I'M LATE, I KNOWWWW. I'm not very reliable when it comes to being on time, but I'm trying.

In apology, I published two chapters —39 and 40— instead of just one today!

***

The men sneered almost in unison. The remaining down from Sans' push of magic stood. They scattered again. Keeping careful watch, I prepared myself. I could faintly hear Sans speaking to me in the background, but tuned it out.

"Hello little bird." They spoke in unison. I stepped back, closer to Sans, making sure to keep him protected. They stepped with me. "It's time to come home, don't you think?"

A nervous laugh escaped my lips, "Oh hell no. Y'all creepy. Nope!" A swift wave of my hands formed bullet-sized flames in the air. I clenched my fists, and they burned hotter, tips of the flickering flames turning blue. "You guys know the smell of burning human flesh?" Is snickered and smirked, "I hear it smells like barbecuing a pig. Let's see if that fits the bill." A push and rise of my hands forms a cage of flames around them, and the bullets go flying. The flames disappear from my hands and I frown, turning to Sans. The cuffs on his hands weren't even attached to each other. They were more like metal bracelets than anything.

"The hell?" He looked to me in bewilderment.

I huffed, "We don't have time for this. That's only a diversion. I'm not exactly the killing type, mah dude." I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him stumbling along with me as I rushed through the kitchen door to the back exit. "You don't run much do you?"

"Uhm, no. No, not really. I'm more of a teleportation kind of guy. But, y'see, here's the thing..." he raised a hand and shook it, the metal clanging against bone in the little room left between the two.

I pushed through the back exit, "So those restrict your magic or something?"

"Kinda?" I could see him in my peripheral vision trying to reach his magic, and failing as I cautiously looked around. I wasn't completely sure myself what exactly I was watching out for. Realizing this, I stopped and let go of him. Turning to face him, a paused to collect my thoughts. I'm trusting this guy I just met for a reason I don't know. I don't know what I'm running from, or why they're after me, us, him..? I have no clue. How do I know he's not the threat here? What if he's got a secret plan to drop me in a hole and make me wear lotion all the time so he can wear my skin after he kills me? I am not putting the lotion in the basket so as not to get the hose again, man, not happening. I put an arm's length distance between us.

"Okay, before we continue, I have questions." My magic left my veins and eyes finally.

"This is seriously not the time or place for this, Opal." He looked at me desperately. "You're going to get us killed, and I'd rather it didn't end like this!"

I crossed my arms, "You seem to know those guys. Who are they? What do they want?"

He huffed, "Bad, and to kill us." Grabbing me, he was pulling me along this time.

"You are of zero help here. For all I know, you could be planning my murder!" He ignored me and kept trucking. I tried feeling the fear and panic towards him that I know I should, but couldn't for the life of me. Something about him seemed so familiar. Like a brother I haven't seen in awhile, or an old friend. "Sans, do we know each other?" He stopped and looked back at me. I'm assuming my confusion showed because he sighed and looked away. "You seem really familiar. I just can't place it." I said honestly.

Meeting my eyes, his seemed a little sad despite the widened grin he spread. "Maybe we crossed paths once? The subconscious never forgets a face, after all." He shrugged and t go of me, "C'mon, we need to move. Those guys are after you because of reasons I'll have time to explain later. Just please," he turned to face me, "I know we...only just met.." he cast away his eyes and then back, "but I'm here to help. I mean you no harm. If you could trust me for only a little, then when this situation is officially gone, I'll leave you be, alright?"

I nodded after a pause. The door slammed open and my eyes widened, "Shit! Go, go, go!" I started running, "The woods are this way!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" I could hear his footsteps following close, almost in time with mine.

Thoughts and more questions rolled through my head as the sounds of our shoes scraping against concrete turned to rustles of the grass beneath us.

Something wasn't being said, and I was going to get answers.