Ten minutes and 17 unanswered questions later, a frustrated Ezra realised why she was having trouble. This place was dead. There was nothing to do, no living creature or sentient being for help. Nothing. Here was where the plan lay - or, at least, the beginnings of one - escape. If Ezra was to find a purpose, she would have to look elsewhere. Now only one thing remained: how.
Two possible exits stemmed from opposite sides of the cloakroom. Ezra took the nearest one since whichever one she followed was bound to lead somewhere. Adjusting quickly to the dimly-lit passage, the eyes scanned for a way out. As she pressed onwards, which also seemed to be upwards, Ezra could smell something different. Cold, wet, fresh air met her nose and a clean grey light filtered in through the air. There were sounds of transport, too. Sounds Ezra recognised as footsteps, beeping of horns and roaring of other vehicles penetrated the semi-darkness. Reaching the top of the stairs revealed a door caked in dirt and dust. It seemed as if it had not been used for a long time. It was metal with louvres that let in a little light and allowed Ezra some view of what was beyond. Others, other humans, were beyond. She could see their busyness, and could feel that they all had goals, purposes. This filled Ezra with hope and she pushed on the door, but it did not open. She tried pulling it only to obtain the same result as before. Ezra felt a lump rising up inside of her throat. It was obvious that in the movement, nobody would notice her, even if she repeatedly hit the door to try and make a noise. Most humans are, Ezra concluded, too busy taken up with technology or their predestined purposes. Their minds are too preoccupied to help me. There was no way out through this supposed exit. However, this would not stop Ezra.
She drifted back, stung a little by losing out on exploring this new place with fresh smells and sounds - even new transport. Although Ezra supposed none quite so exciting as her beloved trains. Glancing at the copying thing on her way past, still rather curious about its properties and why such a strangely fearful object existed in the first place, Ezra went again into a dark passageway, except this one was different. The air felt a little cooler, smelt more strongly of the perfume of the underground. The air was different to anything she had experienced, yet excitement filled her as the dark almost swallowed her completely. It carried familiarity. That was new, but something else caused the area beneath the eyes to tug at itself as well. Taking in deep pungent lungfuls of air through her nose, Ezra became hyperaware of her breathing and the pounding sensation in her chest that she felt was faster than usual.
That was when it happened.
The flash of a figure - herself - from another perspective. It was for half a second, if not less, but that was all it took. She was standing there, eyes closed, heart pounding, something behind her...
Ezra turned, skin peeling back and muscles tensed. A noise came from her mouth to ward off the nothing that was there,which she noticed as her eyes snapped open in the turn. It was not the absence that shocked her, it was the painful shriek of growling and whining that sounded like the rumbling of trains starting off and the speeding of their blaring high notes as they raced. Her lungs exploded in fire and blood as her insides seared and she couldn't remember or understand why her actions felt so familiar with dust motes choking her throat and liquid at the side of her eyes but it did.
