The Exit Door

Where it all began (1/4)

Cassandra was ripped from her half-asleep state by a sudden jolt and a thick, sickeningly cold sensation attacking her body. The ground below her was rough, cold and moist. A horrible smell invaded her nostrils, similar to the fumes of a car's exhaust. Cassandra's eyes snapped open to the sight of a plush cat. Its fur, a dirty blend of orange and tan, its eyes, black- a 'lime' colored ribbon wrapped around its neck. A wave of terror and confusion swept over her as she sat up and scanned her surroundings in a panic, the sense of fear causing the hairs on her neck to stand on end - This wasn't her room.

With the plush cat clutched in her arms, Cassandra pulled herself up to her feet, taking in the sight of what looked to be a parking garage. Not too far from her was a blue car, its doors open and its rear windshield shattered. With a slow pace, Cassandra wearily approached the blue car. Her eyes left scanning the ground for bits of glass before looking into the back seat. Laying in the back was a small book, seeming to call her, the urge to grab it overtaking all her other thoughts. Giving into the thoughts, she snatched the black notebook before hurriedly retreating from the car and settling roughly against a wall. Her bare feet scraped against the bumpy concrete as she slid down, her shorts becoming damp from the collecting moisture on the ground.

Cassandra hesitantly opened the notebook, squinting as she looked at the page. The paper was worn and yellowed, it smelled strongly like metallic and like dust and mold.

A few notes for your survival.

Firstly and most importantly, DO NOT LOSE CAT. For the love of god do not lose him, i've seen one too many travelers get trapped because they lost their guardian. Keeping him safe is key to your survival.

Don't lose or destroy this book. It holds important information about the void and its contents, it may just be what helps you escape alive. I've put many years into the information it holds so please, be careful.

Don't come in direct contact with the void, the particles it emits are toxic and can cause severe and quite possibly lethal void sickness.

Most creatures here are sensitive to sound, so try to keep as quiet as possible when you can.

If you want to sleep or rest, find a bathroom- they are the safe spaces here.

Stay hydrated and don't eat anything rotten.

W.D.

Cassandra frowned, her eyes fluttering over the page one more. Cat must've been that nasty stuffed animal she found, but how could a stuffed animal be 'key to her survival' and what did that even mean?? She was in a car garage not in the middle of west Garfield. She squinted, running her fingers over the rings of the notebook. It was missing what could have been multiple front pages- There was something roughly scribbled out at the top corner, it looked like it might've been a few numbers.

Dread clung to Cassandra like honey, its stickiness seeping into every crevice of her being- Her heart felt as if it was beating out of her chest. Was she kidnapped? Where was she? Why was it so damn dark??? So many questions rolled and bounced through her mind, Her panic snuffing out what little common sense she still had.

Blood roared in Cassandra's ears, whole body shivers making her teeth clatter against one another with a horrid chittering sound. Her chest heaved and strained with each breath, Her throat burning with each gasp of air that she took. Suddenly a single loud thought screamed above all others- She needed to leave. She needed to run, and she itched with the need to hide- Something was horribly wrong here and she needed to leave.

Cassandra scrambled back to her feet, almost tripping as her blood pressure dropped- her vision swimming for a moment as a sense of dizziness washed over her. She gagged, using the wall to support her weight until the world stopped spinning around her, Swallowing back the bile that filled her throat and taking a few steps into the dark.

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(704 words)

Originally posted (3/26/24)

Edited/updated (8/18/24)

Re-written (2/20/25)

Re-posted (2/28/25)

I only write on wattpad!

i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, if you think it needs any TW's then just leave a comment! Any hate comments will be deleted and your account will be blocked, i don't tolerate any hate <33

-That_RandomTwix.Furry-