Twisted Reality

By: DDR Freak

Chapter Two— A Warm Welcome

I opened my eyes, and saw my computer. The Microsoft Word program was still up, and there was a story written there, a story about a girl named Rain. With a smile, I closed it out, without saving my changes. Rain was no more. I stood up, laughing a bit at my little nightmare. None of it had happened! There was no strange beautiful girl trying to attack me. There was no Legolas…

I saw my mom. She was standing in front of the stove, cooking something that smelled delicious. I looked around. The table was where it always was, refreshingly familiar. Outside it was bright, and sunshine streamed through the blue curtains. An oak tree's leaves fluttered in a soft breeze. I was home!

I walked down the hall. The wooden floor was cool under my socked feet, and a little slippery. I climbed the stairs, the footsteps muffled by the plush cream carpet. At the top, I rounded a corner, and walked past my parents' bedroom. My father was inside, reading a book. He was so intent on it that he didn't notice me. I smiled to myself. Everything was just as it was supposed to be. Turning again, I walked to my own room. My smile grew larger, and I ran and jumped on my bed. It was soft and warm, just like always. Never had my normal house seemed so wonderful. I snuggled into the pillows, and breathed in deeply. I began to sneeze, of course, since I was allergic to dust. But I didn't care, because I was home, and I was never going to leave it again.

Then, I stood up, and walked over to the window. The world seemed strangely bright. The oak tree in the backyard seemed to be bleached out, and my garden was barely visible. Suddenly, the world went completely white, and I found myself staring up at the sky.

I was staring at the sky. It was a pale blue, without a single cloud. I rolled over, and found myself lying in the snow.

It was all a dream… I thought, a sob rising in my throat. Home… oh, dear God, I want to go home!

Biting my fist to keep from crying, I sat up. A frightening thought crept into my mind. What if I can't get home?

I mentally scolded myself for thinking that, but the thought had come, and it was

imprinted in my head. That one thought was in the back of my mind every minute, every second of the days.

Legolas was already ready to go. I stood up, and brushed the snow off of my pajamas. It didn't matter very much anyway, since I was already soaked through. The two of us began to travel, in the faint hope of finding a village or town.

We traveled in silence. I trudged through the knee-deep snow, while Legolas walked on top of it. Had I noticed, I would've been envious of him; but I was lost in my own thoughts of home. I had never wanted to be there so badly.

My feet were numb. I had the vague feeling that they should be hurting, but the memory of my older sister reading her book on the couch crowded it out. I even missed my sister…

I wonder what she's doing right now… I thought. At that moment, I would have given anything to see my family again. As the wind picked up, and the temperature dropped, my hope of ever seeing my home again faded. After a short while, I wasn't wet anymore; I was frozen. The moisture on my clothes had frozen completely solid in the frigid air. It did nothing to improve my disposition.

Still, I didn't really notice it. I felt the cold, but it seemed far away, almost as though it were happening to another person. The only thing I saw or felt was my memories. There was an ache in my stomach. I felt it every time I thought of something from my home, or my family, or my friends. When I remembered my garden, and how the deer would eat the tomatoes, a lump rose in my throat. What made me the most homesick, however, was my memories of the family vacations. They had seemed a bit cheesy at the time, and were somewhat irritating, but now I looked back on them with utmost envy.

Legolas stopped suddenly. I walked on for a bit before noticing. He stood completely still, staring ahead of him at something only he could see. It wasn't long before I could see them, too. At that point in time, I would've preferred ignorance.

They were huge. Big, greenish-black disgusting things were coming towards us. They stood at least fifteen feet tall, with long, sinewy necks. On those necks were bird-like heads, complete with something that looked like a cross between a bird's beak and a human mouth. They had strong arms, with sharp quills running up and down them. Their hands were short, but their fingers ended in wickedly curved claws. There was a rust-colored crust on them, and I didn't want to stay around to find out what it was.

But, even as my fear grew, I couldn't move. I stood rooted to the spot, staring dumbly at the monsters that came ever closer. Legolas had already gotten ready to fire, but seemed to be hesitating. He was considering, wondering if he was doing the right thing. The creatures seemed malicious, yet looks could be deceiving. After all, the Mary-Sues were the fairest beings in the universe, but they were, of course, horrible in intent.

Finally deciding, Legolas loosed the arrow. It struck a monster in the throat, but still the thing continued on! Not a drop of blood flowed from the wound.

Legolas grabbed my arm, and said softly, "We must leave. Quickly! Those beasts are swift and fell."

I nodded numbly, staring right at the monsters. They were getting close, and yet I couldn't move. Legolas tugged on my arm a bit, to get me moving. I still stood there, staring in wide-eyed terror. A feverish thought slipped into my mind.

What if I die here?

It had never occurred to me before that I could actually die here. The horrible knowledge jolted me back into reality. I stumbled back a few steps, then bolted for my life. The snow was no longer a hindrance, since I no longer noticed it. I plowed right through, adrenaline and fear giving me strength I never knew I had. Legolas was far ahead of me, of course. I knew he wasn't running as fast as he could. He would've outdistanced me easily, but he stayed back a bit. For whatever reason, he was looking out for me. I needed it. I couldn't survive here by myself.

I ran on in blind fear, one thought lodged in my mind: run. And I ran.