The Dead Tenants

Two men trudge through the empty streets. From the corner of his eyes, Ramiel can see the objects moving – quick, flitting lines at the edge of his vision. When he turns around they’re gone, but sometimes the movement repeats when he’s looking, too. Simon, the other blonde with skin far darker than Ramiel’s, doesn’t even pay attention to them.

“Does this even have a name?” Ramiel asks, still inquisitive even though he’s spent a little while here. There’s a lot of things he doesn’t know yet, or that he knows nothing about still. They slip his mind and return when he’s trying to sleep, but he still didn’t manage to divide some things with himself; such as when it would be okay to bother others with his questions.

Simon looks at him, eyes endlessly tired and forehead creased, and then he shrugs.

“What, the street we’re in?” Only when Simon voices is when Ramiel sees the mistake he’s made, and he shakes his head slightly.

“What—Oh. I apologise.” He fumbles with his words slightly; Simon’s still frowning but Simon always is. The other male, he’s grumpy. He’s not like Darling, whose mood resembles the pendulum swings – back and forth, back and forth. Simon stands at the constant state of unease, although Ramiel would say he directs it more at himself than at others. “I meant—this city.”

The frown falls from Simon’s face, his mouth forming a small Oh and he nods, more to confirm that he understands what Ramiel is speaking about than to answer his question.

“We’ve actually tried finding out. I’ve even visited the local library.” Apart from the monsters, it truly does sound fitted for life. The library, the hospital—Ramiel wonders what else is there. He’ll have to ask, or perhaps see for himself. “But there’s just—world history and such. All things you would find in normal library. It’s huge so I haven’t went through it, but I’ve skimmed through historical parts and all. Nothing that could’ve helped us.”

“I don’t think stuff like that can be found in the library.” Ramiel puts in, looking behind his shoulder where he thought he’s seen a movement, but the window on that building is sealed shut. It’s almost strange. Most of the buildings are so run down that not a single glass pane stands whole.

Simon makes a sound at the back of his throat. It’s agreement.

Ramiel didn’t truly plan on going anywhere today, but he met Simon while sweeping up around the entrance with Natasha. The woman left soon after and, in a less direct manner, Simon said he needed somebody to accompany him on his short trip to the bookstore. Bookstores, libraries – it only confirmed Ramiel’s first impression of him.

“Charles has whined for the last two days, claiming he was bored to death.” Simon and Ramiel both snort at the dumb word play. Ramiel is glad he’s not the only one who found that at least a little bit morbidly fun. “If you are honestly and truly up for it, we could go to the outskirts and see if we can find anything.”

Simon’s suggestion surprises him. The other is not only bookish but somewhat secluded as well and Ramiel thought he preferred his peace and quiet and the company of his own mind. He didn’t strike him as the outdoorsy type even in the company of others – that was most definitely Charles, who couldn’t sit without fidgeting, or Moe, who looked outside every three seconds and who took routine walks every morning, only to come back in the afternoon and tell that everything is okay.

That’s how she found Ramiel, too.

Right now, Ramiel and Simon are with no weapons on them, but as far as Ramiel could notice, they wouldn’t even need them. Besides, the other four claimed that, in case they were attacked, they could always hide in the closest shop. Just like with their building, the damned souls seemed to pass by them without even noticing them. Shooting them only serves to slow them down, and they seem to be saving the ammo, for now.

Ramiel isn’t sure if Simon can even shoot at all and he never mentioned that he could, either.

“Find documents?” He inquires, unsure if that’s what Simon asked him about. The other’s lips pursue into a thin line and Simon shakes his head.

“No. As you’ve said, things like that cannot be found in the books. But we’re going to have to find something else. The signs, the advertisement—This is a city. If anybody’s lived here, surely there were ads for... everything. New shops opening, concerts. We’ve got a map. There’s a stadium on it and a concert hall right next to it.” Simon’s explanation makes sense, now that Ramiel thinks about it.

“I’m free whenever you are.” Ramiel offers. The smile on Simon’s face is small, but it’s there. Ramiel’s seen him smile with others, too – reserved, because perhaps he takes everything with a grain of salt. But he’s smiling softly now, too. Gratitude, perhaps.

“I have the time.” Simon shrugs. “Charles will be more than elated. You couldn’t have missed the way he gets.” Ramiel really couldn’t have, even if he had tried. “Moe might be up to it, but I think it’s a good idea to leave somebody with Natasha, Darling and Zero. But I would—I would skip tomorrow, if possible.”

He sounds somewhat upset. Not really and not quite; he sounds slightly fidgety, but Ramiel notices.

“Hey, it’s fine!” He assures the other. “We’ve got the time. We’re in no rush.” It’s not even a lie.

“I know.” Simon should probably sound like he doesn’t care. He should sound like he’s aware of this fact. They’re dead, for God’s sake and, as far as they know, they can’t die. “I just—I’ve been looking into it for a long time and just me and Charles, that was always too risky for snooping around. Moe could always join us, but—we couldn’t leave Natasha and Darling and Zero all on their own in the building.”

Ramiel doesn’t have a good feeling about this – there’s just something that doesn’t sit well with him in a way that Simon says it, but he doesn’t interrupt the other male.

“Honestly, if it were me,” Simon continues. “I wouldn’t leave Moe with the three of them either. But Charles—I’ve talked to Charles about this.” Simon’s got a very guilty look on his face right now and Ramiel is not sure why that is.

“Why?” He asks this time, the uneasy feeling unclenching from his stomach slowly, but not letting him up yet. He tries to skim through the things he knows about each of them. Ramiel hasn’t sensed animosity between them, not apart from Zero not exiting her room and Darling claiming he doesn’t like anybody (his shoulder still ached slightly because the smaller man didn’t stop at one stone and Ramiel thought letting him throw five before walking away was fair enough). “What did Charlie have to say?”

“He said we should leave them, but not you with them. It’s a snake lair.” Simon sneers when he says it – snake lair. He sounds like he means it, too, each word dripping with poison and Ramiel nearly flinches away. “And with Darling as your only shield—“

“Darling?” Ramiel interrupts. “Darling can’t stand the sight of me.”

“Darling can’t stand the sight of anybody.” Simon’s getting more upset, or so Ramiel supposes – he’s still talking very quietly. “But Darling likes Charles, so he would look out for you on our behalf if you stayed in the apartments. But who would go with us, then? If Darling goes, you’re very vulnerable.”

Ramiel is more confused than ever. That leaves three of seven to be danger – Natasha, Moe, Zero. The confusion probably shows on his face, because Simon’s own expression softens and he sighs out.

“Listen, Ramiel.” He’s pronouncing the way slightly wrong, but it’s far more better than the first time he’s tried to repeat it, when he’s heard it wrong. “Natasha disappears for hours—“ He’s noticed. “—brings those monsters in. We don’t know how, we don’t know where, but we suppose there’s an entrance somewhere in the building, hidden. I don’t know what she does with them, I just know that she uses all apartments of floor eleven and that she airs them every day and washes rigorously, every day—you couldn’t have missed it.”

He didn’t. He didn’t, but he didn’t connect all the dots either. He’s noticed that Natasha so often washed everything around her, but she would do that to others too – to other apartments, other surfaces. Even the cafes, sometimes, and she’s tried to dust Darling’s hoodie once. He thought it was something characteristic for her.

“Darling could be dangerous, too, but as I said. Darling’s somewhat fond of Charles, he would not harm anybody for the sake of keeping that fragile peace. He can be brash.” He’s an asshole. “But I don’t think he would actually try to kill you for whatever reason.” Oh, wow, that makes Ramiel feel so much better. Simon’s voice is still even and quiet. “But Moe—Moe is... Just trust me on that one.”

“I can’t.” Ramiel sounds apologetic; he feels it only slightly. “I really can’t. I have to—I have to see for myself. To know.” What’s he going to do? Ask Natasha what she actually does up there, isolated from everybody? Or stalk Moe until he sees a deviation in her behaviour to justify the suspicion?

“Well, we could leave you with the two of them!” Simon’s still quiet, but now he’s hissing in anger. “See if Zero cares about what happens to you.”

“I honestly thought that whole recluse front meant that she’s either the most dangerous or the most vulnerable.” Ramiel shoots back. “You would leave her alone with those two?” He’s honestly trying. He’s trying to understand what Simon is telling him, but it’s not—it makes no sense. “We can’t even die!”

Simon’s eyes soften for moment. Ramiel hasn’t noticed a jagged scar line across his right eye, and how he seems to be leaning towards Ramiel in a certain way, turned towards him with the left side. He must be at least partially blind in right eye.

“We don’t know what happens when somebody is exposed to those monsters for a long while. We don’t want to find out.” Moe saved Ramiel’s life. She saved his life, she gave him a chance—it makes no sense. “As for Zero... If she had anything to gain from attacking us, she would’ve done so. You’re right about that thing; she’s the most dangerous of us all, I would say.”

Ramiel doesn’t say anything. Simon mutters something about not wanting to go to bookstore again and turns around, few paces in front of Ramiel. Blonde moves slightly faster in order to catch up, then just keeps up with the tempo Simon’s decided.

“How do you know? It’s awfully arrogant thing, you know, claiming you know—things.” Things. Simon will understand what he’s trying to say either way.

The man stops for a moment, then continues walking back towards their home. From the look on his face, Ramiel can tell that Simon did understand him.

“I know.” The man says. “I know, for a fact, that Zero is smarter than Natasha and Moe. More dangerous and smarter, too. You know how? Because she’s cooped up in that stuffy apartment. That’s why. While they—that idiot flaunts what she does whenever she wants. Charles has broken half his bones by slipping on guts left on her railing, falling from eleventh floor. And the other—with her conspiracy theories, spewing nonsense—“

Simon stops himself and keeps moving without another word. Ramiel tries, but he can’t formulate the right sentence, right question. Nothing sits well with him.

Simon speaks again: “Day after tomorrow, nine in the morning. Don’t be late if you’re gonna come with us.” After that, it is silent.