Realistic or Modern Crossroads

[ZombiePenguins]

One way or another you have ended up in the city of Vanpey, a bustling metropolis of glass skyscrapers built on the grounds of an old colony. Permanents of this colony can be seen of course, with the old stone churches showing up every now and then, sitting between a few modern towers, as well as the few other historical buildings that survived being torn down during the city's rapid expansion during the Cold War. Old structures bulldozed over to create new sites for larger buildings, or sometimes a road. Many roads exist in Vanpey and many of them cross. And where these roads intersect, something special and dark takes its post there, approaching passer-byes with a clipboard, asking for signatures.


For one reason or another, you have signed the clipboard that the thing that appeared to be human waved in front of you. Whether it was on purpose or by accident, you have gotten a wish in exchange for "sacrificing control over thy unconscious body." For the most part you don't notice anything different about your everyday life... for the most part...


When you wake up, you often find dried blood underneath your fingernails, and your arms are usually coated with scratches and bruises, which you have no memory of acquiring. Sometimes when you come across an empty shell casing in your room, whose origin you cannot pinpoint. When you flip on the television, the local news is often reporting dastardly things: arson, murder, robberies, and other illegal activities, all without hope of finding whoever committed them.


Maybe it was about time you find out what you really paid when you signed that contract at the crossroads.

 

[ZombiePenguins]

"Firefighters rushed to the scene as the the flames towered higher and dark smoke spilled out into the air so high that those watching the football game halfway across Vampey could see it that evening. The firefighters managed to put it out just after midnight, but not before it had destroyed half the block, including the recently built bank. The fire had caused 7 deaths and thousands of dollars of damage. It is also reported that later that evening a masked suspect wearing all black was caught on camera, slicing the tires of the firetrucks used to put out that particular fire around 4 am. No one was looking at the footage at that time and thus the suspect escaped. This additional suspicious activity has led authorities to believe that the fires were caused by arson, possibly by the hands of a gang or terrorist group. I'm Neville Young and this has been the morning news hour," the man on the television spoke, his white teeth glinting in the spotlights shined on him in the news studio, his brown hair curled at the front and sprayed into place in an attempt to create a friendly relaxed look for the news anchor, but only succeeding in making him look a little more like a mannequin.


Veronica sighed, picking up the remote to switch the channel to something that didn't have a voice that grated against her ears, nor any information that worried her. She flipped through the channels until she got to what appeared to be a game of soccer between two teams of which she did not know the name of. Veronica didn't keep up with sports, but compared to what was going on the news channel, she preferred the soccer game. She rubbed her arms nervously, then looked down at her plate to grab another piece of toast, bringing it up to her mouth and taking a bite with a sharp crunch. She placed the toast back onto the plate again and glanced at her hands: thankfully she did not smell of smoke that morning, but she awoke with a strange marking on her right hand. It was red and scabbing a little, as if she were holding something rather sharp, and ran horizontally across her palm. She thought she would have remembered getting a scratch like that, but no event came to mind. Veronica sighed a second time rubbing her eyes, suddenly feeling too uneasy to be hungry. She glanced at the clock to check the time and exclaimed, "Crap!" as she realized that if she didn't hurry she would be miss the bus and be late for work. Quickly, Veronica grabbed her bag and ran out the door, hastily locking it behind her, leaving her half eaten breakfast on the table.