Chapter Text
Sasha James found herself in the middle of a room.
A room that looked mostly normal, if you ignored the fact that everything was looking at her. It was a grotesque sight, eyeballs hanging everywhere, blood and gore decorated the walls.
"What the hell happened?" She asked to the empty room. She wasn't really expecting an answer, but talking to herself let her take her mind off the eyes looking at her and the gore decorating the room. She thought she saw intestines peaking out from a closet somewhere in the room, so she talking to herself it was. The less she thought of this room, the better.
"You fainted in the desert and I found you." A voice said. Sasha almost jumped out of her skin. Way to make someone die of a heart attack. she thought.
She looked for the voice. Definitely a mistake because the walls were painted in blood, intestines and other organs left to dry hung on chians like they were art projects left to dry.
"I apologize." The voice said "I know you Night Valeans don't like our way of living. But it's the only place in the house that nobody would see you in." Sasha finally saw who was talking to her. A small child, with black scleras and unnaturally green eyes.
The child stepped into the room.
"Good evening miss James. I'm so sorry for scaring you, but I cannot place you in my room. The Smiling God would see you." The child said. "I called your city. They'll come collect you."
How does he know my name? Sasha wondered.
"Where… where am I?" she asked. What do I remember? What happened last? I was… I was… In a room. With a table. Where was I?
"You are in Deset Bluffs Too. Our nice community that worships the Smiling God." the child answered, his smile growing, reavealing sharp teeth that could probably rip through Sasha's troath like through a sandwich.
Sasha looked at him.
"The Smiling God? What is that?" Am I supposed to know about the Smiling God? I'm supposed to know something. I'm supposed to remember. she thought.
"The patron god of the Desert Bluffs community." The child answered matter of factly "Now, if you excuse me. You were not supposed to be here so I'll call Esi to pick you up."
Am I supposed to know who Esi is? I'm supposed to remember something, but what?
She could hear muffle sounds from the other room.
"No- Esi- No .I mean, yes, but that's not why I'm calling. Can you focus for a second? Perfect. Thank you. I have a strange lady in my sister's room. Could you come collect this beautiful lady?" The child asked. Sasha didn't really know how to feel about a 7 year old thinking of her as beautiful. She couldn't say she ever envisioned herself as a child's first crush… or maybe this child was talking about her being the perfect next victim. She could see part of the hallway from where she was and she saw that the whole house was full of blood and organs scattered around. So perhaps her being 'beautiful' wasn't supposed to be taken as a compliment.
Silence. There was silence from the child.
"Sasha James. Such a beautiful name she has. Not… not right though. Not for Desert Bluffs. — Oh, Smiling God she sounds absolutely devine. Thanks Esi, I'll go stalk her counterpart now. Come collect her quickly so I can leave and see if this beauty has a counterpart." What on earth is this kid talking about?
Sasha tried standing up. Her legs gave out underneath her and she fell back on the ground.
Ew ew ew. Why is there so much blood? Why? She almost fainted because of how the floor was caked in blood. It filled her nostils, she couldn't breathe, she was chocking in this blood. She died somehow and this was hell, and the worst part yet was that she didn't even remember what she did wrong.
"Did anyone ask for a rescue from Desert Bluffs?" Another voice asked. Sasha looked to her right where she saw a wooden oak door in the doorway of which sat a child. A child almost identical to the other one. Only he had normal scleras.
"Hi. I'm Esteban. Here to take you back where you belong. Well, not quite. I'm actually taking you to Night Vale, which is technically where you belong in this weird counterpart sort of scenario." He spoke slowly, almost like he was trying to captivate an audience.
"Uh… I… I've seen you before." She at least she thinks she did. She's seen him before, but she's not sure where.
"You're quite clever." Esteban decided." I have yet to decide whether or not it is a good thing or not. It most certainly will bring you trouble in Night Vale."
"Night Vale?" What the hell is Night Vale?
"Yes. Where you are going. I wish I could just send you back home, but under no circumstances I am allowed to do that." Esteban said.
"Why not?" Who's not allowing me to go back home? Am I supposed to know that? She knew she was supposed to know something, but every time she was close to figuring out what, her head would spin and she's come up empty.
"Evil clowns. Now come on, miss James, we have quite a lot to do and I quite need a break." the kid said in a weird accent. Almost like he was trying to…
"Are you trying to immitate my accent?" She asked. If this kid was trying to play a funny prank, Sasha was not interested at all.
"Yes. I want to be like my dad and my brother, so I need to know how to talk in a bunch of different voices." He said.
"Ok… uh, come on, let's go. We have… Night Vale, you said, ahead of us." She said, her fingers gripping the oak wooden door and stepping through.
The kid followed her.
He looked to be glad to be back home.
Sasha however, was Mortified. There was a man who was taking off his skin in front of her.