Author: There's probably a lot of errors, so if you see one just let me know so it can be fixed. I kind of rushed through editing it (I work on them on my phone when I have the time and then I put it onto here and bold/italicize it).

July 10, 1967 (1:40 PM).

I was in a state of shock, but I could feel hands shaking me, trying to pull me back to awareness.

My eyes glazed over and soon enough my vision returned to me. I blinked clear my sight and let it first settle on Dimitri, the one shaking my shoulders a bit too roughly.

"Saria!" I heard him whisper urgently as some relief hit his face.

I felt my gaze then shift to Adela as I studied her concerned features.

"Did you two know about this?" I questioned in barely a whisper.

With the nods I recieved I knew they had perhaps been in with Toby on this gift. Dimitri wore a tired smile and I suddenly felt conflicted, as I had awhile back.

It was no lie that I liked him, but that feeling had only developed after I was at the one year mark with Toby. This explained why I was conflicted.

I missed my deceased best friend and boyfriend, but I couldn't change anything. I had to move on, but would Dimitri understand that? He liked the idea of Toby and I because he had been the one to push us together.

I released a heavy sigh as I turned my gaze down to the ring with a frown.

I gently set the box down onto the floor.

"Saria?" Adela said my name as if unsure what I was doing though she saw my movements.

"Toby's dead." Was all I said and I could feel the knife drive deeper into my aching heart. "I have to move on. He'd want that."

They nodded and then Dimitri started to laugh softly. Adela and I gave him a confused look as to why he was laughing and he shook his head.

"I was remembering some things Toby said to me."

I perked up at the thought of something amusing and said, "Care to share it?" I smiled lightly.

"'I crossed to the right, to see the night, the glistening flickers of the fire light. I stumbled around, but all I found was a barking beagle hound. I found the bar, with the star and made it without a car.'" Dimitri recited, though I could yet to see how amusing that was to cause him to laugh.

"It's a rhyming story?" Adela caught on, Dimitri nodding.

"'Hidden in shame, I lost my fame and was tired of the game. With nothing to lose, and lacking any clues, I arrived for the booze. It was grand a sight, on this moonless night, to see a soon placed bar fight.'" He concluded and I broke out into a grin.

Adela glanced at us both, confused.

"I'm assuming his dad made that?" I asked.

"Yeah. It's a short rhyming story of one of his many adventures to the bar." Dimitri chuckled.

"Ahh." I was laughing now, too, and Adela was still lost as she frowned.

We turned to her as I explained, "Toby's dad was a bar hopper earlier in Toby's life. He was tired from the day's work so he wanted a drink. He crossed a street, almost getting hit, it was night time and there was homeless people around with burning barrels. A beagle hound attacked him, gave him a few cuts and bruises and eventually he found the bar." I paused, thinking.

Dimitri picked up on where I left off. "He walked to the Star Bar. He was a retired singer for a small band, but a mishap got him kicked off. A bar fight broke out shortly after he arrived and the place had to be cleared after he'd only had one drink."

"Ohhh." Adela was chuckling now.

"Yeah." I said, focusing my attention on the pair with a weak smile. "I need to finish getting packed." I stood up, stretching, suddenly realizing I was still in the silver dress from the day before.

"We can help." My male friend said.

"Where are you going?" Adela asked, frowning.

"Dad wants me to be his assistant; apparently he works at a medical company as well as doing merchant work." This was the chance to test out if they knew about the game or not.

"Sounds.. fun?" Adela asked, pausing to search for the correct word.

"Yeah. Do you guys know about a company called Umbrella Corporation?"

"Oh yeah! Over in Raccoon City as headquarters, right?" Dimitri tapped at his jaw in thought. I nodded. "I hear bits and pieces. Hey, isn't your uncle working for them, Adela?"

I suddenly froze, recalling her last name for the first time in a long while: Ashford. I had never considered the true irony of it.

"Uncle Edward?" Adela glanced to him. "Yeah, he's kind of.. a founder of Umbrella, along with Spencer and Marcus."

"Ohh, right." Dimitri shook his head with a low chuckle.

This was getting completely weird. Things that weren't true were falling into place as if missing puzzle pieces. Uncle Edward Ashford? Spencer in my home? Umbrella Corporation and Raccoon City being real?

I was confused beyond belief, but I knew one thing for sure. I wouldn't let anything happen to those I cared about. I'd do all in my power to keep them safe. I knew the storyline of Resident Evil like the back of my hand.

But how was I in that world? I had yet to figure out just how this change had occurred and it baffled me. I thought long and hard about this change and yet it eluded me entirely.

A cough brought me back to reality and so I focused in on the sound and saw my two friends staring at me with curious expressions.

I studied them both calmly as Dimitri smiled and Adela purse her lips together.

"You looked like you were thinking deeply about something. Am I right?" Adela questioned me as I watched her.

I nodded. "Thinking about the day ahead." I sighed.

"You ok?" Dimitri asked with a curled frown.

"I'm fine, Dimi." I spoke softly and the use of the nickname caused him to smile. "But yeah I need to pack. We leave tomorrow."

"Alright! We'll.. let you get to that. We'll be downstairs." Adela said, grabbing Dimitri's hand to tug him toward the door.

They knew I needed to be alone for a little while. Adela knew when I needed the time. It was the sisterly bond between us.

The two departed, the door clicking shut behind them. I roamed about my room, gathering things to stuff into the duffel bag that had lots of clothes already in it from the night before. Things to keep me entertained; reading material, maps, notebooks, pencils, sketchbooks, a soccer ball, toys and a few other choice items.

As I was putting the things into the bag my gaze fell upon a book. It was a hard-back with straight and thin silver lettering on the siding. It lacked a single author's name, but the title read 'The Night's Song'. It was a series of short stories and poems about many-a-things. It included sections by famous people such Robert Frost, Edgar Allen Poe, etc.

I lazily flipped open the cover, shuffling a few pages over to view the second poem that I fondly loved. I read the words with a slight smile.

Acquainted With the Night

By Robert Frost

I have been one acquainted with the night.

I have walked out in rain-and back in rain.

I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.

I have passed by the watchman on his beat

And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet

When far away an interrupted cry

Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-by;

And further still at an unearthly height

One luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.

I have been one acquainted with the night.

The words brought a chuckle to my lips as I closed the book, rubbing the cover with a few fingers before pushing it into the bag.

I squeezed my eyes shut. I need to focus!

I dug around through my closest for the outfit I had left inside to wear for the day. Grabbing it and some underclothes I went to the bathroom to get changed.

The knee-length black shorts and the casual grey t-shirt clung to my body as if perfectly fitted in sizing.

I slipped on some ballet shoes and stalked over to my wall length mirror situated close to the doorway of the bathroom. My reflection showed my features twisted into a frown, tired blue eyes looking back at me with uncertainty.

A thought occurred to me: was I trapped in this game-based reality until I died or could I escape it?

That train of thought caused the frown to deepen.

Somehow I should have suspected the truth. It was right before my eyes. Something was dangerously wrong with my life.

Sudden frozen moments that had never happened before? Meeting someone I had only ever read about on a game and in books. Finding out that Adela had ties to Edward Ashford, my own last name suddenly more than just a coincidence.

The truth was there, yet twisted. My world was just a lie. Later on I would discover the truth.

Until then there was only one possible thing I could do. Survive.

It was as simple as that.