Pine Quest

[Bella]

I empty out a can of soup into a pot and place it on the stove. As I wait for it to heat up, I fidget anxiously, checking the various cabinet drawers to make sure everything is in its place. Something catches my eye, and my gaze lingers for a few moments.

[stewartsage]

Sadly, you have no noodles and you have no idea why you'd boil pine needles.  You settle for a can of  that you put on to boil after smacking into the counter a few times.

It's a sketch you drew of the house!

[Bella]

I eye the sketch warily, wondering why I never labeled those other two rooms on the first floor. "How will I remember what's there?" I ask myself. "Only one way to find out..."

Picking up the map, I stroll out of the kitchen and down the hallway. I peer into each room and take note of the contents.

[Chocofreak13]

who drew this? this isn't my handwriting! DO THEY KNOW WHERE I AM???

feeling this and more questions race through my head, i dive for the floor, crawling to a cabinet as the glass falls behind me.

[stewartsage]

The one on the left is an empty parlor with a few rotting pieces of furniture.  The right side is a slightly more furnished (there's a rug and broken clock) living room.

Of course it isn't your handwriting; you typed it.  Unperturbed, you stop at the front door having once again examined your home.

[Chocofreak13]

noticing no threat, i wander to the living room to poke around the clock. if it's broken, maybe i can use some of the parts for the device. on the way i check to make sure i didn't cut myself on the glass. i'll clean that up later, i swear.

[Nichi]

Also, I check the clock to see what time was last displayed before it broke; for what it's worth

[Bella]

I remember my soup and return to the kitchen. Hurriedly I gulp it down before considering my next course of action. I stare out the window - rather, through a small gap in the newspapers which I had plastered the window with in an attempt to keep out prying eyes. The forest looks inviting. I contemplate paying it a visit...

[stewartsage]

That's probably why the clock's broken to begin with... those little gears are apparently 'vital'.

The clock reads 11, no indication of AM or PM.

Soup!  You gulp down the delicious sustenance before gazing contemplatively at the empty, barren pine woods.  When you were younger such a sight would have unnerved you... now that you know what's out there it's positively terrifying.  Not that either of those 'feelings' would concern you.

[Chocofreak13]

I poke around the clock some more, to make sure i didn't miss anything. As i do so, i wonder if there's a phone in the house. Calling Mrs. Willis seems tempting, as does procuring those goddamn apples.

[Bella]

Ignoring the small, creeping sense of terror in the back of my mind, I exit the kitchen and head out the front door. Although it's partially-cloudy and the tall trees provide a decent sun-block, I'm still not used to such daylight - I blink a few times and squint into the light before I recall the shaded goggles still resting atop my head.  "I'm going to do it," I announce, in a semi-audible mumble, as I pull the goggles over my eyes, "I'm going into the woods."

I move only a few steps from the house before pausing. "Is there anything I should take with me?", I wonder aloud.

[stewartsage]

You find the beginnings of a bird's nest that get's swatted to the floor in short order.  Must've gotten in through the door when they were open at some point.  If Ma Bell wasn't a snoopy bitch, you'd consider tapping into the telephone lines that run along the state road.... as it is it's a longer walk to the service station on the turnpike to make a call then it is to the nearest neighbors.  Not that you want to do either.

You're not sure what this urge that's seized you is as your limbs move unwillingly towards the shaded pine forest... at least you have some protection for your un-adjusted eyes from the blinding light.  Honestly there's nothing you own that could prepare you for life outside the house, and that frightens you.

[Chocofreak13]

i make my way back up the stairs to check on the device. this thought in the back of my mind of potentially going outside has made me nervous, both for me and my things.

[Bella]

Something compels me to go deeper into the forest. The feeling, nebulous as it is, doesn't seem to originate from within myself - no, I'm much too anxious about my situation to want to go further, nevertheless my legs carry me forward at a steady, sedate pace. It feels as though the woods themselves are coaxing me on and my unease grows as I consider what machinations may be behind their sudden invitation.

[stewartsage]

You freeze up.  Normally the different thought processes in your head line up in roughly the same direction, like the poles of a bucket of magnets you think, but now there's total deadlock.  Rather then letting your brain fry you set down on the porch, pull your sweater over your head, and rock gently.