It's a cold wintry night with snow pelting me in the face and my senses telling me to run. Something was going to happen. I rarely ever get this feeling, but when I do… it's right.

There were buildings out in the distance. Strange buildings. It was my first night in America and I end up with this feeling. Just perfect.

"This world is batty," I murmured to myself. Or maybe I was talking to the trees, or that owl up there on a branch.

"Who," it muttered in reply.

"Exactly," I said to it, beginning to pace in the snow until I had left a perfect circle. "Whose fault is it that I'm here?"

"Who?" asked the owl, again. It fluttered in the tree, shedding a feather or two.

"It's my own," I answered it, heaving a sigh. "I should've stayed in England."

The owl gave me big, brown, sympathetic eyes and fluttered again. It didn't say anything though.

"Don't worry," I said to it. "I'll write dad. I'll tell him I'm sorry."

The owl looked at me like it didn't understand, but that was the beauty of animals; you can talk to them and not have to explain anything to them.

The owl puffed out his words again. "Who," It murmured, spread its wings, and flew off.

I shook my head, my cherry colored hair falling into my eyes. It matched my cheeks perfectly, which were so cold that they burned. My stomach growled, complaining how hungry it was. "They don't even have Tea here," I complained to it, shaking my head over how silly I looked being the only one ordering a meal in a at 3 o'clock earlier today.

It seemed that each moment I stood there, it got darker. The moon stared at me coldly. "You don't belong here," it told me. "Go home."

Biting my lip, trudged forward, down a trail, deeper into the forest. I got down lower and brushed my hand against the soil. "This is that dirt of New York," I said. "American dirt."

I scooped up a handful and dropped it into my purse. Maybe I could show it to my dad when I got home. Maybe he would be so fascinated by it that he would forget about his anger towards me.

Sighing, I went deeper into the forest, trying to find my way back to the apartment that my friend, Trish, owned. I knew Trish from England, and she was letting me stay there while I was in America, which I figured wouldn't be that long.

There was a faint buzzing overhead. I slowed down and listened a little closer, trying to imagine what it might be. Flies, I dismissed it. By each passing tick of the clock, though, it grew louder and louder, until it sounded like a jet.

I froze, and slowly looked up to see something just perfect to top off this perfectly cruddy day: A hunk of something giant falling out of the sky.

My knees buckled. With my luck, it would land right on me and kill me. I had to search for cover, safety, and some place that made sense.

The thing was on fire, so I had no trouble following the path as I fled. The orange light flicked around everywhere.

One thing was on my mind. Run, I ordered my feet. They obeyed, but too slowly. I was knocked over by the impact of the thing.

Naturally, I hit a tree. Now I had cuts leaking blood, which matched my hair and cheeks. I was showing more red than I was flesh now.

Turning, I heard cursing. "The bloody crap!" shouted a female voice with a British accent.

I was on my feet now for two reasons. First, that meant someone else was here and they could be hurt. The second was her accent. Another person from England! "Hello?" I called into the dust.

The voice stopped talking and there was a curious buzz of silence. "Who's there, then?" called the voice, finally.

"My… my name is Nikki," I said, quivering just slightly. The whole "stranger danger" lesson was on my mind, like a small echo of my kindergarten teacher saying that we shouldn't talk to strangers.

A girl came out of the dust, completely calm. She had honey blonde hair and a blue jumpsuit. She looked kinda mad at the same time as being under control. It was funny, because I was probably looking a lot more worried than she did. "Jenny," she said, sticking her hand. I didn't take it.

"What's that?" I asked, looking at the rubbish that was plowed into the ground.

"Well," said Jenny. "It's supposed to be my transportation, but…" she picked up a hunk of metal that I couldn't name for my life. "It'll need some fixing."

"No way you're gonna fix this, mate," I said, shaking my head.

She looked at me innocently. "Oh, but I have to. There's gotta be someone on this planet that can fix it." She paused. "What planet is this, exactly?"

It suddenly dawned on me that this woman was crazy. I backed away. Then turned.

"Where you going?" she asked, taking a step closer.

"Don't get any closer," I said. "If you do, I'll call the police."

Jenny thought a moment, then looked nervous. "Oh no," she said to both I and herself. "This is earth, isn't it?"

She smacked her forehead and paced in the snow. "The land of hairless apes!" she exclaimed. "My ship has to break down, and it lands on earth. Just PERFECT!"

"You got something against earth?" I said, tightening my arms over my chest.

"Oh, no. It's just that I was hoping for some evolved intelligence. Really, it's nothing personal."

My face became a look somewhere in between the horror of Medusa and Zac Efron. "You calling yourself not human?"

Jenny applauded. "Look who's catching on. Maybe you're not so useless. What year is it?"

I rolled my eyes. "So now you're gonna tell me that you're a time traveler, I suppose?" I was about to call the operator and have him hook me up to the loony bin.

Jenny saw me fingering my phone. "No, you don't," she said, rubbing a charm on her bracelet and directing it at my phone.

"What, you got a laser built in there?" I asked, chuckling. I didn't laugh for long, though. I stopped when my phone exploded.

Startled, I stepped back and slipped on the ice. Oops, clumsy me. I hit my head on a tree root and got knocked out cold.

I woke up in the cockpit of a ship. The seats were made of something that I couldn't name, and there were scorch marks on it. "Oi, look who's awake."

I looked back with catlike reflexes. Jenny had a wrench and some other tools that I had seen at hardware stores, and was twisting at some coils. There was sunshine leaking through cracks in the roof, cheerily greeting me to the day.

I grabbed one of the tools and held it towards Jenny. "Lemme go," I said.

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm not holding you captive. You can go if you wish."

"I'm bringing back the police," I said, not letting down my guard.

Jenny laughed lightheartedly. "Do as you wish," she said. "I'll be gone by the time you get back. My ship is just about finished."

I stood up and backed away, keeping the tool aimed at her. "Godspeed," she said, waving.

Suspiciously, I set down the tool and turned away. There was something that sounded like a lawn mower engine starting. Jenny laughed triumphantly, and I heard her light footsteps crawl into the cockpit.

"I hope you're proud, dad," she whispered. Then a noise started. I looked behind me just in time to see the very thing that would haunt me for days. The machine disappeared in front of me, like turning to particles and just blowing away in the wind.

I stood there for a long time staring at the empty space, my mouth hanging open. Slowly, I turned and ran. I mean, I really ran like hell.

That was my first encounter with the person that would soon become my most dearest and trusted friend.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is my first fic! Please review, and tell me if I'm good at this or not. (Gives bug pleading eyes) I'm so excited! Thank you so much for reading this! I accept constructive criticism, so don't be afraid to really dish it out. Oh, and I know that I said I was British, and I tried using British terms and all and probably made myself look like an idiot, so… if you're wondering why I make such a bad British person, now you know that I'm actually not.

Hearts and Love,

Nikki.

PEACE!!!!!!!!!