Echoes of the Multiverse

While some might say that it was unimaginable for children such as these two boys to live through the waking nightmare they had been subjected to, the rest with morbidly open minds knew that age protected no one. The universe cared not for who you were, what came to pass would pass. Still, people liked to pretend that something as irrelevant as age could grant some sort of protection from the evils of the world. When presented with evidence to the contrary though, many would still choose not to act in favor of distancing themselves from the discomfort of reality.

The mentality of ‘I don’t want to be involved, someone else will surely call’ bought the boys the time they needed in the dreadful silence of the house after the even more dreadful thunderclap of a point blank gunshot. They scrambled to pack everything they would absolutely need, making painful choice after painful choice between this is something we need and this is something needless we love. They simply didn’t have the luxury to choose the latter. Armed with as much as they dare bring with them and the scraps of a half-formed plan, they took off atop a dirt bike that made even this half-formed plan possible. The house was long since vacant, blood soaking deep into the carpet, by the time someone saw fit to call in what they had heard in the palpable absence of police sirens.

The forest edged in on either side of the boys and closed up behind them, sheltering them from sight and sun alike. The air was cool in the shade of the leaves, though not enough to nip harshly. The scent of the lush trees quickly drowned out the lingering smell of blood and if it weren’t for the fear still hammering at their hearts, it might have been quite pleasant. Birds sang, oblivious to the carnage they had left behind. Squirrels argued over hidden nuts that may or may not have been theirs, their arguments tame when compared to the ones little ears overheard at night. Insects droned around them, better white noise than the static that overtook the TV from time to time when a hand was raised too violently towards the children. They left behind everything they knew in hopes that the foggy echoes of the elder’s past might provide them some sort of future.

While the ride wasn’t as smooth as a road could have provided, they encountered no predators and the forest offered more peace than either of them had ever truly known. A pity they had too much on their minds to appreciate it… No, the absence of the sound of a chase was what brought them comfort instead. No sirens wailed in the distance. There was no thump-thump-thump of helicopter blades. No roar of a motorcycle, the baying of search hounds, or the crackle of a megaphone amplified voice calling to them. The only company they had for their journey was the forest and the creatures that made it their home. For the moment, it didn’t appear that they were being followed, at least in the forest itself. The road wasn’t close enough to judge fully, but that was part of the point. The obvious place to look for them would be the road so that’s exactly what they needed to avoid.

All good things have to come to an end though, don’t they? Things had gone too smoothly for them and the universe had never been particularly kind to them, had it? The dirt bike’s engine suddenly cut for no perceivable reason. The only kindness to be had in the situation was that the engine had fallen silent relatively close to the forests other edge. With nothing to drive the bike onwards, it slowed to a stop, forcing the teen to balance them all as inertia finally failed them. The bike had done an excellent job carrying them this far, but now it was time for it to be carried instead.

When the elder of the two deemed it time for them to stop for the moment, only a scant few trees keeping them out of sight from the warehouses just beyond, the bike leaned on its stand to be inspected. Unfortunately for them, there was nothing seemingly wrong. There was definitely still gas sloshing around inside the tank, none of the wires had come loose, nothing looked broken. The engine just seemed to have… Stopped. A frustrating situation, to say the least, particularly with so much of their planned trip still ahead of them. Still, nothing the teen did could rouse the bike back to life again.

As he gave it his best effort, the world around them started to change slightly. The forest grew eerily quiet, what animal noises remaining so close to man made structures quieting till they were left with only the rustling of leaves for company. The breeze slowed and cooled until it transformed into a creeping cold. Still, the bike would not rouse, and the sun was now dipping low in the sky. It would only grow colder once the moon took its place. They couldn’t put off finding shelter for much longer. At this point, a choice needed to be made about the bike. Abandon it as it couldn’t run anymore for some reason, or keep it in hopes it might be fixable somehow. In the end, it wasn’t a particularly hard choice. While it was heavier than a manual bike, it was still easier to carry both the stuff they had packed and the younger of the two on the bike than on Ever’s back.

They got on their way again, leaving the packed earth of the woods for poured pavement. With the trees left behind, the silence grew prominent, unnatural. Even at night, cities had city sounds, and this appeared to be a warehouse area, a port peeking into view between the buildings. It wasn’t that late… The sun hadn’t even set yet. Where was everyone…? Was it some sort of convenient holiday that kept the area empty of workers? Whatever the case, they encountered no one, even as they crept up to the street to orient themselves.

Clever little boy… The bus stop proved helpful, a basic, but clear map tucked behind a sheet of glass. It only showed the port district and East Silent Hill to the South on it and even then only the main streets and major landmarks. Still, it was far better than nothing. Though limited, it gave them options, which was more than what they had when they had left the forest behind them. Some quick decision making later and they had a basic plan to work towards. And so they continued on with a destination in mind. While it wasn’t much, having something to guide them forward was leagues better than the panic of not having any clue what to do next, particularly with the now defunct bike having been a major part of it.

As they continued on, the lack of activity around them was feeling more and more out of place, the silence oppressive. Why was it so quiet? There wasn’t even the sound of traffic in the distance! Nothing. Just… Silence. Even as they approached the bridge, bringing them closer to the town itself, there was nothing. No sound other than their own footsteps and the tires of the bike rolling over what little gravel there was. Where was everyone? They reached the bridge and finally there was something to listen to, though it wasn’t much. The sound of water could be heard trickling below the bridge. With every new step, the world around them felt a little more unsettling, but it was subtle. Perhaps it was just the paranoia brought on from the escape they were in the middle of, the fear of being found, of being seen.

Stepping off the bridge, little changed, which made alarmingly little sense. There didn’t seem to be any people around here either, not even in the distance. Not even a holiday would clear a city’s street like this, right? There weren’t any decorations or anything hinting that something like that might be going on either. There was just… Nothing. No one. It was like the town had been abandoned, but something like that would have been in the new, right? What’s more, they had a cabin reserved for a vacation! They couldn’t have done that if the down had been completely abandoned! What could even cause something like that to happen? It was one thing to evacuate a part of a town in an emergency, but this didn’t feel anything like that. Even if that had been the case, surely the people they were renting the cabin from would have reached out to let them know that something had happened to make the town unsafe. Right…?

It was then that the world shifted in a way much more literal than either of them could possibly imagine. The fog rolled in, rushing up from the lake almost like it was alive to surround them on all sides and with it came a bitter chill. While they might have expected it to be a little cooler this time of year, something that had been planned for their trip intentionally, this was much colder than expected. The fog made it difficult to see very far in any direction either, the world feeling even more isolated than it already was. The could might be explained by the fog coming up off the lake, but could fog even move this fast?

The feeling of being utterly alone didn’t last too much longer, but whether or not that was a good thing was up to question. They encountered their first signs of life since before the bike’s motor suddenly died and leaving the forest behind them. There was not one source, but two and it was difficult to say which was more eye catching. One was moving and the other was eerily still.

The one that was moving was just a teenager, looking to be about Ever’s age, in fact. He was pale, had black hair that hung just past his chin in the front, with the longer bit in the back pulled into a low ponytail. He wore a t-shirt, jeans, and jacket, all black or dark grey in color. He looked worse for wear, honestly. He was inside a store, but… No one else seemed to be in there. This was definitely the nail in the coffin. Something was seriously wrong. While it was strange already that they had encountered no one at all till now, it was stranger still that someone would be in a shop all by themselves. No workers, no other shoppers, no one. What’s more, he appeared to be looting the place, taking cans off shelves, and placing them in a backpack. As of yet, he hadn’t noticed the two outside and simply focused on what he was doing.

Outside there was another being, this one nearly motionless. It was a bird perched up on a street lamp, though it was hard to see through the fog. A raven judging by its general shape and its black color. There appeared to be something wrong with its face, an illness perhaps. There was something lumpy about it, like it had growths or something. It looked rather scruffy so the fact the animal might be sick didn’t feel out of place. What was out of place was its size. The thing was absolutely HUGE! Ravens were known to be large birds, but surely they didn’t get this large did they? If its size wasn’t unsettling enough, it was staring at them. This was the only movement it seemed to be making, micro-adjustments to watch them. The bird’s stare never wavered, following them as they moved, but doing nothing else for the moment. It wasn’t normal, the way it fixated on them. It was one thing for an animal to watch a potential threat, but this felt so much more intense.

Though it was impossible to tell from their perspective, the creature was indulging in his namesake. Thought. He watched the strangers with keen eyes, thinking. Did he know them? He was sure he didn’t. They were strangers indeed. What to do then…? He understood that his master was busy. They came on a mission to gather things they needed. It was important. He and his brother could find food well enough on their own, but their master could not eat what they ate. He was here as a sentinel, a look out to ensure their master’s safety in case anything dangerous happened by, human or no. There were strangers here now. He had to decide if they were a threat or not.

Inside, Cassidy was oblivious to what was happening outside. Huginn had been posted outside for a reason, he didn’t have to worry about the outside, not for the moment anyway. They had been running low on food so he couldn’t put off leaving the apartment anymore. While he was out, he should probably grab some other things, thinking on it. Candles were always good to grab. Sage would be excellent if he could find some too. Was he low on chalk? He wasn’t sure… Better to have more than what he needed than less though.

His thoughts were interrupted by his other companion blocked from outside view thanks to the shelves. Another monstrous bird, this one’s scraggly plumage white. Gripped delicately within his serrated beak was a can of beef stew. While not the teen’s favorite, it was his favorite adjacent. He could barely remember the taste of mutton stew, but he still remembered his love of it. Beef stew was a good enough substitute. Without a hint of fear, he reached out and took the offered can from what he knew could be an incredibly dangerous beak, placing it inside the backpack.

“Good boy, Muninn! You’re such a good boy! Thank you, I love it!” Reaching out, he gently scritched along the bird’s jaw on either side. He smiled at the way the feathers happily puffed up, digits dipping into the pale plumage to get at the hot skin below. “Always looking out for me… What would I ever do without you?” The fact those pretty blue eyes drifted shut meant the world to him. Corvids were naturally distrustful, so the fact he would close his eyes and leave himself vulnerable like this, particularly with how dangerous their world was, meant a great deal.

Muninn cooed happily, scruffy tail feathers wagging and wings spreading just a bit and fluttering ever so slightly in his happiness. He’d done good! He’d found a good present! He remembered his master liked that food! He had a good memory, that’s why that was his name! He was a good boy! He’d made their master happy! He trusted him. He loved him very much, just like he loved his brother very much! He wanted them to be happy and safe! Right! They were outside! Outside wasn’t safe! He opened his eyes and finally pulled away, feathers laying back down into a resting position as he looked around to make sure nothing had snuck up on them. Master was here to watch too, but he needed to make sure. He made a deep vocalization then, a sort of “Gyuuu…” sound that ended with a light clop of his beak before starting to waddle off to continue to search the store for anything that caught his eyes.

Cass was left to continue his own search and did just that. The less time they spent out here, the better. The longer they took the greater the chance they would be caught out here during a major shift and that was never a good thing. At least he had his companions to warn and protect him. He had it better than most because of them. At the same time, his companionship with them also meant that no other human would dare approach him. It was lonely, but honestly he thought humans were generally more dangerous than the monsters found within the town. Those were at least fairly predictable. They either didn’t care about you or wanted to kill you. Simple. Humans… Humans lied. Humans took advantage of each other. Humans gained each other’s trust and betrayed one another. No… Monsters were much safer to deal with and his own were companionship enough.

A quick glance at the window showed him he’d actually failed to notice a minor shift. There was fog outside where there hadn’t been a few minutes ago. He needed to hurry up and finish in here quickly. Experience sharpened eyes darted around to spot anything that could be useful in the shop that should have long since been picked clean, but never seemed to be for long. Box of white candles, the long burning kind! Excellent find! Still, food would be good. He could use a little more before calling it, but now he felt pressed for time. A can of spam? He could work with that and it kept for ages. Into the pack. Matches! Yes, good, into the pack. A can of peaches? He shouldn’t… Food-food was more important, but… Dammit, he never let himself keep anything that was sweet. Fuck it, into the pack. And that was all the time he had…

…Huginn had come to a decision. Strangers were always a threat. The bird throws his wings open, a staggering 8’ across from wingtip to wingtip. While this was intimidating enough, the sound that left the thing was significantly worse! It shrieked at the top of its lungs, the sound not sounding like any animal the pair had ever heard. Hell it didn’t even sound like any animal should be able to make! It sounded almost like a metal on metal scrape coming time and time again in a clear rhythm. If all that weren’t bad enough, the damn thing launched itself into the air and flew right at them. It landed heavily and started to circle them in a vulture-like hop, proving itself to stand roughly half of Ever’s size.

The store’s window suddenly exploded outwards, glass showering the sidewalk as a second one of these creatures suddenly joining the first, though this one was white instead of the other’s black. It too started to screech that same horrible metallic sound, joining in the circling opposite its darker twin. Now they could get a good look at what was ‘wrong’ with the bird’s face too. Both of them had the same “condition”. The scruffy feathers were no longer a real concern. What was going on with their faces weren’t just growths. They were eyes. Many, many eyes. A total of five, to be exact. Ones where you would expect, a second pair above that and set a little more forward, and a final single one in the middle of the forehead. The more they looked at them, the less raven-like they appeared, their beaks not shaped right either, instead serrated almost like a saw blade. It wasn’t difficult to imagine the kind of damage those beaks could do, should they choose to use them. The fact each of their toes was tipped in massive talons didn’t help either. Each talon was roughly the same as a grizzly bear’s 5” in length. As the two continued to call, their too many eyes started to glow brilliant red, matching rune-like markings showing up on their feathers all over their bodies.

The store’s door opened then and out stepped the teen from inside the shop. In his hand was an unusual-looking axe. While the birds, if you could call them that, were definitely something to be afraid of, this guy didn’t appear to be. Instead, he walked a little closer, watching Ever closely, his expression cold and lacking any sort of trust. There was little question that the axe he held would be leveled on him, if given a reason. It didn’t look like he would need much of a reason either… That was till he spotted Ash. He froze for a moment, hesitating, his expression softening. A kid. An actual child.

“Huginn! Muninn! Standby! Quiet now… Shhh… That’s it. Good boys.” Sure enough, the monstrous birds responded, quieting down and standing on either side of the two a short distance away, their wings shuffling closed, though they still glowed angrily. This new person moved to stand before them so there was little room for escape between himself and the monster on either side. If one of the birds didn’t get them, that axe might. He hadn’t put it away yet and didn’t look like he was about to either.

“I don’t recognize you and I’ve never seen a kid that young outside of The Order since this whole place went to hell. Who are you? What are you doing out here with a kid? It’s not safe.” As if realizing that himself, he looked out into the fog. The temperature had dropped too. Shit. They really shouldn’t be standing around out here. Those alarm calls would likely drive off any humans, but the same could not be said of other monsters. Their curiosity might have been roused. They needed to go. Now.

“You know what…? We shouldn’t have this conversation here. I’ve holed up in an apartment complex down the street from here. We can talk while we walk. You have till then to convince me you’re not with The Order.” He raised a free hand and with a single hand gesture, the two monsters took to the air again, their red markings shifting to purple as they flew ahead and started to circle above.

“This way,” the teen motioned with the same hand, hoisting the axe to rest upon his shoulder as he started to walk confirming that he had no intention of putting his weapon away. They walked southward on Laymond Ave., the same direction they had been heading originally. Sure enough, the park came into view not long after on their right. While this stranger kept an eye on them, he also looked around often, clearly expecting to find something. So far, he thankfully saw nothing of concern. What could possibly worry him with two monster birds for protection?

“My name is Crawford. The black one is Huginn and the white one is Muninn. Who are you and what are you doing out here?” With his original questions presented again, he waited for his answer, heart pounding. His friends hadn’t been glowing before and it hadn’t been this cold. Shit. There it was. Little flecks of white were starting to drift down from the rapidly darkening sky. They needed to get to safety as soon as they possibly could. The two weren’t warning him yet, but he didn’t like the implication. His companions always knew when a big shift was coming though, they always warned him before it actually hit, able to feel it inside them ahead of time. Hopefully, they wouldn’t get any further than the fog and snow. He didn’t want to think about what it might be like trying to protect a boy as young as this one if it came down to it.

Common sense told him that if it did come down to it, he should abandon them to their fate and save his own skin, but… He couldn’t bring himself to do that. He knew he wouldn’t. If it had just been this one guy, maybe, but a little kid? He couldn’t just abandon a little kid… Even if he was an Order kid, kids only knew what they were told. It’s not their fault. They could always be taught better, after all. Fuck, he couldn’t let himself get too invested. While he was luckier than most and lived fairly comfortably, taking care of a kid would complicate his life quite a bit. But… If they weren’t bad people… Honestly good ones… He was so lonely…

Fuck. This was such a mistake, he knew it was. This could go so poorly for him, even prove to be fatal if he was particularly unlucky. But he really was so lonely… His companions were great, really they were, but it wasn’t the same. They couldn’t meet all the social needs he had and he had long since started to feel the strain. Maybe… Maybe he’d lucked out just enough to have found himself a possible friend or two. Maybe a little family… What he would give for a bond like that! He knew he was being too optimistic, but… He had so little left to hope for, maybe it would be worth it this time. He truly hoped it was…

The open air combined with the silence left the unsettling feeling of being exposed. Normally, for them, quiet meant safety, but there was always an ambience that went with silence - the hum of the air conditioner, the static of the radio, the run of the faucet as the dishes were cleaned. Ever didn't stay out of the house much longer than the length of a school day, but he was pretty sure there was supposed to be ambience outside as well. Birds or bugs or buzzing streetlamps - something. But the only noise was what they put in the world, and neither one of them added more than necessary. The river was a brief respite in the quiet, and the older boy hoped it was a threshold to more noise within the town itself. He was sorely disappointed by the utter lack of activity. No dogs, no birds, no people. Like a winter's witching hour, only the sun had just set.

“Where's all the people?” Ash asked in a low tone, not quite a whisper, but quieter than he'd spoken earlier. That was when the fog rolled in, rushing like a wave to blanket the world around them. The warmer fell with a muffled clatter to the ground as the boy covered his mouth with both hands, hoping that if he was quiet, he wouldn't draw the attention of whatever spirit he'd disturbed.

"It's alright, it's just fog," Ever reassured, though Ash was pretty well convinced it was actually some sleeping creature that now surrounded them, waiting to be awakened. Ever was a bit disconcerted himself. He didn't think fog was supposed to move that fast, but then he only had a frame of reference for how fog rose. Shepherd's Glenn didn't get fog often, but when it did, it was already settled by the time he was leaving the house. He didn't know how it arrived, only how it left in a slow drift. One of the world's little mysteries. A few moments later, he noticed Ash was shivering. He kicked the stand down and shrugged off his jacket. "Let's get you another layer. Come on.” It was a quick and easy trade-off that ended with Ash having the jacket beneath his coat. Ever ignored the creeping chill as he buttoned Ash's coat to trap the warmth.

"Bird," Ash whispered suddenly, face turned upward. Ever followed his gaze to the top of the streetlamp, spotting the lurking creature. He thought it was a vulture at first guess - massive scruffy thing - but vultures liked country roads, he thought. Not enough road kill in town to scavenge. Ash started digging into one of his pockets, but Ever had noticed another rummaging sound and started looking around.

He spotted the source of the noise through the glass of a storefront, surprised to see a guy that looked around his own age. Ever's first thought was, 'what is he doing?' The immediate follow-up was to wonder if he knew what was going on, why there didn't seem to be anyone around. Did he know about the vulture lurking outside? That might have been a stretch to consider; why would that matter? It was just a bird, if a bit...weird. He glanced back towards it, but Ash's digging finally caught his attention. "...What are you doing?"

“Peanuts,” the kid answered, as if it was obvious, and Ever couldn't help but feel a bit incredulous. He wanted to feed that thing? Did he really just stop having any sense of caution when their parents weren't around? "Ravens love peanuts."

"You just...have peanuts in your- whoa geeze-” Ever flinched at the sudden noise from above. As the bird spread its wings and dropped to the pavement, he leaned over the bike to balance it with his left hand, his other arm sweeping back to snag Ash off the seat and pull him away from the approaching animal. Something scattered at his feet as the kid latched onto his shoulders. The bike stand spring creaked not near as loud as the bird's call when he kicked it down, and Ever wondered if he should abandon the bike when he got a good look at the creature. That thing was almost as big as Ash was! What kind of bird was that massive? He inched very slowly back along the bike, considering how best to retreat in away that wouldn't leave his brother an easy target for the bird.

Ash was the one to see the other bird flying towards the window, but he didn't get past the point of knowing what it was before the glass shattered. Ever jolted, turning as glass rained down on the two, and realized there was a second one screeching at them. They were jarringly loud, but he didn't have the hands free to cover his own ears. He figured he was starting to hallucinate when they started glowing like something out of a myth. Ash said something by his ear, but he couldn't hear it over the cacophony. Ever was starting to feel like he should have just kept moving when Ash pointed out the bird, kept going towards the park with the hope that the black one didn't try to attack them when his back was turned. Now there were two of them acting aggressively towards the both of them, and thankfully Ash was keeping low and quiet just like when the house was loud. ...Ever should have grabbed the bat when they left. At least then he would have had something to ward them off. These things looked like they would eat his little brother if he let them get close.

Of course that was when the teen had to come out of the store with a weapon in hand. For a half second, Ever hoped the guy was coming out to help them and maybe scare the things off, but it very quickly became apparent that he was on the side of the animals - if he could call them that. Fantastic. He shifted back a step as the human stepped closer, something crunching under his shoes. His other arm slowly drifted back to get a more secure grip on his brother, his eyes attentive when he realized the other boy had noticed the child, and he felt Ash's arms reach for a better grip on his shirt. Sure there didn't look to be an escape route, but Ever didn't run track in the spring because it was fun. Maybe he could spook them enough to scatter-? How far back was the last corner?

He was just starting to subtly shift his weight, a decision not quite fully formed, when the other boy spoke - not to him, but to the...bird...things- and it hit him like a sack of bricks that this guy had some manner of control over them. That he gave them names seemed the most absurd part of it all somehow, but he was disconcerted regardless which didn't make him too keen on being the nice friendly guy he tried to come off as at school. He bristled at the guy's tone, glance shooting across to the birds. He didn't exactly want to get on his nerves either; that could turn really quickly to disaster.

"Listen, man, I don't know what's going on here-” His own defensiveness faltered pretty quickly as the other teen's tune changed abruptly. The words were only part of it; the posture really gave it away. Wary was a mild description. Ever knew fear when he saw it. Being venomous wasn't going to be helpful. “We're just...passing through," he added as he cast a glance first to the birds, and then a little to their surroundings, trying to see if there was anything in the fog. What kind of thing could spook this guy with those mutant birds at his command?

Ever flinched as the birds took off, ready to bolt if it looked like they were going to dive at him. It took him a moment to accept that they weren't going to do that, and when he did, he tentatively set Ash back down on the bike seat, turning to check him over. “Head down,” he murmured, brushing bits of glass that hadn't fallen away yet. “Any get in your eyes?” Ash offered a quiet negative in response as Ever gave a quick sweep to his hair. The kid muttered about some aches and pains. “Sorry. Any extra bruising?” The kid shook his head. “Kay. Let's get goin.” After a moment that let the kid get settled, Ever kicked up the bike stand and started following the other teen, pausing half a second to snatch up the warmer from where it had fallen on the ground. He mostly watched the other teen and the birds overhead as they walked, and occasionally glanced at his brother to make sure he was still managing alright. The kid mostly turned the warmer over in his hands, shifting sometimes to ease whatever discomfort he was dealing with. Ever hoped they wouldn't be going much further. Ash really did need to rest somewhere; the ride hadn't been easy.

"Everest," he finally clipped in response as he half glared up at the birds. He wondered if they would attack should he stray from their master's direction. Did he care that much? On the other hand, an apartment did sound much better than a park. He wouldn't have to worry as much about keeping his brother warm, for one, and a proper bed would be better than a tent with a pile of blankets. "This is Ashton," he tacked on with some reluctance.

"Your ravens're cool," the kid piped up upon hearing his name, peering over his brother's arm. Though exhausted, he still had enough enthusiasm to say something about the animals. No surprise there. Ever did wonder why he was so adamant to call those monster birds ravens though. He still thought they looked more like vultures.

"We're on a camping trip," he explained, and it was an easy lie because it had been the truth at one point. It was still...mostly the truth. Nothing too crazy. "We were gonna meet our parents in a cabin on the lake - bit west from here." His brain scrambled to construct the rest of his story, to fill in the gaps should he be questioned further about it. It felt a lot like trying to balance an imaginary house of cards. But it wasn't like he could tell the truth. He didn't want to think about the truth.

“Snow...” Ash's curious remark pulled Ever out of his head, and he slowed to look upward. Sure enough, flecks were falling from the sky. But snow hadn't been in the weather forecast, had it? He couldn't remember; he'd only caught a glimpse of the school paper and its weather forecast for the holiday. He should have checked the radio before he left, or the newspaper. He startled, realizing they would probably get left behind if they lingered too long, so he started moving again. They walked a ways further before he hazarded to ask something that needled at him.

"What's this order you keep mentioning?" Stop talking about- bunch of cult nonsense. It sounded vaguely familiar - maybe something his mother had talked about before. An order was like a club, right? Or an organization. Something along those lines. No, that wasn't right...it needled at the back of his memory, but he hadn't even hit double digits when they moved. He'd have to really think about it to remember any details.