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  I told her I’d be right back, and I slipped away from the group in search of a restroom, but somehow I managed to get turned around on my way back to the main studio where we started. I looked around, trying to remember which way I had come in. There were several hallways, but they all looked the same to me.

  “Great, Maggie. You can’t even go to the bathroom without getting lost.”

  A large metal door on the right looked like it might be the way back. I opened the door and literally fell through it, landing in a heap at the bottom of about a three-foot drop. I stood up. Looking around, I found myself in some sort of desert with many odd-looking characters moving around. None of the creatures looked even remotely familiar, and the flat, sandy terrain went on for miles.

  I suddenly realized I must’ve stumbled upon a movie set. One would have thought security would have been tighter; I mean the rest of the place was practically in lockdown. The door I fell through must’ve been a crew entrance or something. My heart started racing.

  I knew I needed to make myself scarce before I screwed up the filming and got into trouble. If I got out of the way, maybe they’d let me stay and watch. I brushed the dust off my pants and looked around.

  A few trees, several barren of leaves, spotted the landscape, along with a spattering of shrubs, and several huge boulders. They had to have used a crane to get those things in here, they were so big.

  I searched for an exit but couldn’t see one anywhere. The vast set reminded me of a combination of Alice in Wonderland and the “cantina scene” from Star Wars with its barren terrain and weird characters.

  The beasts had a primordial appearance with a touch of scary, deranged stuffed animal. It was as if prehistoric animals and ragdolls had reproduced rampantly. The bizarre-looking, various-sized creatures ran around all over the place, chasing one another, grazing, or fleeing to avoid becoming dinner. Some of them were covered in fur while others appeared more reptilian and then some were an odd combination of the two.

  Suddenly, what resembled a cross between a dinosaur and a bear came running straight toward me. It was taller than a house and its hostile, wide, red eyes focused directly on me, exuding pure malice. I could clearly hear its angry snarling and see its jagged, yellow teeth dripping with foamy drool.

  I was riveted. The special effects on this film were terrific. That thing seemed incredibly real. I couldn’t wait to see this movie in a theater and be able to say “I was there when...”

  I couldn't find any place to duck out of the way, my anxiety increasing, knowing the cameraman would surely discover my presence if he kept filming this...giant, furry “bearosaur.”

  Suddenly, something hit me with enough force to take me down and knock the wind out of me. Before I could even react, I felt myself being hauled between two boulders the size of school buses.

  Finally, I caught my breath and stood up to face my attacker. His size intimidated me. I’m five-foot-eight so I’m fairly tall, but he towered over me wearing some sort of large, shapeless fur garment. He was obviously an actor in the film and probably mistook me for an extra. I wasn’t nearly as impressed with the costume design as I had been with the special effects.

  His dirty, shaggy, shoulder-length hair gave him an unkempt appearance. His full mustache and beard were all matted and desperately needed trimming, and he smelled like he hadn’t had a shower in quite some time; very caveman chic.

  The sounds of sniffing and more snarling triggered him to push me further between the rocks. There was barely enough room for the two of us to stand without touching.

  “Hey!” I protested.

  “You’d prefer I just let him eat you?” the man snapped.

  “You don’t understand. I’m not part of this production.”

  He stared at me like I’d spoken in a foreign language.

  “I’m not in the movie. I accidentally happened onto the set. I was just trying—”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” he growled, cutting me off. “What movie? I just saved your ass, lady.”

  “You don’t have to be so rude. I told you I was here by accident.”

  “Yeah? Welcome to the club. You think anyone winds up here on purpose?”

  “I’m sorry. I’ll be happy to leave if you’ll just tell me which way to go.”

  “If I knew the way to get out of here, I’d already be gone.”

  I tried to get past him but he blocked my way. I started to get annoyed. “Look, mister, if you want me to leave the set, you need to move.”

  He didn’t budge. “I don’t know what your problem is,” he said slowly, “but I am not going to step aside and let you get yourself killed. This is not a movie set. This is the Outer Rim. That molterg out there is hungry and you’re the tasty meal it’s hunting for.”

  Just as I started to think this guy was nuts, a thought popped into my head. I laughed. “Oh, I get it. This is some ‘real experience’ in the movies. Bonnie must’ve paid for it. Okay, I’ll play along,” I said eagerly.

  The scraggly man just stared at me. “How did you say you got here?” he asked.

  I glanced, pointing in the direction from where he’d dragged me from then I did a double take. There was no door, no wall, nothing but open space. A little anxiously, I searched all directions, my eyes darting around, looking for the door that I fell through...but it wasn’t there.

  “That’s impossible,” I muttered.

  The man blew out a breath. “Let me guess,” he said, “you came through a metal door, right? Just like the rest of us and now the door is gone.”

  I nodded with relief, realizing this was part of the package. “Oh, thank God. For a minute I thought I was crazy. So tell me, it’s exhilarating and all, but how long does this whole ‘extra experience’ last?”

  The man shook his head. Then he grabbed me by the arms and practically shouted at me. “Listen to me! This is not a movie. This is not a joke. Nobody paid extra for anything. This is real. That thing out there intended to kill and devour you. I managed to keep you alive, but if you want to stay that way we need to move, now!”

  I was a little put off, but thought maybe this was part of the whole experience too. I heard a commotion. A woman with long, bleach-blonde hair caught my eye, clearly fleeing from something. She ran in the direction leading away from us and kept looking behind her, which gave me a glimpse of her face for a split second. I couldn’t help but notice her expression of sheer terror...right before the monster that had been chasing her descended upon her. The creature grabbed her at the waist and sunk its razor-sharp teeth into her flesh.

  “Wow, she’s really good,” I whispered, riveted by her performance, unable to take my eyes off of her.

  A crimson fountain of blood spurted out of the woman, spewing into the air and showering down all around her, soaking the ground beneath her. The shocked, anguished expression on the woman’s face appeared completely genuine. She was bound to win an award for this performance.

  I gasped as the creature violently shook the woman in its mouth, severing her body into two halves. The man tried to shield me from seeing it, but it happened too quickly. The beast swallowed the bottom half of the woman and ran away, leaving her head and torso lifeless and bleeding.

  “I can’t believe how realistic that was. The sound effects alone...How did they do that?”

  Grabbing my arm, the man roughly jerked me forward, pushing to the edge of the boulder. Through gritted teeth, he seethed, “Does that smell like fake blood to you? Do you see any camera men or crew people...anywhere?”

  I looked around and saw no one. I’d been so caught up in the action, I’d failed to notice that little detail before. I swallowed hard. I looked at the remains of the blonde woman and then back to the scruffy, surly man.

  “I...I...don’t understand,” I stammered. “It’s just a movie. It has to be. This can’t be real...it’s impossible.”

  The very pungent, coppery smell of blood wafted up to my nose and a wave of nausea hit
me. I blanched and started to tremble. “I don’t understand,” I said again, “this doesn’t make any sense.”

  The man let go of my arm and looked directly into my eyes. He must’ve recognized the horror on my face because he spoke more softly. “I know it doesn’t. But it is real. I’m sorry.”

  My feet felt like lead but my head seemed incredibly light. I didn’t know if I could move. I’d just seen a woman torn in half and partially eaten right before my eyes by a monster that didn’t exist. I’d ended up in this place through a big, heavy, metal door that had since disappeared, and now I was apparently dependent on a caveman to stay alive. I was having a bit of trouble processing.

  I could see the man’s lips moving but I couldn’t hear his words. My head began to spin. My knees buckled and I fell. He caught me and helped me to stand.

  “Hey, careful, now,” he said, much more gently than he had spoken to me before. “I’m Darrios. What’s your name?”

  I looked at him, unable to speak. My tongue felt like it filled my entire mouth. He probably thought I’d forgotten my own name.

  “Maggie,” I finally whispered, hoarsely.

  “C’mon Maggie, let’s get going. I’ll keep you safe, I promise. It’s what I do.”

  I nodded and followed him. What choice did I have?

  He peeked out from between the boulders. He turned to me and pointed to another set of boulders about fifty yards away.

  “We need to get to those rocks. We have to run. Are you ready?”

  I inhaled sharply, closed my eyes, and thought of my aunt and my brother. I nodded. Darrios offered his hand but I just looked at it. He let it drop and peeked out from the boulders again. He lunged out and ran, with me right on his heels.

  We squeezed between the boulders just as one of the beasts came running up behind us, snapping its massive jaws. The terrible sound of its teeth gnashing together echoed in my mind.

  Darrios grabbed me and pulled me in further. I covered my ears and scrunched my eyes shut, thinking of the blonde woman again, praying this was all just a bad dream. Darrios gently place his hand on my shoulder and I reluctantly opened my eyes.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  I nodded, too terrified to speak. He pointed to a rocky area with a few sparse trees that could’ve come out of a Dr. Seuss book. Lines from The Lorax popped into my head.

  “Maggie, do you see that small opening there, the one that looks like a little cave?”

  I nodded again, trying to stop shaking. The arid wind of this place had blown sand in my mouth, in my eyes. The grit crunched between my teeth.

  “We need to get through that opening and then we’ll be safe from the moltergs.”

  Terrific, except for the fact that we had to run about twice as far as we had the first time. My heart raced and my whole body trembled with fear. I shook my head back and forth, tears welling up in my eyes.

  “We can’t...I can’t,” I sputtered, “It’s too far. They’ll get us.”

  Darrios looked me right in the eye and spoke softly, but firmly. “Maggie, you can do this. I’ll help you. We can beat them, I promise. Look at me. Take a deep breath.”

  I took several.

  “If this is a dream, now would be a good time to wake up,” I told myself.

  I didn’t wake up.

  This time when Darrios offered his hand, I took it. We crept toward the opening and I waited while he looked out both ways. I could feel myself quivering. I closed my eyes and told myself everything would be fine, desperately wanting to believe it.

  “They’re chasing something,” Darrios said quietly. “Just focus on the opening. Don’t look to the left. Look only to where we’re going, okay?” He tipped my chin up and looked into my eyes. “Okay?”

  I nodded again.

  “Maggie, breathe. You can do this.”

  He looked again, nodded at me, sprung out of the crevice, and we ran. It was as though we moved in slow motion. I did what he said, focusing on the opening we were running toward, but it seemed like we weren’t getting any closer...and then suddenly we were there.

  Screaming and snapping and growling off to the left made me wince. I smelled blood again, but I didn’t look. Darrios shoved me through the opening, leaping through immediately after me.

  The space we occupied was smaller and even more cramped than the last one, pressing us together awkwardly. Regardless of how bad Darrios smelled, I was thankful he was there.

  “Once we pass through here, we’ll be in Midland, out of the Outer Rim. The moltergs won’t be able to follow us. They’re too big to fit through the opening,” he said reassuringly.

  I exhaled, relieved, eager to get to the other side. Silly me. I believed the danger had passed.

  Chapter Two

  The tiny, cramped space opened up into a much larger tunnel. The cold, damp air chilled me to the bone, but at least we could stand and walk upright. The entire length of the passageway only stretched to about thirty feet. We could see daylight coming in at the far end, which gave me hope.

  We heard nothing from the opening at the other side. I took that as a good sign. The only audible sound was our breathing, and, I was sure, my heart pounding.

  A whoosh of air hit me as we approached, cleaner and fresher than the air reeking of the death and decay of the Outer Rim. I inhaled deeply.

  As we stepped into this Midland, a weight lifted off me and floated away. I definitely preferred not looking over my shoulder for flesh-eating monsters around every turn.

  My new sense of security quickly vanished, however, when I noticed Darrios glancing around warily and taking slow, careful steps. I followed his eyes with my own, regarding the considerably different terrain from that of what he’d referred to as the Outer Rim.

  Trees sporadically covered the area. They sported more foliage, but none of them were very big. A lot more brush covered the land, and the ground seemed sandier and less rocky, much better for walking. The sky didn’t seem as overcast, with less cloud cover and more sunshine...or whatever it was that was shining in this place. I glanced up and squinted. Bright, round, yellow. Sure looked like the sun to me.

  I looked at Darrios. If we were free of the moltergs, why were his shoulders so tense? Why did he carry himself like a jungle cat ready to pounce, and why was he holding my hand so tight that I was losing feeling in my fingers?

  “Darrios?”

  He jumped. I apologized and he softened, turning toward me, but still glancing around.

  “What is it?

  He shushed me, listening for some unnamed peril. Finally, he answered me. “There are no moltergs,” he explained in a whisper, “but until we get to Inland, there is still some degree of danger. There are scabras and viocomen. There aren’t as many of them and they’re easier to fight, but they can be just as deadly, and the viocomen are worse than the scabras.”

  Confusion now compounded my fear and anxiety. I shook my head and just stared at Darrios. Sighing, he elaborated on his explanation as we walked.

  “Scabras are a little bigger than humans. They walk erect, but they’re covered in fur. They’re not very smart or agile, so we’ll hear them coming, but like the moltergs, fresh human is a delicacy to them. They love it...and you’re a fresh human. When they get that scent, they go crazy to get to the source. It’s like a frenzy.”

  “Well, aren’t you human?” I asked apprehensively.

  He chuckled. “Yeah, but I am definitely not fresh. I’ve been here so long, I barely ever think about my life before I came here. Once you’ve been here awhile, your scent will blend in with the rest of us.”

  I gasped audibly. The thought of being stranded here made me appreciate that little Podunk town in Missouri where I now lived.

  I stared at him wide-eyed. “I’m not going to be here awhile. I need to get home,” I said, trying not to sound hysterical.

  Darrios just nodded. “Okay,” he said soothingly, “Let’s get you safe first. Then we’ll figure out how to get you home.�
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  I nodded, wondering how long it would take us to get where we were going. We walked in silence for quite some time, and then I remembered something.

  “Darrios,” I said quietly, knowing he was listening for an impending attack. “You told me about the...scabras, I think you called them. What about the vico, vio—”

  “The viocomen.”

  He hesitated, and then he explained, speeding up his gait as he spoke. “The viocomen are...well, they look more human, but they’re not. They’re savages. They’re bigger than humans, like the scabras, but they have human features except they have no body hair; no eyebrows, no eyelashes...nothing.” He hesitated again before continuing. “If one gets you, it will eat you...but not before...” He took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. “It’ll torture you first...for fun. And then it will eat you alive.”

  I stopped dead in my tracks. I didn’t even know how to wrap my head around this...around any of this. I swallowed and nodded, halfheartedly.

  “Trust me, Maggie, if they get anywhere near us, either one of them, we’ll know it. Stealth is not their strong suit.”

  Darrios took a step toward me and looked into my eyes. He squeezed my hand. “I won’t let them hurt you, Maggie...any of them,” he promised.

  “Why?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. “You don’t even know me. Why would you risk your life to save mine? Why did you?”

  Darrios stared at his feet, obviously uncomfortable with the question.

  “Why did you save me instead of that other woman...the blonde woman?” I asked.

  He looked into my eyes with such intensity I had to look away for a second. He answered me in a voice just above a whisper. “It’s what I do. I saw that thing running toward you and I couldn’t let you die. Not when I knew I could save you. I couldn’t save you both...and I was closer to you.”

  He shook his head and started walking again. I had trouble keeping up.

  “I don’t get it. Why risk your own life to save strangers? That sounds kind of foolish to me.”