TDM #003

[bequiet]

TEST DRIVE MEME
You wake, standing. A thick, muddy red dust coats your skin and clothes - it sticks to your tongue and blocks your vision. Inhale and it chokes you, exhale and your breath puffs out in front of your face in a transparent maroon cloud. It tastes of copper, tangy and harsh. Movement is difficult, every limb tingles and aches. Look to your left, your right. Evenly spaced in each direction stands another person indistinguishable in every way from the next. You're disoriented and lethargic, unable to grasp onto a single thought. A pinprick of light blooms ahead and grows steadily larger; a door has opened.

Hands grip your wrists, push at the small of your back and guide you out of the darkness into a room with four walls and a thin, sagging ceiling. The plaster is peeling, the air is musty, and the floor is slick. White plastic piping juts up from the center and curves into multiple spouts, clean water flowing in uneven streams. Those hands pull your clothes off and clear the dust from your body, redress you in handsewn jumpsuits.

A finger is pressed to your lips. Kind eyes meet your own and a single word is whispered - hush.

Led out of the room in a line, you’re taken down a short hallway and into another, much larger room. There’s a woman waiting for you there, a child hugging her leg, and a cloth bag in her hands. She reaches in and pulls out a device, passes one to each of you. Once finished, she begins to move both hands in graceful gestures, a language. One of the people who helped you lifts their device and the screen lights up, tracks the woman’s hands. Letters appear on the screen and you understand the device’s purpose. She tells you what she knows and it’s not much.

This world is haunted. Noise attracts them, so it is not allowed. Communication is through body language, soundless writing, and the device. She tells you that your feet must be light and your mouth never used. There is a community outside these doors, where you can survive together, but only if you agree to one thing: complete and total silence. You'll have time to talk it over. Acceptance allows you to journey outside. The ground is marked in pathways of sand, lining the paths to each building and everywhere in between. You notice that the locals hold their devices always, aloft and glance to it often. It will not vibrate or make a sound to signal a message.

Notices appear. Rules. Guidelines. Feet on the sand and never anywhere else. To open a door you brush your fingers along the hinges - oiled and you may enter. If not, take the brush from the can sitting nearby and coat the metal with the dark liquid. You're to settle into your new home.

Caught me unawares
Content Warnings: Confusion, disorientation
Themes: Survival, horror, it's like groundhog day

The ending of the floor has caught me unawares. This must be the reason why I’m falling down the stairs.

That night, when you fall asleep, you dream of your life before The Quiet Place. At first it's the happiest moments of your life played on repeat, over and over. Everything good and sweet and fun. The second night, it's much the same. You go to bed anticipating another restful and pleasant sleep. But on the third night it changes.

For everyone, it starts the same. There's a long hallway with a door at the end. You walk towards it with nowhere else to go. You twist the knob and when you step forward, the floor ends and you fall. Falling lasts for seconds, minutes, or hours and when you land, it's with a jolt and a cloud of red dust all around you. There's someone else next to you, stumbling, coughing and choking on that familiar dirt that coats your tongue and mouth. When your eyes meet, everything blurs and you're falling again - this time, when you land, it's inside that dream from the first night. Only you're not alone. They're with you. The only way out is to experience the dream together. And when you do wake up, for real, that same red dirt is on your hands.

Falling down the stairs
Content Warnings: Confusion, disorientation
Themes: Survival, horror, it's like groundhog day

The ending of the floor has caught me unawares. This must be the reason why I’m falling down the stairs.

That night, when you fall asleep, you dream of your life before The Quiet Place. At first it's the worst moments of your life played on repeat, over and over. Everything bad and sour and awful. The second night, it's much the same. You go to bed anticipating another restless and dreadful sleep. But on the third night it changes.

For everyone, it starts the same. There's a long hallway with a door at the end. You walk towards it with nowhere else to go. You twist the knob and when you step forward, the floor ends and you fall. Falling lasts for seconds, minutes, or hours and when you land, it's with a jolt and a cloud of red dust all around you. There's someone else next to you, stumbling, coughing and choking on that familiar dirt that coats your tongue and mouth. When your eyes meet, everything blurs and you're falling again - this time, when you land, it's inside that nightmare from the first night. Only you're not alone. They're with you. The only way out is to experience the nightmare together. And when you do wake up, for real, that same red dirt is on your hands.

OOC
From your mods:

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NAVIGATION

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Comments

[oorah]

[ if he can do it, he knows she'll pick it up fast. most of the kids here picked it up twice as quick as the adults anyway. frank nods encouragingly when she copies the greeting. she'll be just fine. ]

Good job, sweetheart. [ he then starts on the alphabet with her since that would seem the most familiar to a child from his perspective. he'll go from a to z until she starts signing the letters with him. ]

[culver]

[There haven't been many times in her life where someone has actually sat down with Nill and tried to teach her something. Badou had tried with sewing, but her skills there are next to hopeless. Cooking had come naturally, and who needs to be taught to sweep? So this is new, and she'd be lying if she didn't think it was exciting. Her face holds nothing but laser-focused concentration, and her wings are completely still behind her.

The communication device is still picking up his movements, translating the letters as he goes. Her eyes dart between the screen and his hands as she tries to keep up with him. There's a slight hesitation before each letter for her, as she tries to mimic him perfectly. Nill doesn't think she's ever wanted to learn something so badly in her life, and she isn't about to mess up and risk him deciding she isn't worth the effort.]

[oorah]

[ that's definitely not about to happen, but nill is a quick study anyway just like he knew she'd be. he spends a long time, running through the alphabet and simple phrases. Hello, How are you?, What's your name?, My name is Nill. stuff like that. he doesn't stop until his hands get tired and he can tell she's worn out too.

frank gets up and max does too, easily slotting his bulky canine body against his owner's equally bulky leg. ] Same time next week? [ he signs as he slips his device back in his pocket. between the sunday lessons and frank to practice with, she'll get the language in no time flat. and maybe, just maybe, he'll earn some trust along the way. ]

[culver]

[Her hands and arms ache, but Nill doesn't mind. There's a certain satisfaction that comes from pain earned through hard work. She thinks Bishop said that in a sermon once. She never thought it would apply to her, but she feels... good about this. Like she's really accomplishing something.

She doesn't realize that so much time has passed until he stands, preparing to leave. The sun has moved, and her legs are stiff from sitting so long. But none of that matters as she moves to stand, wings flaring as they stretch too. It only takes her a moment to recognize the signs--they'd just gone over them, after all--and she nods in affirmation, also raising her hands to sign Yes.

Nill looks at him for a moment, considering. Then, quickly: Thank you, PB. Accompanied by a smile.]