The Trees Don’t Look Real…
I don't remember how I got here; in fact, I don't remember anything. I look around. There are only trees and a field of grass stretching to the horizon. There doesn't seem to be anyone else here. The sky is completely clear, and the sun is already on the horizon; it will be night soon. The strange thing is that the sky shows no signs of darkening or setting.
I try to climb one of the trees to see the terrain from above, but I notice something strange. The bark is flat. Although it seems to have deformities and roughness, to the touch it feels like… plastic. I check the leaves too; they are placed uniformly and are all identical. It doesn't look real.
When I approach others, the same thing happens. They are too slippery to climb. With nothing else to do, I lay down on the grass. Like the trees, it is completely flat. The grass looks like it's painted on a smooth floor.
At least now I'm not sleepy, but it's going to be hard to sleep on such a hard floor. I hope I don't spend enough time here to actually have to, but I can't think of any way to escape.
In an instant, the sun disappears, and the sky turns black. Everything plunges into absolute darkness. I can barely see the trees, but between their silhouettes I notice something else: a human figure.
As quickly as I see it, it disappears back into darkness. I'm not sure how to feel. At least I'm no longer alone here, but if that person waited until darkness to appear, I don't think it's safe to approach them.
I spend the night trying not to let my guard down, which isn't hard for me. At no point do I feel hungry or sleepy. Instead, there's nothing to do, and time drags on endlessly. So much time alone makes many questions pop into my head.
Where am I? This must be a dream, maybe a hallucination. It's the only thing I can think of. Clearly I'm not in the real world. Everything seems way too fake.
Just then I notice the silhouette is there again. Maybe they know what's going on. However, they seem to have realised that I've spotted them, because they vanish into the darkness.
Suddenly, the light returns. The sky is clear, and trees appear in the field again. I don't see the person who was watching me; however, a noise interrupts me. It's right behind me.
—What are you doing here? —says the voice.
I turn around slowly so as not to alarm her. She is holding a knife menacingly. It doesn't look like she wants to attack me, but she's ready to use it if she thinks I'm going to hurt her.
—I don't know where I am, nor even who I am. I need your help, please — I ask her.
She starts to hesitate. I notice fear in her eyes. I don't think I've convinced her.
“Do you know who I am? “ she says, gripping the knife tighter.
The question catches me off guard. I have no idea who she is, but if she knows me, it doesn't look like she trusts me. She looks at me with a mix of terror and hatred.
”I don't know. I promise you I don't. I won't hurt you, just let me go” I reply.
These last words enrage her. She starts running towards me. I try to flee, but she follows me swiftly. There is nowhere around here to hide; there are only trees and more trees and…
There's something on the horizon. Maybe that's the exit. I run as fast as I can, but she keeps pace with me. It looks like a house. Maybe that's where she lives. If I get there before her, maybe I can arm myself too.
I finally reach the house. The door is open. I rush inside while looking for somewhere to hide, but it's too late. She's already here. She looks me in the eyes before attacking me with the knife. Luckily, I find one in a drawer. I dodge her strike and manage to stab her in the back.
She falls to the floor. No blood comes out, but she doesn't move either. I stare at the body. I think I killed her. I walk over to her… She's not breathing. I have to find help right now; maybe the exit is close. I have to save her.
I run upstairs quickly. The room is empty, except for a hole in the floor. Maybe it’s the exit. I have nothing to lose by checking. I fall into the hole as everything turns black.
I take off the virtual reality goggles. It takes me a few seconds to process everything as my memories return. Bianca is lying on the floor, still wearing the goggles and unmoving. I pick her up and sit her on the chair. I grab three belts from my closet and tie her arms and back to the chair. I’m not going to let her escape again.
I look at the monitor: the giant hole is still in the living room. I don't know how such a huge bug could have happened. Once the exit is patched up, I look for Bianca.
She is still lying on the entrance, but it won't be so easy for her to rest. I press a few keys and she wakes up again. It takes her a few seconds to understand the situation, but eventually she looks at the camera. Upon seeing my face, she starts crying and backs away.
“How about we play a game? “ I ask her, but she ignores me.
If she doesn't want to talk, I won’t force her. I close the room where she is and slow down the game's clock. Maybe a couple of months alone will make her reflect. Afterwards, she'll be begging to play with me.
