A/N: Written for Marvel for the GGE17.

There was mist. Real foggy, I could barely see my boots or my hands in front of my face, never mind the road. But I could feel the hard bitumen, as I trod along. It was dark, but not night. Twilight. Or was it dawn? I don't know, it was cold.

I searched my jacket pockets, trouser pockets. Wanted a torch, but all I had on me was a lighter. Better than nothing. I flicked it on, the flame glowing a little bubble in front of me.

It was too quiet. Couldn't hear nothing but my footsteps and my breathing, mixing into the fog.

I damn near tripped when I reached the curb. But I caught myself on some wood. A letterbox. Got a splinter, I grabbed it so hard. The number was gone, maybe it had been nailed on some point though, 'cause there was an imprint on the wood, the outer parts were more faded. Maybe a one, or a seven.

I stepped up over the curb properly. Still couldn't see nothing, but it felt like grass underfoot, soft.

I walked on, slow and steady, one hand stretching out, trying to feel something. No gloves, my fingertips were getting numb.

I don't know how much time passed. I don't know if I was walking straight or in circles, if I'm being real honest. It was just me and my lighter in the mist.

My neck started prickling. The kind of feeling you get when there are eyes on you. I turned around, but of course, I couldn't see no one. Turned back, kept walking in the direction I thought I had been going. The air seemed to stretch on in all directions, on and on. No incline, no change in the texture, just flat grass.

Then I heard a rustling. Crunching. Like someone creeping over dead leaves. I stopped, tried to listen. Nothing.

I started walking again, heard it again. This must've happened three or four times, same thing.

I got the feeling something was playing with me. Following me.

I didn't have nothing on me, not my gun, not a knife. If whatever was out there wanted to come at me, I had nothing to fight back with but my own two fists.

And I wasn't feeling too good. That cold air was sapping the strength out of me. Making me lightheaded, like I was going pass out.

I started walking faster, waving my hands out, crazy like. Trying to find something, anything solid in this endless void. The rustling kept up. I started running. Breathing real heavy. I thought maybe I could hear something else breathing too, but I didn't stop to find out. Blood was thumping in my temples, heartbeat galloping faster than my feet over the grass.

Suddenly, I smacked into something. Fell straight onto my ass. I pulled myself up, dizzy as hell. Came face to face with a tree trunk. I can't tell you how glad I was to see something other than mist for a change. It was a big thing, too wide for me to wrap my arms around. I know 'cause I tried. Yeah, I hugged the damn thing, even though it had tried to knock me out. Maybe I had a concussion or something.

I felt my way around the rough bark. Ginger though, trying not to get any more splinters. The ground was bumpy with its roots. I looked around, tried to make out if there were any more trees, see if I'd wandered into a forest.

And I saw light. An orange, yellow kind of glow. A window. I'd found a house! I almost jumped with joy.

Trying not to run into any more surprises, I approached more slowly. Lucky I did, 'cause I bumped into some steps. Rickety wooden steps. I climbed up one at a time, holding a beam for balance. Must've been a bit dizzy still. Got up to a porch. Found the sloping wall and fumbled my way along to the front door.

It wasn't locked. The hinges squeaked as it swung open. I stepped inside and closed it behind me, shutting out that mist. Slipped my lighter back into my pocket.

There were shoes, all different sizes, lined up in the hall. It was dark, but I could see some light peaking out from under a door. I wasn't sure whether to call out or keep quiet.

I kept my mouth shut for then, crept up to the door with light. I rested my hand on the knob, trying to bring my breathing under control. I put my ear up to the wood. Thought I heard a murmur.

Don't know what overtook me, but I just went for it. Threw open the door. There was no one there.

A fire was crackling, maybe that's what I'd heard. I rested myself in an armchair, groaning and moaning on account of my aching bones. I held my hands up to the heat, defrosting my white fingers.

A fierce tiredness swept over me, and my eyelids were heavy. Felt liked I'd been run over by a truck. Last thing I remember was the blurry flames. Then I fell asleep.

Something startled me awake. A bang, maybe a slamming door. I jumped up, whorled around, but I was still alone.

The fire had gone out, but there was a bit of light, dim and blueish, coming through the window. Still too misty to see out past the porch.

My mouth was tacky, dry. I grumbled my way back to the hallway. Only, it looked different. Familiar, but different. The shoes were gone.

I opened a couple doors, a study, a linen closet. Found a kitchen. I tipped my head to the spout to have a drink. The water was chilly, made my teeth ache. I chugged out of that tap a long while, but no matter how much I drank, I was still thirsty. Eventually, the cold was too much, and I turned the damn thing off.

I was hungry, but I didn't try looking for food. Something about the fridge made me feel uneasy.

I wandered around from room to room. Quiet, still, something eerie humming in the walls. There was niggling in the back of mind. I can't explain it. Something that made me want to run.

Now I usually trust my gut on these sorts of things. But where was I gonna run to? It had taken me ages, probably hours to find this place in that thick fog. Smart thing to do was to stay put, wait for the fog to lift, then…

It's the darndest thing. I don't know what I was going to do when the fog lifted. Leave, I guess. But go where?

I had no idea where I was, let alone where to go. Surely, when the mist cleared up, it would be obvious.

But it wasn't. It's not. Come to think of it, I don't know what happened next. I must have escaped. I mean, left. Left that creepy house.

Because I'm here, at home. With you two.

Probably just still a bit woozy from the concussion. Things just seem a little off. There's some gaps.

What I remember next is…Waking up, in the mist. Could barely see my hands in front of my face. So I started walking, trying to find my way out.

A/N: Please review! It will make me very happy.