Premonition

Chapter 2 - Twos A Party

(All titles from now forward are based off of songs. They will be placed at the top.)

A forceful shatter of glass granted her entry into the building, revealing waiting rooms covered in dust and entwined with creeping vines. A myriad of posters adorned the walls, advertising various professions: acting, science, medicine, psychology, and more. It appeared as though multiple companies had converged within this space. Navigating carefully across the cracked floor and amidst broken furniture, she found herself on a balcony overlooking a vast expanse. The glass-laden area extended both upwards and downwards, spanning multiple stories with small rooms branching off—a dizzying sight to behold.

Following the balcony's path, she absorbed the view, taking in the remnants of bulky computers, notebooks, and various items that remained within the rooms. Posters covered peeling walls, names from the past adorned on desks and paper forms. Small vermin scattered throughout parts of the building, sheathing themselves quickly back into and out of view from the girl. As she stumbled over cracked glass staircases, she made her way to some lower floors. They were filled with tubes and pipes, sending themselves abundantly throughout the skyscraper, no substances or items found within them.

The child had walked through them, finding herself on the bottom floor. It was rather pale based and colored, darkness encasing the levels. Her attention was drawn to the final room down an offhand hallway, emitting an inexplicable light. Curiosity piqued, she ventured inside.

The room was dominated by an even more complex network of tubes, all converging on a single machine that emitted the mysterious light. Buttons and codes filled the console, sticky notes and marker written over it with certain messages, the scribble unknowable to the girl. She could see blueprints for the same machine in an unreachable corner of the room, glass shattered over there along with vines hiding portions of it. Towering over four stories high, it loomed over her figure. Time seemed suspended as she gazed at the scene before her.

Unbeknownst to her, the machine's mechanisms began to stir into motion. Oblivious to the machine's activity, she continued to stand there, lost in thought.

Unintentionally, she found herself relinquishing her footing as the machinery above her began to move. And so, she fell to the floor.

——— ———— ————— ———— ————— ————— ——————

Emerging from unconsciousness, she found herself sprawled on the ground, disoriented and achy. Gradually, she pushed through the pain and the ringing in her ears, struggling to rise. The ground felt strange, almost crunchy. This wasn't the familiar surroundings of Queens. Confusion set in; this wasn't the building either, which was primarily glass. Tentatively, she touched the ground, sensing a softness akin to dirt yet even more yielding. With an effort, she managed to blink away tears and opened her eyes to a new reality—a vast plain surrounded by trees, rocks, and a gentle breeze.

The alien landscape, painted in hues of purple and blue, was illuminated by three moons that danced in the sky. Despite her solitude, an unexpected sense of safety enveloped her. Clambering to her feet and stumbling toward a rock beside a tree, she sought solace in her thoughts. She traced her memory back—she had passed out in the building, but the details were hazy. Frustration and uncertainty welled up within her, urging her to keep moving, to stay inconspicuous.

Yet her resolution was shattered by the distant rustling of grass. The swaying was unnatural, more rapid than the wind could account for. Something was approaching, with a rhythm of starts and stops that unsettled her. She turned in search of the source, her movements increasingly frantic as she struggled to pinpoint it.

Then it ceased—a silence that bred tension. She rotated, senses heightened, only to be startled by the sensation of a rough, limp strand of something on her shoulder. Whirling around, she found herself face to face with an entity that defied logic: an anthropomorphic lobster. Its gaze roved over her, examining her with an otherworldly curiosity. Fear gripped her, her thoughts racing as she grappled with the surreal situation.

Abruptly, the lobster creature lifted her, inspecting her with its multifaceted eyes. The shock rendered her motionless, her mind racing through possibilities. The creature gently lowered her to the ground, its attention fixed on her.

It demanded some unheard statement in a blunt tone, a query wrapped in authority.

The question, while straightforward, held a deeper layer of confusion. His English sounded scarily as fluent as hers, deepening the enigma. Her gaze flitted across the landscape, her voice unsteady as she responded, "I don't... I don't know."

"No buildings exist in this area of the Pivot. What are you doing outside of Central?" The lobsters inquiry was accompanied by a surreal genuflection, bringing them face to face.

Her uncertainty mounted, tears threatening as she murmured, "I don't know. I don't know where I am, sir. I don't know what you are."

A realization seemed to dawn upon the lobster,, and it clacked its pincers together thoughtfully. "You! You're alive! You're human, not some mechanical oddity—"

Her thoughts were interrupted as the lobster's excitement manifested in a rapid shake that left her dizzy. "Where is your home? Where are your parents? Surely, they must be worried, and yet here you are, of all places."

Overwhelmed, she sank to the ground, her flailing arms underlining her plight. "I'm lost!" she cried out, desperation tinging her words.

"You seem to have come alone," the lobster mused, straightening up. It extended a limb-like appendage toward her. "Come with me, I'll try to help. I'll ensure your safety. Do we have a deal?"

"If you promise to help me find my way back, I'll... I'll trust you."

"It's a pact then. I'll ensure your return," the lobste affirmed, accepting her outstretched hand and gently placing her on its surprisingly available shoulder.

"Might I have a name for you?" The lobster asked, head turning towards her.

"I'm Elisé," she introduced herself as they set out, traversing the grassy plains.

"I am Ethos. The pleasure is mine," the lobster, now named Ethos, responded, leading her into the unknown expanse.