Baseline [ 4 ] A - 1 ]

--Baseline [ 4 ] [ Rewrite ] [ A - 1 ] - Existence beyond perception. --

	"Mal0?"
	It was sitting on the edge of your bed, facing away from you, staring down at the floor. You weren't sure how you could see it now, maybe it had something to do with your dream, but again, correlation wasn't causation. The sight of it there was something you weren't sure how to feel about, though. Was the thing actually causing your mind to break down? Could it still be dangerous, despite its kind words and docile behavior?
	[ Yes? Is there something you need? ] your phone chimed, in place of the voice whose exact sound couldn't be recalled at the moment. The words, mostly clean of the emotion you heard from it last night, sent an unsettled feeling through the back of your mind.
	Instead of continuing to talk to it through the phone, you took a breath to prepare yourself for what was going to happen next. Then, you reached over and placed your hand on its shoulder. The fact that you were expecting your hand to simply pass right through, proving that it was a hallucination, caused the feeling of its fur beneath your hand to be that much more strange. Warm, soft, and alive.
	A split-second later, Mal0 jumped, turning to face you during its rapid movement.
	"Well, I didn't expect this to happen," you muttered. Sitting there, in the fucking flesh, was the thing that you've been talking to, the thing that had been sending you creepy messages and generally causing you undue stress for a long bit of time.
	"This is very strange," it said, subverting what you expected to occur. That being it sitting there, docile, instead of hugging you like it did in your dream.
	"I'd say so, yeah," you replied after shifting around to get a bit closer to it. Without the dreamlike haze clouding your vision, you could see it in all of its disquieting, detailed glory.
	As you'd picked up before from the pictures, it was humanoid, though it diverged from the 'human' part more than a few times. The first difference being the long, smooth coat of oil-black fur that covered its body. It was surprisingly dry to the touch, contrasting with its reflective appearance that gave it the look of being oily, wet almost.
	"Is everything okay? Are you worried?" it inquired, ample concern in its distorted voice. Its voice, another oddity to add to the heaping pile in front of you. Its words sounded as if they were crackling out of an old radio, static scratching along the underside of each spoken syllable, filtered through various antique electronics before being sent out.
	"No, no. It's just... weird," you replied, calm solely because of the sheer shock of this thing being in front of you. "Are... are you real, or have I just gone crazy?"
	"I do not know. You appear to be lucid, and I have not attempted to interact with anything in this room," it shook its head, then looked at the nightstand next to your bed.
	Without a second thought to confirm it was a good idea, you grabbed your keys and tossed them at Mal0. Acting by reflex, it lifted its hand and caught them.
	It looked at the bundle of keys and cards, then back to you. "I am here. This is real." It made a sound that you could assume was laughter, jovial and scraping against each nerve up your spine.
	The complications that concerned this creature suddenly becoming physical, living in this world of yours, were not lost on you. It was entirely possible that others could perceive it now, and that meant that keeping it around was that much more risky. Not just because it was abnormal, an anomaly, but because... well, it was 'your problem' now.
	"I've got a question about you," you stood and looked down, "Now that you're, you know, here, are you going to need to eat actual food? Also, back up for a moment, did you ever 'eat' anything while you were a... ghost-thing?" With the last few words leaving your mouth, the realization came to you that it may not be a good idea to be so vocal about something that it could take as an insult.
	Instead of being angry, however, it laughed again. "I did not require any form of sustenance, no. I appear to be physical in nature now, so that may be subject to change. That is a subject we should worry about at another time. You do not want to be late."
	"Right," you stood from the bed and sighed. "Life just keeps getting more interesting, doesn't it?"
	The question was directed towards no one in particular. Mal0 answered anyway, stating "It appears so. I can still travel with you, if you'd like. My ability to reside within and manipulate electronic devices has not changed, it seems."
	That got a relieved sigh out of you, confirming that you wouldn't have to either leave this thing at home to be discovered by whoever, or that it would always be physical, and therefore always somewhat unsettling to have around. You started towards your closet, then stopped and turned to face the creature on your bed. "Uh, hate to ask this, but... can I have some privacy while I change?"
	"I have seen you without clothing already, so what does it matter?" it stood and shrugged, the gesture reminding you that once again, there was a monster in your bedroom. And it was arguing with you about the importance of your nakedness and modesty. Great.
	"I'd uh, alright, so how well do you understand people and how they think?" you closed your closet door and hung the blue-grey uniform over the back of your chair.
	"I... do not know," it looked down, "I believe I have some knowledge regarding the behavior of most persons. That is solely through observation, not interaction." In an oddly human gesture, it rested its head in its hand, and its elbow on its knee. "Is that information not reliable?"
	"You can only get so much from watching," you explained as you removed your shirt. There wasn't much point in arguing with this thing, and you didn't care anymore. As it said, it had already seen you, already seen everything you've done. 'Oh,' was the single thought that went through your mind as you realized exactly how much this thing might've seen.
	It broke your train of thought when it stood and began to leave the room, "Modesty is what I believe it is called. You do not want to be seen without clothing, as you feel embarrassed if I, or someone else sees you in that state. Am I correct?"
	"Spot on," you confirmed its observations. It was possible that it was learning, and there was a high chance that your interactions with it were helping that process along. "I'm not sure if it'll ever be safe for you to talk... or generally interact with anyone else, but it won't hurt to know how to behave if someone does come along. The last thing you need is to make a bad first impression."
	"That does make sense. It was difficult to talk with you at first. I am unsure of how this situation has changed at all, where I am still required to conceal myself from the perception of others. I do not mind. You are here. I still do not know how to feel about this new development." it continued talking until you started to take off your pants. Then it decided that it was time to leave the room.
	It left you feeling a little odd and conflicted, which was a new way to feel while getting dressed for work. Most of the time, you were either tired, hungry, or simply hesitant to show up at all. Breakfast would be a necessary part of this morning, which you decided after realizing that there were some leftovers in the fridge.
	'Well, it's just a few minutes in the microwave and it'll be ready,' you thought while heading into the kitchen with your spiffy, clean uniform on. You paused for a moment, then turned to swipe a little red Swiss army knife from your nightstand. Having it provided a little feeling of safety. Then, you stepped back onto the tiled floor, smelling oil and seasonings long since cooked into the stovetop and counters.
	"You are dressed. Good," you turned around to see Mal0 standing next to the stove. It was taking a look around the room as if it had never seen it before. "This is all for preparation of food, correct?"
	"Yeah," you nodded, "I make whatever in here. Nothing much, maybe some rice or something occasionally." The cold noodles refused to come out of the container, stuck to the inside by the coagulated cheese sauce that seemed to act as some industrial grade adhesive. They finally gave when you gave it a whack with your hand. It fell into the bowl and managed to look a little less appetizing than before. Didn't much matter. They'd go to waste anyways.
	After popping it into the microwave, pressing a few buttons, and starting it, you stepped back and turned to face Mal0... who was nowhere to be found. "Mal0? Where'd you go?" There was no answer.
	A quick loop through your apartment didn't result in anything but you standing around confused. Once more, you called out to it, then shrugged and went back to the kitchen. "I'll be back in the kitchen, okay?" At the tail end of the sentence, the microwave finished with a cascade of beeping. You pulled the rather hot bowl from the thing and shut the door, then walked to the small dining room to eat.
	"Sorry," you heard Mal0 say, "Can you warn me before using that machine next time?"
	You set the bowl down on the table, then looked at the creature, "Uh, sure. Why?"
	"I believe the radiation disrupts my connection... to being a physical entity, I suppose," it looked at the microwave, then down at your pants, probably your pocket that contained the phone. Not anything else. "I still reside in the phone. I believe."
	You shrugged, then sat down and started eating. The noodles were hot, and covered in cheese. There wasn't much else to them. "Kinda weird, but that's the way it's been anyways. Having you around the house won't be bad at all, though." A few doubts were present in your mind about that, sure, but the thing had been relatively benign anyways. Even if there's some problems, you could just turn on the microwave again... or just microwave the phone.
	"I am grateful for your continued kindness."
	Well, there goes a bit more doubt. This thing was straddling the line of being nice to have around and being incredibly disconcerting. Mal0 was still a bit of a now-living oxymoron. In the moment of weakness you had upon the dragon's disappearance, it showed seemingly genuine concern. The creature wasn't likely to have any plans to harm you or anything, otherwise it would've done something by now.
	"Well, it's something most people should do, you know? Show a little concern and care for others, and it goes a long way," you downed another forkload of noodles, which had a negative impact on the meaning held by your words, no doubt. With a sigh and a swig of water, you continued, "World would be a better place if everyone just did a little here and there."
	"I suppose that is too much too expect," the creature let out a static-filled sigh and looked out the window. "There are good people in the world. I know this. Even with all of the bad, there is good, every step of the way."
	Once the pasta was finished, you cleaned up and grabbed your keys. Without much warning, you were embraced by Mal0, being pulled into a fluffy, warm hug. "I believe it would not be a good idea to stay here alone. May I accompany you to work?"
	"If you can still stay in the phone, then sure, go for it. Driving alone is boring anyways," you returned the hug. It was difficult, considering its face... mask... whatever it was, as the rough edge of its eye socket scraped the side of your face. Seeing the creature's literal burning blue eyes out of the corner of your eye was somewhat disconcerting, but it was outweighed by the sheer kindness and careful trust that sat in the mind behind them. As you attempted to pull away, it lingered for a moment longer before letting go.
	"I will cease being a physical entity now," it chimed while walking out of the room. A vibration emanated from your pocket, along with its speaking, [ This still functions, correct? ]
	Its voice was sterile once again. "Yeah, I can hear you. Heading out and through the building now, so hold off for a bit."
	[ Okay. ]

		-\ Seconds to minutes to hours to days. /-

	As typical, work went by with only a few problems. One of the customers made an attempt to get some "damaged" goods for free, when it was obvious that she'd made some attempt to remove the labels. It wasn't much of a surprise to you, dealing with this sort of thing day by day made it a simple and easy situation to defuse. Good thing was, people were quick to understand when they'd been caught.
	Your phone buzzed the moment you stepped out of the store, walking across the near-empty parking lot on your way to your vehicle. When you pulled it from your pocket, you were greeted with the cheerful-toned inquiry of, [ How did your day fare? ]
	"Day went well enough," you said while pulling keys from your pocket, one of which got caught on your wallet and pulled the damned thing out as well. The hunk of folded leather fell, but the sound of it hitting the ground never arrived.
	"Hey, you dropped this," you heard them say while turning around. The only way you could describe their appearance was... average, wearing a grey collared shirt and blue jeans, short brown hair, amiable expression, the whole package. He held out your wallet, which never even touched the ground.
	You took it in hand and nodded, "Thanks."
	Not knowing what else to do, you simply walked away, thinking about the subtle strangeness of that encounter. Keys in hand, wallet back in pocket, you unlocked the car and got in.
	"That was abnormal," Mal0 said aloud, free of onlookers' ears, but not eyes. "I do not like the feeling of that man."
	"Why?" you asked while sticking the keys in the ignition, turning it and the heat on.
	"He is not native to this reality," it replied; those words sent a chill down your spine.
	"Oh." There wasn't much you could do besides take a breath and calm your stricken nerves. One thing at a time. "How do you know this, exactly?"
	"I can sense it. Jagged edges in the space around them, they cut against my own fabric. It is a strange sensation," Mal0 explained, only raising more questions. There were still the usual ones: Why you, of all people? Where did the dragon go? Were you going insane?
	There was also the question of the lines, the little tethers that appeared when you focused on your phone or Mal0's body. Why you thought of them as threads or tethers escaped you, but the resemblance helped the comparison, so that's what they'd be known to you as, until you understood the abnormal phenomena. Actually...
	When you cast your eyes to the back window to check for cars behind you as you backed out of the parking space, the man in the grey shirt was walking away from your own vehicle. The brakes were pushed down as the image of the man was enveloped in waving lines. The man... it was true that there was something -wrong- about them. The sight of them wasn't the only anomaly in your senses; there was an odd feeling along your spine and neck, which made you realize that it wasn't just due to Mal0's words.
	Another sense. Much like sight, or feel, except it was one of the others that weren't as well known. It was comparable to... what was it, the kinesthetic sense? Or the one relating to the vague inkling of how much time has passed?
	"What do we do about them?" you asked, wondering to yourself if there -was- anything you could do. "Do we just... stay away? Should I follow them, ask what's going on?"
	"Do what you believe to be the correct path of action," was the only answer you received from the irritatingly cryptic companion residing in your phone, which was now sitting in one of your cupholders due to a functional habit. There was a pause before it clarified the situation with, "It may be the source for the questions burning away at your mind."
	"That's all I needed to hear." You pulled up your hood, turned the car off. and pulled out the keys. The crash of your feet against the wet concrete upon exiting your car kicked up droplets of water, and you realized that it had begun raining. Drizzling, slight, but a rainstorm always started with that, didn't it?
	Grey, the collared shirt with that muted hue somehow stood out amidst the cityscape, and the man wearing it seemed to be waiting for you with his standing beside a vehicle of his own and the expression he held. Neutral, but observant. Patient, but curious.
	"So, you're the one?" he called out after the heavy thump of your door being shut. A few depressions of the locking button and two signaling beeps later, you were pacing over to him. The guy, despite you not ever seeing him before, appeared to recognize you. "There's much to talk about, hmm?"
	"Quick question," you started after confirming that your trusty pocket knife was still in the namesake pocket. It was. "Who are you, and what do you mean by that?"
	"The fact that you deemed my person worth investigating should be evidence enough as to what I mean," they shoot down one question, then turn to the other, "And I- I am but a hand that is meant to guide you."
	You sighed, focusing on not taking every bit of emotional instability that has come up as of late out on this man. "Cut the cryptics, alright? I've heard enough of those in these past few days. Just -explain- already."
	"Weaver, it called you," he seemed to taunt.
	"How the fuck do you-"
	"I've tracked you, watched you, I know you. You had the potential, and it was hidden from your eyes until the veil was torn and thrown to the winds of that hollow dream. You can see them, can you not? The threads, the links?"
	A question shot through your head, directed inwards. 'This is it, isn't it?' That reoccurring dream coming to end of sorts, the appearance of Mal0 this morning, your newfound ability to see the iridescent lines...
	The man laughed at your thoughtful expression. "You can. Of course you can. That is why you're here, standing in front of me. Perhaps pondering the ramifications of following this path, or if your thinking has given away your true nature. None of that matters, of course. It is -your- decision to make, and yours alone."
	There it was.
	Two paths branched out before you.
	One's contents were obvious, with you continuing this life of yours, content to work here and possibly make something of this average existence. There were games aplenty, friends to meet with and enjoy the company of, family to care for and worry over...
	The other route promised answers, though. Answers, and a cure for the never-sated wanderlust that was always with you. You still didn't know what part the dragon nor Mal0 played in all of this. Something gave you the feeling that you'd find those answers and then some by following the man.
	You breathed in, clearing your head, falling upon a decision. "I'll do it. But please, tell me what the hell is going on."
	"Those answers will come in due time. Are you prepared?" The stranger lifted an eyebrow in a display of curiousity and quiet excitement. That did nothing to ease your worry. Over-excited people always unsettled you, always have. You needed answers, though.
	"Yeah. I'll do it. I'm prepared," you finally answered after a long pause.
	"Is your companion ready for this as well?" His eyes darted down to where your phone was, that being in your pocket. They knew about Mal0?
	[ Yes. I am prepared, ] its muffled voice rang out from within your pants.
	"Good. A few men will arrive in front of your apartment complex tonight, at ten. Be ready to leave your life behind. Take with you what you will, but be cordial and reasonable," the man explained. He stepped closer and lowered his voice before adding, "Do not speak a word of this to anyone, else you put yourself and the lot of us in danger. I will be among the men that will assist you, so do not worry."
	"Alright..." you said, unsure of what to reply with, barely holding back the questions that had remained unanswered.
	The odd man stepped back, then started off towards an old blue truck. Raising his voice, he left you with, "Be careful! Remember what I told you!"
	"Got it!" You watched as the guy turned on the car, all the way to him driving out of the parking lot, down the highway. "Well... I don't think I'm coming to work tommorrow."
	As you went through the same motions, preparing to take off, Mal0 sighed through the speakers. [ This worries me. Are you sure you trust this person? There are factions other than the Foundation that should be avoided, and they may be of the sort. ]
	You pulled out of the parking lot, turning on your blinker before finding an opportunity to get on the road. "So you're telling me that I shouldn't get involved with them? It... may have been a better idea to say that before I started talking with him. Or, you know, you could've disagreed."
	[ It is your life to do with what you will. Do not tell me I could have changed your mind either, ] Mal0 said.
It had a point. Nothing at that time could have deterred you from accepting the man's offer.
	"You're right."
	The tension caused by all of this was a tangible beast of conflict barely held back by anything. You were nervous, but that was expected. You just signed up for the biggest change of your life, that you had no doubt. It was odd, not knowing whether to be excited or worried, and the feelings brawled it out in your gut.
	The ride home was quiet.

		-\ It was quiet for a while, at least. /-

	So you stepped in your house, keys dangling on your index finger, which was hooked upwards as a sort of habit when carrying the things. Somehow, the locks in your house were wearing out, the key catching on them and not allowing it to be turned as easily. A trivial, yet irritating thing to fix.
	Before the idea of a price or investment of hours had even the chance to go through your head, the door shut behind you, and you felt a warm, fluffy hug envelop you from behind. Mal0 couldn't wait, it seemed.
	"Easy, buddy," you said, turning around in its arms after it loosened up but didn't give up the grip. The skull's sockets stared up at you, pale blue eyes burning within them, seeming to question so many aspects of the ongoing hours here. You felt it too. An all-consuming curiosity and deep-seated fear of the unknown shaving away at your nerves.
	Or maybe that last bit was just you. Who knows?
	"I am glad we arrived safely," said the demon-thing that was currently wrapped around you like a scared child. The fear in its voice was tangible, only adding onto the previous comparison as it huddled close to you. "Who do you think that was, and why were they so interested in us?"
	You had no idea, but you tried to give an answer anyway. "I think they were... they weren't from this world, so someone from a different place altogether, and they seemed to be latching onto the fact that I can see weird shit." That sounded about right. Though, that didn't stop the idea from being so strange, even when spoken out loud. You, just some random guy, working as a manager for some grocery store in the middle of fuck-all nowhere, doing your best to try to get into a college somewhere, were now involved in some weird series of events that somehow encapsulated all of reality and beyond.
	Hoo boy. A sobering thought, that was.
	"How does this sight of yours function?" Mal0 asked you. The entity had loosened up on you, and stood a few feet from the doorway. There wasn't a window to peer inside, not from this room, so your worries about someone seeing this thing somehow were cast aside with ease. "If it has caught the interest of another faction besides the Foundation, then it is likely something to be concerned about."
	Right. Other factions. That deserved another mental uttering of 'hoo boy' before you started off towards the old couch in your living room. The thing looked quite comfortable at the moment, and it was all you could do to avoid passing out the moment your ass hit the cushion. As expected, your bone-wolf companion wasn't far behind, and it took a seat next to you. Again, it kept as close as possible, making the situation somewhat awkward as its bony head rested on your shoulder.
	It was a little odd, to say the least, having this hairy demon of a thing cuddling up to your side like a house pet. The idea fit, actually. It did look sort of like a wolf, if one got shaped into a person. Did that make it a furry? That was a rabbit hole that you didn't want to crawl into right now, so the question was left unattended.
	"We have three and a half hours until they arrive. Should we prepare in any way?" it asked. You had no idea if this was a serious thing or not, so you weren't going to start packing. Not until they gave you some answers. Otherwise, you'd have everything packed up and ready for nothing, and that's not an inconvenience that you'd stand for.
	"Nah. I'm hungry, and I think there are a few decent movies on right now," you explained as you stood back up. It was hard to do, pulling yourself away from the comfort of the couch. Mal0 sat up and looked around as you walked off towards the kitchen. "Do you want anything to eat?" Did it even need to eat? You remembered it saying that it didn't, but the both of you were gradually figuring things out as is. New developments were bound to occur.
	"I will have what you are having," it answered from the living room. The television was on, from the sound of the muted voice in the same room, which was going on about the worsening weather. It had been awfully shitty as of late. Probably the hurricanes.
	"Right. I'll get on it," you replied in a half-shout. Talking across rooms is a surefire way to bother the other guys in the building, but hey, they weren't trying to sleep at the moment, not at this hour. It'd be odd to have the landlord show up now of all times, though. Would they be able to see your odd new roommate? Would they charge you more for having a pet?
	It wasn't good, but the thought snagged a chuckle out of you. Mal0 wasn't a pet, not at all.
	So, in this little place of yours, you didn't have but two weeks worth of food. About half of that was canned soup. The other half were perishable bits like milk, cheese, eggs, the usual blend of shit that went first on the grocery list. Most mornings, you ate scrambled eggs. That's just how it went. You thought about teaching Mal0 how to cook for a moment. It'd be a fun sight to see.
	After opening the fridge to see what you already knew was in there, you took out an old container of leftover ham. That was your fridge. A treasure trove of leftovers. Heaven for hobos and raccoons alike. There was also a bowl of mashed potatoes.
	You really needed to stop splurging at the beginning of the month on all this fancy shit. Consistency is a virtue, though not one that was commonly spoken of. At least you had something good for three of the thirty nights every month.
	And now you had something handy to nuke in the microwave. It'd be ready in a few minutes. But...
	"Mal0! I'm using the microwave!" you warned.
	"I will reside in your phone until you are finished!" it called out in answer. [ Go ahead. ]
	With it safely in your pocket, you set a plate of the stuff in the microwave, pressed the button, waited three minutes, and repeated the entire cycle with another plate. A strange thought, it was, that Mal0 could be so easily disrupted, even by something as mundane as a microwave.
	Beep, beep, beep. Both plates were piping hot, almost burning your hands as you brought them into the living room with a hurried step. An uttering of, "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," slipped out, reminisceint of that old video involvoing the guy that had Tourette's.
	"Here," said your digital companion, seeming to step out of nowhere, grabbing both dishes and setting them on the coffee table. "Be more careful, please."
	Helpful. "Thanks," you said as you walked back into the kitchen to nab some forks and knives. For a moment, you grabbed three sets. No, that was wrong. One set was put back, and you returned to sit on the couch with Mal0. "So, I remember you saying that you don't really need to eat. Can you anyway?"
	"We will know in a moment," it replied, eyes locked onto the few slices of ham on its plate. Right, wolves are carnivorous. It hesitated, and you realized why. It didn't have lips, or anything to help chew the food without it getting everywhere. Whoever designed this monster of a program didn't have the foresight to include something like that, but who would?
	You sighed and stopped eating after the third bite, setting your fork down on the plate with a tinkling tap. "How are you going to do this? I don't want you choking now, so no cutting it up and swallowing it whole..."
	"I can do that. I do not need to breathe," it explained. "I will need to do something odd, however. Please, do not be frightened."
	Well, at this point, nothing could surprise you. "Alright, do what you're gonna do."
	It cut a hunk of meat from the main portion, and pulled it off the fork with its jaws. Bone scraping on metal wasn't a pleasant sound. You could also see that it had a tongue in there, long and dark, used to coil around the food and assist in swallowing it.
	"That works," were the only words you managed to reply with. This was obviously a xenobiology situation, some weird, abnormal shit going on. You kept drawing comparisons to wolves and the like, but that didn't cover all of it.
	"Sorry if this unsettles you. I can eat in private if you would prefer," it said, pausing after that bite.
	"It's alright. A little weird, but, so is everything else. Enjoy yourself, don't worry about me," you said, wondering if you'd regret saying that.
	Maybe. A long, thick, black tongue lolled out and wrapped around the next cut of ham on its fork, then pulled it inside. You would've estimated it at a foot or so there, but Mal0 didn't seem to be straining. And seeing it, well, brought a few things to mind, some of which drove some blood to your cheeks. Yeah, no. A bit of you disagreed, though, and made the sight hard to ignore.
	The both of you ate in semi-silence after you flipped through enough channels to find a good movie. Cloud Atlas. You'd heard from a friend that it was a great watch.
	Both of the plates were cleared before a third of the film was over.
	Both of you were near tears once it ended. An odd sight, that was likely to be. Hell, it was almost surreal, the latter half of the movie spent with Mal0's arms around you in a perpetual embrace. You didn't need a blanket because of that, and at one point, Mal0 started running its clawed fingers through your hair, front to back. You didn't have the heart to tell the thing that it was just a little odd.
	A few minutes into the credits, you sat up, pulling out of Mal0's warm hug. Some part of you regretted it, the ambient temperature in the room feeling a little colder in comparison. "That was something." For a moment, you smelled smoke, but disregarded the detail quickly.
	"Yes, it was," it replied. "It is almost ten. Should we be making preparations?"
	It was nine-fifty-three, according to your phone, so that left you with seven minutes to get into something that wasn't your work uniform.
	Four minutes were spent changing, and you ended up with an odd combination of clothing. A blue shirt under a grey hoodie, an old grey canvas cap, some wrinkled brown cargo pants, and your trusty red running shoes. An analog watch you got a few years back as a birthday present was the finishing touch on the outfit. You looked a little like a hobo, if you were going to judge yourself honestly.
	"Alright, I'm ready," you said as you walked back into the living room.
	"I am prepared as well." To your surprise, Mal0 was clothed. If the red scarf could cound as being clothed. The odd demon was... cute, wearing that. Especially as its eyes lit up, literally, once you entered the room. "I think they are here."
	Its warning was spot on, as the knocks came a few seconds after. Four, tap-tap... tap... tap.
	You walked over and peeked out of the peephole. Grey shirt wasn't there, but a different guy this time around. He wore a blue raincoat, and peered at the door through coke-bottle glasses. Long brown hair ran over his face, and a hat topped the outfit, green and wide-brimmed.
	"Who are you?" you asked through the door.
	"Your ride," they answered, muffled.
	You unlocked the door but left the lockbolt up, keeping the door from being opened completely. "To where, exactly? I need a name, something that'll prove that you're who you say you are."
	You heard them sigh through the door, watched them shake their head in frustration. "You're a seer, with perception capable of seeing everything in this world. Anomalies, I should say. I can protect you."
	Vague, but they were aware of it, at least. You unbolted-
	Something went pop, and the man's head crumpled into an odd shape, blood dripping from the wound that made him look like a half-eaten apple. A hole on one side, an abyss on the other, and he fell to the ground. Dead.
	Someone had just died right in front of you. Life draining away into a pool of pink, white, and red, a round puddle on the tiled floor of the hall. Your stomach lurched.
	"Fuck, fuck, are you alright?" someone, you assumed to be the shooter, called out from down the hall. Their footsteps reverberated as they half-ran-half-walked to your door. Which you slammed in their face. "Jesus, dude, hey, come on now!"
	"Wait a second-" What the fuck. You stopped for a moment. "Cameron?"
	You could see him nod through the door. "Yeah, holy hell I have some shit to tell you, man, but we need to go. Now." Your co-worker, still in uniform from earlier today, seemed to be barely supressing a panic. His tone was urgent, a sharp contrast to the usually lax man you knew. He was going against dress code right now, with the sunglasses and blue baseball cap, but at least they went well with his outfit. No time for calling him out now.
	"Alright, fuck, I'll be out in a sec," you replied through the crack in the door. Mal0 stood beside you, eyes darting around like a rabbit suspecting the presence of an owl. "Hey, I think you're going to need to hide for a bit. Don't want people seeing you."
	Its eyes went down to your pocket, and it nodded. "Of course." An odd sight, that was, the wolf-like creature fading from existence in a fraction of a blink of the eye. Your pocket vibrated a moment later, the spectral companion secure in the phone.
	The door came open a moment later, and you stepped into the hall. The dead man caught your eye. More like, well, what was trailing up from the gunshot. Ghostly threads reached out, floating like a gentle skywards breeze was carrying them, but they were tethered to his skull. Each time one of them came in contact with another, there was a spiraling motion and a flash of light as the lines were spun together, tied and pulled taut against the wound.
	"Come on, man, we've got to go," Cameron urged. The pistol in his hand made you hesitant to go against his words, but you were bound to follow anyway. There was a dead man on your doorstep, a corpse from another world entirely. "I don't think there are any others out there, thank fuck, but he's going to be standing again pretty soon."
	Oh. "It's probably a good idea to leave then, yeah." You followed him down and out to the car, after he listened to your request to put the damned gun somewhere out of sight. He drove an old silver-blue Nissan Skyline, the model unknown to you. A car person you were not, but you never skipped out on the opportunity to call the thing a ricer. The two of you traded jokes like that often.
	This wasn't exactly a time to joke around, though. The both of you quickly mounted up, strapping in with synchronized movements. The entire thing was surreal, like you were in an action movie. You looked on over at Cameron, the guy sliding the key in the ignition and keeping a wide eye out as if he were being followed. "Where are we going, exactly?"
	He got the car running, and backed out onto the street. Not a car was on the road, except the one you were in. A look of relief spread across his face after a few minutes of silence passed. "We're heading to a library."