Some place familiar

You turn turn down different roads, breaking line of sight with the running brute. You slow down after a solid five minutes of driving recklessly even though you smile at the thought of speeding through the empty city some more. This virus isn't all bad. Without realising, you arrive in the area with your old apartment. Riding round, you come to a stop at the foot of the towering home.

You take the key for the bike with you and try the front door. It swings open, the lock frame lying in pieces on the ground just inside. Looters already? Damn it! You draw your gun and walk cautiously, going up the stairs. All of the apartments appear untouched, no broken doors, no signs of fighting and no bodies. Maybe they broke inside just to hide? And your hope dies as soon as it rises.

Your apartment door hangs ajar, light from your apartment window illuminates the hallway. You slowly slide past the door and into your old place. Taking a moment you listen for sounds of intruders and hear nothing, neighbours or otherwise. Pressing further ahead you find Charlie's room completely destroyed; his bed is flipped up against the wall, drawers are scattered over the floor and clothes from his wardrobe lay trodden and crumpled on the floor.

You peek inside and internally sigh to see no one in his room. Your room and Sam's room remain completely fine, whoever came here came for Charlie and something he had. His Aphro. Do other people know about it? You pull out your phone and call his number that Hina has saved.

Ring, ring.

First dial tone, no answer.

Ring, ring.

"Come on man. Don't waste my time..." You complain aloud. You put the phone onto speaker and start looking through his room. After a few seconds he answers.

"Hey there babe. You're that cute Asian girl right? What are you doing calling me up? Getting bored with Michael already?" His obnoxious voice fills the air. Groaning you continue to search.

"It's me actually dickhead." You shoot back, with a bit more venom than you'd wanted to let out.

"Oh, roomie. What do you want?" His tone shifting to actual confusion.

"Who knows about that Aphro shit you wanted me to get?" You ask as you find the drawer with the sex toys in, or in this case scattered.

"One or two people. Why? Did something happen?"

"You could say that. Your room is trashed. Just yours, and everything else seems like it's sill here." You stand back up. You can't find it thankfully, but the thought of somebody else having it is just as bad. Who knows how many vials are out there?

"Fuck! SHIT!" He yells through the phone followed by a loud slam. "Traitors! Bastards! Yes. Somebody else fucking knows about my stash I had. Alex was one..." You find a note on his desk, that you originally over looked.

"L. M. Ring any bells?" You ask.

"Lavinio Maltese. An old friend. Huh, small world I guess." A bittersweet voice appears much calmer now.

"He left you a note. 'Charlie, you dog hoarding this liquid gold all to yourself. Didn't my family ever teach you to share. Anyway, I helped myself since you weren't here. Hope to see you soon. From an old bro, L. M. P.S. sorry for trashing your room'." You finish reading.

"Fuck sake." Charlie doesn't sound too angry. "I do owe him though. Oh well, he'll just have to pay me back when I see him again."

"Why does he call it 'liquid gold'?" You ask, knowing full well what it's capable of.

"Oh, uh. It's what you might say a performance enhancer." He chuckles loudly. "Thanks for looking for it anyway. See you when you get back."

"Yeah s-" He ends the call. "Dick. At least I don't need to think up a lie now." You walk through to your room and pull out your leather jacket from your wardrobe. Dark brown leather covers around your neck down to your waist. Perfect for keeping warm and extra protection against the infected, thanks Bella. You pick up an old backpack you brought for your first year, a small one strapped bag that clings tightly to your back.

You're about to leave but turn and go into Sam's room. Her sweet smelling perfume still lingers in the air. You spot the bottle on her dresser and put it into your bag. Then you notice a photo next to where it was. Curiously you pull it closer and immediately recognise where it is taken.

It's night time in the photo, with a fireworks display lighting up the sky in bright flashes of colour. Sam, with longer braided hair, stands kissing a nervous looking young man. Not just any man, it's you. You and Sam are caught on camera kissing. "That's not... I'd remember that. Surely?" The photo was taken further back through the crowd of people, as though they themselves where the photo frame. At the beginning of your first year at Ravenwood they had an opening celebration for those who were accepted, the photo was taken then. That all happened before you'd even met Sam as your roommate.

Does she remember? She must, she's got the photo... Why has she got the photo? Who was even taking it? "I'll just have to ask her when I see her next." You sigh and pocket the photo. "I'm sure it'll be weird as hell to ask."

You go through her draws and load your bag up with a handful of her bras and panties. You try to ignore the flush of heat that runs over your cheeks. "Sorry Samantha." You apologise while taking her clothes. "But I'm sure you'll appreciate this."