I opened my eyes and looked at the sky, lifting up my head. I was in a forest, but everything looked…different. I blinked and rubbed my eyes a few times, maybe I was just tired. I opened them again, but the area looked the exact same. What happened? I thought as I rubbed some dirt and leaves from my hair.

I lifted myself up, but wobbled as I did so, losing balance. My new surroundings made me feel dizzy. It looked kind of like something out of a movie. I walked to a tree, trying to keep myself steady as I did so, and felt it. It felt like any other tree, like rough bark, but it looked weird, like it was outlined in black, as if it were a cartoon. Something was very, very wrong.

I felt myself panic. I adjusted myself and remembered I had my backpack and bag with me. I then heard something moan and crunch the leaves and twigs behind me. I looked back, and walking slowly towards me was a monster. But it looked feminine, with sagging breasts and prominent hips, but it had gray skin, lipless, yellowed teeth and white eyes without irises. The monster moaned louder and clawed her hands towards me, walking faster. I felt frozen and frightened: I couldn't move. She was inches away from me now, and I let out a gasp and forcibly lifted my legs and ran the other way as fast as I could, trying to dodge all the trees in front of me. My breath became jagged, and I couldn't hear the monster; the only thing penetrating my brain were the leaves crunching underneath my sneakers.

After a few seconds I looked back again, and the monster was gone. Before I could look ahead again, I collided into something hard. I stumbled backwards and shut my eyes, falling on my ass.

I then opened my eyes again and was face to face with a shotgun.

My mouth was wide open, and I was frightened. I looked to the left and saw a man holding it.

"Are you one of them?" He said. I looked next to him, and it was another man. I instantly recognized them.

The St. John brothers.

My mouth just hung wide open. I tried to say something, anything. Then, after what seemed like eternity, all that I could utter was a measly what?

"Were you bit?" The man, Andy, I think, said again.

This can't be happening. "Is this real?" I wondered aloud.

He scoffed, and brought out a chuckle. "What did you say?"

"Uh, you guys got me good." I said. Was this some game promotion? Was I on drugs? Or dreaming? "You got me. Ha ha. I'm done now. I want to go home."

Andy laughed again and brought the gun down to his side. "Are you feeling all right?" He said. "You've been bit?"

I hesitated for a moment before lifting up my sweater sleeve, showing bare skin. My hands flew over my body, feeling around. "No."

Andy cracked a smile, bringing a large hand to his chest. "How could you not know if you've been bit? Are you shitting me?" His voiced cracked up in laughter once more.

I felt at a loss. This was not real. Why am I here? I felt dizzy, like the world was spinning around way too quickly. I felt nauseous. "I don't know," I said softly.

Andy's chuckling subsided. "Oh, boy. Do you need some help?"

"Uh, sure." I replied. What's going on?

Andy then put his hands under my armpits and lifted me up. I could feel him. I could feel his hands beneath the fabric of my sweater. But he wasn't supposed to be real. For the first time since I came here I felt my face. I could feel my skin. I touched my glasses and my nose, and felt my eyelashes gently glide across the skin on my fingers. This was surreal.

"We're looking for gas," Danny suddenly spoke.

They were looking for gas. Wasn't that in the game somewhere? Was someone playing a trick on me?

"Where's your group?" Andy asked.

"I don't have one," I replied.

"You're telling me you survived out here, all by yourself?" he said.

I had to make up a story on the spot, staring at my hands, the lines on them clearly visible. "No," I responded. "I was driving with my family. The car swerved, and I blacked out," I breathed in. "Next thing I know, everyone's gone."

"They just up and disappeared?" Andy asked.

"I spent forever looking for them," I replied, a little too quickly. "But they're not anywhere."

"No clothes, footprints, nothing?"

I shook my head. "All that's left is the car."

"Why don't we go check it out, then," Andy said.

"If we have time," Danny said.

Oh shit. I shook my head slowly. "There's nothing left. Not a trace of them. Besides, I've been walking for hours."

Andy and Danny glanced at each other, and I had a hunch they didn't believe me.

Andy spoke again, "Well, if you want to come with us, you're more than welcome to. We thought we heard some people up ahead. Maybe they have gas. You have the energy to walk?

I nodded. "Yeah."

Then they started to walk and I waited until they were ahead of me. I was too scared to go in front because they might kill me or something. But then Andy slowed down and walked beside me, with Danny following suit.

"What's your name?" Andy asked.

"I'm Gemma," I replied.

"I'm Andy, and this here's my brother, Danny."

Danny quickly nodded in reply.

"Thank you for letting me come with you guys," I said.

"It's our pleasure," Andy replied.

This was so weird. This wasn't in the game. I thought I would at least meet Lee. I still felt a little dizzy. In real life, I couldn't even play Portal for too long without getting a headache. How would I get out of this? Will I ever see my family again?

My thoughts were interrupted when we arrived at a clearing, and my heart sank even deeper into my stomach. There was the motel from the game.

And there was Carley, pointing a gun at us.