The First Encounter

It was a summer day, a nice breeze going, with the sun barely perching it’s head up to brighten the world. Birds chirped their morning song, tweeting an innocent song, as vehicles zoomed by the streets. There was a neighborhood, with cracked windows and poorly built households, a ghetto of sorts, with one particular building being extremely messy. The messy building’s front door opened, with a young man standing in the door holding a trash bag, which was filled to the brim. The boy hurried to the trash can, as the garbage truck pulled up to a house a few ways down. The boy opened the trash can, but paused as someone called out to him. “Didn’t I tell you to do that yesterday?” A man said, his voice snotty and snooty like a pompous homeless man.

The young man’s shoulders instantly slumped, as he slouched over the trash can, his jaw heaving as he released a sigh. The boy then turned back, saying, “I was going to, but I missed the bus so I had to run to school. Why couldn’t you have done it?” The man was at the doorway, wearing a stained tank top with hairy arms, and a massive beer belly, along with a scraggly mullet and a pair of torn up jeans. “Because I’m the adult, and you do as I say.” The man said, to which the young man said, “You don’t even have a fucking job, it isn’t like you’re doing jack shit to keep us alive.” To which the man rose himself from the doorway he was propped at, moving forward to the boy, and squaring up at him. “You talking back?” The man said, trying to put on an intimidating voice. The young man then rose his stature to face the man as well, saying, “What’re you going to do if I am?” The man tensed his jaw as the younger man said this, then hitting him square in the stomach, causing the boy to shrivel to his knees, dropping the trash bag, which burst open from a broken glass bottle in it.

“Clean that mess up and then wash the dishes, or you’re getting kicked out.” The man said, then walking back inside. As the young man lied on the sidewalk, the garbage truck rode by, entirely ignoring the boy’s presence. A pair of footsteps moved to the boy and paused, a small pink teddy bear being by their side. “Daniel?” a voice said, being perky and young, along with a girlish tone. The young man rose his head a bit to meet the pair of footsteps, looking at a little girl with blonde hair and overalls. The young man, being Daniel, then sat up on the sidewalk, looking at her. “What, Ines?” Daniel said, still rubbing over his stomach as he eyed her. “Are you okay?” The girl said, being Ines, who cocked her head in confusion. “Yeah, I’m fine, just go back inside and get ready for school.”

Daniel said, then raising himself up, and looking at the bag with glass poking out. Ines then nodded and ran inside, while Daniel gathered the shards of glass from the bag and tossed them bag in, tying a knot around the hole, and throwing the bag into the trash. “Prick..” Daniel muttered, eyeing the garbage truck that had moved on to the neighbor. He then moved back into the household, which was an absolute mess, and went to his room, which was also messy. He looked around for a moment, then walking to his mirror, and looking at his bruised stomach. Daniel was moderately athletic, with little muscle definition, and not bodybuilder levels of fit. Daniel’s hair was silky, long, and black with strands sticking up from lack of care

and his eyes were Blue, with a flat nose, and a lightly jutted jawline. His teeth were somewhat white, though they weren’t pearly. As for his outfit, Daniel was wearing a torn up sweatshirt, which had blood stains on the sleeves, and was a little messy. As for lower garments, he was wearing riddled and shredded Sneakers and muddled sweatpants. Daniel sighed, doing a quick brush of his teeth, and spitting it into a bucket next to his bed. Daniel then went to a bed, which was really just a mattress on the floor, and an actual bed being across the room. Ines was on that bed, watching Daniel, with her things on. “Did he hurt you again?” Ines asked, tentatively turning her head to look at Daniel. Daniel turned his head, a bit shocked to see her there, but looked back at his bed. “Nah, just.. just an accident.” Daniel said, reaching down and grabbing his jacket. His jacket was also fairly torn, but he still threw it on, and then tossed on his worn out backpack. “Alright, the bus should be here any minute, do you have everything?” Daniel asked, looking over at Ines, who nodded her head. Daniel nodded as well, then walking out of their room, and into the living room. “We’re leaving.” Daniel said to the man with the mullet, who didn’t reply, and continued watching the television. Daniel shrugged, then going out the door, and walking to the sidewalk.

Ines came out the door, shutting it behind her, and walking to where Daniel was. Ines fiddled her thumbs, looking around, and then up at Daniel. Daniel himself was staring forward, his eyes dim and low, with bags under them. Ines tugged on Daniel’s sleeve, looking up at him. Daniel looked down, a bit caught off guard, as he looked at Ines. “What?” Daniel asked, to which Ines said, “When’s the bus going to be here, I want to say hi to Penelope.”

Daniel shrugged, saying, “No clue, but you should have time to run over and say hello.” Ines smiled, and said, “Alright, I’m running over now!” with a smile, then running over to another building which was somewhat preppy compared to the other buildings. Daniel watched her cross, waiting for her to enter the building, before looking around the road at the passing cars. Daniel simply lowered his head down at the grass, staring at it as he waited. The bus rolled up, with Ines still at Penelope’s house, causing Daniel to look up in shock. “Oh shit-” Daniel said, recoiling a bit. The bus pulled up, with an old ebony woman being at the seat. “Hey Mrs. Lara, my sister is at her friend’s house, can I go get her?” Daniel said, his mouth curving into a nervous smile. “No, we’re already late enough as it is, I’m sorry baby.” Lara said in a very deep voice, to which Daniel’s eyes opened wider. “It’d take like 40 seconds, just let me go get her!” “No, I can’t, either you get on or we’re going.” Lara said, eyeing Daniel. “I always fucking hated you.” Daniel said, kicking the bus door window, causing the glass of it to shatter, as he stormed around the bus to Penelope’s house. Daniel banged on the front door, as the bus took off, causing him to clench his fists. The door opened, with a frail older woman at the door. “Oh, Daniel, how nice to see you!” The woman said, pinching Daniel’s cheek, and smiling. “Yeah, hey Mrs. Parker, Ines just came in, can you tell her we need to go?” Daniel said, then looking over his shoulder at the leaving bus. “Oh, yes sweetheart, I’ll go get her now.” Mrs. Parker said, shutting the door. Daniel waited at the doorway, looking around at the area, then kicking his feet over the pavement. The door then opened, with Mrs. Parker and Ines at the doorway, with Ines frowning a bit. “Bye Mrs. Parker, bye Penelope.” Ines said, waving at them, and moving to Daniel’s side. “Bye sweetie, you can come over after school.” Mrs. Parker said, then shaking Daniel’s hand. “Bye ma’am, enjoy your day.” Daniel said, then taking Ines by the hand, and walking off with her. They were trailing at a slower pace, causing Daniel to somewhat fidget with frustration, causing him to pick Ines up and start running with her. Daniel arrived at the school in around 30 minutes, from what was usually a much shorter drive. Daniel then went inside, checking in and rushing Ines to her class, where she paused at the door. “I need a late slip, or Mr. Brown is going to get me in trouble.” Ines said, looking in the room. “You’ll be fine Ines, he won’t care.” Daniel said, opening the door, and motioning her in. Ines lowered her head, walking in, and avoiding eye contact with her teacher. “Where’s your late slip Ines?” Mr. Brown asked, looking down at Ines. “She doesn’t have one dude, does it matter?” Daniel said from the doorway, having a downturned face, as he was clearly annoyed. “Yes it does, and if she doesn’t have one, she’s going to the office.” Mr. Brown said, eyeing Daniel. Daniel scoffed, saying, “Oh bullshit, she’s 8 years old, just calm the fuck down.” which caused Mr. Brown to grit his teeth, and grab Ines by the arm. “We’re going to Principal Isa, Ines, you were told last time to not be late without a slip. Daniel recoiled a bit, as Mr. Brown moved him aside, but quickly recovered and snatched Mr. Brown by his collar. “Let her go asshole, she wanted to get a slip, but I said she’d be fine without it.”

Daniel said, causing Mr. Brown to try and respond, but Daniel continued, “Guess I didn’t know her teacher was a fucking rule Nazi, so sorry.” Daniel said, then growing a minor smirk, however his face was still riddled with frustration. Mr. Brown then swatted Daniel’s hand off, causing Daniel to grit his teeth and sock Mr. Brown over his head. The hit landed like a bag of rocks, causing Mr. Brown to let go of Ines, who was already pulling away, and make Mr. Brown land on his face. Mr. Brown shouted “FUCK!” then jerking up, and turning to Daniel, who had his fists clenched with Ines having ran behind him. The bathroom door opened behind Mr. Brown, who hadn’t seemed to notice as he was seething with rage, practically steaming. A girl stumbled out of of the bathroom, her skin pale and clotted, with her jaw gaping, and her mouth dribbling blood. Daniel saw the girl, backing up a bit, with his hand raised over his chin. “Holy shit!” Daniel shouted, pointing behind Mr. Brown, but by the time Mr. Brown was too late, as the girl had sprinted at him, jumping onto him and biting into his throat, which ripped off like paper. “OH GOD!” Daniel screamed, then backing up further, as the girl directed her eyes at Daniel, sprouting off Mr. Brown who was holding his throat as he gurgled blood. The girl’s body was hunched over, her eyes being bloodshot and wide, with her fingers twitching and her legs spry and lean. The girl ran at Daniel, causing him to flinch, as he socked her in the face, causing her to drop to the ground.

The girl, however, got back up, and jumped at Daniel, causing him to have to wrestle her off of him, as he then flung her into the window of Ines’ classroom, where all of the younger students watched the interaction with horror, some screaming, some crying, some being entirely silent in horror. The girl’s head pierced glass, causing her to drop limp, with Daniel recoiling from the kill, his eyes wide with mortification, as he looked at the blood trickling down his hands, and over his face. Daniel breathed heavily for a moment, before screaming, “HOLY FUCKING SHIT!” and looking at Mr. Brown, who was already moving. Daniel ran over to Ines, grabbing her by her collar, and yanking her down the stairs, where the hallway was already massacred. Daniel paused, looking at the building, which had students pinned at walls being eaten, some already turned, and some having been shot by the secretary who had blocked herself in the office room. Daniel’s eyes were puffy, with tears already seeping, as he looked at the bloodshed before him, covering Ines’ eyes with his bloody palm.