Linea wiggled her toes against the stream of the quaint river she was using to soothe herself. She’d spent the better part of the day lost in a town she’d never been to or heard of. She clapped her flats together and plunged them into the water too. That amount of walking in just these was brutal. After dumping the water back out, she set them both aside and enjoyed the rush of the water on her hands.
Julien was pacing very close by; the only comfort she had right then. They’d gotten lost in the woods - not something that’s never happened before, but this place…
Riftwood. It was straight out of an episode of the Twilight Zone. The town had definitely seen better days, and the nearly hostile welcome she’d gotten from the residents didn’t help it. Didn’t help her, more importantly. She only knew the name because she’d found an abandoned newspaper. It was hastily folded and stashed into her bag with the rest of what little she’d brought for this surprise adventure.
Linea whined a little. It was embarrassing, really. And very scary. What was she going to do about their food? Where would they stay? It was already obvious they’d be here through the night. All she had in her bag to eat was a bag of pretzels, a pack of gum, and a few liquid tube treats for Julien. At least he’s not going to be upset about having treats for dinner.
Nothing is right here, she ruminated. She couldn’t stop. This place was sketchy in such a weird way. She could remember the exact moment she started to feel the innate oppression, the exact step she took. And when she’d fruitlessly tried to appeal to the residents for help, she’d been met with another level of cold shoulder. And- everything else, she couldn’t explain it.
At least it was raining - little joys. She amassed her hair to the back of her head and gave it a series of twists before setting it with her hairpin. Linea caressed the smooth jade pin while keeping her face turned up to the sky to receive the raindrops for a bit.
Linea pulled her airy robe around herself more. Under that she was only in a long dress made for warmer weather. It suddenly occurred to her that she had nothing else to wear either… it renewed her fury.
How did she manage to get this lost? She and Julien went to the same lake several times a week for almost a year by that point. Nothing about this situation was right either.
She pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged them. Julien came to curl against her. He was as off-put by this entire thing as she was. He could feel it too. The underlying hostility, even in the flora.
Tears prickled the edge of her eyes. Was it time to actually start panicking yet?
