In a Forest Somewhere in Kansas 
 

As the sun rises over the state of Kansas, it casts a warm, golden hue across a tranquil forest nestled in the heart of the Sunflower State. The forest is a lush oasis, providing a stark contrast to the surrounding prairies. Towering oak, hickory, and cottonwood trees dominate the landscape, their branches forming a dense canopy overhead. The forest floor is carpeted with a rich tapestry of flora, including vibrant wildflowers such as purple coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and delicate violets. The ground is also adorned with a thick layer of fallen leaves, twigs, and moss-covered rocks, offering a soft, natural carpet for those who venture through. 

Birdsong fills the air as native species like Eastern bluebirds, red-tailed hawks, and American robins create a harmonious symphony. Squirrels dart playfully through the branches, while white-tailed deer graze peacefully in the dappled sunlight that filters through the canopy. 

The scent of earth and vegetation is heightened by the warmth of the sun, creating a refreshing and invigorating atmosphere. Shafts of sunlight pierce through the dense foliage, casting enchanting patterns of light and shadow on the forest floor. These shifting beams of light dance among the leaves, creating a magical and ever-changing tableau. 
In the heart of this Kansas forest, a babbling brook meanders through the landscape, its waters clear and inviting. The gentle sound of flowing water adds a soothing melody to the forest's natural symphony.

 Moss-covered stones line the stream, providing a place for butterflies to rest and drink from the cool, crystal-clear waters. 
Not that it matters to the only person inside the forest. He is too busy contemplating the absolute absurdity of this entire situation. Naked as the day he was born, he sat on a stump of a fallen tree, with a thousand-yard stare etched on his face.  

The sound of chirping birds echoing throughout the forest as well as the gentle trickle of a nearby creek accompanies the silence of the person sitting on the stump. His thoughts jump from his family, to his timely demise, to his meeting with GODS, to his entire being thrown into different dimensions, and finally landing on this Earth. He is confused, sad, afraid, and a little bit curious. 

Getting up from the stump, he walked towards the creek. Spotting a calmer spot, he went towards it and stop just above the calm water. Inspecting his clear reflection, he observes that he is no longer fifty-eight years old. Meticulously, he inspects his body. Where there were scars, there are now none but healthy skin. His joints no longer hurt, and he no longer feels any excruciating pain whenever he breathes. His mind is now the clearest it has ever been at that he smiled. 

Taking a huge breath, he relishes the fresh clean air filling his lungs to the brim before finally exhaling all of it out. 

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa.” exhaled the man with great satisfaction. 

Alone in a forest, he has not a clue to his current situation, but he doesn’t let it bother him, not now at least.  He has a lot of emotion to unpack but not right now, he’ll have to worry about that later. He needs to find whatever civilization this Earth has. He may not understand half of everything that just happened to him, but he is confident about one thing. This ‘Earth’ is not his Earth, if he wants to survive and hopefully thrive then he needs to find civilization before it gets dark. 

Looking at the creek, he remembers a saying from his previous life. If in doubt, follow the water, its either that or drink piss. Steeling his nerves, he slowly but steadily follows the creek downhill, carefully walking to avoid blistering his feet from walking barefoot.  

Traveling downhill, he thinks that he really needs a name.  
“I can’t remember my name and the names of people important to me, I wonder if that God tampered with my memories.” he mused bitterly.  

“At least I still remember everything else.” he sighed with relief. 

“Since I can’t remember my old name, I might as well use a new name.” Thinking of a new name to have while walking down the creek. He eventually settles for Richard. He doesn’t know why he settled for that name, but it simply felt right. He suspects this might be his old name but at the same time, he feels like it isn’t. He simply puts off finding his real name for now.  

After walking for an hour or two he eventually finds many signs of civilization. Looking at the numerous signs that each point to different directions, he spots a sign with a map of his current vicinity.  

Apparently, the creek is called “Crystal Creek” located in Nowhere, Kansas. 

“Somehow the name feels like a fit for this place.” muttered Richard amused. 

“Now how would a stranger, a naked stranger asks for help in a small town like this, a stranger that appeared out of nowhere.” thought Richard. 

Deciding to head towards the nearest road as indicated by the map sign. Steadily marching towards the nearest road, nervous but determined. 

NOWHERE, KANSAS, CRYSTAL ROAD  
 
  A rusty and worn-out pickup truck with a faded blue paint job is driving down crystal road. The truck's body shows signs of age and numerous dents, making it clear that it has seen better days. The windows are somewhat grimy and give the impression that they haven't been cleaned in a long time. 

The truck's design is utilitarian, with a simple and functional appearance. It has a standard cab with a single bench seat, which adds to its overall simplicity. The wheels and tires appear old and somewhat mismatched, emphasizing the truck's lack of maintenance. 
One of the notable features of the truck is the large, wooden board fixed to the back of the cab.  

Driving the truck is an old bald man, wearing a pair of old-fashioned, faded, and slightly oversized green overalls. With glasses perched on his ever-frowning face. Next to him, is an old kindly woman, wearing thick rimmed glasses, wearing a long-sleeved and knee-length floral dress. On her lap, sat a white slightly pinkish Scottish terrier. The radio chiming with a calming and soothing tune of country music. 

As the two people were enjoying a somewhat peaceful drive, they spotted mostly naked man by the roadside. A makeshift skirt made of bushes to cover his lower half, gesturing with his thumb, hoping to hitch a ride. 

Parking a few meters away from the naked man, the elderly couple decided to talk with the man. 

“Muriel, hand me my mallet.” asked the elderly man. 

“Eustace, I think the mallet is a bit of an overkill.” replied Muriel. 

“Muriel, that is a naked man on the roadside. A stranger that we don’t know, and with all the weird things going on, a mallet may not be enough.” rebuffed Eustace.     

Sighing to herself, Muriel opens the large glove box, pulls out a moderate size mallet and hands it over to Eustace.  

“Please do ask questions first before, swinging that mallet, I’m not in the mood to explain anything to the sheriff.” requested Muriel. 

“You don’t have to damn worry! Let me handle this” scoffed Eustace.

“Now, I don’t want to hurt you stranger, so you best cooperate. Firstly, what in tarnation are you doing!?” shouted Eustace. 

With his thumb still sticking out the stranger replied, "I was hoping to hitch a ride, maybe some clothes.” 
 Not wanting to escalate the situation, the stranger hastily began to explain himself. 

“Look, I don’t mean any trouble, I just want some help.” placated the stranger. 

As the stranger was having a hard time trying to explain himself, he suddenly felt a rush of charisma, clarity, and confidence fill his mind.  With this sudden rush he began to craft a believable story for himself. 

With pure intuitive action he spoke, “Look, I know you are probably confused as to why there is a half-naked man beside the road, but the question you should be asking is how.” Speaking with confidence he continued to explain. 

“I was camping down Crystal creek, I arrived here in Nowhere three days back. Just last night, I was foraging for mushrooms, to make myself some soup. I must have taken some less-than-ideal mushroom because I found myself naked a few hours ago.” explained the man. 
…..... 
….......... 
The old man remained silent as he stares at the stranger. Feeling a bit nervous the stranger begun to feel a little bit worried that his story may not be believable, but his worries were unfounded as the old man began to laugh uproariously.

 Doubling over,laughing boisterously the elderly man replied. 

“You either have to be the luckiest or unluckiest feller I have ever met.” hackled the Eustace. 

“You have no idea.” deadpanned the stranger. 

“Hop in the back, I’ll bring you to the Sheriff’s station.” gestured the elder.

 
“But that’s as far as I’m gonna get you, they’ll handle the rest.” Eustace added. 

Eustace turned around to hand Muriel the mallet, just as he was about to get in the truck, the stranger asked him “If it's not any bother, can I ask for some spare clothes? as you can see, I’m not wearing any.” 

Before Eustace could retort Muriel hastily agreed to the man’s request.

  
“Sure, deary our house is just a wee bit overhead, we can fetch some spare clothes from there before dropping you off at the sheriff’s station.” offered Muriel while she gently pats her white (slightly) pinkish dog while shooting her old husband a nasty glare that brook no arguments. 

Relieved and thankful the man, offered his sincere gratitude. As he was thanking the kind old woman, he suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to introduce himself, for a moment he considered stifling the urge but ultimately decided there was no harm in doing so. Thinking quickly, he decided on a name on the spot. 

“Ma’am, my name is Richard Stan Kirby, and you have done me a great favor, I’ll be sure to return it as soon as I am able.” thanked the man.  

Somehow for some reason the name felt right. Using the name of two of his favourite authors of his most favourite comic brand, the Marvel comics. Hopping unto the back of the truck, seating himself whilst covering his nether regions with the bush leaves. He waits for his next destination. Deep down in his gut, he gets the feeling that things will go right, despite the overwhelming odds against him. He literally started from scratch with no money, property, or any identity yet deep down he feels as though they are not a problem. He’ll just have to wait and see. 
 
NOWHERE, KANSAS, SHERIFF STATION 
 
The sheriff station boasts a classic yet unassuming architectural style, with a brick facade that has weathered the years. It is flanked by tall, aging trees that provide welcome shade during the hot summer months. A well-worn path leads from the sidewalk to the front entrance, which is marked by a wooden sign bearing the town's name and "Sheriff Station" in simple, painted letters.

 There's a small, neatly manicured garden bed near the entrance, maintained by the station's staff, with colourful flowers adding a touch of vibrancy to the otherwise muted exterior. 

Upon arrival, there is a step into the central office area. It's a warm and inviting space, exuding a rustic charm with its wooden wall panelling. The room is centred around a sizable, though somewhat cluttered, oak desk that commands attention. The town's sheriff, recognized by all as an amiable presence, can frequently be found there, engrossed in paperwork or engaging in conversations with local residents. 

Several mismatched chairs are casually positioned throughout the room, offering seating options for both visitors and townsfolk who drop by to report minor incidents or simply engage in friendly conversations. On one wall, there's a bulletin board displaying community announcements, occasionally adorned with a "Wanted" poster. 

 A man is seen sitting in the office wearing clothes that only be described as old fashioned. Wearing a dusty yellow faded overall, complimented by a grey, long-sleeved shirt, and pairs two this ensemble with work boots that appeared to have seen better days.

 Sitting on a plastic chair that is commonly seen everywhere, across him is Nowhere Kansas’s town sheriff. 

“So let me get this straight, you foraged for wild mushrooms, made soup out of it, then you got high and found yourself buck ass naked.” deadpanned the sheriff. 
“Absolutely.” affirmed(lied) the newcomer. 

Taking a deep breath, the sheriff made a long exhale before looking at the stranger seated across him. Rightfully suspicious at the stranger’s recount. A random stranger suddenly appeared out of nowhere, granted that this towns name is Nowhere which he thought of as ironic but still his suspicion was still there. Hopefully this stranger isn’t what he thinks it is. 

“Alright, tell me your name and I’ll see what I can do.” spoke the sheriff as he walked over to a desk with a pc on it. 

“Richard Stan Kirby.” replied the man. 

“Alright, Mr. Kirby, I’ll search your name on the database, we’ll just have to wait for a while.” answered the sheriff as he entered the stranger’s name unto the police records. After waiting for a while, a file bearing the stranger’s name was found. A file for drunk driving with an old DUI. 

Relieved that he wasn’t dealing with a possible serial killer or worse. He begun to ask Richard, as to why he was in Nowhere in the first place. After a series of question and answer. He gave the man some money to catch a bus to his address. The sheriff is a bit disappointed that this was a mundane case, but a boring case is better than the excitement that he often sees on the news.  
 
NOWHERE, BUS STATION 

Richard was sitting on a bench quietly thinking as he looked around at bus station. The Sheriff’s station is as mundane as he expected except for some key parts. He already suspected that this world is not the same as his previous world. He may not remember his original name and the names of his family members, but he clearly remembers that his original world didn’t have superheroes, aliens, and whatnot. 

One does not simply find wanted posters of comic book villains. He, at first disregarded it but as he was directed to the nearby bus station, it was getting difficult to ignore the facts. Posters of Superman and WonderWoman, the headlines of a newspaper with a title “Superman stops robbery at Metropolis Bank.”

 In hindsight, he should have expected this, after all, his arrival to this universe is anything but normal. The final confirmation that this world isn’t normal, is the blue floating screen welcoming him to the DC universe. 

Reading the contents of this shabby looking system, Richard can’t help but feel suspicious. After all, he didn't ask, nor did he expect for this transmigration. His life experience has taught him that nothing is truly free, but even so he knows that he does not have a choice. Countless hours reading comic books and other media regarding superheroes has shown him that regular people often get caught between the collateral damage between superheroes and villains and it rarely ends well for the regular joes. Heck, in one of his favorite shows “The Boys” it was clearly shown how  chaotic it can be. 

There may be a possibility that this universe may be safer than the other DC continuity, but he can’t prove it yet, he still lacks information. 

In the end, he accepts, this is his life now. Resolutely, he softly spoke, "Open lottery.”  

Richard proceeds to mutter, “Yes”. Bracing himself, for whatever happens next, he stills and closes his eyes for whatever procedure that will happen. After a few moments of waiting, he opens his eyes to see a floating screen. 

We’ll shit, that’s a bit unlucky.” sighed Richard as a bus approach the station. Deciding to head towards “his” address, he steps inside the bus heading towards Metropolis. As he sits at the back of the bus by the window, feeling a bit disappointed at his luck and a bit anxious at the future. Hopefull, things will work out for him in the end. 

Greetings to  the small number people reading fiction. I have decided to alter my schedule depending on my exams and hospital duties, pray I don't alter it any further.