Hands Up, Baby Hands Up

Looking for a Home

Juliana with much difficulty opened her eyes - and for a long time was quite dazed. For one thing she couldn't understand where she was. It looked like she was in a very comfortable room. Everything felt warm, yet there was this sense of lightness to everything she could perceive. It was dark and Juliana, understandably could not make sense of anything. The last thing she remembered was Lucho whacking at her head with his gun, and now this. She quickly realized she wasn't bound up, nothing was tied around her mouth either - and that confused her, but she decided to go along with it. She also seemed to have nothing on her person - no phone, wallet or keys. The room was dim and from what Juliana could make out - a bedroom. She was quite bewildered and stood still for a while till she realized she could move.

When she did, her first thought was to find Val - to get her to safety. Where was Sara? All these thoughts rushed through her mind as she tried to move around the room as quietly as she could in the darkness. As soon as she took a step - she could hear someone shift. She immediately stopped and listened harder. It almost sounded like someone shifting in their sleep, and sure enough she could then make out the peaceful breathing of someone fast asleep. Her heart immediately jumped - if her captor or whoever this was, was asleep - she just might be able to escape. Juls slowly made out a door and as silently as she could - made her way to it and tried the handle gently.

The first time the handle went through her - Juliana was quite confused. Surely it just slipped out of her grasp. She tried again - and failed.

What?!

Juliana tried repeatedly, growing more frantic with each try. By some divine providence - a bit of light entered the room - and Juliana could finally see what she was doing. Seeing the handle literally pass through her hand - as if she was nothing but a ghost made her jump.

What? Am I dead? No, I can hear -

Juliana quickly tried to grab various things that were near her, various items on a dresser, the light switch - all in vain.

No - No - No - NO - NO!

Juliana's breathing was growing quite loud, along with her distressed murmurs - however she soon realized that this other person couldn't hear her - at all. She cursed and waited for a reaction from this sleeping being, but nothing happened. After many failed attempts at trying to open the door - she realized that she was stuck in the room.

Stepping back from the wall, she took in heavy breaths to calm herself, pulling her hair back and she did her best to rationalize the situation. For some reason she decided to approach whoever was sleeping and she tiptoed slowly to the bed - careful to not make a sound as she was still not convinced this other person couldn't hear her. By the dim light that seemed to be following her around - Juliana quickly realized who it was.

Val???

"Val! Val! Wake up!" she exclaimed, trying to get ahold of Val - but she couldn't. Val was still fast asleep, and quite clearly not able to hear her. Juls was now panicking. What kind of twisted horror is this??

"Val, please please - are you okay? Val?!" Juliana begged, hysterical almost and doing her best to shake Val awake. She then heard an outer door open, and the sounds of someone entering. Jul's was desperate now.

"Val, come on!!!" she screamed, but no reaction. A minute later - the bedroom door opened and by the light streaming in from the outer room - Juls could immediately see who it was.

What the?

It took Juliana a stupid amount of time to realize that she was staring at herself enter the room - and she was still quite confused at what was happening.