[Video Clip – Garry Brills on screen]
Hello, survivors. I'm Garry Brills—and welcome to "Wild Life Survival: Apocalypse Edition."
If you're watching this, the sky's black, your neighbors are melting, and your parents might not be your parents anymore.
[Camera pans to a dead shapeshifter on the ground]
"Today, I'm gonna show you how to turn this—" (points at the corpse) "—into this—" (holds up a fizzing spray bottle) "—a shapeshifter's worst nightmare."
Garry Brills' Step-by-Step Survival Spray Recipe:
"First, find yourself some algae."
"The slimier, the better—like my cousin Bob."
"Next, salt. Lots of it. If you're British, you've already got it in your personality."
"Boil 'em together like you're making seaweed soup for Satan."
"Kill a shapeshifter. Aim for the heart. Not the butt. Trust me."
"Once they're dead, dig out this little beauty—" (holds up a pulsing purple core) "—it's their soul. It's gross. Crush it. Grind it. Mix it with your seaweed soup."
"Store it in anything: bottles, perfume sprays, even squirt guns."
"Spray it on them and enjoy the fireworks. They'll melt like cheap Halloween makeup."
"Remember… when the monsters come knocking, don't run—Spray 'n' Slay."
"I'm Garry Brills, and if I can survive with a broken leg, dysentery, and two shapeshifters in my backpack, so can you."
Ryn's Perspective – On the Bus
I watched the video and clicked the share button, sending it to Kai, Theo, and Jace. I hesitated when Ash's profile showed up. I looked back at the last row.
Ash was lying down, turned away, his face hidden. He hadn't spoken a word since we left his burning house. He hadn't even glanced at us.
Near him sat Bram—swollen face, blood on his lip, shirt half torn. He looked like he'd been punched, kicked, and slapped. Because, well... he had been.
About Half an Hour Ago
We were waiting outside Ash's house. He wouldn't let us inside.
I wandered over to the corpse of the shapeshifter. The body was liquefying, breaking down into goo, and all that was left was a weird purple core.
"Hey, Jace—look at this stone," I said.
"Oh man, that's disgusting," Jace replied.
"Should we take it?" Theo asked.
"Why do you always have ass suggestions?" Kai said.
"No... actually, it's a good idea," I added.
We collected it.
Then Ash came out—eyes dead, dragging bags of food. His house was already on fire. He didn't speak. He didn't cry. He just nodded when I asked if he was okay. But he didn't meet my eyes.
We loaded the supplies silently. Everyone could feel the weight on him. He didn't even acknowledge Lumi or Yuki.
And then Bram made the mistake.
"Hey, where are your parents? Oh wait, did they really die? Or did you kill them yourself?"
Ash lost it.
He punched Bram hard in the face, dragged him across the ground, then hit him again—and again—and again. Kicked him in the stomach, chest, jaw. The whole group just stood still.
"He deserves it," I said.
Ash left him like that, walked to the back seat of the bus, and collapsed without a word.
Theo stopped Yuki from checking on him.
"Sometimes, the broken person needs to stay broken for a while," Theo said.
Present
The bus stopped. Ahead was a car—it was Theo's family. His dad, Jace, and the old school bus driver were talking. Theo and Kai joined in too.
Eventually, Kai came to sit beside me.
"There's an apartment building we're heading to," he said. "Theo's dad's friend lives there. Some kid gathered all the food when the sky went black. The building's on partial lockdown—basement, ground, and first floor are all barricaded."
"Construction guy who lives there helped set up the defenses. Fewer residents—it's a new place just opened for sale."
Our next destination was decided.
The Gray Hat Apartment Building.
And maybe, just maybe, we'd survive another night.