Pain radiated through Hazels' shoulder as a good morning. Crust formed on the seam of her eyelids and brought a grimace to her face. Her mouth was dry and tasted like stale liquor; her lips twisted into a grimace and smacked together. It served as an instant reminder as to why she generally kept away from heavy drinking. Warmth seeped into her body, sunlight shining through her window.
Pushing up into a sitting position, Hazel kept her eyes squeezed shut, exhaustion radiating from every pore in her body. Cracking her neck back and forth, Hazel sighed as some of the pressure melted away. Her hand clenched, feeling gravel dig into her palms and dirt tracking under her nails.
Hazel's eyes snapped open, the sting of light forgotten as she twisted to and fro in observance of her surroundings. A light breeze swept past, the bushes and trees swaying gently.
"What…the actual fuck?"
In an instant, Hazel felt a combination of fear and dread sink into the pit of her stomach. Instead of laying somewhere in her apartment, Hazel found herself in tall, plush grass. Her breath stuck in her throat and Hazel felt her heartbeat quicken.
The scenery didn't look like anything in the tropical regions of the US that she hailed from. Hazel could normally see nothing but baby blue skies for miles, uninhibited by mountains. Now, however, as far as the eye could see there were rolling hills, lush with vibrant emerald grass, giving way to thundering mountains. The peaks were dusted with snow, yet another indication of her bizarre and incredibly unfamiliar predicament. Panic swelled in her chest and Hazel fought it down, pushing through the feeling to find a rational explanation. She reached for something, anything to stave off the manic feeling building in the back of her mind.
Hazel lifted her shirt, rubbing her face with the inside of it and blinked rapidly. She took several deep breaths and shook out her hands. "I'm imagining it. It's just a hallucination," she said repeatedly, psyching herself up and shutting her eyes again. "I'm a little hungover, maybe even still drunk. I'm gonna open my eyes and be hanging off my couch in my underwear. No big deal."
Counting down from three, Hazel opened her eyes and stared down her surroundings with laser focus. Only to be immediately let down by her own expectations.
Nope. Not imaginary. Cue the panic.
"Okay, no more drinking," Hazel promised herself, pushing away from the ground and standing on wobbly legs. She brushed off her pants as best as she could, but nothing short of an outfit change could hide how filthy her clothes and skin looked from literally sleeping in the dirt. Hazel turned, squinting in the blazing sunlight and from what she could see...it didn't look promising.
And by what she could see, she meant . . . nothing. There were no buildings. No cars. No highways or streets. No homes, even. The landscape, filled to the brim with nature, left no room for suburban living.
Hazel quickly took stock of herself, trying to distract from the perilous situations she landed in. Because make no mistake: if she didn't keep her wits about, her life would be forfeit. Thankfully, Hazel's bag was laying a few feet away and upon inspection, still had her phone (which lacked cell service), wallet, and the book she procured the night before. No money or credit cards were missing, not that she believed those things would be of use at the moment. At least in this single instance, everything seemed to be in order.
She still had her clothes on and despite a few scratches which would probably be attributed to the ground she slept on, Hazel didn't see any significant causes for concern regarding her health. No blood, no bruises.
But the concern she felt for herself morphed into something else. What of her companions? Searching her immediate location, Hazel was hit with the terrifying realization that her friends were nowhere to be found. No bags, no shoes, nothing. Nothing but the sound of a wind and birds calling out in the distance. Fear grew in her chest, expanding and overflowing into her ability to be rational.
With shaky legs, Hazel started to walk, bag hung over her shoulder and dirt crunching beneath her feet. Her steps were hesitant, unsure; her eyes darted between the landscape and the ground. What kind of creatures would be waiting to dig their teeth into her? She had to be on the lookout in every direction, it seemed. On the search for her friends and for dangers in the unfamiliar environment.
Shadows crossed her path and she yelped, only realized too late they belonged to birds. Looking up, she watched two large avian creatures soar overhead. They didn't look like anything she'd seen before. They were large, something Hazel could tell from even this far down.They were brightly colored, feathers in shades of teal and seafoam. Long plumage curled from their tails and Hazel stared for a moment, awestruck, as they disappeared .
Birds like that definitely were not of the normal world.
Shaking her head, Hazel returned to searching for her friends. She pushed through the grass, scanning her surroundings for any signs of Jaslyn and Brynn and their existence in this world.
"Jaslyn?" she called out, wincing as she did so. Hopefully there were not large creatures looking for a snack right now. Nausea rolled through her stomach as silence met her call. Hazel felt sick, dizzy, and terrified. What if they were hurt? "Brynn?" What if someone had them? "Guys, where are you?" What if they were…were…
She stumbled over her own feet, hitting the ground with her knees. Hazel gripped at the dirt and rocks,
Hazel threw the increasingly disturbing thoughts from her mind, tossing them into a dark corner and ignoring them. No longer content to walk, she darted through the bushes and trees, searching for traces of Jaslyn and Brynn.
"Hazel?"
Hearing a familiar voice yell her name, Hazel took off in a sprint. She couldn't see them. So instead, she screamed, "Marco!" It was ridiculous, childish even. But it was the only thing she could think to call out. They'd used this method a thousand times in stores, at amusement parks, At festivals. It was familiar and safe and at a time where nothing was familiar or safe, it helped give her something to focus on.
Tears burned at the corners of her eyes. Her chest heaved with anxiety and the exertion she used while searching. The pounding of footsteps filled Hazel's ears as she
"Polo!"
Hazel changed direction on a dime, nearly skidding in her efforts to redirect. The tears that threatened to fall spilled over and Hazel sucked in a deep breath. Her chest burned with exertion and an ache formed in her abdomen. The brief thought of her needing to exercise more crossed her mind, but soon got thrown into a corner. She sharply turned and plowed through bushes, feeling the branches catch her clothes and scrape her skin. She hissed at the sting, but pushed forward. The voice shouting at her was becoming clearer and that was all that mattered.
"Where the fuck is she?! I swear I heard her this way!"
Hazel burst through the line of bushes and came to a stop in front of Jaslyn and Brynn. They both looked worse for wear, just like her. Jaslyn's hair shot up in every direction. Brynn's eyeliner was smudged down her cheeks. And they both started shouting and scrambling towards her as soon as they realized who exactly came running through the foliage.
"Hazel!"
"Dude!"
The ensuing group hug was shaky at best. The shock of waking up completely separated from each other and in unfamiliar territory left them feeling uneasy at best. They were shaking, scared, and desperately trying to hold it in.
Nothing about their predicament could be considered normal.
*
"So. The situation is not great," Brynn stated. The three were sitting under a tree, the shock waning and the need for surviving taking over. A crystal creek bubbled and burbled next to them. Hazel had never seen water so clear and beautiful. It looked unreal, dreamlike.
"Yeah. I'm beginning to gather we are nowhere near home," Jaslyn added, crossing her arms and leaning against the tree. Long threads of greenery hung from its branches, encasing them and hiding them from the rest of the world. At first glance, it would be difficult to see three women discussing how they were supposed to get home.
Hazel eyed the mountain range in the distance. "Well, we need to figure something out. Get some sense of direction. We could use those mountains as a waypoint for our next location." Growing up in regions of the world with mountains, Hazel was used to using them as something like a GPS, always knowing exactly which way she went just by seeing where the peaks were located. Except here? She didn't know where the hell she even started. How could she find where to go without a map or any knowledge?
"Our next location? Dude, I don't even know where we are!" Brynn threw her hands in the air and stared at Jaslyn and Hazel, eye darting between them. Hazel had taken to staring at the ground where Jaslyn seemed to be just staring into the distance. The idea pool was well and truly dry at this point. Brynn sighed. "Look, the last thing any of us remember is the bookstore." Pressing her fingers to her temples, Brynn squeezed her eyes closed. "Did we get an Uber? Did we walk? How the hell did we end up in the middle of absolutely nowhere?"
Jaslyn was strangely quiet, concentration painted over her features. Hazel wasn't quite sure what to make of that.
"At the very least, we can't stay here," Hazel answered. Her hands were nervously fidgeting, an immediate giveaway to the worry gnawing away at her. At the moment, she couldn't see any signs of a town. The roads weren't very…road like. More like really wide paths.
No stone, no pavement, no concrete. Whatever they used to make efficient traveling spaces around here.
"I'm pretty sure it's still morning," Jaslyn added, looking up to the sky. The sun was in a weird spot. The closest time Hazel could figure was about noon. "If we get a move on, we're bound to run into a town or village or…or something before nightfall."
"Lesser of two evils," Brynn grumbled. But she stood up anyway and brushed off the back of her pants. The three women formed their small circle, staring at each other uncertainly. "Have you thought of which direction to go?" Two heads shook in response. Brynn sighed and turned around, her bag swinging and marched into the thicket. "Then we go this way!"
Jaslyn and Hazel looked at each other before scrambling off the ground, lifting their bags onto shoulders and chasing after Brynn. All three of them were about the same height, but when Brynn got determined, she outpaced both Hazel and Jaslyn.
As they passed the treeline, Hazel held a hand over her eyes, squinting at the sun. The shade where they camped for the past hour protected them from the sun. She did not realize how bright it would actually be.
Sighing, Hazel trudged after her friends, her body feeling heavy and the bag only adding to the weight. Jaslyn and Brynn were in focused conversation already, most likely plotting their next move. Hazel kept herself busy observing the scenery as they ambled along, looking at birds and small animals lazily moving about.
Hazel couldn't help but compare this place with where she lived before. The mountains she lived in while in her twenties were beautiful, no doubt. But this was just otherworldly, irrefutably breathtaking. The colors here were vibrant; they were intensely pigmented and wild.
The grass appeared in shades of emerald and jade, rocking back and forth in the breeze. The flowers were perfection itself. Bending down and reaching out towards a small bundle of flowers, Hazel plucked one from the ground, twirling it around as they made determined steps forward.
Losing focus, Hazel decided to pull the book from her back and study it a little more. Having to walk as much as they were, Hazel figured she could multitask - keep the boredom at bay. She tucked the flower into a pocket on her bag (too beautiful to just drop on the ground), Hazel's fingers found the spine of the book and she gave it a tug, pulling it from the bag.
Holding the book in her hands calmed her down a bit, for some odd reason. It gave her something to focus on other than the current situation despite being the cause. Her finger slid over the cover, feeling the embossed edges. And then stopped. Stopped feeling the texture, stopped walking. Just. . . stopped. She frowned and held the book up in front of her face, tilting it to adjust the view.
The mountains on the book cover. The mountains in the distance. They looked…eerily similar, despite the peaks on the book being simple outlines. The crooked peaks, framed by two looming summits on either side. Not exactly normal. Forehead wrinkling in concentration, Hazel opened the book and felt a wave of deja vu.
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away . . .
She read that line last night in the bookstore. But what was the rest? Did she even read any more than that? Flipping through the pages, she skimmed for any information on the mountains or the surrounding area. If the mountains were on the book, surely they were mentioned in or even a focal point of the plot.
Finally, she found something a quarter of the way in. A small drawing had been sketched into the page, like looking out a window to the mountains in the distance.
Galien stood on the balcony of the throne room, a soft breeze pushing his hair from his eyes. Not that he paid it any attention. Instead, he looked to the North, his eyes following the path out of Eyrennis and to the wilds of Alteja. The palace, of course, was built here on purpose. The lower lying mountains the capitol bumped up against mirrored the Straihorn mountains far north. His ancestors were pompous fools who stood on far too much ceremony. Being equal to the mountain that separated their country from others seemed to hold some vague sense of symbolism. He couldn't have cared less. In fact, it would appear those thoughts caused nothing but problems for his people in the past.
This train of thought reminded Galien that he would, unfortunately, need to visit the outpost soon. The trek was always terribly long, dull and the soldiers stationed there were rough around the edges, especially their captain. It was the farthest garrison outpost in his country and his lifelong friend never seemed to be there to keep him company. The demon had a way of disappearing at the first hint of responsibility. A fact Galien consistently bemoaned.
Hazel looked at the mountains, then back down at the sketch and cover of the book, an idea forming in her brain. A conclusion that, if this were any other situation, would seem insane and unlikely. She would be thrown into an asylum. But right here and now? Maybe this could be the puzzle piece to save their lives.
Or throw them into a panic. A fifty/fifty chance, honestly.
"Guys?"
Jaslyn and Brynn turned around, halting their conversation.
"What's up?" Jaslyn asked, stepping towards Hazel, Brynn following. They looked concerned, which Hazel couldn't tell if it was due to her face or their predicament.
Hazel bit her lip, unsure if she should really even mention this. Honestly, it was so ridiculous. There was no way this could be the reality they were facing, could it?
"I think this is my fault," she finally blurted out, eyes passing between her friends' gaze.
Two pairs of eyes stared, incredulous. "I'm sorry," Brynn began, "but how the hell are you responsible for us being in the middle of nowhere?"
Feeling silly and small, Hazel held up the book in her hands. "Remember this?" Jaslyn and Brynn nodded.
"You wouldn't put it down," Brynn replied slowly, as if sliding pieces of a puzzle together. "You started reading it while we were waiting for our ride yesterday."
"Okay, well, look at the cover." She pointed to the illustration on the front of the book and waited for the two women to take a look. "Now look at this drawing." She flipped back to the sketch and held it up for them to look at. Then she pointed to the physical mountain range. "I think. . . I think those mountains are the same as these. They're called the Straihorn mountains." Hazel bit down on her thumbnail, a bad habit she never was able to kick. "There's no map in here," she said, wiggling the book. "So, all I can tell you is there's an outpost in those mountains. Whatever is between here and there is anybody's guess."
It was quiet, only the rustling of nature and the sound of birds in the distance. Both Jaslyn and Brynn appeared to be lost for words, their mouths opening and closing repeatedly.
"Hazel," Brynn began. "Don't you think that's a little . . . far-fetched?"
Hazel scoffed out a laugh. "Of course I think it's far-fetched. Our entire situation is far-fetched. Nothing about this makes sense! There's nowhere we could have gotten in just an evening that looks like this," she waved her hand frantically at the view. "This doesn't exist anywhere near Florida. We would need a plane ride and probably a nice long hike with a local guide before getting even close."
It was then she realized something. Jaslyn and Brynn weren't fighting this idea nearly as much as she thought they would. They were frowning and looked like they were working out their thoughts on the matter. But they didn't look opposed.
She realized they were grasping at logical solutions, ones that didn't involve leaving an entire universe and falling into another. Solutions that didn't come from small bookshops and the magical tomes held inside.
Solutions that no longer applied.
"Well," Jaslyn asked weakly, "I guess we'd better start heading for this outpost."