Fantasy Across the Fountain

[RiversEdge]

There were never many days that came off as unusual. Not unusual as in, something in your daily routine didn't happen, but just plain off putting. Matty didn't know quite how to describe it but something was just really wrong about that day. Nothing in particular was going wrong. But she just had the feeling that something was off? Something was constantly bothering her. So she decided to take a break, go to the park for a breather. It was around noon that Matty arrived at Passive Park. Not many people were around, which is probably the weirdest thing that has happened so far.

She sighed, taking a seat on a park bench in front of the old fountain. The stone around it was old and outdated. But it worked fine. No one seemed to have the heart to get rid of it. She tossed a coin in her hand, casually throwing it in the air and catching it.

 

[EeveeFTW]

11:50 a.m. Class didn't start until 1:00 p.m. Finch had already enjoyed a sufficient lunch, an Easy-Mac with some extra salt for flavor, and soon found himself wandering campus. It was a nice day out, so he just felt like going where his legs took him. Which was odd, considering that he'd much rather be in his room enjoying a nice book, or studying for an upcoming exam. But instead, he was walking.

His journey took him to the Fountain of Ambition, one of the oldest structures on campus. Some considered it lucky. He considered it decaying and it major need of renovation. Nonetheless, he found himself taking out a coin and playing with it in his hand. They said that if you toss a coin into the fountain, it'd grant you one wish. Finch chuckles at the idea. The fountain hadn't granted any wishes that he had heard of, so he wondered why people kept spreading the faulty rumor.

 

[RiversEdge]

So this park isn't completely deserted. Matty recognized someone on the other side. Seemed like he had a similar idea. Well, what the heck. She'd give the fountain a go. The wind seemed to slow and stop just then. No rustling leaves, no birds tweeting, and even the running water seemed ridiculously silent. Matty pursed her lips, looking around with an uncertain gaze.

The coin landed in her hand again. She stared at it for a moment, ignoring the sudden chill. One for good luck then? She would wish for....her brother's good health. Matty nodded to herself an tossed the coin over to the fountain and watched it spin on the way to the water. Almost as soon as the coin sank beneath the surface things started to go dark. She rubbed her eyes confused by the sudden bout of dizziness she was feeeling. Matty tried not to panic, trying to force herself to stay awake. She brought her hands up to her face and realized she couldn't even see her hands in front of her. Then, before she could give an audible protest, everything went completely dark.

 

[EeveeFTW]

The coin continued to twist and turn in Finch's hand. It was only a penny, so he supposed that he should test the fountain for himself. Maybe people were just quiet about it since they knew that it actually worked. Or maybe it's just an old fountain. He sighs, what would he wish for anyway? Nothing was happening in his life. There was nothing he wanted to fix, nothing he wanted to get better had. He enjoyed reading books and learning things the right way. Maybe...Maybe he just...Finch flicks the coin, watching as it arcs from his hand towards the quiet water of the fountain. He wished for something different to happen. That would be a nice change in pace.

As soon as the coin touches the water, he collapses to his knees, feeling a wave of nausea passing over him. He feels himself losing his consciousness, and desperately attempts to cling on to it, but to no avail. He could feel his entire body swinging, everything in front of him turning foggy, then black.

 

[RiversEdge]

She woke up to the sound of the wind howling. Matty let out a quiet grunt, bringing a hand up to massage her head. "Ugh, this is worse than the concussion I got last month." A wave of confusion hit her as she took in her surroundings. The outskirts of a city, the remains of what looked like a highway. But the road had been reduced to rubble and maybe a few patches of concrete. The city looked...like it was bombed and someone had tried patching it up with wood and tarps. Where was she? "What the hell?" She wheezed, trying not to choke on the dusty air. Matty breathed, willing her heart rate to slow down. But as she looked around she nearly gagged. There were the remains of a human skeleton about four feet from her. She covered her mouth, hastily crawling backwards away from it. "Disgusting." She spat, ignoring the sight for the sake of her own sanity.

Then she saw him. It was the guy from the park! She stood up, half stumbling at first, before making her way over to him. "Hey, hey, wake up." She kept her voice low, wary of her surroundings. Even though she didn't know where she was she at least knew that he was there too. He might be in the same spot as her. Stranger or not she didn't want to be alone in this if she didn't have to be. Growling suddenly erupted in the distance. It was far but it sounded feral. Matty whipped her head to the direction the sound came in before turning back to him. "Come on, wake up!" Her voice was tense and hurried.

 

[EeveeFTW]

Hearing Matty's voice, Finch's eyes slowly open. Why was some girl waking him up? His head slowly shifts to the left and right, taking in the new environment. Well, that would explain it. As his mind reboots, he gets to thinking. He was definitely a long way from campus, that was for sure. Nothing near the campus came close to what he was seeing here. Maybe he was kidnapped and brought somewhere far away with this girl? No, it didn't feel like that sort of scenario. The girl looked to be in the same situation, with no idea what was going on. And captors wouldn't just leave, would they?

He groaned, slowly getting up and rubbing his temples. His headache was quickly going away, that was a good thing. Shaking his head, he turned his thoughts in a new direction. Who cared how they got here? From the looks of it, they were stranded somewhere, with little to no supplies. Sure, Finch had a bottle of water and some snacks in his bag, but who knew how long they would be stuck here. Then, he hears the growling. Water and food later. Safety now. "Let's go," he motions towards a nearby building and starts to move.

 

[RiversEdge]

It was surprising, but Matty was really glad that he didn't waste any time. She was quick to respond and was pretty much jogging over to the building. It was hard to tame the urge to just run for it. But there were at least two problems with that. One, she had no idea if the buying was inhabited or not so it was best to try and be quiet. Two, if she lost the guy she might lose him permanently because she had no idea where she was. The building itself was in shambles. But it seemed pretty sturdy at least. There were already a lot of places she was spotting that were good for climbing. There was always a route to travel in the city.

Once they were at least a couple feet inside of the building she gave it a good once over. There was no one in sight, which could be a good or bad thing. But being inside at least made her feel a little more secure. "Name's Matty." She looked towards the guy briefly before walking around a bit more. "Figured I'd introduce myself. Mind giving me something to call you other than 'hey'?"