001 ♦ Text

[peacefulwinter]

Staring at her Kindle, Winter is wondering exactly what she's gotten herself into. She'd decided to copy down that number that refused to leave her head so she could keep searching later online - but this time the book's screen turned into something else entirely. It was almost like one of those online networks she'd read about, but never visited. Looking at the recent messages for a bit... these people were in Locke City. Where she was. She could feel the burning need to figure out what was going on, and this was the best place to start.

What is this place? I wrote down this weird number I got in my head, and

But she couldn't just say that, could she? She'd look crazy. Well, more crazy than people tended to already think she was. So after a moment's thought, she erases that text and replaces it with something else:

I am looking for information on this network. I have been searching for any knowledge of it, and am unable to find anything. What is this place?

There. No way that could be construed as anything other than a request for information, after which she could just sign off, never come back, and go on with her life a little smarter.

...Right?

Comments

Text

[reckless_fire]

And we have another lucky winner! Congratulations, you've just discovered the Network from Hell--the place nobody wants to be!

[More like, congratulations, you've found one of the resident smartasses. He'll be more helpful eventually. Maybe.]

[peacefulwinter]

That isn't reassuring. Is this some kind of horror that nobody wants to be in, or something?

[Well. This was going to end poorly.]

[reckless_fire]

Aside from the werewolves, not so much horror as a pain in the ass, so far.

[Here, have a link to the newbies guide]

That link I sent you will tell you just about everything we know.

[peacefulwinter]

[There's a lag of several minutes - Winter probably went to read the link.]

Thank you for that information... that explains a lot. I'm still a little nervous about the implications of all this, though.

[reckless_fire]

Yeah, you and all the rest of us. The few hints we've got so far don't really sound all that great, do they?

Text

[shiromadoushi]

Wonderland.

[peacefulwinter]

...Wonderland?

[shiromadoushi]

You've gone through the looking glass and wound up in a world where everything has been turned upside down and weird shit is normal.

Thankfully, a kind soul has created an FAQ. Would you like it?

[peacefulwinter]

I thought you were being literal for a moment, and I should expect a white rabbit at any moment. But if it's figurative...

...then that's no better, actually. I would appreciate your FAQ, please. I think I'm going to be in over my head fairly quickly.

[ text ]

[fatherssins]

[ Someone saw that original text before it was hastily deleted ]

Is this what the number does?

[peacefulwinter]

That is what I am assuming. This appeared after I wrote it, so-

[A pause.]

I thought I erased that...

[fatherssins]

I read quickly.

[peacefulwinter]

That's not really what I meant, but... I suppose it matters not.

Did you see something, too?

[text]

[acequeen]

Trust me, you're not the only one with weird numbers stuck in your head.

[Yet another person who saw the early text.]

[peacefulwinter]

I hadn't intended to share that... um. I assume it went up anyway even though I erased it?

[acequeen]

Yeah, it did. Looks like whenever you type something, it'll show up for people to see anyway.

[peacefulwinter]

That is... good to know, I suppose. I will have to be more careful in the future.

Are you new as well, then?

[Text]

[formermagicalgirl]

Just consider it a special network for people who got numbers in their heads. On here you can talk about the numbers and other things that happen because of them and be in good company with others who have been there and done that and consider it normal now. Some are even calling it the Numbers Club to gain a sense of belonging to a group.

Re: [Text]

[peacefulwinter]

That sounds significantly less sinister than the other answers I've gotten. And having many other people at hand that know what's going on will help in a number of ways.

[formermagicalgirl]

There's a few people who enjoy trolling the newbies. Though Wonderland isn't too far off considering we have a talking horse and cat and a ferret who can type to us on here. Your sense of what is normal will change very quickly.

[peacefulwinter]

That... huh. That's unusual. You're probably right; my sense of normal probably will change quickly.

( audio )

[argents]

[ He's too lazy to text rn what has the world come to. ]

Sorry, no one's been able to figure out where it came from, or how it operates. The only thing that's stayed the same is the numbers we all ended up with, and what came along with them. Something that shouldn't be yours, but it is.

[voice]

[peacefulwinter]

[Winter knows full well her Kindle doesn't have a microphone; of course, nobody told the network that, so it's recording her slightly breathless realization of what the message is talking about.]

Shouldn't be mine... but is... that vision of that girl! B-but how does he- um...

[She doesn't actually type anything, though; clearly, she's a little flustered.]

[argents]

[ Oh, he can hear her, and judging from the reaction, this had come as a surprise. Dredging his phone up from next to him, he places it at a proper speaking distance. ]

That was probably really sudden, wasn't it? You can make a network connection through almost anything.

[ But he's more focused on the subject than the way it was conveyed. ]

Did you remember someone?

[peacefulwinter]

I... w-wasn't expecting that. I didn't think it would connect to something...

And, um... yes. I remembered someone. But... I don't know who she is. And the "me" she was talking to is... not quite me.