Young Writers Society

Evaline was barely paying attention to Jerica, not letting her ruin this otherwise peaceful moment. But she kept on talking to herself anyways, and Evaline finally looked over to see what the ruckus was about.

There was a... wrapped box on the ground? It looked like it was opened, and now Jerica was sitting on some black fabric. A towel, she claimed.

"Where did you get that?" Evaline asked, loud enough for her to hear across the other fire.

Jerica gestured vaguely at the sky. She still didn't really understand what had just happened. Or how this realm worked. At all. Maybe the sky felt bad for assaulting her with hail earlier and this was a weak attempt at an apology. She looked down and rubbed a bruise forming on her shoulder from the hail. She always bruised so easily. Finally, "... I don't know."

Evaline sighed. It was a simple question, but she wasn't going to push it.

"Let me see," she said as she got up to approach her.

Jerica shrugged and stood up, picking it up and shaking some of the dirt off, then held it out to Eve wordlessly.

Evaline held the fabric up by her forefinger and thumb, staring at it. It... looked like a weird undergarment thing. She then placed it on both her hands, feeling it. It felt soft and seemed like it was made out of the same material as tarps, like it was supposed to be weather-proof.

"You just found it in that random box over there?" she asked her in disbelief, gesturing to the box on the ground. "That's it? Nothing else?"

No other hints that would get them the hell out of here?

"There's a dumb note." Jerica nodded at the paper on the ground with her chin, but made no attempt to grab it. "Says it'll help with swimming. So, towel."

Evaline sighed through her nose, reaching down to grab the note. She was glad that Jerica didn't destroy it, but it looked like she still disposed of it. Every small note and strange object was likely a hint out of this place, and she needed to be more careful.

For the next time you decide to go for a swim...

Evaline pieced it together. The undergarment-like appearance. The synthetic waterproof material.

"I think it's a swimsuit," she said as she put the note in her pocket and then held the swimsuit up with both hands, staring at the front. "Do you have any idea how... who... would send something like this...?"

"No," Jerica answered, staring at the 'swimsuit' in Eve's hands. "I still don't know what it is. It just... appeared."

Right then, Jerica saw yet another one of the weird boxes falling from the sky. She gestured at it wildly, hoping Eve would see it so she could get some confirmation that she was not, in fact, crazy -- but that there were actually presents falling from the sky.

Evaline was about to retort that swimsuits didn't just appear out of thin air, but then Jerica wildly gestured at a spot next to the other fire. Evaline looked to see what she could possible be pointing at, and her mind froze as she saw the same wrapped box floating in the air with what appeared to be a balloon.

Evaline flicked her eyes between the present and Jerica, more confused than ever. Although, at this point, she was no longer shocked. This place was so strange, and she was slowly getting used to it.

She tossed the swimsuit over to Jerica and walked towards the present, which seemed to be following her own steps and getting closer to her until it was low enough that it was able to drop in her hands.

For whatever reason, Jerica opened a similar box and obtained a swimsuit. What could be in this box?

Hesitating, Evaline opened the lid.

Inside was a lacy set of lingerie.


Folded in the panties was a note that read: So you'll both be more comfortable ; )

There was mixed feelings about this one as Evaline pulled out the lacy lingerie and read the note.

One one hand, someone was clearly toying with them. On the other, her current bra and underwear was awfully uncomfortable since it was still damp, and this present was a fix to that.

Evaline stared at the lingerie for far too long before placing the note in her pocket and then making her decision. She turned towards Jerica, holding the lacy undergarments out.

"Well, which one do you want to wear while we dry off?" she asked. "This, or the swimsuit?"

Jerica stared at her -- straight through whatever the fuck she was holding. Straight. Through. That wasn't something you wore. It looked like something to set on top of a table before a vase of flowers was placed on top.

Jerica blinked at her.

And then her brain slowly pieced it together. She was asking if Jerica would rather Eve pull her tits out again, or if Jerica wanted to take her turn showing off her boobs this time. Jerica took the 'swimsuit' back. "I'll take the towel."

She wandered back to the fire and sat on the now-hot rock next to it, then draped the fabric across her back and stretched it until it covered her shoulders, wishing it were bigger so that it would actually keep her back from being cold.

"Swimsuit," Evaline corrected, but it didn't seem to do any good since Jerica laid on it like it was a towel. A short, weird, waterproof towel, but whatever.

"I'm going to change," she announced so she didn't get any future snark from Jerica. She then dipped behind the trees, changed into the new undergarments, and then draped her old wet ones on the tree. It appeared that the jumpsuits were indeed drying faster over the fire.

Evaline looked down at her new outfit. It hardly even provided any concealment since the lace was see-through, but at least it was something.

She walked back to the fire Jerica was at. "You're supposed to wear that," she said before sitting across from her on a flat rock, staring at the swimsuit she was indeed using like a beach towel.

Jerica had figured that much out. But she still wasn't going to do that. She still didn't know where this mysterious present had come from or who was watching them -- because someone clearly was -- but she didn't plan to give them the satisfaction of playing into that plan any more than she planned to fall into their ambush. "I'm almost dried off."

Evaline shrugged, even though she was sure Jerica was lying. She didn't really care if she wanted to stay wet and uncomfortable, though.

"The presents," she said instead. "Their contexts are tailored for us, especially when considering the notes." She paused. "Someone's watching our every move and toying with us."

With presents, of all things.