The last thing Meg Thomas remembered was hugging her knees and staring into the fire. The transition was abrupt, but at the same, not sudden; like Meg had been doing something to get here from there, but she just couldn't remember what. It was impossible to tell how long the move had taken - for that matter, she had no idea how long she'd been captive in this surreal dreamscape. She had the vaguest sense it had been a long time - maybe a very long time - but the night never ended, she never seemed to hunger or thirst, and her memories were so foggy and disjointed that she couldn't begin to figure out how much time had actually passed. It didn't really matter; whatever controlled this place was only really interested in its bloodsports. Everything in between was just the waiting lobby.
Meg looked around and was surprised to see what looked like a residential neighborhood. Most of the environments she'd found herself in had been in or around the woods. Buildings were weird and confusing: the wrong size, doors and windows in the wrong places, seemingly useless for any practical task, as if they were built by something that had seen buildings but didn't really understand what they were for. This, though, looked like actual street. Was she back in the real world? She looked over her shoulder and saw the road end in a brick wall and a familiar-looking metal gate. No, then - this was another trial. But maybe this place had been plucked intact from the real world. Maybe there was something she could find here, something unfamiliar to whatever twisted entity was holding, something she could use to truly escape.
If nothing else, maybe there'd be some clothes. Meg was looking rough after her last trial. Her hoodie was torn almost in half, her shirt and pants were heavy with mud and blood, and she only had one shoe - the other one had come off in deep, sucking swamp muck. She wasn't just filthy; she had so many layers of filth over so many wounds that she was getting seriously concerned about infection. Meg had no idea she could even get infected here, but she didn't want to find out. She turned towards the closest house and crept forward, easing herself over a flat section of its white picket fence, and wondered if any of the others had made it. She remembered Feng Min sitting beside her at the campfire, and felt a funny pang in her chest, both hoping she was and wasn't here.
Meg looked around and was surprised to see what looked like a residential neighborhood. Most of the environments she'd found herself in had been in or around the woods. Buildings were weird and confusing: the wrong size, doors and windows in the wrong places, seemingly useless for any practical task, as if they were built by something that had seen buildings but didn't really understand what they were for. This, though, looked like actual street. Was she back in the real world? She looked over her shoulder and saw the road end in a brick wall and a familiar-looking metal gate. No, then - this was another trial. But maybe this place had been plucked intact from the real world. Maybe there was something she could find here, something unfamiliar to whatever twisted entity was holding, something she could use to truly escape.
If nothing else, maybe there'd be some clothes. Meg was looking rough after her last trial. Her hoodie was torn almost in half, her shirt and pants were heavy with mud and blood, and she only had one shoe - the other one had come off in deep, sucking swamp muck. She wasn't just filthy; she had so many layers of filth over so many wounds that she was getting seriously concerned about infection. Meg had no idea she could even get infected here, but she didn't want to find out. She turned towards the closest house and crept forward, easing herself over a flat section of its white picket fence, and wondered if any of the others had made it. She remembered Feng Min sitting beside her at the campfire, and felt a funny pang in her chest, both hoping she was and wasn't here.
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