After the rather confusing passage we had been through, I couldn't say with any scrap of certainty exactly where we were for a few moments. Sitting on what seemed to be grass, small blotches of black blotted my vision while my eyes adjusted to the light.
"Josi," I called, which was answered by a groan a few feet away.
"Josi," I repeated, "unless your parents installed a meadow within your closet-"
"Yes Hannah, we're not in my house anymore." Josi cut me off.
She offered me a hand, which I took gladly as she hoisted me to my feet. The sight before us was something neither of us had ever seen before. The air was thick with an incandescent, golden glow that seemed to rest upon our skin. Butterflies weaved between the large trees that bordered us on one side, their tired branches swooning in the lazy atmosphere.
"Oh my God," Josi exclaimed.
"What?" I asked, still staring at a silver butterfly that was particularly interested in my nose.
"Hannah, we're wearing dresses!"
"OOH!" My scream scared off the poor butterfly, but I was too absorbed in twirling in my new outfit. "Josi, it's perfect!"
I beamed, standing before her. Our dresses (which appeared to have been crafted in the Victorian Era) were similar if not precisely alike in the construction and design, the only difference being that hers was a sky blue and mine a burgundy.
"Wait."
My excitement halted as I stood staring at Josi, and I crossed my arms.
"This isn't logical."
Josi rolled her eyes.
"Since when do you care about logic?" she shot back.
I stood thinking for a moment, and then shrugged.
"That's true!"
Josi was about to say something else when the distant voices of others hit our ears. Josi, whose back was to the forest, turned and stood by my side. As the trees parted, three girls who were immersed within a deep conversation entered our clearing.
"I don't see why you won't date him." A striking girl with dark hair and a British accent scoffed at another.
"Well, it's all very complicated. And we all can't go off with random men at night like some people," the other girl, a red head with an equally posh accent, argued with the dark haired girl. Beside them was the third, whom appeared to be distraught, as she was wringing her hands.
"Is this necessary? You've both quarreled so much since Pippa-" the quiet girl trailed off.
"Honestly Gemma, I don't see why-"
The first girl stopped, staring at Josi and I.
"And what business do you have here?"
Her authoritative tone wasn't what caused Josi and me to stutter, but the sheer fact that we are both bookworms and are quite familiar with Libba Bray's writings.
"F-Fe-F-F-Fel-" Josi stuttered the name we were both thinking-
Felicity.
