Ryan wasn’t used to walking in the middle of an empty street or passing by destroyed cars and broken lampposts. He had gotten used to the white noise from people chattering or car horns honking up a storm. Being alone with only his thoughts, he found it nerve-wracking this time around. Ryan tried to think positively, get his mind off things, to slow him down. He passed by an apartment complex in a neighborhood and stopped before turning to face the sign plates.

  Isn’t this...?

  Ryan’s eyes lit up.

  Daisy!

  Without so much a second thought, he ran along the pathway to the apartment complex, up the steps, and traced his hand on the railing until he reached the door to Daisy's room. This may have been far from where he wanted to go, but checking on Daisy to see if she was all right and safe didn't hurt. At least, he hoped she'd be. He didn't know all the same.

  His heart continued to pound against his ribcage, but for a different reason now. He took a moment to breathe in and out before closing his hand into a fist. Slowly, he reached over to knock on the door, only for it to creak open just as he touched it with the back of his finger. His body shook from that, but it didn’t deter him.

  “Um, hello?” He softly called out from the other side. “Daisy? Are you in there?” No answer.

  The longer the silence, the deeper the pit in his stomach. The suspense was killing him on the inside. Ryan knew how rude it was to break in and enter, especially without the other person’s permission.

  But somewhere in the back of his mind tried to justify a good reason for this. If Daisy was in trouble in there and had no way of escaping or calling for help…

  He shook his head. The chances of that happening... still, in an environment like this one…

  “Okay, I’m coming in. Sorry for the intrusion.” Ryan opened the door all the way. The creaking grew louder as he stepped foot inside and closed the door behind him.

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  The apartment room and hallway entrance were smaller than he expected. He couldn't remember the last time he entered her place, if at all, but this was beyond what he expected. Ryan trudged cautiously along the wooden floorboard. It creaked with every step he took, like he was on a rickety bridge that could break apart at any minute.

  He looked around; the place was a mess. The torn brown and white patterned wallpapers revealed a washed-out green paint from underneath. Rugs and posters ripped off, revealing white marks. The coffee table had marks and scratches on it, ruining their polish and shine. Dressers and pillows toppled over, scattering feathers and glass shards across the floor.

  Daisy was usually tidy and organized. She wouldn’t leave things around like this and would at least notice if spots got messy. Something was up. But what? Ryan walked over, still speechless, as he reached over to graze his hand on the yellow couch. The cold sensation and its rough texture brushed off against his fingertips. This wasn’t recent. He couldn’t picture how long it had been since she last used it, though.

  Daisy must’ve already left, right? If so, where had she gone off to? Was she alive and safe? Who would cause such a mess in the first place, and why?

  Clink!

  The sound of more glass breaking jolted Ryan out of his thoughts. He gulped and looked around the living room again.

  “I... wasn’t hearing things, right? Am I going crazy?”

  He waited with bated breath for a response or a follow-up sound. He had no idea where it came from, so he couldn’t pinpoint the source and follow it.

  “Okay. Maybe the environment is playing tricks on me. You know, considering the nightmare I happen to be in. Yeah, that was probably just my—” Another sound rang in his ears. This time, he could make out the sound and where it came from. That being a jar from the kitchen. “Oh, no.”

  Someone else was in here. A knot tightened in Ryan’s stomach. He never thought he’d be in this dilemma. On one hand, it could be another human stranded out in the field just like him. Maybe whoever they were could help or give him pointers on where to go.

  On the other hand, given the way they’re making a mess in the kitchen, they might not be friendly. Whoever it is also broke in unannounced. Still, could they know where Daisy could be or why things in the city went wild?

  Ryan’s gut told him to run; his brain told him otherwise. Against his better judgment, and without noticing it himself, he took a step toward the source of the noise. The distant sound got louder with each passing step. The disgusting slurping and deep groans gave him the impression that it wasn’t Daisy in the kitchen, as he thought.