thisonetime | 1. (video)

[The feed comes on, but at first, everything's dark.]

The hell is this?

[Then there's a shot of Ellis's gray eye, and then it pans back out to his face. He's covered in a layer of dirt and various bodily fluids, and beyond that, he's tired and bruised in a few places. The stone ceiling of his barracks room can be seen in the background, and Ellis looks quite perplexed.]

Hello? Anybody out there? This funny little book's talkin' about worlds bein' unmade and records bein' kept and whatnot, but it ain't makin' much sense.

Like, how'm I here if everythin's not made anymore? And hell, you can't unmake shit! My friend Keith tried to unmake a car once, cause he thought it was haunted, but all he got was a broken car and a face full'a burnin' oil. He quit messin' with it after that, mostly 'cause he went blind for like six months. Don't know if it was really haunted or nothin', but I guess anything can happen, after the zombies an' shit...

[Ellis just trails off, then looks around the room. With his free hand, he rubs the space between his shoulder and neck and winces. Getting pounded into the ground by a charger sucks, and he's still aching.

Then, he turns back to the camera and smiles, though it's a little uneasy.]

So, hey, m'name's Ellis. I'm lookin' for Nick, Rochelle, and Coach, if any y'all out there.

[And they had to be, didn't they?]

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[And he's effectively distracted her a little bit with the burns, because healer here.]

Did he put the fucking turkey in while it was still frozen? You never put the fucking turkey in goddamn hot oil while it's still frozen, I've turned half a dozen people away bitching at me about their burns for doing that.

[Wait cars.]

The hell would he be trying to unmake a car? I'd give fucking anything to have one, haunted or not.

Yeah, and he also dipped it in, like, beer, and bread crumbs, and these spice packets we had layin' around that might'a not really been spice packets. He learned good after that.

But as for the car, well, Keith's momma raised him all superstitious. Like not even superstitious, she was ultrastitious, but don't tell him I said anything 'bout his momma.

I think I'll probably regret asking what the hell the spice packet actually was. But good to know he's not such a complete fucking idiot that he can't be learning from a turkey blowing up in his face. My faith in humanity is - still virtually nonexistent, but at least not lowered.

[That is still no excuse for trying to unmake a car.]

Fortunately for you, your friend's not here, so I can't be telling him a damn thing.

[Ellis chuckles.]

Yeah, Keith ain't lucky, but he ain't stupid. Pity he ain't here, though, I mean - be kinda nice t'see anybody I know. S'nice, no zombies, nothin' dangerous around.

It would be, but unfortunately the fucker running this place rarely sees fit to bring people from the same world. Or if he does, they're not here long. I've not seen any sign of zombies, no, but there's some dangers in this bloody place.

Well, shit. Where they go, when they ain't here no more?

If I knew that, I bloody well would have followed them. Or at least dragged their goddamn asses back here.

Huh.

So, s'like, one day they're here, talkin' and eatin' chicken wings and doin' normal stuff, and the next day they're gone? There's gotta be some kinda trail, that's just... that just ain't right.

Tell that to our glorious lord and master.

[There's a pause, and then an attempt at changing the subject, because the other one's not something she wants to talk about much.]

If you find chicken wings here, you fucking better be sharing them.

Aw hell, 'course I will! Ain't fair t'keep 'em all to myself!

Now that is the best fucking thing you've said yet.

Now I just gotta find me some. I mean, I ain't hungry now, I found somethin', but it ain't gon' last. An' I could eat - well, not a horse, but y'all know what I mean, right?

Pretty sure there's chickens around here. You've just got to be doing the catching and cooking yourself.

Oh, huh. Well, I ain't killed a chicken before. I knew this one guy who kept, like, hundreds'a the things, an' I seen him do it, but I ain't never done it m'self. Didn't seem too hard or nothin', though...

Best of luck. There's an armory here if you're needing a weapon, but unfortunately, all but the kitchen knives are dulled.

Hell, then why's they even here? Can't do nothin' with a dull knife!

No bloody idea. My personal theory is that he just likes fucking with us.

Now that just ain't fair.

[But, ever the optimist, Ellis continues:]

Least we get beds, though, that ain't so bad. S'been way too long since I just laid down for a good long sleep.

Not much is.

[Cranky, its name is Ryn. Though his last comment gets a raised eyebrow.]

What kind of world are you from where beds are things to look forward to?

Man, bed's always been a thing t'look forward to.

[Ellis likes crashing down into one after a hard day's work.]

But, it was just kinda dangerous, I guess, what with alla zombies. Couldn't always find a nice place t'stay in.

[She snorts, vaguely amused.]

That's a line of thinking I could be getting behind.

[...and that wasn't at all what she was expecting.]

Your world is filled with zombies?

Yeah. Didn't used to be, but it just kinda... happened, I guess. One day the Green Flu rolled in, then a couple weeks later, everythin' kinda went to hell in a zombie-basket. Like Easter gone wrong.

[...awkward.]

That sucks. Hell, might as well consider this a zombie-free vacation, then.

Makes it easier to run down t'the kitchen, that's for damn sure!

[For Ellis, the bright side is the only side!]

And get a shower. Yeah, shower sounds real good right about now.

If there's one thing this place has going for it, it's plenty of free food that you're not having to fight your way through zombies to get at.

[Why so cheerful, Ellis. It makes it hard to be cranky. It also makes her want to be extra cranky, just to make up for it.]

If you're looking for hot water, you're out of luck, unless you're a fan of public showers.

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