1 Magnus

"Soon I'm going to be bringing back the bread, mom!" I said with a satisfied grin plastered on my face.

"Oh, Magnus, don't talk like that when you haven't even started your company yet." My mom said, making her lack of confidence in me clear as day.

I had always wanted to start a company, and this was my best idea yet. It's called "Get-It"; a high-speed delivery service that would deliver anything and everything anywhere in the city.

Get-It would work by having drivers make pick-ups from anywhere customers ping on the map of São Paulo. Say a client wanted Norweigen pancakes from Svelte's Down by the River. He makes the request by pinging Svelte's on the map, a driver picks up the pancakes and then delivers them directly to the customer, wherever in the city he is. Clients locations are actively updated, so they can be on the move when the delivery's in progress. Accounts are charged once the driver drops off the package; the cost of the merchandise plus a service fee.

It was a sure-fire idea that has never been done before, and I was sure that I would strike it rich. All I needed were drivers. It was hard to hire people ten years older than you, and I couldn't seem to find anyone willing to work for a company that hasn't even started yet.

"Hey, mom I am going to go hang out with my friends," I said, taking my black hoodie off of the counter as I jumped off of my chair towards the door.

"Ok that's fine, but before you do I want you to go to the grocery store and get some milk." My mom interjected, not letting me get away for free.

"Ok ok mom. I'll be right back… Can I get some extra money for some chips?" Irritated that I lost the fake battle between us.

"Sure, but come back with the milk!" Mom said without looking back, so she could continue her at-home office work.

I opened the front door to be greeted by a bright and busy day. I took a right turn after closing the door and put my hoodie on. After walking a few blocks and greeting my neighbors, I passed my friends.

"Yo Magnus get over here bro!" One of them said as we crossed paths.

"Nah, wait up a minute I'll be right there. I gotta get some milk for the fam." I replied while speeding up a bit to get to the store faster.

After about five minutes of running through a crowd of people going to the new Metal Dragons concert, I burst through the double doors and made a march towards the refrigerated section.

Once I arrived, I yanked open the refrigerator door and grabbed two cartons of milk. I ran over to the counter and slid the cartons over to the cashier. After she ran the milk through the scanner, she placed them in the bagging area.

"Your total will be $6.59." The cashier said, seemingly done with life.

"Thanks bro!" I exclaimed as I ran out of the store and into the open air again.

When I got through the doors, I noticed grey clouds and quiet deserted streets. This was a huge change from just a few moments ago. As I took my first steps through this newfound barren wasteland, a cool wind blew past me.

I cautiously made my way back to the ally, where I crossed my friends before. When I got there, it was completely empty, so I entered deeper hoping to find them at the end. What I found was a little girl with black hair and tattered brown clothes. She was curled into a ball on the ground in a feeble state.

"Hey, little girl, how did you get here?" I asked, getting down on the ground to support her way up. As she stood on her two feet I noticed her completely pale white skin, as if she had been dead for a few days. She had majestic black hair and a face so beautiful it would surely make the men of her future kneel at her at her feet.

"How old are you?" I asked, wondering what had happened to everyone and why she was here.

"I-I hic-hic... I need help" she replied in a weak voice.

"What do you need? Where are your parents?"

"I don't like this place!" she replied in a louder voice.

"Of course you don't like this place! This is no place for a girl like you," I said, still concerned for her well-being.

"Ca-can you take me home?" the frightened little girl said.

"I got you butterfly. What is your name?" I asked curiously.

"My name is Muerta," she replied.

"Weird to name your child in such a way? I mean sure your skin does make you look dead but why would your parents name you that? At least name you something cool like… Magnus, or Magnifer, or ummm… ooh! Maggy!" I said with unnatural excitement at the end.

"That's lame, you just turned your name feminine," she replied, seemingly annoyed.

"Heh, yeah I guess you're right," I replied and then continued on my way out the ally as I carried her with a piggyback ride.

We got out of the alleyway and continued on the gloomy sidewalk, which fog now crept its way across. 'This is so weird. I mean, it was so bright and sunny earlier, and now I can't see ten feet in front of me.'

'Hold on a second, did she say I just turned my name feminine?' I thought which confused me because I had never told her my name.

"Hey, how do you know my na- GAHK!" I said, but before I could finish she squeezed me from the piggyback position with incredible strength for such a slender child.

After a few seconds, I fell on my knees, gasping for air to no avail. She squeezed me so hard my sternum broke, collapsing into my chest. In unbearable pain, I reflexively let out a silent scream. Her onslaught continued as she crushed my ribcage into my chest breaking bones and puncturing my lungs. The bones protruding out the other side of my ravaged body stabbed straight through Muerta as well. She did not seem to care in the slightest. She lifted her legs, wrapped them around mine, and pulled them backward at an unnatural angle, causing me to split into two pieces from the groin up. Blood spurted from every portion of my body as I lost consciousness, and gave in to death.