I scrambled to my feet and looked around. The stump I had been laying on had a big X crossing the entire thing, a deep scar that met exactly in the middle. My bag was still slung across my shoulder and resting against my opposite hip, and I could see my suitcase not too far away from me. Not quite sure what else to do, I grasped the handle and set it upright.
Now what?
My hand brushed my phone in my pocket. I hurriedly grabbed at it and pressed the home button.
Nothing.
I tried again. The thing wouldn't even turn on. I held the power button, tried double tapping it, everything, but my phone just wouldn't turn on. I thought it had battery. Last I checked it was at at least half charge.
Well this sucked.
I opened my purse and checked to see that my charger was still inside. If I could find an building or somewhere with an outlet then I could try charging it. Until then I needed to find civilization.
Not really knowing what else to do, I began walking straight ahead. My suitcase wouldn't roll on the forest floor, but luckily a week's worth of clothes doesn't weigh much.
After about fifteen minutes I began to grow worried. At thirty I became anxious. Why if I never found anything? What if I was stuck out here and headed in the wrong direction?
The quiet of the forest was suddenly broken by the sound of hooves on dirt. A creaking accompanied it, like something on wheels being dragged. I jogged towards the sound and burst out of the trees to find a worn dirt path with ruts dug into it each side by passing wheels. And not too far to my left was an approaching carriage. Not all romantic-date-in-the-park kind of carriage. Like, full on square covered black carriage. With two horses pulling it.
People!
"Hey!" I waved my arms at the approaching vehicle. "Excuse me! Stop!" The guy sitting on top of the carriage car ignored me, driving past without a glance. I wasn't going to be put off that easily. I ran alongside the car, careful to avoid the spinning wheels on either side. "Hey! Stop!"
To my surprise but relief, the carriage heeded my calls, pulling to a gradual stop. The door opened, and I had to step back to let it swing completely. Inside where what appeared to be three women all in their early twenties, about the same as me. The one closest and presumably the one to open the door had fair skin and dark hair pulled up into a a woven bonnet. Her brown eyes observed me with no little confusion.
Another women with chocolate hair in a similar style leaned forward. "Pardon me, miss, but are you alright?" she asked in a polite British accent.
I breathed a sigh of relief. "Actually, I could use a bit of help," I answered. "Could you tell me where I am?"
"Why, you're just outside of Meryton," answered the first.
Meryton? What's a Meryton?
The third women, the only blond of the group and wearing yet another bonnet responded to my blank look. "Meryton, part of the Hertforshire."
Something about that name sounded familiar. The realization dawned on my suddenly. "You mean I'm in England?!"
The first dark-haired woman looked around before responding rather obviously, "It would seem so."
"I'm sorry," I stammered after a second. "I was just in Portland literally less than an hour ago before I just... appeared," I pointed behind me, "in that forest. How in the world could I have gotten here?"
That grate. Or manhole, or whatever I had stepped on before I showed up on that stump. Did I fall? Could I have blacked out? Did somebody kidnap me and dump me in the middle of a British forest like some sick joke? How long would something like that have taken? I had arrived in Portland for spring break at the end of April, but from the looks of things it was in the dead of autumn.
"What day is it?" I asked the three weirdly dressed women.
"Tuesday," said the brown-haired one.
"She means the date, Charlotte," said the first before turning back to me. "September the fourteenth, 1813."
What.
The world spun for a second. "You mean..." I grabbed the open carriage door for support. "You mean it's the nineteenth century?"
The blond one looked alarmed at my sudden distress. "Dear, do you need to sit down?" Not waiting for a response, she stood and grabbed one of my arms. "Come on, Lizzie, help me get her inside."
They both helped me into the carriage and sat me down next to the dark-haired woman, my purple suitcase on the floor by our feet. "George!" the other brunette one called out the open door. "Take us to Longbourn, and be quick about it."