I don't know when the last time I considered myself 'normal' was.   Maybe never.  Come to think of it, I don't really know anyone else I'd consider normal either…

But I digress.

The place where I now reside is outside the timestream I was born in.  Thus I don't know whether I'm actually writing this before it happened, or afterwards.  I don't know if I am dead, alive, or something else entirely.  A memory, perhaps.  However, I was not always here.  I remember being elsewhere, but I have no idea how or when I arrived here.  As I said before, time has no meaning here.

Perhaps it would make more sense if I just got on with my story…

I think, to make things simpler, I'll tell it as I remember it; as if it were a memory.

I'll shut up now…

I thought you wanted me to be quiet?  Oh, all right, I'll get on with it already.

*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*

I was a normal 15-year old, with most of the problems you face, have faced, or will face.  I had a 12-year old sister, and lived with my mother.  I was a sophomore in high school.  I had good friends – close friends – and some friends that weren't so close.  I had two cats and a father 500 miles away.  The cats were with me.

I'm still not a morning person [though this means less now].  This is important.  You'll see why in a moment.

I had a relatively nice, quiet life.  I had my demons, as I'm sure you all do.  No, I'm not telling, and neither would you if you were me, so bugger off.

 I was an avid reader – still would be, if I could find some decent books.  Or something.

I had never had a love interest, and didn't plan on having one anytime soon.  Take that along with everything that goes with it

Possibly a physical description is in order…

I was, at that time, about 5'7".  I had short blonde hair – more of a dirty blonde.  Brown eyes hid behind glasses atop a nose that was maybe a bit large-ish.  I had uneven teeth, but I liked them – my canines stuck out.  My eyes looked perpetually bored – possibly because I was – and tired, or at least lazy: the eyelids never opened up properly.

I wasn't fat, but I wasn't anorexic either; I had a solid build – I didn't work out, but I was active.

[Is that enough for now?  Good, back to the story.]

–Flashback [or something]

I was elated.  I knew I had passed my exams.  At least I thought I knew.  I did well, anyway.  I hoped.

I was home 6 hours early because of the exam schedule.  Guess what that meant?  Right!  6 hours of goofing off and lying about it! Yeah!

But first, I was exhausted.  I headed up to my room for a nap, after I threw the cat out from under my sheets.

As I snuggled into the flannel sheets, I thought I saw … something.  I put it down to nerves and not having my glasses on.  Blurry vision takes getting used to every time.

That would be the last I saw of my cats.

*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*

Someone was shaking me, trying to get me up.

"Five more minutes …" I drawled as I sleepily drew the silken sheets around me.

"Come on, wake up!  We're going to be late to breakfast!" said a voice, followed by the sound

"Ah, come on.  Five more minutes …"

Wake up," said a different voice.

Something about this one made me sit up.

"All right, all right," I said, groping for my glasses.

They weren't there.

I checked again, and then someone – one of the voices – tucked them in my hand.

"Looking for these?"

I thanked the voice, put on my glasses – and took them off to clean them.  Felt like trying to see through a brick wall.

I glanced around after putting them on, and did a double take.  Then I noticed the people in weird robes next to my huge four-poster bed.

Wait a minute…

"Where am I?" I demanded. "And who the hell are you?"

I know this is a huge cliffy, but it is a nice cliffy.  There is so much that can be done with this cliffy, and I want input.  Notice I haven't specified the main character's gender – who, if you haven't guessed, is me.  Would the story be better if he was a guy, or if she was a girl?  Should I write this fic as Harry Potter like I have it, or do you think it would be better as something else?  I do not own Harry Potter, or else I would be filthy rich.  Please read and review.

By the way, this is my first writing ever outside school, so please don't flame.