple."

"It's the best how you equalize dinosaur chicken nuggets to gourmet waffles. I just— I just love it so much." 

"Well? Why can't you?"

"Shut up,"

"Why can't you?"

"Ricky no, shut up," I lowered my voice.

"What's the matter?" He whispered.

"Do you hear that?" He listened.

"No,"

"Exactly,"

"Is there something wrong?"

"Maybe, just—" I listened more. "There's no birds."

"And?"

"And we're in a forest, Ricky. Birds live in forests."