Young Writers Society

"I agree! But we should trick them into giving us information instead, I do not know how to torture people." Idalia couldn't believe those words left her mouth and she blamed her weird friends.

"I'm pulling your leg, that's all," he said with amusement. "I'm not into torturing people for no reason."

“And the kidnapping is okay?” Neo stared at them.

"And you know how to torture with reasoning?" Idalia may be drunk but that sentence needed to be picked apart. "Where are you from? Exactly?" She didn't feel as inebriated anymore.

Neo nodded in agreement, casting a quick glance at the woman in turn. These two people were definitely different, different from him - but then again this whole place seemed like something out of a fevered nightmare.

"Irrelevant. What matters is that we aren't from this world, and for some reason we're here now. Have either of you experienced something like this before?"

Idalia shook her head vehemently, causing her to become woozy. "No, never. What even is this place?"

Neo shrugged. “Nothing seems to fit. The people, the buildings. It’s all so different,” he bit his lip, already knowing the next thing was going to say would sound stupid.

“It’s almost like it’s a lot of places rather than one,” he waved his hands awkwardly. “All just kinda smooshed together.”

"True, that," Blaze replied with a frown. "There's certainly an influx of cultures here that feels unnatural. Maybe we should ask some of the locals?"

"What if they're in on..." Idalia waved her arm dramatically. "This?" She sipped some water.

"I'm sure they are. That's where the kidnapping comes in."

Several minutes later, Neophytos was struggling to control his most recent panic attack as the three of them sat crouched in a narrow alleyway besides the tavern, watching for a straggler to come stumbling by.

"I don't want to jump anyone, that would be extremely rude!" Idalia drank some more water and was getting a headache.

"Rude, yes," Blaze replied absently.

When at last a slightly drunk straggler staggered into the alleyway, he pounced forward, diving for the man's legs.

While the two writhed on the ground, Neo darted forewords to stuff the bar rag they had given him into the man’s mouth, muffling any sound. The deed now done, he quickly backed away again to huddle behind the woman he had learned to be called Idalia.