The first act begins

"Where... where the hell am I?!"

Those were the exact first words that managed to escape my throat as I woke up in the middle of this unfamiliar place that was definitely NOT my bedroom...

What on earth is going on here?!

"Okay, okay... Calm down, Mireya. Deep breath. Go to your happy place... Alright, you can do this!"

First things first: analyze the situation. Think back, you idiot!

What was the last thing you were doing before ending up here?

Aah... Right... I was trying to unearth the mystery of whatever was happening to me every night...

"That's why I stayed up until the crack of dawn to investigate."

The problem was that halfway through my watch, I got utterly bored, so I went to grab something to eat while watching a bit of TV...

"The last thing I remember was hearing this creepy, bizarre laugh echoing through the room right before losing consciousness completely..."

Isn't this bad? It's downright awful!

I'M CLEARLY TRAPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF A PARANORMAL PHENOMENON!!

(Slap!)

"No, pull yourself together! First, focus on how you're going to get out of this alive."

Let's see what kind of gear I have on hand to handle this emergency.

Time for an inventory check!

Combat Frying Pan = Check!

High-Voltage Stun Gun = Check!

Max-Strength Pepper Spray = Check!

First Aid Kit = Check!

Concentrated Bug Spray = Check!

Well... at least it looks like I'm not completely defenseless!

"But... is this stuff really going to be enough to get me out of a place like this in one piece?... Hmm..."

AH!!

I almost completely forgot!!

I still have my trump card! I still have Echidna!

"Alright! I'm counting on you, Echidna!"

However... no matter how many times I tried to summon her... she didn't appear.

"Hello?... Come on, Echidna, I know for a fact you're in there..."

Even though I could clearly feel her presence linked to my soul, she gave no response whatsoever.

"This looks bad..."

Could there be some sort of weird barrier blocking her from the outside?

"Damn it! There's no other choice, I'll just have to pull through this on my own!"

And with that firm resolution, I puffed out my chest with courage, scrambling to my feet ready to face whatever came my way, when suddenly...

"Hello, sweet cheeks~!"

All my determination, bravery, and newly recovered courage vanished into thin air in a fraction of a second.

"....."

That voice... was an abomination in itself. A blatantly "sweet" and flirtatious attempt, yet modulated in a insanely deep, meaty, and intimidating tone that froze me to the very bone.

"¡¿?!"

Every last shred of bravery in me died on the spot.

"KYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!"

I shrieked like a terrified little girl at the sight of whatever monstrous thing just stepped out from the room's shadowy depths...