Myles sat, crouched against the dark soil. His knees were drawn up to his chin, and he rocked back and forth incessantly. It had been two hours. His nose was still bleeding, and he had landed on a rock during his fall. A long, dark gash was apparent on his brow to his cheek. If it was just part of his genie getup then maybe he would've found it cool. But it was real. And it hurt. His eye was even swollen shut.

The weird thing was, he wasn't cold.. or warm. He couldn't feel anything. It was unnerving. He definitely knew he wasn't anywhere on earth-- at least nothing he's heard about or seen. Especially, well, given there was a _FUCKING FLOATING, SPINNING, GIANT HOURGLASS IN THE SKY._ 
He shivered, just out of habit, and his blue eye, the working one, narrowed. He could hear something, just faintly...

_huuuushh little baby, don't say a woooord.._

Myles visibly stiffened, and his head turned slowly towards the noise. He could make out a group of animalistic figures, but that was it. 

_mama's gonna buy you a mocking biiirdddd_

Myles hugged himself tighter, eyes nervously shifting away and back again to the figures. He leaned forward, attempting to see them in the light somehow cast by the giant hourglass. 

_and if that mocking bird don't sinnggggg.._

The song shifted chords dangerously, and Myles decided it would be better if he dragged himself over a gnarled bush. He didn't want to get caught by whoever sung that song. Thankfully, they looked like they hadn't noticed him yet. He sighed with relief, seeing as they were only sheep. Their wool looked so soft, so inviting. Myles absentmindedly outstretched his hand to one that passed by. Surprisingly, it didn't bray in alarm, it only turned to look at him.

_mama's gonna kill the damn thing.._

It had a face. 

It had a _human_ face.

Myles surpressed the scream bubbling up in his throat. His hands, scratched and bloodied, clasped over his mouth in horror. His chest heaved, and he felt his heart was going to beat out of his chest. The sheep-- no, it wasn't a sheep. Continued to look at him with a blank, staring expression. It was so eerie, Myles felt tears welling up in his eyes, and his body was wracked with a mangled sob.

**"Who's there?"** The singing had stopped abruptly, and the question was met with silence. The owner of the voice, a small girl, shrugged, and tapped her terrifying herd of human-faced-sheep along, and whistled the tune instead.

Myles took the chance, crawling from his hiding spot, still heavily breathing. The girl appeared normal, except for her dress which was a twisted version of lil bo peep or something. But that hadn't really bothered him, he noticed his own outfit had also had a dark appearance to it now. All patchwork and darkened colors.

"M-miss..." His voice struggled out, a rasp, and the girl let out a surprised "ah!" at his sudden appearance. 

"Oh my golly gosh! What happened to you mister? You fall from a tree?" The girl was plain, straw-blonde hair, dull brown eyes. Her skin looked pallid, and Myles thought if maybe they had been in a different place she would appear pretty. She nonchalantly stroked one of her wards, a sheep that nuzzled her hand. It still with an indifferent, unblinking expression.

Myles pointedly didn't look at them. "Sort of. Do you know where I am? And where my friends are?"

The girl let out a shrieking laugh, causing Myles to flinch back. She wiped an invisible tear from her eye. "Ohh that was funny. Pretending you don't know where you are. I'unno about your friends though, fella." She patted the sheep then nudged it along with her staff.

"Please.. I.. really don't know. I don't think I'm from around here."

The girl's eyes widened. "Gee, you must've hit your head hard falling from a tree. You're in the Maire." Her face softened then, and she looked him up and down. "You know, you don't look so good. How about I bring you back to my place and I'll fix you right up. Okay?"

"O-okay.."