Chapter 1: In Which I Might Be Dead

Something that I recently learned is that life is full of surprises. Something else I learned, is that life is also full of magic, super-powered teenage girls wielding dangerous weapons, and possibly-drunk mystical alien kidnappers.

Who would've thought?

I seem to be getting ahead of myself here, and I apologize for that, but things haven't exactly been normal for me recently. Normally I would introduce myself and start from the beginning, but that isn't really possible. I can't do that because, as of right now, I don't know any of those things myself. Confused? Me too, but allow me to fill you in as best as I can, while I hover on the border of consciousness. Or death, I'm not too sure yet.

It's difficult for me to explain what happened, mainly because, as I said, I don't remember. It's like looking through a glazed window, you can see something happening on the other side, but you're not sure exactly what. What I do know, is that I'm 17 year-old guy from New Jersey, where I lived with my parents. I don't remember exactly where our house was, or even my parents' names (hell, I don't even remember my own name). I have some vague recollections of my life before, little tidbits and images, like going to school, being with friends, etc. The closest thing I have to a clear memory is from right before…whatever it was that happened to me, which I'm still trying to piece together.

The last thing I remember starts with being at my job, a small bagel shop that was part of a strip of stores by the intersection of two big roads, along with a church and a fire station. It was a run-down little place, dimly light by a couple of bulbs, with dusty brown floors and walls. The only color was the cheap wooden cover over the front window, which and older woman had accidentally reversed through some time before I started working there. Nobody came in, save for a few curious people, which was a shame, since the bagels we sold were actually pretty good. I was one of two people that worked the counter, alternating every other day while the owner and his son made the food in the back. I don't quite remember what they look like, but I know that they were good people, who didn't deserve the bad hand that they had been dealt.

It was late one night, and the owner had asked me to lock up the store before I drove home, as he did most nights. It wasn't a big deal, because I usually had to stay late to clean up the place anyway. As I was in the back returning various cooking materials to their places, I felt a faint breeze at my back, coming from the front of the store, as if someone had just opened the door, and the heavy thump of footsteps. I sighed, assuming I was about to send some drunken asshole who wanted a late-night bagel back out the door, and made my way to the front room. What I saw there was a short, squat little man standing at the counter, smiling pleasantly. He was older shown by his lightly wrinkled yet tanned skin, but not small, his ridiculous muscles straining against the horrible red-and-blue tracksuit he was wearing. Couple that with his thick white hair and beard, and I would almost say he looked like the Spanish version of Uncle Sam. He also had a very distinct smell to him, a combination of olives and bird-poop. He was a strange one, and our interaction was even stranger.

Before I could speak, he jumped into action at the sight of me, saying with a quick, excited manner about him, "Good day young man! Or would it be good night? How about good very-late-afternoon? Or even good early-early morning? Hmm, no, none of those seem to be quite right…"

"Do you mean to say good evening?" I asked, still taken aback by the strange man before me.

"Yes, that's EXACTLY what I was meaning to say! Thank you ever so much!" He exclaimed, grabbing my hand and shaking it excitedly. I quickly removed my hand from his bone-crushing grip, mumbling through clenched teeth that it was no problem.

"Sir," I said, in a tone that was neutral yet forceful, "I'm afraid we're closed for the night, so you're going to have to leave now."

His smile never wavering, he said, "Yes, yes, yes, of course it is, my apologies young man. I only entered this fine establishment because I wished to, hmm, inspect something." As he said inspect, he leaned in closer and took a good look at me, mumbling under his breath, "Hmm, yes, good-natured, intelligent, humble, a natural speaker, though self-confidence and tolerance of others might be issues…hmm…YES!" he proclaimed, "I've made my decision!"

More than a little exasperated over this loud and extravagant stranger holding up my return home, I asked him in a voice that dripped with sarcasm, "Would this be the decision to leave the store, sir?"

Not at all offended by my tone, he replied, "No, not at all young man! I was referring to my decision over who would become my new Peacemaker!" Before I could even inquire as to what the hell a Peacekeeper was, his hand lit up with a strange purple light, sparkling and cracking like fireworks. Surprised, I began to back away into the kitchen, but before I could get to a phone, he jumped over the counter with more speed than a man his size should have, and seized me by my left wrist with his glowing hand. A burning feeling spread from his hand to my whole body, causing me to drop to the floor, wracked with pain. I started to pass out from the sheer amount of pain, but before I did, I could faintly hear his words: "I'll be waiting..."

And that's what has happened up until now, where I wait in silence while my memory slips away, wondering what it is I'll see when I wake up… if I wake up, that is…

So what do you guys think of my first chapter? I know it was kind of short, and didn't really reveal too much to really get hooked, but I promise that more will come! I'll be updating as much as I have the time for, hopefully at least once a week, but I can't really promise that with finals coming. Still, I'm putting in the effort for this one, and I hope it turns out as something that people will like! Leave a review, please!