“Where?” Matt whispered and raked both hands through his hair.
He turned three-sixty. Sharkie, Manuele, Kurtis, Fallyn—even Val—they were all gone. Panic formed a lump in his chest. His throat bobbed. Matt gripped the wooden structure.
He couldn’t do this alone. It felt like weeks, since the office, and these were the only people he knew. He’d been excited about the prospect of new friends. He liked them. He needed them. And they were gone. Matt felt homesick.
“Damn it.” He smacked the wooden post.
Matt scanned the open field as a few stars flared into view. He watched a duo walk up to Septimus, pause, and then set out for the wheelbarrow. Matt had no interest in making new friends and joining them. He wanted his friends back.
“Hello, traveler,” called Septimus. “Have you brought my cloth?” The quest-giver was on repeat.
Matt let go of the post and approached the pink-garbed man. He frowned and said slowly, “I have your cloth.”
The field blurred and Septimus spoke, “Excellent work, traveler! We may now complete the shelter. Good timing too. It’s getting late. We’ll get you squared away—or, should I say, octagoned!”
###
“Matt, come check out this tent!”
“Matt?”
“Hell-oh-oh. Hello?”
‘6,600 XP’ floated up and disappeared.
“Give him a minute.”
“This is the fluffiest pillow!” exclaimed Val.
Matt finally registered who was speaking. He whipped around to face her. Val—all his new friends were there in the octagonal structure, which was now covered in white cloth. There was another tent beside, it and another—he went straight for his group.
“Holy crap,” he breathed. “I thought… I don’t know what I thought.” He did. He’d thought the worst.
“Come check out this tent!” Val reiterated.
Matt took deep breaths as he strode through the entrance. The flap was tied open and he just now realized that his heart had been racing. He felt lightheaded.
“You okay man?” Manuele checked in.
“Yeah,” Matt confirmed. “Just need that minute.”
The tent was almost entirely filled with a giant gray mattress—or maybe a couch? There was a walking lane of space at the door-side of the octagon, and then the rest was filled with the cozy couch-mattress. It was edged with something similar to a couch-back and excessively littered with pillows.
Val was hugging and stroking a furry neon pink pillow. There were other neon colors too, as well as pet photo pillows that Matt had seen ads for on the Internet. One was a Pug that looked ready to go ham on someone, and there was a white Persian that looked like it was plotting world domination.
The walls bore the most random collection of movie posters, stuck to the fabric with clear tape. Matt surveyed them, eyebrows raised: Die Hard, Titanic, King Arthur - Legend of the Sword, and the animated Rapunzel. Twinkle lights looped along the ceiling and gave the space an inviting glow.
Matt sat down beside Val. It was comfy. He smoothed his hands over the fabric; it felt like flannel. Fallyn had laid back amongst the pillows, arms behind her head. She stared up at the lights, silent. Matt wondered what she was thinking.
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“So, what is this place?” he asked.
“Septimus said we get a bonus thingy if we stay here tonight,” Val said. She handed Kurtis an orange Tabby pillow and grinned.
The cat-man refused it and stalked to the far side of the tent. “Rest XP,” he grumbled. “It’ll make us gain experience faster tomorrow.”
“Oh?” Matt said. “I don’t think he told me that. Should I go back and…?” He thumbed in the direction of the doorway.
“Probably,” said Kurtis with a shrug. “Just in case.”
Feeling more steady, Matt headed back outside. This time he paused to really look around. The entire field was dotted with tents, glowing from the combination of twinkle lights and reflected moonlight. Somehow, despite the thin cloth walls, it had been quiet inside the tent. Out here, Matt could hear chirping crickets and the low hum of muffled talking.
“Hey Matt!” Cathleen slapped a tattooed arm against his shoulder. “How ya doin’?”
“Cathleen!” Matt greeted, then jumped back, surprised at a big… something where he’d expected her head.
She smiled. “Yeah, I know, it’s clunky.” She had, what looked like, a foam finger made into a hat on her head. The pointing finger was worn at the front, extending like a unicorn’s horn. It was blue and said ‘#1 FAN’ in white letters on the finger. The back of the hand had a white stick-bird drawing, just like the one on Matt’s shirt.
“Sorry,” Matt apologized. “I think I’ve just had too many things jump out at me today.”
“I got it from this blue jay,” she explained. “Except, it wasn’t like a real blue jay?”
“I know.” Matt stretched out the front of his shirt to show off the bird.
“Nasty buggers weren’t they.” Cathleen smiled.
“Hey, the guys are all in there, if you’d like to join.” Matt nodded back to the tent. “I just need to talk to Septimus for a minute.”
“Thanks, but I’ve got my own group back that-a-way.” Cathleen pointed into the field with a dramatic lean, making Matt think it was far. “I just did my talking to Septimus. I should get back. We’re figuring out tomorrow. But I’ll see you?”
“Yeah, sure.” No big deal…
Cathleen started her walk ‘back that-a-way’ with a little hop and a saluted smile.
Matt couldn’t help but smile back. He gave her a wave in response, but she had turned already.
Matt walked up to Septimus. “Hey Septimus,” he tried, “I am a traveler.”
The quest-giver leaned down and blurred the field. “Good evening traveler. I’m glad you made it to camp. Proceed to your tent and take rest.”
Then Septimus gestured towards the tent and elaborated. “When you rest in a designated area, such as these tents, you will gain the Well Rested buff. This buff increases your experience gains! Isn’t that exciting? May the moons shine bright and watch over you. Come back tomorrow! I’ll have another quest for you then.”
Septimus straightened and the field returned to normal. A firefly blazed behind his head. Then the text, ‘Make camp: complete,’ appeared and floated up into the night, followed by ‘20,000 XP.’
I’ll take it, Matt thought, then rushed back into the tent. “I got the rest message,” he announced. “And Cathleen is here too.”
“I liked her,” Manuele said. “I wanted to ask her if she’d seen Maria.” He was staring blankly up at the ceiling.
The others had laid back too. Val was hugging the orange Tabby pillow.
“So, what do we do now?” Matt asked, sitting on the edge of the mattress.
“Sleep?” Anika suggested.
“Slumber party!” Val overrode.
“Doesn’t anyone think it’s weird that we haven’t eaten and aren’t hungry?” Fallyn said. “Is anyone hungry? Or thirsty?”
“Nope,” Sharkie said like it was no big deal.
“Yeah, that is strange,” Matt admitted.
“Well, good thing we’re not,” Val said, rising to her elbows, “’cause I don’t see any food around here. So, isn’t it great we’re not hungry?” She smiled and sat up. Then she walked the cat pillow forward. Pitching her voice low, she said, “Yes, it’s great.” Then, in her normal voice, she declared, “Mr. Kitty thinks it’s great too.”
“I think we just keep following the instructions,” Kurtis weighed in. His ears twitched. “We’ve gained experience and items and,” he gestured up at the tent, “we’re here now, aren’t we? Seems like we’re supposed to be here.”
“Septimus did say he’d have another quest for us tomorrow,” Matt added.
“I say sleep,” Anika repeated. “I want this day to end.”
“So, dumb question then,” Matt ventured. “How do we sleep?”
“Yeah, I’ll never be able to sleep,” Manuele said. “I’m going to have nightmares about those beady-eyed terror squirrels.”
“Just lay back and try it, Karen,” Sharkie said.
That was not what Matt had meant but, in fairness, he hadn’t tried. Matt reached up and hung his glasses over a dip in the string of twinkle lights.
“We couldn’t figure out how they turn off or dim,” Fallyn apologized. “The door is also stuck open like that.”
Matt scooted back on the mattress and laid down with crossed arms between Princess Valkyrie and Anika. He closed his eyes.
A few seconds in, Matt reconsidered the position. He was usually a side sleeper and liked to have at least a sheet on top of him, but there were no sheets or blankets, and he really didn’t want to wake up spooning one of the girls. Matt was certain he needed to move.
“Is this working for anyone?” Manuele asked.
“Be patient, Karen,” Sharkie chided. “Keep your eyes closed.”
Matt sat up and was stared down by a blurry Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. He moved to the end of the mattress to see if there was room to side-sleep by everyone’s feet. He considered piling pillows on the floor. Swinging his legs over the edge, he saw it: blurry, but definitely bright, there was daylight outside of the tent.
“Guys, I think it worked.”