Kate sped through the empty streets of a silent city. The shadows on buildings looked like black inky nothingness almost sucking the color out of the walls. Her mind raced unable to make a coherent thought meanwhile a nagging anxious feeling took dominance in her mind pushing her forward. She fidgeted with the folds in her skirt, gripping it and trying to relax herself. The dull grey and black of her tank top and skirt matched the ambience of the city. It was dull and strange with many off features Kate noted as and almost dream-like experience.
This wasn't like a normal city, it looked almost idealistic and fabricated. There were lights on in clothing shops and the like but nobody was there and they seemed too bright for what they were. They contrasted harshly with the darks sidewalk with seemingly with no gradient between them. In fact, the streetlights only seemed to be illuminating a small circle of light directly from where they were pointing but the bulbs didn't seem to shine brighter than the light hitting the ground. Even though there was no one on the streets or driving Kate felt a growing pressure on her shoulders as if someone were watching her. She turned around only to be met by unending empty city on both sides of her.
When she turned around to face forward her body jumped and she stopped. There was the faintest hint of a figure way off in the distance. It was a blurred dark blob that turned a grey muddy color against lights from either the streetlights or the buildings. As it came closer it took shape. Kate suddenly got the urge to run again as she realized this figure was a person, running right at her. Running like mad. This pressure to move that she only felt in her shoulders a minute ago moved down her back and into her chest. She scanned the desolate streets looking for an alleyway to run into. She thought surely she'd be invisible under the almost black shadows that covered the city. There was an opening between two buildings ahead of her. She sprinted quickly into it and pushed herself as far as she could into the alley without being completely covered by shadows.
For a moment Kate reflected what had gotten her there. She thought it had to be a dream or something like a dream. Although the last place she could remember being was not in her bed. It was at her desk, she had been editing her friend's journal, diary? Book. Jenn wasn't a good writer, that was obvious. She wrote something akin to fanfiction but played it off as her own ideas. Like the one Kate had been fixing was her own self-insert Creepypasta story. The only original thing Jenn had bothered to put into it was a character that was just a more attractive version of herself. She called that character Victoria. Now Kate could live with the fact that Jenn was doing it for fun, but when she had brought up the idea to try to enter it into a young writer's competition; Kate wanted to save her the embarrassment.
Why Kate thought that meant she should steal the journal that her dearest friend had been working on for months, is beyond anyone's comprehension. With it in her possession she made changes to the story, to fit her own ideals it seemed, making it into a more "acceptable" version. Kate's perfectionist attitude caused her to work on the journal for months. At that point it had almost become her hobby and she was good at it. She had rewritten the characters with depth and a realistic backstory. They appeared so real to her it was as if they were whispering in her ear telling her what to write.
In that moment she'd realized why she was there and what this place was. The thing snapping her back to reality were loud footsteps that seemed to echo and boom on the sidewalk, perhaps to pruposefully get her attention. That feeling, that damn nervous feeling she felt in her shoulders was back and she knew why. She peered out from the alleyway and down the street at the figure. It was a clear silhouette with color, no longer a messy blob in her vision.
It was a boy, just a kid with an ugly mosaic of a face. His buzzcut was patchy and his hairline was uneven. Kate could even tell from far away that it was due to his uneven skin that was burnt in some areas, going from a pale milky color to an irritated red shade. What stood out as the most red was a cheshire like mouth, although he didn't quite get through the flesh on his cheeks.
Even though everything within her before wanted to run and hide, she was suddenly intrigued. A mischevious small spread across her face as she thought up a plan to stop him dead in his tracks. She peered out looking onto the street again, he was closer now but not close enough. For a few seconds she listened to just his heavy footsteps until they sounded like they were right next to her. Her leg lunged out of the alleyway, catching the boys foot, tripping him. He made a dull thud as he hit the ground and let out a loud grunt
"F-fuck," the kid said, whispering.
He looked up and around him but saw no one on the sidewalk with him, his eyes wandered off to the side soon catching a bright green pair. This caused him to flinch as a long haired figure strode out of the alleyway. He wasn't scared for long as he realized it was just a girl with a concerned look on her face.
"You alright kid?" Kate reached her hand out but he rejected the gesture and stood up himself.
She wondered why but then noticed the scrapes on his hands and instead offered her jacket, instead of grabbing it he looked confused.
"For your hands, just take it," She shook the jacket and dropped it into his arms.
"Uh, thanks?"
"What happened to your face kid, it's pretty nasty" Kate said with sing-song inflections in her voice.
Kate knew that she couldn't outright say that she knew who he was. Even if this world was a dream, she hardly ever had control of her dreams, for she rarely dreamt in general. It was very unlikely that this was a dream, it was so vivid, and in the case that this was real, someone else had to be in control of it.
"It was an accident, not my fault" He explained looking down at the ground refusing to make eye contact.
"Do you need any help, a place to go?"
"N-no thanks, I need to go"
His eyes went wild, and he started to look visibly paranoid. The initial shock of falling must of worn off as he remembered what he was doing before it. Kate stood still in front of him, not knowing what to do. Should she block his path? It seemed like the only thing to do but also maybe the worst option, as this kid for sure was a violent psycopath.
"Wait!" She held her hands out in front of her, "You're injured, we need to get you inside", looking around at the buildings surrounding them.
She beamed as her eyes stumbled upon a small 2-story building, in which the door had a red striking glass panel which stood out against the black, white, and grey world. Before even realizing it, Kate had grabbed him by the arm.
"My house is right over there, I'll help you" She insisted, now puling him by the arm.
"Wait, WAIT!" He yelled forcing himself from her grip. "Don't you have family in there?"
"Not home right now, so c'mon before someone sees you" She grips his arm again, reassuring him with a playful tone.