You’re Not Supposed to Be Alive
1032 Words
“You’re supposed to be dead.”
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The words didn’t echo.
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They settled.
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Heavy.
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Final.
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I didn’t answer him.
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Because I didn’t know how to.
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Because part of me—
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Already believed it.
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My eyes dropped to the ground.
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To the blood.
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To the place where I had just seen—
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No.
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Where I *remembered*.
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My body.
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Lifeless.
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Still.
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I swallowed slowly.
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“If I died…” I said, my voice quieter now…
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“…then how am I here?”
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Zayden didn’t respond immediately.
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He studied me.
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Not like someone confused.
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Like someone confirming something.
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“You tell me,” he said.
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My jaw tightened.
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“I’m not playing games.”
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“Neither am I.”
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Silence stretched between us.
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Then he stepped closer.
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Slow.
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Controlled.
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“You were on the ground,” he said. “Not moving.”
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My chest tightened.
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“There was blood everywhere.”
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My breathing slowed.
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Too focused.
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“And whatever did that to you…” he continued…
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“…wasn’t human.”
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A cold feeling settled in my stomach.
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“What do you mean?” I asked.
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Zayden’s eyes didn’t leave mine.
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“I mean,” he said quietly, “I’ve seen attacks before.”
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A beat.
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“This wasn’t one of them.”
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My grip tightened at my side.
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“Then what was it?”
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He hesitated.
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Just for a second.
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Like he was deciding how much to say.
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Then—
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“You were the only one standing when it ended.”
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My heart skipped.
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“…What?”
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Zayden’s voice dropped slightly.
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“By the time I got here, it was already over.”
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The alley felt colder.
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Smaller.
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“But you weren’t running,” he said.
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A step closer.
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“You weren’t hurt.”
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Another step.
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“You were just standing there…”
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His gaze sharpened.
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“…like nothing had happened.”
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My chest tightened painfully.
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“That’s not—”
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“I watched you,” he cut in.
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Firm.
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“You looked down at the body…”
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A pause.
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“…and then you collapsed.”
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My breath caught.
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Collapsed.
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That part—
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I didn’t remember.
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“I checked your pulse,” he added.
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Silence.
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“You didn’t have one.”
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Everything stopped again.
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My thoughts.
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My breath.
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“You’re lying,” I said, but my voice lacked weight.
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Zayden didn’t react.
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“I don’t waste time lying,” he said.
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And somehow—
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That felt true.
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Too true.
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I stepped back slightly.
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“This doesn’t make sense,” I muttered.
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“It doesn’t have to,” he replied.
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“It just has to be real.”
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My hands clenched.
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“No. People don’t just die and then—”
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“You did.”
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The interruption was immediate.
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Sharp.
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I went silent.
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Because I didn’t have anything to fight that with anymore.
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Not after what I saw.
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Not after what I felt.
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A low hum filled the air.
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I frowned slightly.
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“…Do you hear that?”
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Zayden’s expression shifted.
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Just slightly.
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“Yeah,” he said.
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The sound grew louder.
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Subtle at first—
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Then wrong.
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Like something glitching.
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My vision flickered.
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Just for a second.
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The alley shifted.
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The walls—
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Moved.
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Not physically.
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But like they couldn’t decide where they were supposed to be.
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“What is that?” I whispered.
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Zayden’s posture changed instantly.
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Alert.
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Tense.
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“Don’t move,” he said.
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Too late.
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The ground beneath my feet distorted.
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Like a ripple through space.
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I staggered slightly.
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My head throbbed.
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And then—
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A voice.
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Not the one in my head.
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This one was different.
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Cold.
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Distant.
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External.
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“Subject located.”
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My blood ran cold.
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Zayden’s eyes snapped toward the end of the alley.
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“Damn it,” he muttered.
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“What—what is that?” I asked.
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He didn’t look at me.
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“Problem,” he said.
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The air shifted.
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And then—
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They appeared.
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Not walking.
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Not running.
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Just… there.
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Three figures.
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Standing at the far end of the alley.
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Still.
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Silent.
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Watching.
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My chest tightened instantly.
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“What are they?” I whispered.
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Zayden stepped slightly in front of me.
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“Not people you want to meet,” he said.
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The figures didn’t move.
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But I felt it.
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Their attention.
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Locked on me.
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“Confirmed,” one of them said.
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Its voice sounded…
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Wrong.
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Like it wasn’t used to speaking.
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“Subject shows signs of reactivation.”
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My heart slammed against my ribs.
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“Reactivation?” I repeated.
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Zayden’s jaw tightened.
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“Yeah,” he said quietly.
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“That’s you.”
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The figures stepped forward.
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Slow.
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Unnatural.
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“We need to go,” Zayden said.
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My body didn’t move.
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Not yet.
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Because something inside me—
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It reacted.
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Not with fear.
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But recognition.
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*They found us.*
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My breath caught.
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“Us…?” I whispered.
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Zayden grabbed my arm.
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“Move.”
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This time—
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I did.
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Because whatever was happening—
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It wasn’t just in my head anymore.
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And for the first time—
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The danger I felt inside me…
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Was looking back.
- Writer
