"How did this happen? Why?" I scream into the dark with enough force to make my throat burn, as my legs quiver and nearly collapse from exhaustion.
Everything around me is still. Base Alpha is lifeless and desolate; papers cover the floor like snow, and furniture is overturned. To see it in such a state makes my heart race. Have they already evacuated? Or… my thoughts trail off. So much for this place being a 'beacon of hope'. With a shattering resolve, I sit on the ground and begin to reflect on the day's events. All I have been doing is running, trying to outrun the coming night. The pain is excruciating, but I have to keep going. If I don't… A deafening cracking sound erupts as I close my eyes and breathe deeply. It seems like no matter where I go, the outcome is inevitable…
"Mmmmph!" I open my eyes and see only blackness, suffocating me. Moving my arms and legs proves difficult. Trapped in place, my screams muffled, I struggle to reach for my face, and I feel… fur? It's moving! What is…? ggggmmmrrp
As the creature leaps off my face, I find myself staring at the ceiling, inhaling deeply in relief. My body is half-covered by a blanket, and my head is resting on something soft. It's then that the realization hits me.
"Thank God! Just another dream." I marvel aloud.
I sit up and look down, noticing Butters looking towards me with hungry eyes. All I hear is his incessant Maow as he demands food.
"Butters, I just got up. Give me a few minutes!" I groggily comment. Getting out of bed, I move over to the window and open the curtains. The brightness hits my face, and I recoil a little as I take in the city outside. People are going about their business as they usually do.
Maow proclaims Butters as he paws at my left leg.
"I'm going, I'm going." This cat needs to learn some patience!
Maow
"You're lucky you're so cute." I remark sarcastically as I leave the room to fetch some food for 'his royal majesty.' Heading over to the apartment kitchen, I open the cupboard and see a half-empty bag. He ate that much already? I just got this yesterday! Bewildered and a bit impressed, I grab the bag and pour its contents into the cat dish. The relentless assault on my ears is replaced with a gentle purr as I give him some space to eat.
Notes: conspiracy website, use to foreshadow parallel universes with subtle differences and provide other theories
Groundhog-day death scenario involving Level 175's sepia syndrome, introduce "Gnosis Incognita" with experiment (actual name pending)
research on liminal echo, level 175, and more
Possibly multiple perspectives
themes, finish other related pages
article is his written account, seen by past him a week before it happens as a final plot point
more to come