A/N: Thanx fot the amazing reviews and tips! There's the next chapter. I'll try and update every three days! :)
I stood in the doorway, awkwardly leaning on my right leg. She motioned for me to go inside and I slowly stepped over the threshold. She followed me inside. I turned once around, inspecting her home. It was beautiful. She had quite a small kitchen with shelves against the wall which contained bottles with herbs and spices. Other bottles contained different coloured fluids. There was also a small sitting area. In the corner stood a bookshelf and two small chairs with a small coffee table was the living room. Another door probably led to her bedroom. I was awestruck by all the vines twirling and twisting against the wooden wall. I then turned to the woman who gave me a friendly smile. "You are probably wondering about a lot of things, dear." She said reassuringly. I nodded. I was so relieved that someone here understood me. "You have no idea." I said, relieved. At that specific silence my stomach introduced itself with a particularly loud grumble.
"I almost forgot to introduce myself. My Name is Nienna Eledhwen. Let me get you something to eat and I will try and answer all of your questions." She said. I nodded and looked crossly at my tummy and shook my head at it. I took a seat at her dining room table and stared at the roof. A light was radiating off of it with no origin. It glowed, to put it simply.
She returned with a tray that had two cups on it and two plates. She placed a plate in front of me. On it was a slice of yellow-golden cake, I think. She then placed a cup in front of my nose and the most wonderful smell radiated from it. She looked at me expectantly and I cautiously took a bite from the cake. It tasted divine and one bite could have satisfied even a grown man's stomach. I thought of what to ask Nienna but decided to tell her how I came to be here.
"Well, my name is Tarilla and I have no idea where I am." I said in a matter-of-fact tone. I then told her of my life back at boarding school and even before then. I then told her of the day before, every detail. "I know what happened to you, Tarilla. This isn't the first time this has happened. How do you think I can speak English." She said. I stared at her. Why didn't I think of that? Stupid. In my head I was mentally banging my head against a brick wall. "I once was walking through Mirkwood, at that time these woods were still called Greenwood and I found a girl lying in the undergrowth of the forest. She looked a lot like you. I helped her, took her back here and we taught each other everything we knew. It was a portal you stepped through. A thin line spreads through these trees and connects with your world. She could easily manoeuvre in between our worlds but one day it shut her out and we never heard of her again. The Line has 'feelings'. It decides who to let in and who to let out. He does this with a purpose. You are here for a purpose. I don't know how much time you have here or how long the Line will let you in." she said.
I stared at her once more. This was becoming my hobby, staring at Nienna. Suddenly I asked:" What time is it?". She said it was almost noon and I went into panic. How was I going to get back? What are the people going to say at school? What was I going to say? I would have to come up with one valid excuse as to where I was. "Don't fret, dear. Time here is different than your world. Eat in peace and rest then I will return you to the Line." She said.
I ate the rest of the cake, actually stuffing it in my mouth because I was so full. Politeness won. Then I downed the cup of delicious liquid. Nienna seemed to be satisfied that I finished everything. She then led me to a door and as she opened it, she revealed the inside of a tree trunk. Hanging in the middle was a sort of a hammock which filled most of the room. As if I weighed nothing, she lifted me into the hammock made out of vines and twisted branches. I put my head onto the soft pillow and slowly drifted into dream world.
I blinked rapidly and tried to find my bearings. I was still lying snugly in the hammock. I looked up and a small hole was visible ion the tree trunk and a small sliver of sunlight shone through. I sat up and stretched my arms and yawned loudly. After attempting to get off of the hammock (and falling on my head) I made my way to Nienna's kitchen. She was already up and had more of the cake for me on the table. I sat down and slowly nibbled on the cake. She looked at me and asked: "Are you ready to return?" I nodded. I got up and she led me out of her home. We walked through the maze of passages, tunnels and halls until the wide foreboding forest lay before us. "Aren't we taking a horse or something?" I asked. She looked at me and laughed with her melodic voice. I followed her through the forest. We said nothing and seemed like we trekked for hours on end. Suddenly she came to a stop.
"This is were I leave you." She informed me. It looked like nothing special; actually it looked like nothing at all. There were trees and bushes and the creepy feeling but otherwise, nothing different. "How will I know where it is, when I want to return?" I asked.
"It will call you. The Line will call you." She said simply. She told me how to get out of the forest and I followed her vague directions. I could see light in front and started to run. I ran faster and faster until the sharp light hit my eyes and blinded me. I blinked and my vision returned. I was standing at the edge of the forest looking out on the huge green field and then the school. The rain had stopped and the sun was going down on the horizon. I had missed my afternoon classes but I will come up with something to tell my teachers. I slowly made my way across the field and to the school. I walked like a zombie through the corridors until I reached the door of my room. I opened the door and stepped inside. Everything was normal. As if the afternoon hadn't happened at all. I was exhausted and after closing my door, I collapsed onto my bed and slept. A light knock on my door, dragged me out of my sleep and as I opened the door I stared at the face of a very angry, red-faced teacher. Oh Shit!