Frisk slowly opened her eyes to see… nothing. Nothing but a black… "Void…" she muttered softly.

She was able to set herself up and take in her surroundings and she couldn't help but wonder.

"Man… someone could lose their mind in here…"

A  tired and deep voice piped up behind her, practically dripping with sarcasm.

“Nooo, not at all. It’s perfectly fine here.” The accent could be described as British though it was somewhat fuzzed out with some sort of static or whitenoise.

Frisk practically jumped three feet in the air while she turned around to see a tall skeleton with one crack on each of his eye sockets. He was definitely taller than Sans but a few inches shorter than Papyrus.

"Wow old man, I didn't think you were even CAPABLE of that level of sarcasm!" Another voice that Frisk identified as Chara chirped as she suddenly popped into existence beside Frisk with a mischievous look on her face. The skeleton huffed at her antics.

“Oh, stuff a chocolate bar in it.” He nashed at her with tired spite. The man looked like he had, had it with this pathetic excuse of an escape room game bullcrap.

Chara smirked. "Oh please do! It'll be SO MUCH better than hearing you babble." She remarked with a sly face that could compete with a raccoon.

He rolled his eyelights, having enough of Chara’s bullcrap as well. “Greetings and salutations, Frisk.” He decided to turn his attention to the only living human in the “room”.

Frisk was totally confused at what was going on. She hasn't met this person before… right? And as if Chara was reading her mind, she smirked and wrapped her arm around her shoulders.

"You see Frisky. This, here is the good doctor. Gaster if you will. He's the one that's been "encouraging" you to "Not give up" after you die or when we pull you into the void. The reason you don't recognize his voice is because we just got done using our research and powers into finding more ways to help you on what you have to do next in your "journey" in the Underground. Although SOME of us know when to reel it back! Non-existent numbnuts here pushed it too far and now his voice is too weak and glitched up to even SPEAK properly." Chara gave a cheeky look at a fuming and grumbling skeleton.

"Doctor…? And you were pushing yourself?! What kind of doctor tells you to get better and not strain yourself but doesn't do the same for themselves?!" Frisk questioned but scolded the tall and intimidating monster by using what she knew of what a good doctor is supposed to do and not to do.

Chara, on the other hand, was now cackling at her doppelganger's attitude.

“... I’ve always been like that. Call it a bad habit.” He replied with a tired and slightly depressed sigh.
 
Frisk looked concerned while Chara just rolled her eyes as if this was nothing new to her. And it probably wasn't.

"O-KAY! Moving forward here!" Chara clapped for them to focus on her. "So, starting with what to do next, is that you HAVE to be prepared more than anything. So after you wake up, you go next door to the inn and buy as much "equipment" and Monster snacks as possible for your fight with Papyrus. He might have the personality of a cinnamon bunny, but he can still pack a wallop! And Undyne has been training him non-stop since he was little. He really wants to get into the royal guard, but honestly, he's too kind to even WANT to kill anybody. Little alone take a human soul." Chara explained.

Frisk had to put up her hands in surrender. "Woah woah, wait! "Equipment"? "Snacks"? And killing?! I know that I have to fight him, but I don't wanna hurt him! Little alone me…" She felt so overwhelmed.

“Equipment are items that will increase your ATTACK and DEFENSE in an encounter. Snacks increase your HOPE or HEALTH POINTS. You will be in an encounter or "FIGHT" with Papyrus, though I promise, killing will not be involved. He usually just attacks until your HP is low and puts you somewhere he deems safe until Undyne picks you up. Like an unlocked shed. The snacks are infused with magic, so when you eat one during battle it replenishes your HP. Remember the candy Sans gave you? That's one example of it. And I would estimate that no more than say…. three encounters with Papyrus that he'll grow tired of fighting and request your friendship. Depending on how you use your options, he might actually ask more from you, in your encounters.” Gaster chuckled, seeming to think about something amusing. Then he gave a gentle smile. "And I promise you that no one will die or seriously hurt during this ordeal. You have my word."

".... I still can't believe that the rumors and stories were true…" Frisk muttered as she sank to her knees. Seemingly overwhelmed and exhausted on what she had to do. "And all the while I'm living a life aboveground in "reality" compared to down here like a video game… this is crazy!"

Chara seemed a little hesitant with having to go further but she had to in order for everything to turn out ok. "I know…. It's… a lot to comprehend. And whatever "rumors" the humans are spreading about in that village, just put that out of your head for now. Right now, we need to focus. When you get his trust, you're going to have some… complications when traveling… but! We'll be there to help you!"

“Indeed. Rumors can be more toxic than chemicals, it is best to ignore them. Your best ally will be Sans, Frisk. Try not to get on his bad side, although I’m sure you’ll be fine the way you are going now.” He gave a knowing smirk to Frisk.

She looked confused at the way he was trying to suggest. She thought about it a little more until she heard him snicker and then winked at her like the way Sans does with her. And then she finally got his hint and blushed profusely while she tried to bury her face into her hands.

Chara rolled her eyes while she grinned. "Took you all but what? Almost a day to realize this? Even we could immediately see it on your and the bonehead's faces. Little alone your souls. Geez… it's like positive magnets TRYING to repel each other." She quipped. Gaster was surprised.

“Oh my stars, did you just-” He gawked. “You really did! I don’t know if I should feel proud or annoyed that you were so snarky saying it.”

Chara looked at him with confused amusement.

He sighed. “Your magnetism quip. It was scientifically accurate.”

Chara cackled. "See? Even I can learn something through your rambling~!" Meanwhile Frisk is just trying to block everything around her.

“Frisk? Are you still trying to hide? Stars, you and Sans really are perfect for each other if that’s the case.” Gaster mused.

"Please don't—!!!" She was interrupted when the darkness around her seemed to surround her like quicksand underneath her feet. She started to panic.

"What's happening?!" She screamed.

"Frisk! It's okay. It just means that our time is up and that you're waking up. A little sooner than I was expecting, but it'll have to do…. WE'LL TALK LATER!!!" She yelled as Frisk was fully engulfed by the sinking darkness.

*****

    Falling….

She was falling again. But where to? The center of the Earth?! God she hoped not. 'I DO NOT want to deal with dinosaurs chasing me in a land of lava…' she thought bitterly.

She then saw a light in a tunnel of darkness. 'Wait… AM I DEAD?! Did someone kill me in my sleep?! That would be my luck wouldn't it…'

She then heard humming. Very beautiful and soft sounding humming. And it felt… familiar?

She then appeared in a cozy cabin that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere in the woods. The only light emitting the oversized living room was the fireplace. Everything… looked familiar to her.

"Kinda like… Toriel's?" Frisk muttered as she took in her surroundings. And just like Tori's, there was a huge chair that dwarfed her by a few heads. But even still, a huge figure sat in it. She could see a brown top of messy curls, and a pair of medium sized curly black horns.

And she was standing right behind them.

She gulped in fear.

'Okay Frisk… relax. First you were at the inn, asleep. But then that got you to the Void… and as soon as you were waking up… you ended up in a log cabin, in the dark woods, in the middle of nowhere, and now with an impossibly large… thing. Monster? Well that isn't much better… man this seems like a scene from a crappy horror film that had a low budget with the props.'

Then she heard deafening crying of what sounded like a child.

'....Well… that doesn't help.'

It sounded like it was coming from the front of the chair where the monster was.

She slowly tried to peek around the chair to where the creature wouldn't see her.

'Please… oh ple~ase!!! Whatever God is listening. Please! Don't let this be some sort of demon cult! And that I'm about to witness a sacrifice!'

But no disturbing noises, besides the crying, came. Instead, she only heard a gentle and motherly voice coming from the monster.

"Now, now, dear… it's going to be okay. Your Mama's here. Papa and your grandparents will be back tomorrow. We're safe from the monsters of the night. Want me to sing you to sleep? I'll sing your favorite. It's from that TV show that I liked to watch as a young kid like you."

From what Frisk could see from when she peeked over just a tad, was a small human baby with locks of brown messy hair. The tear filled baby's goldish brown eyes opened to see the monster lady cooing down at them.

But from Frisk's angle, she could only see a black and brown muzzle from said monster lady and the face of the baby. Though she could tell that she was some kind of goat monster and that she wore long purple and white robes like Toriel did with the same symbol sewn at the front.

"Maybe they're related…?" She muttered out loud.

Maybe a little too loud.

"Who's there?!" The goat woman held the child close to her chest in panic while Frisk ducked back behind the chair.

"Who's there?! I'm warming you! I'm armed!" From what Frisk could see, is that the goat woman formed a magic fire that had taken the form of a pistol.

A LOADED pistol.

Frisk was now about to blow a fuse in panic and straight out fear. But before the two could get a good look at each other, JUST missing each other, as the goat woman turned the chair over easily. As if it weighed nothing.

Frisk seemed to get pulled back into the darkness. And within a snap of a finger, she was….

AWAKE.

To be continued....