Intro

[loistheintrepid]

[Action A | 5719 Cunningham Lane]

No. No, no, no, no, no. Not again. Please God, not again.

She's had this dream before. Waking up in the hell hole of a place that was Mayfield again, trapped in the Pleasantville way of life, unable to snap herself out of the nightmare.

Please, God, let her be dreaming.

Except that the man she woke up next to isn't Hal, and the house she rushes out of isn't the one she lived in before, and the street she's standing in the middle of isn't Kramden Road.

Not again. No, no, no, not again.

[Action B | Kramden Road]

She's still barefoot in her ridiculous nightgown, not having bothered to change before she tore her way towards her old street. Maybe her old friends are still there. Maybe Hal...

But if she's switched around, maybe everybody else is, too. Which is why she's just going around pounding her fists on every door on the street like a crazy person in hopes that a familiar face answers.

[Action C | Around Town]

By the end of the day, she's a mess. Still barefoot, still nightgown-clad. Wandering her way around the Mayfield streets hoping for someone to make sense of why she's back.

It wasn't fair. She'd escaped this place. Spent a full year pretending it was just a bad dream. And now here she was again, wondering if that year of freedom had even been real.

She finds a bench, curls her knees to her chest, and buries her face in her arms.

Fucking Mayfield.

Comments

C

[returntospring]

[Now that it was safe to leave the house, Sakura had done just that! And in her wanderings, spotted a very visibly distressed woman.

Being the sweet girl that she is, she approached her.]

Um, miss... are you okay?

[loistheintrepid]

M'fine. [she mumbles, not moving from her spot on the bench. Grumble grumble. Bad mood.]

[returntospring]

[She takes a seat on the bench next to the woman; not too close, though.]

I'm one of the ones trapped here, same as you. If there's something about this town that's upsetting you, I'd lie to help.

[loistheintrepid]

[She chuckles dryly at that.]

Do I have to pick just one thing?

[returntospring]

... It would be easier to just say "everything" in this case, wouldn't it? I understand... I didn't like this town one bit when I first arrived. It still scares me...

[loistheintrepid]

I lived here a year ago. [She sighed, running a hand through her hair.]

This town put me through Hell the first time around. Can't imagine the second will be any better.

[returntospring]

... I'm sorry.

[Sakura can't imagine going through that. Thinking you escaped that nightmare, only to be dragged back...]

I haven't been here that long, so I can't tell if it's gotten better or worse...

[loistheintrepid]

Can't imagine this place getting any better.

[She kicks the dirt with her toe a moment, shaking her head.]

Sorry. I'm being a total downer. Think I need to go drown my sorrows at a bar or something.

[returntospring]

N-No, it's okay! Really. [She laughs a little sheepishly.] I understand that very few people like this place. If getting everything out now helps, then please, do it.

[loistheintrepid]

[She manages the slightest quirk of her lip in reply.]

I think the only thing that'll help this situation is a stiff drink.

[She gets to her feet.]

[returntospring]

[Sakura gets up as well.]

Do you want some company? I can't sneak in there, and I don't really like alcohol, but I can walk with you for a bit, if you'd like.

[loistheintrepid]

[She blinks at her a moment, realization hitting her.]

Oh. Right, duh. You're... underage. Uh, yeah. Why the hell not, let's take a walk. Don't know how much has changed since I left.

[returntospring]

What was it like, when you were here? I can't really imagine it being too different...

[loistheintrepid]

Ugh... pretty horrible. Nasty pain-in-the-ass events that test your mental and physical stamina every now and then. Zombies, crazy people, plagues, whatever. All under the guise of creepy Stepford-wife retro suburbia. Am I missing anything?

[returntospring]

Oh, yes... recently, they tried to manipulate our memories. I'm not sure why they did that, but... it's certainly the strangest thing I've experienced here.