I hadn't realized, since I was too busy dealing with the whole voice in head/manure situation, but that old guy had dumped me in the middle of nowhere.
Leaving the shack I headed back out into the alley, I took a quick look at my surroundings and found nothing I hadn't seen before.
Beggars were still huddled together or lazing around, and that red dust was still everywhere, but this didn't help me at all.
I was still completely lost.
I thought about asking one of these guys for directions, but held off on it out of curiosity and a little fear.
I had seen the erraticness that homeless people could have.
I used to tease them for fun when I was younger, but I also learned quickly how dangerous they could be. One bad joke about their dead dog, and they'd gladly risk everything to try to send you to meet them.
I was better off trying to figure this out myself, atleast moreso then talking to anyone here.
Walking forward with that thought in mind, I reached the end of the alley; the path in front of me split left and right.
Not overthinking it I decided to go left. Best case scenario, this was the right way back, worst case, maybe I could find something interesting.
Walking down the familiar looking ally, I noticed a sharp pair of eyes lock onto me.
It was a tall, and oddly robust guy, with a long scruffy black beard coming down from his chin and a hood covering his head.
It was a bit odd to see someone so obviously out of character in what I thought was a poor part of town, but who was I to judge.
Unlike the half-dead eyes everyone else had, this guy seemed more keen, like he was looking for something.
I made slight eye contact with the man but he continued to keep his gaze stone cold, watching me and everyone else in the alley.
I slowly lowered my head and sped up.
Guys like him were never good news; it was best to avoid him if I could help it.
Reaching the next intersection, I didn't think much and took another left turn. I began to think back on what that voice had warned me about, mainly how cruel this world was.
Staying here for too long in such a weak body could really be the death of me.
Although that old man said the beggars here were family, I still had some doubt whether anyone here could really be trusted.
Walking through the alleyway, I noticed how unlike the others it was filled to the brim with tents and small huts. It seemed like this alley was a sort of known respite for the beggars here.
I thought of asking one of these not-so-homeless beggars for directions, but again decided against it.
Best-case scenario, I interrupt someone snorting coke.
Worst-case scenario, I interrupt someone butchering a human.
I still wasn't in such a dire situation that I wanted to risk bringing trouble to myself, and the sun was still quite high for now.
I kept walking forward whilst watching the interactions in the alley.
Through tents, I watched as some slept, others were in groups and looked like a large mass of shadows. There weren't many people out and about around here. It could've been because they preferred their respite, or an unknown reason, I wasn't sure.
With this in mind, I was slightly surprised when a pair of hooded men came into view a few meters ahead, laughing loudly beside a small pouch of red dust. I had seen it plenty whilst walking through this place earlier; i suspected it was the cause of my burnt nose and the slight alleviation of my pain.
I slowly crept forward whilst subtly watching them. One haphazardly grabbed a handful of powder from a pouch and shoved it into his face. Half of it went into his mouth and his nose, whilst the rest landed all over him.
Perfect. Just what I needed. Some may see this as a bad sign, but I was different, I was an opportunist!
If these guys were doing coke so blatantly and such a large amount at that, they had to be wealthy. If I was lucky, maybe these happy-go-lucky junkies could tell me how to leave this place.
Making up my mind i walked towards the two laughing beggars, intending to create a small conversation.
"Hey you gu-" but before I could finish speaking, I felt a hand clamp over my mouth. My body was quickly pulled to the side as someone yanked me out from the open.
'Fuck!' was I getting kidnapped? Already? It's still broad daylight?
My mind instantly went to that sketchy guy from before, I didn't think twice and strongly bit down on a finger as hard as I could.
"ARGHHHHH FUCK!" A sharp, pained groan erupted from behind me.
With his hand leaving my mouth, I quickly turned around to face this guy or run, depending on how things went, but instead of the grown, burly man I was expecting, in front of me was a scrawny kid with brown hair, and a rag covering his face, holding his finger in pain.
"You… idiot," he groaned through clenched teeth, he seemed too bothered with the pain going through his hand to even properly insult me.
"Huh?" Staring at the young-looking lad holding his hand, bent in pain, I realized maybe, just maybe, I had possibly made a mistake.
..I should apologize
"Shit… sorry about tha-" My words were once again cut off, but this time not by a hand but by some sort of primal instinct.
I felt it subtly as the air around us seemed to change. It was the first time I had ever felt something like this, it made my skin tingle and my body tighten. I never really believed in the 6th sense or anything, but right now I could feel it; a clear and concise feeling of danger.
Turning again to see why I felt like this, I watched as the two cheerful homeless men from before stared at me and the kid behind me through the whites of their eyes.
Drool was slowly dripping down their face whilst thick veins crawling along the side of their skulls kept pumping blood violently into their brains.
Just watching it made me feel uneasy.
I slowly took a step back, then two. I didn't need to be told that this was a dangerous situation, the only thing on my mind, watching these two stare at me, was to leave.
Luckily for me, their brains seemed so fried I couldn't tell whether they were mentally there or not.
Maybe theyre too high to stab me? I should be fine.
I slowly backed off from the two of them, their brains seemed to be missing a gear or two, so I was pretty sure that if I didn't make any erratic movements, I would be fine.
But before my idea of a peaceful escape could see the shiny doors of realization I heard the sound of loud footsteps quickly trodding into the distance.
Did he? no surely not, he wouldn't just leave me here? Would he? I wasn't sure why I thought that kid wouldn't ditch me, maybe it was because he was a child, I'm not sure.
However Snapping my eyes away from the beggars, I turned around to see what had happened, and just as I thought, the scrawny kid from earlier seemed to have lost all sense of courage and ran away as if his life depended on it.
"HEY, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" I shouted at him, that guy couldn't leave yet, he was my golden ticket out of this place, if I lost him, God knows how many drug addicts I'd have to ask for advice.
"GWRRRRRWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHRGGGGHHHH!!!"
The inhumane sound hit my spine before it reached my ears, I snapped my head around and watched as one of the men rose to his feet.
His breathing was heavy, and saliva fell freely from his mouth; the whites of his eyes stared directly at me, whilst a wave of steam wafted from his body.
"…Oh… god.." Doing a complete 180, I didn't even think twice before running. For a brief second, I could feel a slight pain in my ankle and another in my knee, but before I knew it, I was running like a true Olympic gold medalist.
In less than a few seconds, I had reached the end of the alley.
Taking a quick right, I could see the boy from earlier running for his life as well.
'Did that kid know this would happen?' Fuck, what even was that? Why was he steaming?
The sound of a metal barrel being slammed into a wall woke me from my thoughts; it also seemed to wake up a lot of the other dormant beggars. I couldn't afford to turn around and sightsee, but whatever those two homeless guys were doing was causing havoc.
"Ughh, ughhhhhhhhhahh helpp!!!" Hearing what sounded like a drunken man being grabbed, I gave in to my curiosity and turned around to see what was going on.
Behind me, I watched as an abominable demon beast latched onto a wall and used it as a spring. In a split second, it leapt a distance of four meters in one go.
"...!"
I couldn't even fathom proper words, all I could do was instinctively focus all this body's remaining energy into running for my life.
The kid in front of me darted around a corner, almost slipping, and I followed behind, not missing a beat.
Up ahead, a narrow hole under a house came into view. It was held open by a metal rod and was being hidden by a piece of cloth draped over the entrance.
The kid pulled aside the cloth and quickly crawled inside, before grabbing the metal rod and allowing the hatch to slam shut.
"Wait.... Nonononono, OPEN THE DOOR." Seeing what I thought was my saving grace completely shut me out I almost broke down on the spot.
I banged on the door and tried to squeeze a finger through, seeing if I could open it from the outside but it was no use.
That damn brat was holding it shut from the inside.
Before I could even shout one more time my instincts flared once again. Turning around, I watched as what wasn't even to be considered a human anyway stared directly at me.
The once small human man was now completely naked and had grown to a height of over 6 and a half feet. His muscles were constantly pulsing and were enlarged to a frightening degree, its eyes were no longer white and had begun to bleed an ominous red, drool dripped down its chin and steam flooded where it stood.
Yet somehow, through all of this, it only started with me.
"I'm so fucked.." I should have listened to that damn voice, what kind of world did I think this was? Why did I even come here? Wasn't I supposed to have strength?
Looking at what was my imminent death I clasped my hands and closed my eyes, there was no chance.
I heard the best take slow steps towards me, I felt something tugging at lower backside but decided to have some dignity and not die whilst shitting myself. This was the least I could do fory mother and sister who I came here in hopes of saving.
But it seemed god had other plans for me, that urge to shit felt even stronger then before, until I felt it rip at my clothing.
Turning around I saw the kid from earlier looking dumbfounded with a piece of ripped cloth in hand.
"GET IN!" Noticing what was happening I instantly let go of my hands and leaped as far as I could into the hole in the wall.
I was still in shock and couldn't fathom what had just happened, 'was I just saved?'
But Before I could release a breath a large hand smashed through the small wooden hatch and reached inside, quickly backing away and feeling the dirty interior on my back.
The hand frantically moved around and searched for something before thrashing around and retreating from the hole.
"GRAAAAAAAAGGHHHHHHHHH!" Outside all I could hear was a inhumane scream before a loud collision, and the sound of its retreat.
I don't know long I held my breath for but when I finally felt I couldn't anymore I released a long and shallow exhale.
I felt like the insides of my lungs had partede along with that breath, I instantly collapsed backwards closing my eyes as I felt my body let go of itself.
It felt alot like when I first woke up in this world, numb and out of control, the only difference now was the staggering pain in my chest.
"..here." hearing a slightly childish feminine voice speak from my side, I opened my eyes slightly.
Above me was a hand pinching a small brown solid substance in it, I couldn't recognize what it was, but my bodies instincts gave way and made me open my mouth.
Dropping the unknown food in my mouth I felt the bland and rough texture of what I assumed was bread, I didn't even have the energy to chew I simply allowed it to melt in my mouth.
I swallowed harshly before something else caught my attention.
[HIDDEN QUEST COMPLETE]
SURVIVE YOUR FIRST DANGEROUS ORDEAL!
REWARD: TEAR OF **********!
[HIDDEN MESSAGE: Well done, luck is also a skill.]
I couldn't even process what I had just read as my body gave into its weakness, dragging me into my unconscious.
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Writing is fun.