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

[loistheintrepid]

[His voice probably should've been a sign. Or his shape. But she was blinded by hope now, so she shook his shoulder again.]

Hal?

[pnshandnslv]

[Barricade finally sat up and ran a hand through his hair. He finally turned to face the woman, and was about to snap at her when... oh. There was someone else... in... the bed...]

Who--

[He immediately leapt out of the bed and tilted his head.]

Who are you?

[loistheintrepid]

[His sudden movement shocked her and she stumbled backwards along the bed, her legs tangling in the sheets before she hits the ground with a thud.]

Hngg-

[She's okay. She's on her feet, throwing the sheets to the ground with a scowl.]

I'm Lois Lane. Who the hell are you?

[pnshandnslv]

[He quickly moves to snag some sheets and cover his forearms with a blanket.]

I'm Barri--

[A clear of the throat.]

... The town has given me the name of Barry Cade.

[loistheintrepid]

[She cocks an eyebrow at him, frowning. Mysterious. But she doesn't have time for this.]

Okay, then, Barry Cade.

Where the hell is Hal?

[pnshandnslv]

If your Hal is around... I might suggest you look around the town. I didn't ask you to wake up in this bed.

[loistheintrepid]

[She wrinkles her nose at him, backing towards the door.]

I would hope not.

[And then a picture frame on the dresser catches her eye. She frowns, swiping it and analyzing... their wedding picture.]

Augh. You're my new husband?!

[pnshandnslv]

According to the town it would appear that I am.

[loistheintrepid]

Great. [She rubs her forehead, trying to shake the haze off.]

Okay. I'll... I'm gonna go.

[pnshandnslv]

...Make sure you're home in time for... dinner.

[He eyed her carefully.. warily. It was clear that he didn't trust her.]

[loistheintrepid]

[She wrinkled her nose at him.]

Ew. Whatever.

[And off she goes.]