What is this place exactly?
You take a moment to think. “What is this place exactly? And why am I…” You gesture to your new body. “…this?”
The fox studies you with thoughtful eyes once more. “This place is detached from the mundane reality you come from. It is almost a fantasy world, a place of endless opportunities and discoveries. You could say it’s almost a fairy tale.” It giggled once more. “But you don’t need to be afraid. There are ways out. There are ways in. This isn’t a prison, or a trap. You won’t be here for longer than you want to be.”
“You’re saying I can leave?” you ask.
“Yes, but, not right now,” the fox replies, grinning broadly when you look a bit annoyed at the response. “To leave now would render the entire experience pointless. And where’s the fun in that?”
You frown, but, you don’t respond just yet since it appears the fox has more to say.
“As for your OTHER question?” the fox says. It gives you a once over, then tilts its head to one side before giving a shrug. “You chose the room with this look, it’s quite simple. There’s no other way around it. You made the choice, and thus, you now reap the benefits.”
You frown deeper, but look up toward the glass room. It’s still there, still hovering about in the middle of the sky.
“Could I get back in there and go through that door?” you ask, turning your gaze back to the talking fox. Or is it vixen, you wonder again, since the voice sounds like a woman’s? You were never really the sort to pay attention to animal genders… not until now, at least.
The fox appears as if it knows what you’re thinking. It looks amused. “To be honest, no. You could TRY, certainly. This new body of yours is quite strong despite what you might think, so you’d likely break the glass without much effort. But the door? It sealed itself the instant you walked in. I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to get anywhere.”
You peer between the floating glass room and the weird fox. “Then why is it there? HOW is it there, just… floating?”
“Magic?” the fox replies. “Technology? Reasons?” It gives you a shrug. “But as to why it’s there, think of it as a landmark. It’s so you don’t end up getting lost should you decide to explore the full breadth of this area. And trust me,” it winked, “there is much to explore. Much to see, to hear, to smell. To do.”
The way the fox says this piques your interest even further. “Like what?”
The fox’s tail sways to and fro. “This room is tied to you, in a way. To your essence, if that makes sense. The instant you stepped through that door, this room came to life. How large or small it is, when and where doors appear, and what elements you find living about, all of those were formed when that door sealed behind you.”
You let these words sink in. It sounds exactly like what you thought of before, like some bizarre fantasy universe you got unwittingly sucked into. Despite your better judgment, you feel curious about what else could be around. And yet…
“But is that all?” you ask.
Written by Hollowpages on 18 December 2019