Chapter 10

  As Ginny approached what she was reasonably sure was the edge of Hope Fall’s proper, she thought back on the conversation with Rinaxis with gritted teeth. After his reveal that the Ravagers were the current favorite Stories of the Depths System, and his subsequent prediction that they would ensure they stayed that way by wiping out any potential new stories from Earth, he’d encouraged them to not loiter overly long in the store.

  “Your world seems to have… interpreted the Depths System in a unique way to your people. Not unusual, that familiarity can help your people when otherwise they’d be paralyzed by confusion and disbelief. But keep in mind that it is an interpretation. The Depths will work a certain way for you because that’s what you expect from it, but Ravagers and other Stories not from your world will have an entirely different way of interacting with the Depths. For example, Brendon, you were talking about ‘leveling’ and Ginny, when you were describing your ability, you said it gave you ‘experience’?” The word had come out sounding forced and stilted. “Things like that are your world’s interpretation of the Depths System, an approximation of what they really mean.” He’d considered for a moment. It seemed like trying to work around the version of the Depths being presented was difficult for him. “Just remember, it’s all about the Story you’re becoming. A more accurate way of describing this ‘experience’ you’re talking about would be how interesting your Story is to the Depths. The more interesting your story is, the more of the Depth’s focus is on you, and the more power you have in order to do more interesting things in the future.” He pointed at Ginny with a vine. “Your ability may reward survival more because it’s in line with the type of story you are, but surviving a near death situation is the kind of thing that the Depths will find interesting for most Stories, so it’s likely that everyone receives the ‘experience’ for that. But your approximation doesn’t mention that explicitly, so it’s likely that it won’t be common knowledge, at least not at first. Your people will probably figure it out eventually, but it’ll put them behind during the early days, which is when it’s most dangerous to be behind.”

  Ginny crossed her arms and considered that, while Brendon frowned at Rinaxis. “So… the reason the Depths System looks like such a stereotypical LitRPG style system, with blue screens and levels and hit points, is because that’s what we as a people expect an apocalyptic style worldwide System to look like?” Rinaxis shrugged in response.

  “Your people must have made a lot of stories like that, right? They probably had entire libraries and forums dedicated to stories like that?” Brendon nodded thoughtfully in response. “Yeah, there was a lot.”

  Ginny had chimed in at that point, her tone quiet and less amused than Brendon. “So, we see a version of the Depths that works for us… but leaves important things out. The guy who was supposed to introduce all this to us is a sadistic favorite of the Depths that’s more interested in making us all fail and die than actually explaining anything.” She frowned. “It feels like… the whole thing is designed to make us fail. Like, it seems like it’s supposed to help us, but it’s all a kind of trap.” Rinaxis spread his vines wide in an apologetic gesture.

  “Welcome to the Depths. And on that note, you should get back out there.” Ginny stared at him suspiciously.

  “Back out there with the monsters? As opposed to in a shop with a grumpy but otherwise harmless melon man, that’s apparently a relatively safe place?”

  Rinaxis shook his head. “Can’t stop you from staying, as long as you don’t break any rules at least. But in the coming days, everything is going to come down to how interesting what you’re doing is to the Depths, and Stories that aren’t going anywhere or proving interesting, tend to end early. Usually violently.” Rinaxis leaned forward, his beady little eyes fixed on hers. “So, how interesting do you think the Depths is going to find you all just sitting around my store for the next few days?”

  Ginny let out an aggravated breath, and Rinaxis nodded as he leaned back. “Exactly. Besides, all the Shop Doors in this area will lead back here, since this is my region, but the door in here is always gonna take you right back where you entered from. And if that door happens to be out in the middle of nowhere, it’s probably not gonna be a door you want to exit from once monsters start appearing. Better to find somewhere you can hole up now while you can.”

  Ginny snorted. “There are already monsters outside.”

  She briefly described the Stitch Beasts to him, and he shook his head again. “Nah, that’s something different. Sounds like Venn’dar trying to get a jump on things. Those are things he’s specifically sending here, not naturally spawning monsters. As such, they can appear during the grace period before normal monsters. And since he himself isn’t going after you all, or directing his pets to specifically hunt you down, it also doesn’t count as a Ravager initiating hostile action against you.”

  Brendon shook his head. “That seems like… I dunno, an exploit? Like this guy, uh, Ven’dor, is cheating.” Rinaxis shrugged in response.

  “Venn’dar.” He thought for a moment before continuing. “It’s a title in the language of the world he’s from, now long gone. In your people’s language it would be something like… Animal Collector. Or… Menagerie Keeper. As to him cheating… Venn’dar is one of the older Ravagers, a Story who was collected so many worlds back in the Depth’s journey that to most, he’s just been around forever. In that time, he’s gotten very good at knowing what he can, and can’t get away with.”

  Ginny shook her head, thinking back to the way the unsettling grey skinned man had directly addressed the Depths during their meeting, explaining his actions and justifying how he had not violated any rules. “Okay, well, we were just outside of a town, that’s probably a better place than out in the middle of the spooky woods. We can head there for now.” Brendon shrugged and nodded in agreement, and she looked back at Rinaxis who was watching the two of them closely. “Can the kids stay in here?” Rinaxis looked over at the kids, then back at her and shrugged. “Like I said, I can’t make any of you leave unless you break the rules, so I can’t stop them. Whether or not it’s a good idea is another matter. Remember what I said about making sure your Story stays interesting. That goes for them too.” Ginny stared back at him, her frown morphing into a full-on glare. “They’re kids.” Rinaxis stared back at her, beady eyes meeting her narrow ones steadily. “And?” Ginny clenched her fists as Brendon rubbed the back of his head, looking uncomfortable. “I mean… I just figured… the Depths wouldn’t be interested in kids. Maybe they’d be exempt from… all of this.” Rinaxis sighed, looking over at the young man. “This is another one of those things your people’s stories and expectations are gonna get wrong. And if a lot of people think your kids are somehow an exception to this, or safe from everything that’s coming, or that they won’t be granted power based on the Depth’s interest just like adults, then it’s going to end really, really badly.” Ginny glared at the melon, then whirled around, grabbing the harpoon from where she’d leaned it against the wall with one hand, and grabbing Norah’s hand with the other, Mark falling in next to her with his usual silent anxiety. Ginny stomped over to the open archway into the room, Brendon quickly following her. “This Depths System of yours?” She looked back over her shoulder at Rinaxis, who continued to watch them all with a mild detached interest. “It really sucks.”

  The melon let out another wet-sounding sigh as he bent over and retrieved another glass bottle from under the counter.

  “It don’t belong to me, kid. But we all sure belong to it.”

  ***

  As they slowly approached the scattered buildings that marked the edge of Hope’s Fall proper, Ginny looked over Norah once more. The little girl had been noticeably struggling as they walked, but Ginny had been reluctant to carry her in case another Stitch Beast lunged out at them. Hopefully, there’d be somewhere with walls at least ahead, that they could get inside of and take a break. She sighed tiredly.

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  She knew that expecting some strange and ancient magical system that travelled around the universe dumping monsters on planets just to force the people living on those planets to do something that it would find entertaining, to make allowances for kids was unreasonable. Ridiculous, even. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling of restrained anger and annoyance she’d felt ever since they left Rinaxis’ shop earlier. It was just wrong. It was all wrong, but this felt different somehow.

  “You, uh… are you alright?” She glanced over at Brendon, who was walking alongside her, with Mark and Norah between them in the middle of the road. Ginny raised an eyebrow, turning back to the buildings they were approaching. “Not really, no. My day was bad before an evil clown popped out of a boat to tell me my whole life was a terrible movie. Somehow, everything happening since then keeps finding new ways to get worse, though.”

  “Uh, I mean, yeah, that’s rough. You just… kind of seem…” Ginny cut him off before he could fumble for just what she kind of seemed. “It’s the thing with the kids. That’s just… what kind of Stories does it want kids to show it? It’s just another stupid, messed up thing that’s set up to make us get ourselves killed in this and I CAN’T…” She took a deep breath, loosening her grip on her harpoon, where her knuckles had gone white. “It just sucks.” She ended lamely.

  Brendon was silent for a moment, before opening his mouth to say something, hesitating and closing it, then opening it again. “Is it because that’s part of your Story? Which, is, like… you?” She glanced over at him, still irritated. “What?” He rubbed the back of his head, something she’d noticed him doing when he seemed unsure or nervous.

  “Well like… in your movie. Your character, or I guess you, your whole thing was getting all the kids at the camp somewhere safe right? You weren’t even in the scenes where Johnny, Wallace and Deputy Baker went into the woods to find the Blood Drinker Queen for the first time, since you were getting all the kids evacuated to Old Lady Mabel’s bomb shelter.” He explained, some of his nervousness disappearing as he talked about the movie that was her life. Ginny sighed again. “It’s really weird hearing you talk about all that even though I just met you.” Brendon coughed. “S-sorry. But the point is, that was what you did, it was a huge part of your Story. Which is you. So, now you see kids being put in danger, and being told you can’t just tuck them away somewhere safe, and it feels wrong to you.”

  Ginny kicked the asphalt in annoyance. “It IS wrong.” Brendon waved a hand in the air. “I’m not saying it’s not. It’s just… that’s probably why you’re thinking about it so much.”

  Shaking her head, Ginny gave Norah’s hand a squeeze and then focused on the edge of town. It wasn’t that she disagreed with Brendon, not exactly. She grimaced. I turned down the Chosen One path because I didn’t want someone or something else directing me where to go, or what to do. That melon said that we’re all writing our own stories. With all that in mind, the idea that some part of her was being compelled to act a certain way, even in a way she disagreed with was… frustrating. To put it mildly.

  “Welcome to Hope Falls, the most aptly named town in the continental USA.” Brendon shook her from her brooding. Ginny had noticed that, at least when not actively terrified for his life, the young man was the kind of person who never shut up. He’d almost stayed behind back in the shop, clearly eager to ask Rinaxis more questions, and had only reluctantly followed Ginny and the kids out after Rinaxis had assured him that he’d still be there to be interrogated after they found a safer entrance to his shop than out in the middle of the spooky woods.

  Spooky woods that, despite all his chattering, Brendon had not explained why he was out in, in the middle of the night. Before Ginny could decide if she wanted to pursue that, he continued. “Not that most of the people here have much hope for it to fall. Hooray life in a small town, right?” Giving her a sardonic grin, Brendon nodded at the buildings they were approaching. On the right side of the road was a small two pump gas station with a worn wooden sign hanging slightly crooked over the closed door that read ‘GUS’. Opposite it was a rickety looking wooden shack with no sign on it at all, which looked like it could have Rinaxis’ shop inside it.

  “No idea what’s with the sign. No one does, as far as I know.” Ginny glanced over at him and raised an eyebrow. “It’s not the owner?” Brendon shook his head in response. “Nope. Woman named Belle owns and runs it. She doesn’t know either, it was apparently there when she bought the place. From a man who was also not named Gus.”

  “Okay?” Ginny wasn’t sure how to respond, and Brendon shrugged, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. “Like I said, hooray life in a small town. Behold our exotic and fascinating mysteries.” Brendon dropped his hand to his side and squinted down the road. “This place is barely alive during the day, and in the middle of the night like this, it’s gonna be hard to find anyone awake.” Ginny glanced down at Norah and Mark, the latter of whom was shifting from foot to foot nervously, while the former was struggling to keep her eyes open. “We should go to the police. They might be able to help us find their dad.” Brendon pointed deeper into town. “The sheriff’s office is down this road a few blocks, near the center of town. Although, they’re all probably asleep too.”

  Brendon had barely finished talking when the piercing wail of a siren shattered the quiet, making Mark and Norah scream out in terror. Ginny stumbled to the side, yanking Norah close to her while bringing up the harpoon defensively. Mark stumbled back a few steps, while Brendon stared blankly as red and blue lights flashed on and shot towards them, the police cruiser coming around the corner of the gas station and skidding to a stop in front of them.

  “Or, you know, they’re wide awake and right there.” Ginny rolled her eyes, lowering the harpoon once she recognized the source of the siren, though she kept a firm grip on Norah, who was staring at the cruiser with wide eyes.

  “That’s fine though, we can get some help, maybe a ride, and…” Brendon trailed off as he glanced over at Ginny. “…Oh.” She looked back at him, confused. “Oh?” She glanced down at herself and took a second to consider what she currently looked like, liberally coated in blood and gore, a knife sticking out of her pocket, a harpoon clenched in one hand and a small, scared-looking child in the other. “…Oh.”

  The the door to the cruiser flew open and the shadowed figure of a police officer leapt out, immediately pulling a gun from the holster on his hip and pointing it at Ginny. “Drop it drop it drop it! Drop the weapon!”

  Ginny started to raise her hands, then quickly let go of both the harpoon and Norah’s hand, wincing as her weapon clattered against the asphalt. “Hands in the air! Hands! In! The! AIR!” Ginny stretched her arms above her head, and took a small step to the side, at the risk of setting off what was clearly an extremely on edge man with a gun, but trying to keep Norah from being in the direction the gun was pointing. The little girl in question immediately made that pointless by following her to the side, wrapping tiny arms around Ginny’s leg.

  “Back away from the kid! Back up, now!” Ginny made a half-hearted effort to step away, ending up half-dragging Norah with her as the little girl continued to cling onto her. Arms still in the air, she shrugged apologetically to the police officer. Before he could shout anything else at her, Brendon stepped forward, his hands also raised.

  “Hey, okay, let’s be cool. It’s uh… not as bad as it looks?” Brendon frowned slightly as the police officer turned to him, gun lowered slightly but still pointed in his general direction. “I mean, with the scope of things, I guess it’s probably worse than it looks. But not in the way you’re thinking!” Brendon quickly reassured the police officer, who was squinting at him suspiciously. “You know, worse in the ‘end of the world’ kind of way, not the ‘crazy lady chops up kids in the woods’ kind of way.

  “You’re not helping.” Ginny glared at Brendon, as the cop lowered his gun further.

  “Fouth? Is that you?” The police officer stared at Brendon. “It is you. Is this some kind of drug thing?” Ginny blinked and looked over at Brendon again.

  “A drug thing? Brendon, why would the police officer assume this was a drug thing?” Brendon winced but didn’t look at her, focused on the officer. “Hi Doug. No, this isn’t a drug thing. It’s an end of the world thing. You know, the blue screens? Monsters? An evil clown?”

  The police officer, Doug, apparently, shook his head. “Haven’t seen any monsters. Sheriff thinks those blue screens and clown are a drug thing, and you being out here makes me think he was right.” Brendon groaned in response, and Ginny stared at him incredulously.

  “That… that doesn’t make sense. That’s… why would that… how…” Ginny threw a panicked glance at Brendon. “People actually act like this?” Ginny looked back at the police officer aghast, as he holstered his gun, producing a pair of handcuffs from his belt. “I thought that was just my movie because, you know, it was terrible.” Brendon sighed in response, lowering his hands and bringing his wrists together in what Ginny couldn’t help but notice felt like a very practiced motion.

  “It’s a classic.”

  Ginny sighed as well, presenting her wrists to be cuffed. Well, this is going well. If this WAS like my movie, this would be the part where I’d say something about things not being able to get worse, only for something terrible to happen with a ham-handed sense of dramatic irony.

  A blue screen popped up in front of her, and she noticed everyone else flinching in a way that indicated it had popped up for them too.

  Warning! Grace Period ends in one hour!