Yesterdays Gone: SEASON TWO (THE POST-APOCALYPTIC SERIAL THRILLER) (Yesterday's Gone)

like some sick funhouse trick.
    “No!” Luca screamed opening and closing his eyes fast, as if it that might bring him back to the real world.
    “Show me!” Boricio screamed, and ran, slamming into the door hard.
    Luca was shaking, unable to move, cold sweat and warm piss running from his body. He was certain that if he let Boricio see his memories, the Man With the Broken Pieces would somehow take over.
    “Ah, I see, you don’t want to show me. That’s not very hospitable of you, Luca.”  
    Luca heard Boricio’s footsteps, then the sound of a door slamming. The garage door.
    What’s he doing in the garage?
    Moments later, footsteps again, and Boricio clearing his throat.
    “One more chance, Luca. Open the door. Let me in.”
    Luca couldn’t move.
    “Little pig, little pig, let me in,” Boricio sang as he began shaking a container. Luca listened, trying to figure out what the splashing sound in the hallway was. Then he smelled it — gasoline.
    He’s gonna start a fire!
    “I’m gonna huff, and I’m gonna puff, and I’m gonna burn your fucking house down!”
    Flames erupted in the hallway along with the sound of Boricio’s laughter. “Roast, little piggy! Roast!”
    Luca screamed. He was trapped.
    Suddenly, he heard a sound outside the window. Scratching.
    He turned and saw Dog Vader outside clawing at his window.
    “Dog Vader!” Luca exclaimed, rushing to the window. He unlocked it and began to pull the window open, when the door behind him burst open and Boricio walked through, entirely engulfed in flames, but unharmed.  
    “Come here, lil’ pig.”
    Luca lifted the window and shoved the screen forward, crumpling it as he dove through the window, and landed not outside, but in another hallway.
    Dog Vader was gone, much to Luca’s sadness.
    And another door appeared at the end of the hall.
    Luca walked to the door, praying this would be the one leading back to reality. The door creaked open before his hand even touched the knob.
    He was in a church, light pouring through stained glass windows, casting the church in a rich sea of colors. The pews were empty, and a boy stood at the front before an open coffin. The boy was Boricio, but a bit younger than the last   version Luca had seen.
    Luca walked to the front of the room, and stared inside the casket. A skeleton of a woman was tucked within the velvet. She looked like she might have been pretty once, but the years had not been kind to her.  
    “Is that your mother?” Luca asked.
    Boricio turned, this time not hostile, but staring, emotionless. “Yes, I should have stopped Joe. She might still be alive.”
    “I’m sorry,” Luca said. “Are you sad?”
    “I don’t feel anything. I know I’m supposed to. It’s not like I want her to be dead, but I just don’t care. Not anymore.”
    “Why not?” Luca asked.
    “Because I’m a monster. The shrinks all say I should be locked away.”
    Boricio turned to Luca, eyes wide and vulnerable. “Do you think I’m a monster? Are you scared?”
    Luca stared at him, “You’re not a monster. You’re just . . . broken.”
    “Broken?” Boricio asked, confused.
    “Yes, something is not quite right in your head. Something that should have been different, but it’s not. I can feel it.”
    “So I can’t help it?”  
    “Help what?” Luca asked.
    “Being a monster.”
    “Maybe I can,” Luca said, and reached out.
    “What are you doin’, ya queer?” Boricio said, pushing Luca away, but too late.
    Luca grabbed his hand, and their fingers locked as bright blue light flashed between their palms, warm at first, then burning hot, growing so bright it quickly eclipsed the room.
    “What did you do?!” Boricio cried out as the blue light engulfed them completely.
    “I have to show you something,” Luca said, even though he wasn’t sure where they were going.

    **

    They were suddenly in the living room of a large, spacious house overlooking the sea.  
    “Where are we?” Boricio asked, still a child, eyes wide in amazement. “This is some house! This yours?”
    Luca shook his head, “No. But I feel like I should know where we are.”
    Boricio’s brow furrowed, “Me too. I feel like I’ve been here before.”
    The sound of keys came from the other side of the front door.  
    “Uh-oh,” Boricio said, “Someone’s home. They’re gonna bust us.”
    The door opened and a young dark haired boy, around 12 or so, came in holding four plastic shopping bags stuffed with groceries.