Janet

  Some creature jumped out and landed in the middle of our little group. It looked like an evil rabbit the size of a dog and had six legs. It has a long tail that was wide at its body and thinned out like a lizard's tail but it was covered in fine fur. I turned to run but stopped mid-step as I hear Heidi scream. The monster's tail whipped so fast it was like a blur and tripped her causing her to fall onto her back. I cursed myself and picked up a rock and threw it at the monster. "Get away from her!" I shouted. The monster had turned and took a couple of steps towards Heidi before turning to see where the rock that bounced off its head came from. Aiden was holding a stick like a baseball bat but looked even more terrified than Heidi did. Dax, being a construction worker, pulled out a hammer he had stashed somewhere and a box knife in his other hand.

  It took only a heartbeat before the monstrous rabbit was in my face letting out something of a mix between a growl and a shriek. I realized that the only weapon I had was the rock I picked up and threw, but thankfully Aiden was not frozen from his fear. He swung his stick hard, causing the creature to take a step back, and then he placed himself between it and me, holding the stick at both ends in front of himself for defense now.

  Dax had taken a few steps and was in the air from a jump as the monster bit into Aiden's stick and ripped it from his hands. With a flick of its head, the creature threw the stick away just as Dax landed on its back and slammed the claw side of his hammer into its back causing it to buck wildly. Dax barely held on with one hand while swinging his box knife wildly with his other hand causing random cuts to appear in the fur.

  Heidi was back up and was lobbing sticks and rocks at the creature keeping it occupied. I was keeping one eye on the fight while I scanned for something I could use as a weapon. I found a branch that broke off of a tree. I turned it so the jagged broken side was facing the creature and pushed with everything I had. I poked the stick into the creature's neck, but I didn't have enough strength to break the skin, just annoy it.

  Aiden saw what I was trying to do and quickly grabbed the branch as well and pushed. Dax must have noticed the bucking subsided as the creature was shocked by the branch being pushed into its neck because he tore his hammer out and turned it to start bashing the top of the creature's head. At this point, the creature only had two legs on the ground and swung the other four trying to knock the branch away. The legs were just too short and after a hand full of swings of Dax's hammer, the creature finally stopped moving. Suddenly my heart began racing faster, but not in fear. I felt a rush, and every pleasure node in my body fired at once. I may have even let out a moan as I closed my eyes. When I opened them my character sheet was open.

[Name] Janet Vicario

[Level] 1

[Race] Sol-3 Human

[Strength] 4

[Agility] 6

[Endurance] 7

[Constitution] 7

[Mind] 9

[Stat points to distribute: 2]

  I was a level one! And I had stat points to distribute, but I don't know what that even meant. “I wish I was stronger for that fight.” I had barely thought this when my sheet changed in front of my eyes.

[Name] Janet Vicario

[Level] 1

[Race] Sol-3 Human

[Strength] 4 [+2 = 6]

[Agility] 6

[Endurance] 7

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[Constitution] 7

[Mind] 9

[Accept Changes?]

  I quickly thought yes and then suddenly my strength was a 6 instead of a 4. My muscles became extremely tired and sore without warning as if I had just worked out for 24 hours. This lasted only a few seconds before they felt normal again. They actually felt better than normal, and I noticed that they were a little more defined. I also felt the waist of my pants loosen just slightly and realized my body just became a little better defined. Even the little flaps of skin on my upper arms that bothered me so much seemed less noticeable. "Best exercise ever!” I thought as the fear from the fight was pushed to the side.

  I could tell from the way everyone else was inspecting their bodies, that they must have leveled up as well. I was about to ask when a loud howl sounded off in the forest. My head snapped to look in that direction when a matching call came from the opposite direction. It was only a few seconds before a howl came from almost every direction. I turned around and looked in the only direction that had no sound coming from it.

  "I think we should run." Heidi stepped up to stand next to me and we both nodded to each other. Aiden must have heard because he was quickly bobbing his head and glancing over his shoulder.

  "Why are you standing still then?!" Dax shouted as he spread his arms to push the three of us at once. "Let's get out of here." There was no need for a further push as we all began to run as fast as we could in the direction where no sound came from. "I really hope this isn't a trap.” I thought to myself as we ran.

  We had run for barely 3 minutes when we saw 5 of the rabbit-like creatures emerge from trees and gaining on us. I glanced back a few times to see how close they were getting, and this caused me to miss an exposed tree root and trip. Aiden saw this and slid to a stop, turning as he did, to face the monster hoard, "I'll buy you time. Go!" I looked in shock at Aiden's back. He was visibly shaking with fear, but he stood firm with resolve. I struggled to my feet and was about to run when suddenly a bright golden light shot from the direction we were running in and hit the creatures. The beam was small, but it somehow grew big enough to hit all of them at once when it collided with the target. “Maybe it really is God!” I thought. Then an angel appeared.

  "Ahhh, there you lot are. Well come on, you are not equipped to survive out here yet." The angel landed and began walking without waiting for a response from us. Aiden crossed himself and ran to fall in step with the angel.

  "Guess we follow him?" Heidi helped me brush some of the dirt and forest debris from my clothes. I nodded in response, not being able to think of anything to say.

  "Worst goddamned heaven I could have imagined," Dax grumbled in a whisper as the three of us followed Aiden and his angel.

  We followed silently as the angel led the way. Several weird-looking creatures appeared and were quickly dispatched with a wave of the angel's hand. After 15 minutes of walking, there were no more animals coming. There were no sounds of any animals at all. I assumed that meant that they must have all been scared by the display of dispassionate smiting the angel put on.

  After at least another hour of walking the angel looked back at us for the first time since saving us. "We are here." He said. Almost as he spoke a tall wall and a side of huge wooden doors appeared out of nowhere in front of us. The walls were so tall they seemed to stretch past the top of the trees and the doors looked like you could fly a plane sideways through them if you tried. With little effort, the angel pushed the doors open and we followed him through them.

  The walls protected the weirdest village I had ever seen, with buildings that looked like they could be from a steampunk fantasy, mixed with what looked like ancient roman buildings and even some buildings that looked like wooden houses that might have been straight out of an old western. Some of the buildings didn't have any structure I could place. Stained glass walls supported some unrecognizable deep blue material, that was used to make a domed roof. The blue material continued from the roof and looked almost like streams of water running off the roof onto the ground creating a beautiful but unusual look. Individually each building was unique and looked amazing, but together as a single village, it drove my need to organize crazy.

  We followed the angel down what must have been the main road. The road ended at a large building at least 4 stories. It looked like a Japanese pagoda at first sight, but then the roof shingles appeared to be machine cogs. The pillars between each floor looked like stacked plates of glass with a golden bar running down their centers. The floors were tiled in mosaics and the ceilings had some weird geometric design. I could not place anything up close, it looked like it was just thrown together with whatever random materials and thoughts came to the builders. The only thing I knew for sure is that the building felt powerful.

  I expected to be led to stairs or an elevator but instead, the angel walked into an inner courtyard. "Please wait." The angel looked at each of us and then disappeared in a blur.

  "What is going on?" Dax turned around to take stock of our surroundings as he spoke.

  “We have been saved from the dangers by God the same as he did for Daniel in the lion's den. He sent us an angel to protect and shelter us.” Aiden was shaking with excitement as he preached.

  We were all staring at Aiden as he was visibly excited before a clear understanding must have washed away his dreams. Being a preacher only worked if people believed you and didn't lock you in an insane asylum. If Aiden tried to preach and tell the world of this experience, the asylum is exactly where he would end up too.

  “How about you tell us just what the hell is going on?” Heidi raised her hands as she shouted. Exhaustion and the stresses of the situation really must be getting to her.