This terribly strange and confusing day had started with waking up in a forest driving an unknown female avatar. Even after traveling through this unfamiliar world for the better part of the morning, I still had no clue how this had all come about.

My team had been working hard on the latest release for the virtual game Avalon Online. Sleepless nights had become the norm, but it’s just that I don’t remember going to sleep.

But, if this was a dream, it was a vivid one.

If I was in a game as I half expected, I wanted to talk to the developers to see if they wanted to work for me.

If this was real, well, I didn’t even want to think about it.

Another thought disturbed me quite a bit as well.

Because the game was called Avalon Online, our developers were prone to use historical or historical-sounding names. It helped, I imagine, that most players were familiar with the name through the stories of King Arthur. Probably less so with Mercia, but I did recognize it. Being dropped into Anglo-Saxon England would be a definite problem.

But after coming upon a group of buildings, hope for the use of a phone, a snack, or a glass of water drove me forward. It took some time as the path weaved back and forth and then almost went straight down a hill. Still, it was manageable, even in my tired state.

The structures were both large and small, with the largest having a second floor. Constructed with hand-cut white stone, they were topped with deep red clay tiles.

The architecture was different, though. It didn’t scream Middle Ages, high fantasy, or even the ever-so-popular dark gothic fantasy. From what I could tell, the buildings seemed normal, although unfamiliar.

They were also in ruins.

Tall grass and flowers had overrun the area, including half of the courtyard. The structures fared no better all were heavily weathered, most missing tiles, two with collapsed roofs.

So, no chance of finding a phone or snack, but one out of three wasn’t bad.

As I circled around the ruins, I spied off the courtyard, what could only be a well. Covered with a large wooden top, it looked almost brand new compared to the surrounding buildings. Upon further inspection, the coil of rope and bucket off to the side was even newer.

A wave of relief washed over me as I found what looked like an almost brand-new wooden cup. This meant that people had been here recently.

Somehow, I managed to remove the lid from the well but kept one eye on the center building as I lowered the bucket into the water.

Why was that?

Because the place gave me the creeps.

I pulled up a couple of buckets and spilled them out before filling the cup with water. After partaking in my fill of the wonderfully cold liquid, tasting better than the finest champagne, I contemplated what bothered me about the place.

Then I noticed it.

The ground surrounding it was totally barren. The tall grass and cheerful little blue flowers were keeping their distance. The weathering seemed darker. All the wooden shutters, missing on most other buildings, were still firmly in place. The interior could be seen through the front door, but only a few feet. It was as if even the sunlight hesitated to enter.

Overall, an uninviting place.

So, what to do? Well, absolutely nothing.

Whatever dwelled inside was evil. I knew that for certain. I could feel its maleficence trying to claw its way toward me. Did it scare me? Surprisingly, it didn’t. Instead, something was screaming inside me to burn the building to the ground.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I just currently don’t have the means to do so.

That strange alien feeling had been slowly growing within me since I left the forest. Unrecognizable, but it felt warm compared to what was emanating in front of me. Whatever dwelt inside those ruins, we would have a reckoning but not right now.

So, what to do next?

Finding more water would be tomorrow’s problem.

Bedding down here for the night, I had a feeling would be unwise, so I would need to find another place to sleep.

Food? Never having been an outdoorsy type, foraging for food seemed like a fool’s errand, but I would keep an eye out for something familiar in the fields.

Finishing off another cup of water, I washed my hands and face before reluctantly placing the lid on top of the well. I notice it’s a thick piece of wood, so I must be stronger than I look—something to ponder later.

My body decided that later would be a mile or so down the road.

Cursing that I must have had a bladder the size of a walnut, I found a nice quiet place to lift my dress, squat down and do what comes naturally. The experience was both normal and surreal.

All of this was really becoming overwhelming, but I would try to figure out things when I was in a safer location. I needed to get away from whatever dwelled in those ruins before nightfall.

Taking one last look back, I continued onward.

As the sun was getting a bit low on the horizon, a line of trees appeared off in the distance, but something beyond them almost had me dancing. A wide river lazily cut through the countryside. I knew or hoped that the village or town I expected to run into would be found somewhere along its banks.

Although excellent news, I couldn’t help but feel anxious. The ruins behind me confirmed there were people somewhere; however, the nearest inhabitants might still be tens of miles away. I was hoping that was not the case. No, I prayed that this was all some ridiculous dream and that my life would return to normal tomorrow. Which was good and all, but I needed to make plans if that didn’t happen. Food, water, and shelter would continue to be my mantra until I found a safe place.

The road ended at the trees but, thankfully, continued along the riverbanks.

But which direction to take?

“I don’t even have a coin to flip,” I sighed, finding myself running my hand through my unkempt hair; it seemed to settle me down, allowing me to concentrate. Then I had an epiphany.

“I need to go downstream.”

I wasn’t sure if I read it in a book or maybe after watching some documentary that it would be the best direction to travel if you were lost.

My tiny feet chewed up the miles as I drew further away from the ruins but eventually it become more difficult to see with each step. Stumbling about in the dark didn’t seem like a good idea, so I needed to find a place to spend the night.

Moving through the underbrush towards the river, I contemplated climbing a tree. But knowing my luck, I would fall off and break something.

Not because I couldn’t reach the lower branches not at all.

I didn’t have time to dwell on it and found a slightly larger tree that I could rest against. I had no idea whether it was an oak, birch, or whatever, but it gave me the best view of the road.

After making a more comfortable place to sit, I settled in for the night. The bodice kept me warm enough, although my arms were cold. Thankfully the temperature had not dropped too much.

What woke me? I wasn’t sure. It had taken me some time to fall asleep, between the chill in the air and the fear of something stumbling upon me at night. But something was moving on the far side of the road. Suddenly, floating in front of me was a new screen.

Adolescent Dread Wolves

These wolf-like creatures roam the moors and fields in small packs. Unwary travelers and isolated farmsteads often find themselves prey to these terrible hunters.

It then vanished, thankfully without revealing my presence. Or the wolves couldn't see it, as it didn’t appear to illuminate the area.

A pack of wolves, whatever they were called, wasn’t good. Hoping they would quickly pass, I made myself one with the tree.

Surprisingly the sun woke me next.

I had managed to fall asleep again, wolves or not. After getting myself ready, brushing myself off, and pulling twigs and leaves from my hair, I wandered to the nearest water source. There was a small outcropping of rocks close by, which would give me access to the river.

Part of me wanted to take off my dress and jump right in. If it wasn’t for the presence of the wolves, I might have done just that. But who knows what swam beneath the river’s surface? Avalon Online had plenty of water encounters, and I had no desire to run into this world’s version of them.

After taking off my shoes, I scooted to the edge of the rocks and proceeded to wash my face, hands, and legs. I even did my hair, removing some bits of debris I had missed. Not sure why I was so pedantic about my appearance, but after a couple of gulps of river water, I found a place to lie down and soak up the morning sun.

My stomach then growled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten for a while. Hunger was an issue but not worth poisoning myself over just yet. I did spy a couple of bushes with dark blue-looking berries but hesitated to make breakfast of them.

“Wish I had grandpa’s fishing rods,” I said to the morning sun.

Receiving no answer, I brushed myself off and retrieved my shoes. I still had some more walking to do.