Revised Chasers Excerpt

Thanks to the feedback on the first version of my Chasers excerpt, I've come up with a (slightly) revised new one. I've cut off after Clyde's entry because I made no changes after that.

This certainly doesn't have to be the final draft, per se, so let me know if I should add a little more.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She awoke with asphalt grating her back. No warm light touched her face, and a look straight ahead to the sky confirmed the sun wasn’t out. Nor were any clouds, nor were stars. Only a vast black canvas hung above her.

Something seemed off about that.

With an exhale, she pushed herself up to a seated position. She could see well enough despite the lack of celestial bodies. Tall streetlights, which contributed no more to the lighting than the absent sun, stood on either side of a pristine street, painted lanes glowing brightly over the black asphalt. No sputtering of engines filled the air, but she felt it was still a good idea to get to the sidewalk.

Managing to stand easily enough, she hurried onto the stone slabs and rubbed her arms. While the atmosphere wasn’t as cold as it appeared to be, her short sleeves still left her with a bit of chill.

In front of her now was a tall building, more window than steel. A reflection watched her: bangless, pale blond hair, some of which was pulled back into a ponytail; tanned skin with haywire patches of freckles; a round face with thin lips, thinner eyebrows, and blue-green eyes squinting in scrutiny. Apparently all of it belonged to her.

Unsettled by the lack of familiarity, she turned away and walked, keeping the building in the corner of her eye to catch any doors. There weren't any; the glass of the next building also had no way of entry. The next still had no door, and after passing another, she realized no signs marked the buildings, either. All of the glass was the same, shining in the lack of light, free of handprints and smears. A few buildings edged their windows with brick rather than steel, but they had no more discernible a purpose than the others.

“Oi!”