You've gotten home tired from your work at the Doughnut Factory, a somewhat stale, but still edible box of a dozen under your arm, as you yawningly open the front door.  The doughnuts are a typical gift by the manager since they always have a few too many when the shoppe closes.

You put them on the kitchen table, and while you'd like to go to bed, since you're so exhausted, you're still too wound up to hit the sack yet.  Your new game machine is sitting on the table, and a nice game of Tetris Redux or Gunfighter should let you slow down.

You play one game on the new 'scriff-enhanced' device, which is some sort of new computer chip thingie thats supposed to improve the speed by ten or even twenty percent, and realize you're thirsty.  You stick a doughnut in your mouth, and go for a cup and a jug of milk.

Three games later, and you're on your fourth doughnut, and your second glass of milk, and you're trigger finger is not responding well, and your arms are shaking a bit, and you're yawning in the middle of a close gunfight...

And your elbow hits the glass...it totters...you reach to grab it, but you're so tired, your reflexes are off....and it falls, splattering the game machine.  Irritated, and a touch worried, you begin to clean it off...

And then you see a spark from the machine, and suddenly the room is filled with white, and yellow globules float in it, and you hear screaming....

=============================================================================

You're laying on your back, sweat rolling down your neck from the stagnant heat, and the ker-plop of a frog entering your ear, and an itch on your right arm, and the air smells wet, and green, and warm....

PLaytester

"What the.." I say to myself, getting up to look at the environment around me, slowly due to confusion and trauma.

OOC: What a death lol..  Oh and do I still have that stuff in my hands?

Rising up, you see you are laying on a hillock in a swamp.  A mosquitoe is gorging itself on your forearm.

In your left hand is the Gameboy, and in your right is the old hand towel you had grabbed.

Across a five foot wide channel, on another hillock of grass, with a central tree is some of your stuff that you recognize.  It seems to be laid out in some sort of familiar pattern.

At your feet is the mostly full box of doughnuts.

You sway a little in the heat and the mugginess.

PT

Hitting the mosquito on my arm, I begin to speak.  "Huh...I don't remember coming here."  I get sit up for a moment, thinking after I put the gameboy inside my pocket and fling the towel over my shoulder.  I put another doughnut in my mouth, I must be dreaming or something..  Maybe the gameboy shocked me and knocked me out or something..  It was a stupid idea, but it was the best he could come up with as he moved towards the tree ahead of him.  I'll try to jump/walk accross the channel (walk if I don't think I can make the jump).

You smack the mosquitoe, and feel it squash beneath your hand, but when you try to scrape it off, you only see blood, and no mosquitoe.

You make the leap, and climb up a few feet to get your stuff.  The placement seems odd.  Its like they had been in your house, and the house was moved, but everything else just fell where it had been.  Which made no sense.

PT

Turning my thoughts back to the mosquito, I check the wound.  They don't just disappear..  I think, but discard it if I don't see anything weird.  I try to gather the things in a general area and find a high place to look around from.

The only high place would be in climbing a tree. So,  you climb up a pine tree.  Its grimy, and the needles prick you, and the bark is soggy, and you're pretty sure you passed a snake going down while you went up.

And even when you get twenty feet up into the tree, feeling that the main trunk won't support much more, the thick profusion of boughs bars a good view.

Out toward the rising sun, and across several miles of swamp, you think you see downhill from you a highway, and a semi-truck.

"Royal Vespucian Lines" on its side.

Toward sundown, you see an open clearing, that is much closer.  And a flagpole with a a green field pokes above the trees.

To your left is a steep mountain covered in trees.  To your right you can't see because the tree on the next hillock blocks your view.

PT

I'm going to start heading towards the highway, calmly shoving another doughnut into my mouth.  I try to carry all I can with me in the towel.

(Wow that was a short post, but that's about all I do lol.)

You trudge and leap from hillock to hillock, sometimes having to circle back.  The mosquitoes are ferocious. And some of them seem to just disappear after you swat them. Some don't.

And then you leap onto a new hillock, but the grass is only a covering for a hole.  You plunge through the thin layer of grass at the edge of the hillock, and into the water.

You're over your head, and somehow you've gotten turned about since the top opening isn't where you expected it to be.

PT

I'm going to try to swim downwards and look up, as to find an opening where I can escape to air at.

OOC: Don't tell me I just lost EVERYTHING that I just had lol?  My doughnuts...my precious doughnuts...*bawling*

You spot the light of the hole, and realize you'd been turned at a horizontal angle.  From there its a simple effort to push yourself up, and out of the water.  There you gasp in the air.

PT

I try to climb out of the hole, seeing how far up actually and finding if its even possible.

Once you're at the top, its not very far.  You pull yourself out, and dry off.  Then you proceed more carefully the rest of the way to the highway.

Semi's roar past, and so does an occasional car.

Its a four-lane, solid concrete road.

PT

I'm going to take account of what I have on me as I start trying to hitch a ride and walk in the direction that the cars are driving.

Its nearly an hour of hiking before someone pulls up alongside you in an old car.

"Hey man, I'm a salesman. And I'm about to pass out from tiredness.  Been driving ten hours so far today.  If you knew how to drive that'd be great.  If not, if you could talk enough to keep me awake, that would do."

PT

"Sure, as long as its not a stick."  I say, looking into his car.  Though I'm a little suspicious of him, I still am not willing to walk into town.

OOC:  Did I drop that stuff into the water earlier?  What do I still have?

You get in, and take over driving.  He talks to you for a few minutes about the trials of selling and installing bathtubs, while keeping an eye on how you're driving.

Then he nods off.

The road winds and curves in great, gentle arcs through the low hills, and occasionally alongside a swamp, or an enormous river.  The speed limit seems to be eighty-five mph.

You've been driving for a couple hours, when you see an arch of white above the trees, and a sign that says...

"St. Louis, next eight exits."

PT

"Eighty-five?"  I ask curiously outloud.  "Wait...St. Louis..Where are we?"  I start to get slightly nervous as to this area.  I must be dreaming.. I think, but keep my hands on the wheel and try to focus on the road, putting aside my current fears.

The salesman stirs.

"Uh, oh, umm, yeah, pull off, exit 124B. St. Louis. I'm supposed to deliver some catalogs to one of our franchisee's."

Its another four miles, and you pull off.  He asks you if you want to be dropped off in town somewhere, or if you like, he can give you a ride further up the road, same deal.  He's trying to make it to Mineapolis tonight.

"So I can say 'hi' to my wife before I have to hit the road tommorrow. I hate this job, I really do."

PT

"Yeah, further would be fine."  I sit there, still looking at the road but distracted by questioning thoughts.  "Can I just use your phone when we get to your wife?"

He tosses you his cel phone asking you to keep it short.

It takes an hour for him to find and unload with your help a trunk full of catalogs.  Then he drives by a newly renovated Irish Burger House with the old signs of "English Country Inn" being taken down, buys a High King combo meal, and one for you as well.

He hands this to you gruffly, and goes back to riding while you drive and fiddle with your burger tryhing not to get too much mayo on your pants.

Its a long drive, and to keep awake you turn on the music.  It must be Enya and the Celtics day because there is a lot of it.  Country music next.  Then pop next, and you catch a few minutes of hard rock as you cross into Minnesota.

You drive up to the small ranch style house in the suburbs, and park in the driveway.

PT

I eat the food and take the phone, putting in my home number (including area code).  "Something weird's been going on today, but I'm sure everything has a logical explaination.."  I say outloud but think to myself I must be dreaming...

You pick up the phone, and hear it ring, ring, and then it answers.

"Yeh?"  Its your voice coming from the phone. "This is Krill."  A pause.  "Hey, if you're there, talk okay?"

PT

Hearing his farmiliar voice on the other end, he was a little more at ease.  "Hey, if anyone's there, I just want you to know that I'll be home soon, somehow I ended up in St. Louis..which is no less than weird.."  He was laughing some, just happy now.

OOC:  Okay, krillis is a nickname lol, so it all fits perfectly.  Just for the record, it's what he's called (Krill, yeah), but it's not his legal name.

OOC: I didn't think it was your legal name. :) But its all I have, so...

Question: I'm not sure you're understanding that you are hearing what sounds like 'you' on the phone.  AKA, your doppleganger, or perhaps the T2000 robot using its mimicry talent...

Because, if I called home, and someone with my voice said "Playtester here." I'd freak.

PT

OOC:  Oh I thought it was an answering machine lol!

"What the he-hey, who is this?"  I get slightly louder, and more distracted from what is around me.  "I'm Krillis.."

"Cute." You hear a slightly annoyed, slightly amused voice. "Who is this? Mark, that you? No Rog, yeah, cute trick Rog."

Its definitely your voice.

PT

"Who the hell is this, seriously?"  I myself start to get a little pissed as I cock an eyebrow.  "Quit the games, what are you doing in my house?  The only one that would be home now is my mom."

"My mom IS home. And quit messing with me, I saw through your joke, very clever, now stop it, unless you want some problems next time I see you."

He's starting to sound seriously irritated.

PT

"I'm about to come home and I'm kicking whoever's *ss is screwing with me!"  I hang up and look to the salesman giving me a ride.  "Hey, where did you say you were going?  You wouldn't happen to be able to give me a ride to Tennessee huh?"  In actuality, I can't remember what direction we were even traveling lol.  "I'll understand if it's a bit too far out of the way."

He looks at you in some astonishment.

"Wow." and then he processes your request. "No, 'fraid not. I'm going to Minneapolis, and after that, I'm heading toward Seattle.  I'd still like to have you drive me up there, can offer a couch for the night, or I can drop you off here."

He points to an exit coming up.

PT

PT, my character lives in Tennesse (northern), as said in the description.  I'm just making sure we're on the completely same page here.  We're heading north to St. Louis, Missouri right?  And after that, he'll be going north more to Minneapolis, Minnesota?

You're in St. Louis, and yes he's heading more northerly.

PT

"Sorry, but I really need to find my way back home.."  I say as I look down to my feet.  I'm a little tired, but don't want to stop yet.  "I'm going to try to hitch down to Tennessee, get back home.  Could I possibly get a road map from you?  Also, you wouldn't by chance have some nonperishables to spare for my potentially long hike?"

If I get a road map and the conversation is over, I'm going to start hitching/hiking south on main roads to Dover, TN (in northern Tennessee).

He looks at you for a long second, and then busies himself in the back.

An Old Colonial Market plastic bag is filled with a bag of open pretzels, an unopened bag of bbq chips, and two Hershey chocolate bars.  He considers, and tosses in an empty plastic jug.  Then, he fishes around a bit more.

"The road can be dangerous. You don't want to scare people waving this around, but at the same time..."  He hands you a beat up golf club.  "Its 'encouraged' some people to leave me alone on a couple dark nights.  The jug is for water. Rinse it out good since its been in the trunk for a month. Didn't get around to throwing it away."

He lets you out and you hike for a couple hours with no pick-ups.

PT

What's the environment?  If it's green (not just road forever), then I'll keep walking until I reach a rest stop.  If there's civilization around, I'll refill the jug in the bathroom.  In any case, I keep hiking, hoping someone will help me out with a ride south.

You refill at a rest stop, and rest there a bit.  The next rest stop is according to the map, over the bridge of the Missisippi, and not all that far away.

You're at the 'leaving the state' rest stop, and the next is the 'entering the state' rest stop.

You've got an offer from one guy who looks a little flaky, but not especially big or muscled to ride in his 'hunk of junk'.  He's going to Baton Rouge.

PT

Okay I'll ride with him at the condition that I can keep my golf club out, just in case he tries anything.  I check out the map and find the best place to get out at to keep on walking (Unless it is the city that he is going to).

He seems to be debating it in his head, and then says "Yeah I remember what it's like, sure you can keep the club out, plus your in no danger unless your a lady, and get taken by my devilish charms" he smiles

It looks like to you he will pass through Memphis TN to get to Baton Rouge, he says he likes to make city stops every day or so. That looks to be a place to get out and walk or find another ride.

He switches on the radio and some U2 like music comes out.

((GE Roll 19))

I look at the map and try to find the best place to get off, the best highway or wherever to Dover, TN (it's northern TN).  It seems, though my map reading could be better, that Dover is decently on the way to Memphis, so I'll look for a nice place to get off (wow...I feel repetitive).

::he lets you off about a hundred miles north of Memphis at about 9PM, it's closer than the city, but still a hike, and the rest area looks fairly deserted at this hour, you think you saw a small bed and breakfast a mile outside of the rest area::

((GE roll 16))

Jhiaxus

I estimate about how long it will take to reach Dover from where I am before I decide to stay at the rest place or move on and try to make it back before exhaustion.  I'm hoping that I can make it back before 2, but if there's no way, I'll go and investigate the odds of staying at the rest stop.

((so sorry the thread didn't mark as new for me, pm me next time))

Krillis:

::there is a couch inside the vending machine area of the rest stop, and you hunker down in there for a little nap::

::you awake with a long road ahead of you, and a long road behind::

::pausing for PM::

((next post Heartwar Gather))