()You may need to reread my 8th post, I think, for reference in the end if it doesn't make sense))<br/><br/>Lillith kept her pace steady, giving a silent thanks that the rest of the way would be mostly smooth. She looked down at the scrapes on her palm and the dirt now covering her back, and grimaced. â€œPayment? Others?â€ she blurted without thinking, quickly clamping her mouth shut. She already new the meaning â€™unfriendlyâ€™ well enough to know sticking around resulting in bad things when people like that were involved. She picked up her speed a bit, keeping along the lines.<br/><br/>When he finally caught up to walk beside her, she released a breath she hadnâ€™t realized sheâ€™d been holding. If he was beside her, then maybe things were okay. That they might actually make it through this without a hitch. â€œStupid,â€ she hissed to herself. â€œDonâ€™t be a jinx.â€ She pursed her lips as they continued their trek, taking in the fog and expanse of what seemed like perpetual nothingness surrounding them. Occasional, she would make out random shapes in the distance, but they were gone as quick as they had come, as if only shapes in her imagination.<br/><br/>When his voice broke the silence, she instinctively turned her head toward them, her eyebrows shooting up. â€œOh, uh, well,â€ she hesitated, stumbling in her thoughts. â€œIâ€™m going to guess itâ€™s as utterly expansive here as it is there. We have cities like this,â€ she said casually, gesturing. She quickly dropped her arm and muttered, â€œWell, I mean, not broken and disintegrating. There are thriving cities that probably look like this used to. In California and New York, from the top of my head.â€ She peered over, and he seemed sincere enough in his interest, so she plunged onward. â€œTheyâ€™re busy and full of life all the time, like they never stop even to breath. Full of lights, sounds. Of  course, I donâ€™t live in the city,â€ she tacked on with a hint of envy. â€œWe live in a small suburb-a housing area where lots of people live- and my mom stays home and my dad worked with my Uncle. Small, one story house.  I donâ€™t have any brothers or sisters. Oh, Iâ€™m sorry,â€ she quickly amended, flushing as she brought her hand to her mouth involuntarily. â€œThis was about the world, not me. Heh. I havenâ€™t seen much here to know the difference yet. We have wars, but none on home turf. Iâ€™ve never seen anything like this,â€ she marveled. â€œNot in person. Until, you know, now. Everyone is on a science bandwagon, though. Weâ€™re making lots of breakthroughs, and my Uncleâ€™s company was making a lot of headway. Of course, Iâ€™m sure thatâ€™s largely to do with stuff here. Perhaps if you told me what things used to be like here, I could offer more comparison?â€ she added hopefully, glancing over and giving a hint of a smile. She sighed inwardly, knowing they had probably barely covered any ground at all. She hoped she didnâ€™t bore the boy guy to his death of drive him to insanity with her before they got to the other side. He seemed like a nice enough guy, if a little odd. Not his fault. She wouldnâ€™t know how to explain that to his friends, assuming she found them. She cringed. More people, more outcast feeling. It wasnâ€™t as bad with one person, but she still felt awkward in her lack of know how in the situation. She dreaded the feeling of a group.<br/><br/>She was about to prompt for what he used to do, when and involuntary scream tore from her throat, and she quickly clamped both hands over her mouth, feeling guilty as he looked at her with a mixed expression. She merely pointed, adverting her eyes to the figure laying about 30 feet away. She had only seen it for a second when some of the fog resided.<br/><br/>She followed the cautious mannerisms of her companion, and they soon found themselves kneeling next the body of a woman, who was dressed in a stained lab coat, the blond hair that had probably once been pretty now frizzled and blacked around the shoulders. Her angle was odd, as she had been crawling in the condition before collapsing. However, her name tag was intact, reading a simple bold lettered â€œAlissa.â€ Lillith reached out on an impulse, seeing something glittering from the womanâ€™s fist. She managed to wiggle it free and held up what appeared to be a watch, blinking and cracked. â€œWhat this?â€ she inquired, looking over at Karr for an answer.