Once he’d left the apartment that first time a few days ago, he found it hard to go back. It was too still, too quiet. Too lonely. Not that he was any more ready to face people, but shutting out the world with walls and doors and curtained windows only shut him in with himself, and that was worse. So he’d taken to trading off; going outside and wandering aimlessly around the neighbourhood until he couldn’t take the noise and the people, then returning to the flat and laying still, staring at the walls for hours sometimes, trying so hard not to think anymore. When he couldn’t stand his own company any longer, the cycle started again.
He’d gone back to that little park again today, and sat on the swing for ages, pushing himself back and forth a bit with his toe. Some kids had shown up after a time though, and he’d made himself move on. It was only when the sun started getting low in the sky that he really took stock of where he was and started heading back to Piffy’s complex. He didn’t like being caught outside after dark lately. He used to like nighttime, but now...
He hadn’t meant to cross paths with them. He just looked up and stopped short; there they were, about twenty feet away and coming towards him, Allison and Scott. He closed his eyes, mouthing a curse. This was the second time he’d run into someone he’d attacked in just the three days since leaving that goddamn flat. Not that it was that unexpected; Lawrence wasn’t exactly an enormous city, and Piffy’s complex was in an area the displaced tended to frequent. Already he could feel his hands starting to shake, tension gnawing at his insides. He froze up, uncertain of what to do, and his hesitation cost him the chance of evading bumping into them.