As the man next to him stood at last, having apparently recovered at least somewhat from the ordeal they'd just been thrust into, Eli turned to watch the gaggle of others now eyeing the taller man beside him as he approached them. As for Eli, he remained seated still, sizing up each individual face barely aglow from the soft flickering heat of he fire. He wondered vaguely why some of them were here, tried to guess based on appearance though he knew it was both impossible and unfair to judge. Perhaps it made him feel a little better, actually, to think that he might not be the only one who'd been sucked into this purgatory for forsaking his own existence.<br/><br/>As Carter finally introduced himself, in turn, announcing his profession as a journalist, Eli decided then and there that none here would ever catch the slightest whisper of how he'd supported himself in the waking world. The real world. That other dimension . . . Wherever he'd come from in comparison to this place. Regardless, he couldn't imagine explaining to Bill or Carter that he'd been a male stripper, that he'd covered his body in oils, paints or glitter and danced for hours beneath a strobe light with hundreds of drooling eyes upon him. He'd rather die first . . . If he hadn't already. In fact, Eli doubted anyone here would even believe him anyways. Waiting tables might not be a glorious calling, but it wasn't half as embarrassing as letting strangers' hands slip cash into his waistband.<br/><br/>As a darker girl stepped forward from the worriedly murmuring group that had yet to accept Eli and Carter into their fold, Eli stood at last, dusting dirt and leaves from his pants. As her sentence was left open-ended, Eli turned back to Bill waiting to hear what he had to say in response.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#0080ff"> "Why do you mean?"</span>He turned back to Claudette.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#0080ff">"Why is it so . . . Relevant that there are two of us?"</span>The answer didn't come from Bill, but a young man who'd crept from the edge of the trees to join them at last, with Asian features and a mess of fluffy black hair.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#336600">"A newcomer usually means a new killer. With two of you showing up at once,"</span>he scoffed, sounding annoyed.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#336600">"We've either got to learn to outsmart two new monsters or . . . Maybe even a powerful one that's worth the both of you. Figures . . . "</span><br/><br/>The young man with the attitude moved to stand with the headstrong girl who'd invited others along on a venture that didn't sound pleasant. But still . . . Eli had been given the barest of explanations for anything here, and everyone remained so cryptic that it had begun to grate on his already stressed nerves. He decided that, if he was going to find any real answers, he would have to get them himself. Determined, he stepped forward past Carter, standing taller than the punk girl as he gave her a look of determination.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#0080ff">"I'm in. For whatever reason I've wound up here, I'm sure I deserve it. And I'm not making sense of any of this by just sitting here around a fire, so let's go find out whatever . . . Monster I've brought with me." </span><br/><br/>His determination was met with a laugh from the girl.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff9999"> "I have to say, I thought you were too pretty to get your hands dirty. Guess I was wrong. Either way, you're gonna regret this. C'mon, Jake."</span>The young woman took Jake's hand, and Jake moved to take Eli's, as both seemed to accept that he needed to come along despite their obvious doubts.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#336600">"We still need one more to start a trial,"</span>Jake murmured, eyeing the others in question.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#336600">"Me, Nea, the new guy . . ."</span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#0080ff"> "Eli,"</span>he growled.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff9999"> "Eli,"</span>Nea corrected.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff9999"> "Who else is ready to piss their pants?" </span>Nea held a handkerchief in her grasp and tossed it into the fire.