"This looks like some kind of marketplace. It looks deserted, just like everywhere else… We ought to keep moving." Joseph said as you walked through a new area.

After getting past the bridge, the two of you had made it to what seemed to be the outskirts of a city. Joseph even went so far as to say that it kind of reminded him of home even though nothing looked familiar.

"Where do you suppose we are?" You asked as you looked around at the rubble.

"More like 'when'. This architecture seems straight out of the middle ages…"

You looked around a little more, taking note of certain aspects, "Yeah but there's electricity, elevators. This place can't be real…"

"It's like jumbled up memories…" Joseph then started coughing again, only this time he was coughing up blood. It wasn't a good sign, it was frustrating, and you didn't know how to help.

There were some faint growls nearby and you were immediately on high alert. Joseph had fallen into a crouch but you knew something was coming and you didn't want to stay out in the open. There wasn't much as far as hiding spots went so you dragged Joseph along and hid in a nearby bush that, if you had been standing, would have barely reached your stomach. It was something at least.

So far, only one creature had revealed itself. Deformed skin, boils, crusted blood, and a sharp wooden stick protruding through its left eye and also the back of its head; impaled, it was monstrous to look at. But then your troubles got worse…

As if the normal, people-sized creatures weren't difficult enough to deal with, two giants emerged from around a bend carrying massive spiked clubs. They walked slow but you had no doubt that they more than made up for that with brute strength. Getting past them without being noticed, that would be a feat.

"I'm scared…" You whispered, pressing close to Joseph as if just being against his body would keep you safe.

"It'll be okay," he whispered back. "I think…" You could practically hear the gears turning in his head as he made a plan, "if we get high enough on those walls, they won't be able to reach us and maybe we could get away-or maybe even take them down." He was crazy. You were absolutely sure at this point that Joseph was more insane than you.

The area you were in was made up of rubble from crumbling stone structures, a maze of walls that looked like they were mildly sturdy enough for their age, and a couple horse statues, none of which really seemed to fit in with the rest of the world. Although, in its defense, this world didn't make sense anyway. It's just a giant nightmare you have no way to wake up from because it's all really happening.

"When they're all looking away," you were already shaking your head even before he began whispering, "we're going to make our way over there," he was referring to a pile of rubble next to a crumbling portion of wall that would allow easy access upward, "and we're going to find a way out of here."

You were gripping his vest with both hands, rubbing the top of your head into his chest, and on the verge of tears, "I can't, they'll see us, we'll never make it. I'm scared…"

"Hey," Joseph tilted your head up with a finger, staring into your eyes, "we're going to be okay. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"But-"

"Shhh," Joseph pressed a finger to your lips, "we'll be okay, I promise." Then, almost as an afterthought, he placed a gentle kiss on your forehead for reassurance. With that, it was like everything suddenly melted away. You didn't feel the terror of the impending death you might experience quite as much, and you found it hard to focus on anything other than the man before you, who was now holding your hand and readying to make a move.

You took a deep breath and shut your eyes briefly before Joseph motioned that now was the time and the two of you were silently off towards the nearby pile of rubble. So far so good.

You made it, Joseph motioned for you to climb first, and then he was climbing after you. You got about ten steps on the top of the wall before seeing the head of one of the giants a few meters in front of you, somewhere in the maze, boorishly unaware of either of you-thank whatever god.

On the wall tops, there was about a foot of space-maybe more-to maneuver around on. They weren't particularly thick walls but they were big enough that it wasn't hard to balance on them as you walked. Well, the two of you more crouch-walked as you tried to remain unseen. All the same, it came as a complete surprise with the giant neither of you had noticed went crashing through a blocked archway underneath your feet, built into the wall but obviously covered up with more stone.

The wall didn't crumble into dust beneath you, and aside from the new gaping hole in the side of the wall through the previously blocked archway, everything remained intact, but the force and shock from the sudden experience had made you wobbly on your feet and you felt yourself slipping.

Joseph tried to reach for you to keep you from falling but his hard just missed yours and you tumbled onto the ground, crying out in pain as you hit a couple small rocks. Joseph cursed and pulled out his gun, having to think fast if he didn't want you to end up dead.

Before you, the giant's back filled your vision as it stood barely a meter away. Maybe it didn't know you were there, maybe you could sneak away? But then it brought its arm up and swung in a horizontal arch behind it, spinning around, now facing you, and now having actually destroyed the wall completely this time as it crumbled before you.

You scrambled to your feet and began running away, looking for an escape route. You had no weapons, and no strength, to take this monster on and-more than anything-you were afraid of dying. "Up here!" Joseph called after you and you caught a glimpse of him atop a nearby wall waving at you, trying to draw your attention. You ran his way, reaching for his outstretched hand that spelled safety if you could only get off the ground and climb higher.

You had his hand, but Joseph swung you to the side just barely in time as the giants club smacked into the stone, sending the wall shaking but unaffecting a prepared Joseph that had moved out of the way just in time to keep from falling off.

You coughed from the dirt that had been kicked up from being slightly thrown to the ground, then rolled away as you barely missed being stepped on. Your heart was pounding and you were afraid you weren't going to be able to keep outmaneuvering this thing for much longer.

Shots were fired and you took the opportunity to run away once again and tried making your way towards Joseph. "This way!" He called after you as he unloaded an entire clip into the monster chasing you.

As luck would have it, it wasn't the bullets that saved you, but rather the other giant. Just as you reached for Joseph's hand and he started to pull you up, the monster chasing you readied its arm, about to swing at you which very likely would have sent you flying and crushed every bone in your body, but its partner-the other giant-decided at that moment to come crashing in and tried taking a swing at you as well. It missed however and its club went sailing into the body of its comrade, throwing of that one's swing and very much saving your life.

Joseph pulled you up and the two of you ran until you made it to a part of the maze that seemed untouched and safe for the moment. Both of you doubted the giants would follow you as they seemed as dumb as they were strong but it still wasn't a good idea to try and hide out here.

In front of you though, which you just now noticed, were two horse statues rearing up at each other. Joseph was taking a moment to breath as you studied the statues, touching them for no real apparent reason. When your hand grazed over one of the legs of one of the horses, it easily was pushed back and there was a deep rumbling as a secret entrance opened up to a dark tunnel.

You didn't like the idea of going into the darkness but it seemed a better option than staying out here. Joseph seemed to think so as well as he looked around quickly before stating that it would probably be best to go inside.

Your initial instinct was to grab his hand and hold on tightly to his arm as you both descended. There wasn't much light, but a ways ahead of the two of you, there was a faint glow emanating and you both began your slow, cautious pace towards it.

You were beginning to really wonder if all this really was better than that year in Beacon Mental Hospital. Sure it was lonely but your life wasn't constantly in danger. Although, if you were still there, if none of this had happened, you would have never met Joseph.

And that was an alternative you didn't even want to consider.