Buried Secrets

[Nahla]

Lily walked through the forest whistling out a call,she kept glancing around feeling a sense of dread coming over her. She kept walking looking for her horse after that...well she wasn't sure what that thing was. Again she called out the name of her horse before spotting something in the distance..something horsey like.

"There you are you crazy bronc" Lily muttered picking up her pace,the sooner she got her horse the sooner she could go home,this place gave her the creeps. The last thing she remembered was riding along and some strange creature made her horse shy and bolt. The horse dumped the girl in the forest she was now walking through and seemed to vanish into the distance,but now with what might possibly be her horse in sight she broke into a run.

She followed the moving shape further and further into the forest until she saw an opening,she slowed down and paused for a moment,but she shaking her head and going after the horse like shape. Brushing a branch out of her face she found herself in a village.

"Ummm...." the she glanced around,nobody seemed to be around here "Creepy..." she turned her head and saw her 'horse' gone vanishing back into the forest. "Oh,come on! I'm not a horse you know" slightly angered she went back into the forest only to find no sign of a horse..or anything really anywhere.

Sighing with annoyance she trekked forward again thinking her horse took off home again. She spotted the horse and smirked,she walked forward to make a lunge for the hanging reins just as the horse bolted forward again.

Lily screamed as face planted the ground for that unexpected move,raising her head her eyes widen in a mix of horror and confusion. Instead of the green hills and meadows she was meant to be in,she found her back in that same creepy village. And it seemed she was the only soul around.

Sitting up her eyes dart from the each building to the other. With a groan she stood on shaking legs and wiped her hands on her pants before calling "Hello? Anyone there?"

All she got in reply was the empty haunting silence.

Now completely freaked she walked through the village clucking with her tongue hoping to find her runaway horse so she could ride on home and forget this whole thing. Nothing.

Now worn out she plopped down on some grass just outside what must of once been a market place. She lay back and closed her eyes,she'll figure all this out later..or maybe this was just all a bad dream.

This could not be reality...could it?

[bushwacked]

The man woke with a grating gasp, his lungs burning as he desperately sucked in air. He kept his eyes scrunched shut, incapable of focusing on anything aside from his efforts at breathing. Slowly, very slowly, his breaths grew calmer, shallower, the urgent pressure in his chest subsiding. His eyes still closed, the man could start to let other information filter through – something hard pressing into his cheek, a throbbing pain on the side of his forehead. A dull, pulsating ache, deep within his skull. Something cold dripping on him. A loud, steady chime, repeating again and again, shrill enough to make him wince.

Ding-ding-ding-ding…

Groaning, the man forced his eyes to creak open and looked blearily about himself. He was sitting in a car. It was small and worn, the fabric of the seats frayed. With another groan, he sat up and more or less fell back into his seat, the movement causing a fresh wave of pain to flood through his head. He’d been slumped over the steering wheel. Raising a trembling hand, he lightly pressed a finger to his forehead, pulling it back with a hiss when he felt a gash, the side of his head swelling where he must have struck the hard material when he… crashed? This… I don’t… The door on his side was hanging open on its hinges, the warning signal beeping at him to remind him of the danger it posed. Movement in the rear-view mirror, and a jolt of panic ran through him before he realised it was himself. Thin, dark hair, a worn and tired faced lined with stubble…As the man blinked, trying to keep his breathing steady, to hold his nerve, he realised something else.

The car and everything in it, including himself, was soaking wet. Water was dripping from the ceiling, pooling in the floor space by his feet. Wet mud and dirt was spattered around the interior of the car. His white shirt and dark business trousers were plastered against him, his black tie hanging off him like some drowned animal. Has it been raining? The thought fumbled through his mind, blindly. Face twisting in confusion, the man raised his eyes, looking through the crack that ran across the length of the windscreen to outside… and he felt himself go limp.

Trees dotted everywhere, surrounding him, the trunks huge and almost grotesquely wide, stretching up high, high above. Thick branches drooped down, their long, dark green leaves hanging limply. Here and there, small patches of sun were able to filter through, weakly. It didn’t do much to stave off the oppressive darkness that the man felt was pressing down on him. I’m in a forest? This doesn’t… None of this made any sense… how did he get here? What happened to the car? How did it get in that state?

His stomach roiled. Weakly twisting in his seat, the man flopped out of the door and landed on his hands and knees, dry leaves crunching on the ground beneath him. Leaning forwards he wretched, and more water came up, pouring from his mouth and spattering into the dirt. He stared down for a moment, then wiped the back of his hand across his eyes, blinking away the tears. He couldn’t stay here… he needed help. Standing up unsteadily, the man started to shiver. Whether from shock, or his soaked clothes, he was freezing.

Wrapping his arms around himself, the man leaned against the car. “Hello?!” he tried to shout, his voice broken, hoarse. Gathering his strength, he tried again, louder. “Hello?! Please, I… I need help!” His shout echoed around him, the sound disconcertingly dead and lifeless.

Nobody responded. “Fuck…” Swallowing, continuing to shake, the man looked around him, peering through the trees desperately, his teeth chattering. And started. There… way off in the distance… He squinted. Was that a building? This far away, he couldn’t tell. But if there were people…

“Okay… alright…” Muttering to try and reassure himself, the man took a step forwards, his shoes crunching dead leaves and snapping twigs as he pushed through the undergrowth, making his way towards what he hoped was help. Behind him, the sound of the car's door alarm started to fade. Soon, the ruined vehicle was swallowed up by the trees and the shadows.

[Serris]

Maxine Jaeger or "Max" as she was sighed. The blood trail of the deer ahe had shot had just vanished. As in it just literally stopped with no further signs. Not even footprints of the deer were visible. All she found was her bloodied hunting broadhead.

"Can't get them all," she muttered. This was something she hated; losing a wounded animal was unethical. She picked up her bolt, wiped it off on the leaves and put it back in her quiver.

She breathed out and shivered slightly. The air was getting cool and a fog was rolling in. Max then saw something that made her gasp.

In the foggy distance between two mossy trees was the unmistakable outline of a village. Seeing as it appeared to be abandoned and she needed to go home, the hunter put it out of her mind and headed back. But to ensure she didn't pass by the same route, she unsheathed her hunting knife and carved a triangle on a nearby dead tree.

Max turned around and followed the remnants of the blood trail. After several minutes of following the trail, she found herself at the same dead tree she had marked

She scowled. That was impossible! The blood trail did not double back at all! She looked at the abandoned village. Maybe someone there could help her.

A chill wind blew through the area. Mindful of the dangers the forest posed in the form of wild animals or squatters or even pot farms and meth labs, she cocked her crossbow and loaded a new bolt.

After a surprisingly short trek, she found herself in the village's dilapidated town square. Fog swirled around the dirt roads and decaying buildings that looked like they came from the turn of the 19th century. The hunter shivered; there was something wrong here. Not even the sounds of wildlife were present.

All the while, she had the same question: where was she?

[rhombus]

♪Chirp...  Chirp...  Chirp...♪

Hmmm... The song birds sure are loud today.  Perhaps I left the window open?

Whoosh....

The wind is certainly violent.  It is as if I were outside...  Wait a minute...

Maximillion sprung from his resting place at that sudden realization.  He didn't leave the window open!  He was outside!  But where in the hell was he?

The scene around him was as surreal as it was unexpected.  All around his immediate area was a steadily growing layer of fog that seemed to be covering the entire scene in its misty cloak.  Behind the thickening cover of the mysterious fog, trees could be seen in all directions.  Their green canopies were fighting with the fog for domination over the desolate scene.  The large, lush trees were indicative of life, but yet they appeared to be the only living things that he could now see.  The trees' majestic existence and the pervasive silence of the wildlife made for a disturbing combination.  It was as if he were in a lifeless mockery of a forest as opposed to the real thing.  Not even the birds that he had heard earlier seemed to be chirping now.

The entire forest evoked a feeling of dread in him.  It was a feeling that he couldn't quite explain.  But nonetheless, it was there.  It was as if he were in a place that shouldn't exist.

Shaking his head to recover from his sudden bout of melancholy, he realized that he was sitting upon damp grass.  This matched the current condition of his cloths, he now realized.  His suit and vest were covered with moisture as if he had walked into a light rain shower.  This, coupled with the chilly breeze, made him shiver with increasing intensity.  

How in the bloody hell did I get here?!  And where exactly is 'here'?

Slowly rising from his position, he again shivered as another gust of cool air struck his body.  Sighing heavily, he covered himself with his black overcoat and glared at the foreboding scene.

"Well, asking myself pointless questions won't get me anywhere."  He seemed to consider his options for a few moments before settling on what appeared to be a path of some kind.  "Time to bugger on."

With sure, swift steps he proceeded into the dark recesses of the ominous woods.  He thought that he could see something that looked like a shed up ahead.  Perhaps he could find some answers to his question there?

[Zimba]

Kate stumbled through the forest,after getting taking the wrong path whilst on a walk she found herself lost in this creepy forest. She could not find the path out again.

She scanned the distance ,hope filled her when she spotted the outline of a village,picking up her pace she jogged the rest of the way nearly loosing her balance with a misplace foot on some loose rocks.

"Maybe the people here can tell me the way out" she mumbled as she emerged into the town square "If..there is any people..." she added glancing around at the seemingly empty village "Hello? Anyone there?".

She quickly adjusted her scarf before walking through the empty village,it was old she knew that much. "Woah..this place must be hundreds of years old...I wonder if anybody still knows about this place...it seems like no one lives here.." she took quick glances around trying to spot any sign of life-nothing.

She shivered slightly as she stepped back into the forest,it was not due to cold but something..something just sent shivers up her spine. This place was creepy. She stared ahead,the forest seemed to expand on forever and she could not just wander around,who knows where she would end up.

Turning back she walked back into the village and sat down on an old but amazingly still strong street bench,all she could hope was either someone else was around here or  someone came looking for her. As for right now.

She had no idea where she was.

[Serris]

The same honed senses that allowed Max to be proficient at hunting immediately cued her in that there was someone in the village. Namely, the sound of someone talking. The words were indistinct but there was definitely someone else here.

She clutched her crossbow tighter. It could be hostile squatters or worse, meth cooks. She shook her head; she needed some way to get out of here and another person could help. The risk that she ran into someone dangerous was worth the reward of leaving this bizarre village.

Max continued down the oddly large town square. She gasped; there was a human figure in the fog. Keeping her crossbow at the ready, she approached the figure.

"Hello," she called out.

[bushwacked]

The man pressed through the woods, shouldering dead branches out of the way, his arms wrapped tightly around himself in an effort to preserve what little body heat he could. He kept his eyes straight ahead, trying to keep focused on the structure he'd spotted - but a thick, heavy fog had started to slowly creep in, washing out the trees around him and obscuring the goal he was stumbling towards in a ghostly nothingness. The fog did nothing to help the cold that he could feel starting to seep into his bones.

As he climbed awkwardly over a large, twisted root that was curling up out of the dirt, the man became aware of a pressure in both his left and right trouser pockets. Reaching down with shaking fingers, he pulled out a small cell phone and a brown leather wallet. Had those always been there? Shaking his head, the man eagerly opened the cell phone and pressed a button. The screen flickered briefly, then the phone's wallpaper appeared - a woman, young, blonde, her blue eyes shining as she smiled into the camera. Something deep in the back of the man's mind stirred, started to uncoil itself, and he blinked... but then his eyes wavered over to the signal indicator - no bars of reception. "Goddammit!" he hissed, snapping the phone shut in frustration and shoving it back in his pocket.

His teeth still chattering, he shifted his attention to the wallet, opening it up. It was completely empty, aside from a single credit card which he picked out with numb fingers. The card belonged to a MR RICHARD S BRYANT. Richard... Richard... He let out a trembling breath. The name crawled up from the depths of his memories, and he had to lean against a tree trunk for a moment. He was Richard... although he could vaguely recall most people calling him Richie. He rubbed a hand over his jaw, the bristles of his stubble scratching his palm. Nothing else... damn it, everything else is just... blank...

Crunch.

Letting out a small gasp, Richard's head snapped around, his wide eyes scanning the area behind him, the dense undergrowth rendered almost invisible by the fog that continued to roll in. It had sounded like dead leaves being crushed underfoot quietly, almost delicately. "Hello?" he tried hesitantly. Nothing, not even the sound of the wind blowing through the trees. The only response was utter silence. Swallowing, his throat dry and scratchy, Richard slipped the wallet back into his pocket and pushed away from the trunk. The cold gripping him was briefly replaced by another sensation, a deeper urge, something that told him he needed to move, now. As he stumbled forwards, his shoes crackling through the detritus underfoot, he couldn't help but hold his breath, his ears alert for any indication that he was being followed. Crunching, rustling... was that just him, or was he being pursued?

He didn't pause to find out.

Slowly, he noticed the trees around him starting to thin out, spreading further apart. The fog was growing thicker, and he rushed through blindly... and suddenly, he wasn't in the forest any longer. Gasping, his sides burning, Richard looked around. He was standing in the middle of a long street. Squat, sturdy looking buildings lined both sides of the paved road, their black, gaping windows seeming to glare down at him. Turning, he looked back the way he'd come from, and saw he'd run through a wide alleyway. On the other side, the forest almost appeared to beckon him back, the branches stretching forwards in his direction in the swirling fog. Nothing came after him.

Shuddering, Richard backed away and started to make his way up the street. Something was... wrong. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but something in the air itself felt off, corrupted somehow. Where was everyone? Why was it so quiet? The street started to open up, and ahead Richard could just about make out some sort of large open space. The town square? He was starting to shake again, the chill returning now that the fear of being pursued was over. Gotta... gotta find help... He opened his mouth to call out - and started as he heard someone else's voice. A woman's. Squinting, he could see a shape in the distance, small and feminine. It looked like they were walking towards him.

"Hey! He... hello! Please, I need help, there's... there's been an accident!" he managed to shout out through chattering teeth.

[Ducky123]

"Just where of all places in the world am I?!"
It was the first question that came to the woman's mind when she had opened her eyes, staring at a wooden ceiling high above her resting body. Everything appeared to be utterly unfamiliar to her though she had just woken up. There was a lot yet to be discovered around her.
The room she found herself in was dark, some twilight coming from her left. "Maybe there's a window?" she wondered. While she examined the room, she removed the cover from her body... and screamed in surprise. "I'm naked? I'M NAKED!!!" Out of pure instinct, she covered her naked skin, her crotch and her breasts again hectically although she was the only living being maybe aside from the spider that sat in her net, waiting for unfortunate insects to get caught.
Hanna soon relaxed again upon realising that nobody was watching her. However, as she uncovered her body for the second time, more questions popped up. Why did she wake up naked and where were her clothes? Where was she and how the heck did she get there? And, most importantly, why couldn't she remember ANYTHING?
Resigning, Hanna got to her feet and walked around, discovering the room. There was indeed a window to her left some distance away - the room was narrow but very long, almost giving the impression of a loft. However, the ceiling was high and even as opposed to being sloping. There had to be another storey above her.
Hanna arrived at the window and, carefully since she was afraid any potential neighbour could happen to look out of his window at that very moment, peeked out. The sight that greeted her was as unfamiliar and strange as possible. The woman looked down at several roofs to the south. "Wow, I must be in a skyscraper or something like that..." Hanna realised. Upon further inspectation however, it soon became apparent that her first impression couldn't have been right. None of the buildings looked like they were built recently. As a matter of fact, they looked much older than most of the buildings Hanna had ever seen. "No, a skyscraper wouldn't fit into... this!" she thought. "The room is all wooden... the ceiling, the walls, the floor... the furniture..."
Even though there was no memory of anything that had happened prior to her waking up some moments ago, she knew so much: The place wasn't a skyscraper! Moreover, it didn't seem like anything a modern woman like she was - or so she assumed, would call her home.
Hanna cast another glampse out of the window. In the distance were a lot of trees. "Is this even a city!?" she asked herself. "And just what kinda place is this? Dirty, sorbid homes, a funny room I'm in... Uhh, where's the door anyway?"[\I] It was that moment when Hanna realised that there wasn't a door to leave the room. A slight shot of panic sharpened her senses. To her left was a door; it was only mending very well with the walls and therefore only visible on second look. As well as everything else around her, her door seemed old - the door handle had already fallen victim to corrosion. Hanna opened and stepped into the next room. It was a bathroom, tidied up but the furniture was outdated. Special interest earned the bathtub. The woman noticed some clothes that were put onto the edge of it and something in her head told her it were hers. Relieved not to be forced to walk around like a bushman anymore, she entered the next room... and the room behind the next room. There were quite a few until ultimately she entered a staircase. The stairs looked unstable but they proved to be the opposite. The wood was cracking and whispering as she went all the way down. After four storeys, she found herself facing a massive, made of iron door. Amazingly, her sneakers were there, as if she had just stepped out of them the evening before. Her cap hung on a hook. She quickly put on both and opened the door...

[Serris]

Max's heart fell upon hearing the voice. Not only was she not going to get out of here, someone else was probably stuck here as well. Nevertheless, she decided that helping whoever was lost was probably a good idea.

"Dont worry! I'm coming!" she shouted into the fog.

She squinted and was able to make out the shape of a man. Assuming he was the one who called for help, she jogged towards him. However, mindful that he could be a threat, she kept her crossbow in hand as she jogged.

[aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato)]

In the center of the village sat a clock tower. In that clock tower sat a man.

He hadn't moved from the spot on the dusty floor where he'd awoken. He found himself quite content to sit and think. When the wind delivered echoes of voices, he perked his eyebrows, but otherwise did not acknowledge them.

"Curious…" he muttered. But for now he continued to sit and think. And, if the wind allows it… listen.

[Pterano]

It wasn't that Jarith L. Cord minded his customers leaving their rentals abandoned. It wasn't that Jarith L. Cord minded driving out to pick up the cars himself. He believed in doing everything himself after all when he could. That's what running your own car dealership, bus line, car rental agency, and hauling business entailed: doing it all yourself when you could. No sense trusting useless and incompetent subordinates who couldn't possibly read your mind or know your intentions with tasks that were far above them. What Jarith L. Cord minded was why did they ALWAYS choose to abandon his rentals so far from the nearest habitation? It was if they'd just stop their cars, get out, and wander off into the wilderness... who the hell did that? Where did they go? Thumb a ride from some stranger (in which case why abandon your rental?) or walk a million miles to the nearest town (in which case why abandon your rental?)?

Still, when J. L. (he hated his first and middle names with an equal passion, the first name being too Biblical and the name of the priest that had married his parents, the middle name being his mother's atrocious maiden name (what parent named you after your mother's maiden name after all?)) got the call that one of his cars had been positively identified deep in the woods of who knew where, J. L. had hopped in his tow truck and was right now driving out to pick up the derelict vehicle. Life was tough... he'd be the first to admit it. Running your own businesses at the same time had its drawbacks, but right now, easy street hadn't quite arrived yet.

If one were asked to describe J. L. in a few words, one would find a few unusual pairings: Intelligent and impulsive. A health conscious chain smoker. Supremely confident, yet dogged by fear. A workaholic family man. Shy and confrontational. Extremely ethical and wont to bend the rules. Describe J. L. Cord in a few words? Good luck.

As the tow truck rattled down the path, J. L. could see the black Mercedes up ahead. What bozo ditched a Mercedes? And what bozo drove a Mercedes on dirt tracks in the woods? With a cigarette perched in the corner of his mouth, long tendrils of smoke trailing from the side, J. L. slowed the truck just as he approached what looked like a massive fog bank. OK... since when did fog appear at this time of day?

The truck halted, and J. L. got out, intrigued. Keeping the cigarette in his mouth rather askance, he narrowed his eyes. Murky shapes could just barely be seen through the fog. Shutting the truck door with a thud, J. L. took a few steps towards the fog, the Mercedes temporarily forgotten for now. The closer he got with the leaves crunching under his feet, the more he could make out buildings now. The hell? There was no town out here... nothing on the maps... so what was a town doing here?

Stealing a glance at the Mercedes, J. L. could see it was locked. Not a bid deal. Maybe the renter had wandered into town... in which case J. L. could drag him back to his car before informing him he'd be repossessing it. Though it was odd... the call hadn't mentioned any nearby settlement... certainly nothing like this. Turning around, he strode back to his truck, locked it, and proceeded on into that soupy fog.

Before long, his Oxfords began clacking on stones... and he looked down, pulling the cigarette out of his mouth as he gazed at the unusual paving of the streets. Looked like something out of a movie from a long time ago...

Moving forward, J. L. jammed the cigarette back in his mouth before noting the buildings on either side of him. They most certainly didn't look to be from this century. Hell they didn't even look like they were from his old man's time. So what the hell was this? A movie set? Pretty elaborate one though. Reaching out, he touched the very plaster looking side of one... and discovered it was pretty real. Curiouser... and curiouser... but something stirred in his mind now, and onward he pressed.

Heading deeper into the town, he noticed how deserted it was... how eerily quiet too. His Oxfords were the only sound he could hear as he walked along the streets. Peering into a dusty window, he could see what looked like a very old tavern with no denizens inside. Creepy ass place... where was everybody?

As he continued on, he nearly jumped out of his clothes as a heavy iron door swung open immediately his right. Snapping his head and pivoting his body towards the sound, he relaxed immediately as he saw a woman emerge from a somewhat bigger building. "You live here?" he asked, dragging on his cigarette for a final time before pulling the stub out of his mouth and tossing it unceremoniously to the ground and grinding it out with his toes.

[bushwacked]

Richard heaved a sigh of relief as the woman's voice floated back towards him. For a moment, he'd been almost convinced that there was nobody else in this town. Don't be stupid..

"Thank you! Thank you.." he called back, his voice now a low croak as the figure drew closer. The mist rolled off her, and Richard could see the voice belonged to a woman with sand coloured, dressed in hunting gear and equipped with a hunting knife and crossbow. A hunter... was it her I heard in the woods? As his eyes passed over the crossbow, he noticed her fingers were still near the trigger, and he quickly raised his arms, clasping them back around his chest again once he'd demonstrated he wasn't holding anything.

"I'm not... I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. I just... I crashed my car, I think, and..." Richard swallowed, his wet hair plastered to his forehead as he stood shivering. Aside from the rasping his shoes made as he shifted position, Richard couldn't hear anything around them. It was as if the fog, swirling around them, whispering around the stern-looking buildings of the town, was swallowing up any potential sound from reaching them.

"I need a phone, I... I need to call..." Richard trailed off, and he blinked at the woman uncertainly. Who would he call?

[Serris]

Max nodded. She lowered her crossbow and let it dangle from her sling. Her hand was still near her hunting knife.

"I see." She reached inside her hunting vest and withdrew her phone.

She swore as she noticed that she had no signal. Max then turned to the man. "The phone's not going to do you much good. I don't have a signal."

The hunter shivered a bit despite the warm clothes she had on. "I think all we can do is examine this village."

She indicated with her finger the aforementioned abandoned village where tendrils of fog crept along the long abandoned dirt paths.

[bushwacked]

Richard blinked at her, the corners of his mouth twitching. "What? You mean you're not from around here? I thought..." Shit. He knuckled the side of his head, fighting a wave of nausea that washed over him. 'Examine this village' - it sounded like this woman had no idea what this place was, either. The bizarreness of the situation started to gnaw at him, but Richard shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts. Whatever was going on, at least he wouldn't need to look for help on his own anymore.

Nodding, he started to follow behind her as they followed a path deeper into the village, hurrying to keep with her and not get left behind. "Have you seen anyone around? I haven't... maybe they're all at some kind of... of fair or something." Richard's eyes flicked uncomfortably over the gloomy buildings gaping at them. Everything was so lifeless - he had a hard time believing anything lively ever happened here. Swallowing, he glanced at the woman he was following and tentatively extended his hand. "I'm Richard."

[Nahla]

Lily awoke hearing the distance sounds of voices,she couldn't make out their words but she could hear them. She stood up not knowing how long she had been sleeping there. Wiping the grass off her pants she followed the sound of the voices.

The sounds lead her a man and a woman dressed in hunting attire,Lily wondered if these were locals. If they were,why on earth would they want to live here? Lily didn't even like visiting here. Leaning her back against the wall of the nearest building. She waited for the man and woman to reach her,as she waited her eyes swept across the village "This place makes a one horse town look like a bussling city". Reaching into her pocket she pulled out a packet of Tic Tacs and popped a couple in her mouth,she was starving. All her food was in her saddlebag..which was still attached to her missing horse.

Everything was in that bag,her phone,her food,her water. Water..,the young woman licked her dry lips as she looked around for some place to get a drink,her eyes went back to the man and woman she had found,even if they couldn't give her directions back home-maybe they could at least offer her some water.

Not moving from her spot she called over to them "Hey you two! How do you get out of this dump? And where is everyone else? Not that I blame them for leaving" she paused "You two are from here..right?" her gaze went back from Max to Richard "If you's are-no offence but this place is worse then a cemetery..in fact a cemetery has more life then this place"

[Serris]

"Maxine or as I prefer, Max." Max did not take the offered hand but still kept her crossbow at the ready in case of threats.

At Lily's voice, she tensed and got her crossbow ready. Seeing as Lily was unarmed, she relaxed. "I should ask you the same question," Max replied. Her hand was still near her hunting knife.

She looked around for any signs of life. "There's no one here but us."

[rhombus]

The wooden door creaked ominously as Maximillion turned its rigid handle and again opened it to the outside world.

It looks like that shed hasn't been used in ages.  Only dust and cobwebs...  

He was growing more concerned by the minute at his predicament.  He went from falling asleep the day before to suddenly waking up in the middle of nowhere in a cold, misty day.  Now, to add insult to injury, it seemed that wherever he was had been abandoned for quite some time.  Had he been the type to panic easily then he would have certainly done so by now.

Come on, you git!  Panicking won't do you any good!  He chastised himself.  I have found an old shed... so maybe I am in a park or something?  If so then all I need to do is find some people and then...

In the distance the slightest whispers could be heard.  From this distance Maximillion could not be certain whether it was from someone whispering nearby or from someone shouting from far away, but either way it was the first sign of life that he had heard in quite some time.  Taking on a slight smile at this welcome development, he began to walk in the direction of the mysterious voices.

"Hello!!!  Is anyone there?!"

[bushwacked]

Richard blinked and let his hand fall back to his side, the rejected handshake forgotten as the young woman emerged from the fog. The brief rush of hope flowering in his chest quickly died out as it became apparent that she wouldn't be able to help either.

"Yeah, we haven't seen anyone else," he said, nodding as Max finished speaking. "It's all just empty." Richard squinted and stepped closer to Lily. "Wait, you... you don't know where we are? What village this is?" He rubbed his jaw, the bristles of his stubble scraping against his fingers as his gut started to tighten uncomfortably. "You... you don't remember how you got here, do you? You just... found yourself here?" Richard's sodden tie suddenly felt constricting, as if it were choking him, and he reached up to loosen it with numb hands. "Christ... what the hell's going on?" he muttered, glancing between the two women.

Richard opened his mouth to say more, but a voice floated across to them from somewhere in the distance. Turning, he peered into the fog and tried to distinguish its source. "Hello?! We're over here!"

[Serris]

"Actually, I do remember how I got here," Max said, kicking a small pebble. "I was tracking a deer I shot and then before I knew it, I found myself in this village."

It was then she heard a faint voice. It sounded like it belonged to man. Taking out her flashlight, she turned it on and aimed in the direction of the voice, in hope that the mysterious person could see it. "If anyone is there, follow the light!"

Of course, keeping in mind that the voice may be hostile, she used her right hand to unsheath her hunting knife.

[rhombus]

Maximillion smiled as the echo of a voice reached his ears.  A voice other than his own.  He could not even describe the relief that he felt to finally hear another human being calling for him from the all-encompassing fog.  That was when he heard another voice.

"If anyone is there, follow the light!"

He paused for a moment.  What light?  However then he could barely make out a shimmering in the distance.  Someone was trying to lead him with a light source of some kind!

Quickening his pace, but still being cautious as he couldn't really see where he was walking, he advanced towards the shimmering light.  Slowly but surely the light became more and more distinct until he could finally make out the indistinct forms of two people in front of him.

"Goodness!  Am I glad to see anyone out here!"  He then took on a confused expression as he noticed that one of the hazy forms in front of him was grasping the tell-tale form of a knife in her hand.  His next question was stated somewhat helplessly.  

"Umm... where is 'here' anyway?"