(Scars do not appear to be cause of death –shock ... - Bad Request

“From...” She seemed to calm slightly, and her eyes took on a
thousand-league stare. “Came from a place else from here, almost a
life-ago, hummed a tune by a glade with two dead trees that had fallen
together. A brilliant door opened in th’space ‘tween the crossed trees,
showed me this city on th’ other side... I’z stepped through, ended here.”
“Can you get back?”
“Tried!” She tried to sob again, but no tears came. “Tried! ALL doors here
lead to OTHER places.” She shuddered and gripped her melted right hand.
“Went through thrice-ten portals, some a-purpose, some a-accident, none
a-them right. Can’t find way back...”
I glanced at my own scars. Half of them must’ve come from my own blind
explorations into these portals. I suppose I was lucky, then, that I was
immortal. My flesh healed quickly, the itch was already gone from my
throat.
“There must be a portal that can take you back. You can find it if y-”
“Can’t even leave here! This square! And there, th’place of death behind th’
gate waits for me!” She pointed at the Mortuary behind the gate, then
turned back to me, her face desperate. “Can’t go anywhere in this city!”
A moment of silence passed between us as I tried to digest what she was
saying, “You can’t go anywhere? What do you mean?”
“Anythin’ could be a door. Any arch there, any door here, could be a portal,
don’t know the key, could get a-sent t’another horrible place...’ Her teeth
started chattering again. “...got t’stay way from the closed spaces, all could
be doors, could have a key on me, an’ I not be knowing it...”
Another short silence, “You... you’re afraid to go through ANY door or arch
because it might be a portal?”
She nodded, her teeth still chattering.
“How long have you been afraid of this?”
She squinted. “Since the last time I walked through th’ last portal, th’ place
where m’hand...” She stopped. “Since m’tenth Turning... I’m in me fourth
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