Far From Home

by PensiveArcher04

Quentin Keener is a 18-Year-Old human with no real goals or purpose in life. When life come crumbling down around him and he gets killed things quickly change. When he wakes up and finds himself reincarnated as an Arctic Fox in Zootopia. Now he has to try adapt to a new life with nothing to his name along with having to figure out how to live as an entirely different person.

1. Chapter 1: The Fall

Chapter 1: The Descent

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

I groan reaching around the nightstand trying to find where I'd left my phone this time to turn off the incessant droning of the alarm as it shouts at me to get out of bed. Finally, after some flailing my arm connects with the smooth surface of the screen, and glance up long enough to put the alarm on snooze mode again while trying to quash the thought of how many times I'd already done it this morning alone. Why do I still have an alarm for 6:30 am on a Saturday I still can't figure it out. Oh, wait I know exactly why, I'm just too damn lazy to turn it off for the weekends. A hell of my creation.

In no time it was back.

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

Alright enough is enough now. Rolling over I unplug the phone to turn off the alarm for good this time. By now forty-five minutes had passed, and this had to be a new record. Still trying to muster up enough energy to get out of bed was my new conflict only put to rest pulling myself into a sitting position on the edge of the bed only to end up considering if it was alright to go back to sleep. 'I mean it is my weekend' I try to rationalize 'why shouldn't I spend it how I want? I work hard at college all week it wouldn't be too bad'. I finally shake free from the residual grogginess off and purge the new dreams from my head because whether I like it or not he had to be a functional member of society or at least give that appearance. If there were any second thoughts my sister banging on the door was the final straw.

"Quentin! Wake up I'm not listening to your alarm again its been going for nearly an hour. I will strangle you if I hear it again."

Violence is a hell of a motivator it is I stand up slothfully shuffling over to the wardrobe getting out a green t-shirt with one of those classic car diagrams on the front everyone seems to have and a pair of basic blue jeans so I can at least try to hold the appearance of someone who had it all together along with hoping the whole "project how you want to be" would work for me. God, it better be worth it. Now the worst part of the morning. Unleashing the ancient beast upon myself. Taking a deep breath I fling the curtains open. Only to end up letting in my long-term nemesis the morning sun only for it to pierce into my eyes in vengeance causing pinpricks of tears to form on my now squinting eyes.

Sun 1000: Quentin 0.

The rest of the routine would be a soulless march around the house going into the bathroom to comb my hair into a presentable state compared to the birds' nest it currently is. Wiping away the film of condensation from the mirror I look into its surface in the dim light of the bathroom. Looking back at myself he could still the blanket of drowsiness resting on my features once again with the darkness around my eyes from years of lost sleep contrasting my admittedly pale complexion. Not that anyone would ever notice it, they were always far too distracted with my eyes staring at me like some sort of modern wonder. They only think I'm of any interest because I have heterochromia making me feel like a member of a freakshow. So everyone could ogle the fact that I have a single blue right eye and green left eye and honestly it felt like the only thing anyone was interested in but damn staring at him like a piece of meat was too far. I ran the tap to get a handful of cold water in the hopes of washing away the restless zombie-like look. It was no good so all I can do now is shrug it off leaving the final task of the morning, it was time to tame the brown crew cut I'd gotten weeks ago at this point. The last step now is the final part of being responsible in the morning: breakfast, the final frontier. Sauntering down the stairs I saw the usual buzz of activity as everyone flitters in and out of the living room getting ready for whatever day they have ahead, everyone going about their own business going through the motions. Why everyone is bothered to go through all this even on the weekend I'm not sure I will ever know but then again here I am so what do I know anyway.

"Morning Quentin" a woman's voice calls out from the other room.

"Morning Mum" I respond with as much morning cheer as I could muster up this early while pouring myself a steaming cup of coffee from the cafetière on the countertop.

"So you got any plans this morning?" she asks stepping into the kitchen to ask face to face this time.

Wasn't that the million-pound question. It's amazing how such a simple question can leave you mentally frozen and ready for a reboot. The answer was no I didn't have any plans and that summed up my life because here I am standing frozen in the kitchen over a simple question with a hot coffee that was starting to burn my hand while having an existential crisis over a simple question. What a fucking question. The big answer is that no I have no plans at all. Then again I also have no aspirations and no idea what I'm going to do in life even a little bit. All my friends do and with nearly all of them going to university soon and any others going straight into the career they've always wanted so here I am stuck in time. So no why would he have plans on a random Saturday. Finally breaking out of my depressive, spiralling trance I look up at the sad smile on my Mum's face and see some concern among it.

"Still tired?"

"Yeah, sure it's that. But no nothing right now I'll let you know if it changes anytime soon I suppose"

"He managed to get his alarm turned off this morning so I'd say he's done for the morning," my sister says.

"Yup, she has a point. That's me done for the day" I respond with as much sarcasm as I can.

Mum just lets out a sigh before carrying on with her morning. Too early for our antics I guess. This bundle of sunshine and rainbows is my esteemed sister Anna the magical great success of the house going to university for forensic science nearby and doing it all. Expectations are so high they might just expect her to cure cancer at this rate, unrelated I know. Her polar opposite, also a bundle of sunshine and rainbows, would be me the whimsical nobody who can't figure out left and right at the best of times let alone the rest of my life but this sort of balances us out just fine and the surprise to both of us as siblings is that we got along well enough making us the wonder children.

"However, you happen to be wrong this time. Daniel has invited me and my other friends out for the day. Better luck next time" I reply in a smug tone before sticking my tongue out at her.

"Oh yeah aaaaaaaaallllllllllll those friends of yours of course. I'll be right tomorrow anyways" Anna says with a raised eyebrow and grin.

"Definitely," I say darting around the house grabbing my shoes before rushing around the kitchen and leaning around Anna to grab a couple of cereal bars on the top shelf of the cupboard.

"See you guys" I shout while swiping up my keys and closing the door with a slight bang.

It was a nice change of pace to get out of the house for once. Being cooped up indoors was as easy and fun as it can be but doing it for so long was starting to make the time blend together making all this free time get boring (which I never saw coming), regardless of what anyone else says. Looking at the message again it seems they'd all agreed to meet at the park nearest to all in about half an hour leaving me with a quiet twenty-minute down barren streets. Why were they meeting up for the third time this week? To do nothing probably only to just hang out together in one area and chat for hours again and as sad as it may sound to everyone on the outside it was the best kind of fun as we always found a way to make it entertaining somehow. Everyone knew this and would be there even if they also knew there was no plan. Meeting up with about ten minutes left the rest of them were nowhere to be found especially Daniel the one who should be here first but under close inspection, Matty being the ever-punctual person he was I also saw him here early tapping his foot sat at the bench looking much more impatient and frustrated than I am. Matty was always the smart one of the group, ever punctual and the voice of reason to balance out the crazy plans that Jay would come up with. Honestly, I have to thank him for keeping us alive for as long as he has and my god do we notice when he isn't around I mean last time he wasn't here shopping trolly derby happened. Dark days.

Walking up to Matty we exchange our hellos and sit on the bench in comfortable silence broken by "He always does this." Matty sighs.

"Yeah, but we are early, give him a break" we could rip into Daniel when he is inevitably late but for now we will just wait Daniel will come he always does. Eventually.

Matty just shakes his head and checks his watch releasing another sigh before mumbling about why he bothers turning up. This is as common as Daniel being late. We chat idly about one thing or another with Matty telling me about the university he's going to be heading to in September. Lucky Bastard.

Coming up to five minutes before the agreed time Žofie and Jay come peaking around the corner of the brambles and walk down into the park chatting animatedly about something blocking out the world immersed in their conversation before they notice us sitting on the bench causing Žofie to smile and wave and for Jay to come running down the path towards us shouting. Jay stumbled a few steps before he reached the bench falling and catching himself on Matty. Jay looks up sheepishly and apologises while Matty groans shoving him off trying to hide a faint grin. Jay is the resident daredevil in the group taking every bet and dare that has been presented to him over the years and my god is he one of the craziest people I've ever met, not stupid by any means but would also eat dirt if dared or offered a fiver. He had to be the life of the group and was the source of all the energy to try all the crazy stuff we've done over the years and is the creator of Shopping Trolley Derby. Which speaks volumes about him alone. Žofie comes laughing like me down the hill only to hop over the rock that tripped Jay in the path and stifle her laughing long enough to say her 'Hellos'. Žofie was also the energetic part of the group in a more jokey way compared to 'hey let's get hurt' like Jay. She provides the more playful jabs to keep the group playful and not taking ourselves too seriously but also making sure we don't go too far with things always being the one you can talk to about any problems big or small luckily she doesn't have to mediate many arguments but she is an invaluable member of our little menagerie.

"So Daniel isn't here is he?" Žofie asked knowing damn well what the answer was going to be.

"He happens to be late this time" Matty replies rolling his eyes.

"What do you think the excuse is this time," I ask the group.

"If it's anything less than killer robots I say we walk" Jay exclaims with a smile.

"Wouldn't stop Matty though. Nothing less than the end of the world would" Žofie jokes.

Following our little routine at this point, we just sit and talk for a little bit again while we wait for Daniel to arrive. Alright, it is time now where is he? We all glance around and keep an ear out, Nothing. We wait for five more minutes, okay still not here this is getting out of hand. Fifteen minutes after we agreed we hear heavy panting come from behind the brambles Žofie and Jay arrived around to see none other than our esteemed host, Daniel, only quite late to his little get-together. The group, including myself, had differing severities of disappointment on our faces which Daniel was quick to realise.

"Sorry I *Pant* am *Pant*..." Daniel tries to get out.

"Was it killer robots?" Jay asks.

"*Pant* What? No just *Pant* traffic." Daniel gets out while we wait for him to finally catch his breath from running here.

"God damn it, Danny," I say.

Daniel, Danny, Dan or anything else we call him is a perpetually late friend of ours and seems to despite much effort be the leader of our little group despite the constant failures in timekeeping. Despite all of this he is without a doubt a good guy and can be credited with bringing us all together as friends with his overly carefree attitude which we all seemed to be both initially drawn to and now just irritated by. The frustration quickly leaves us as we start catching up over the week about all that has gone on with Matty telling everyone about the Computer Science degree he'll be doing in the autumn in the next city over and what the university will be like and then Jay tells us about the apprenticeship that he'll be starting around the same time still in town but as an electrician, much to the concealed concern of us all. Žofie tells us about her application to be a firefighter in the local area and Danny about the job he got in the local movie theatre. The question eventually reaches me and the answer is that I'm going to university doing accounting at the local university (for some reason). This was honestly a panic choice to make sure my life would still be going somewhere even if it wasn't exactly a choice of passion outside of the paycheck once I get the degree. What a mistake.

Once the catch-up session has come to a close we, thanks once again to our dear friend Dan, start to talk about all the new film releases and the films that we've watched recently as well as those we plan to watch.

"So you guys catch the new kids' movie 'Zootopia' I think it was?" Jay questions the group.

"Oh yeah, that one! Surprisingly good for what was a kids' movie." Matty replies.

"The one with animated animals right. Had a pretty good message about defying expectations and following dreams" I say with barely contained enthusiasm.

Honestly, the film, despite being something I flicked to only to pass time on a slow day I found the message resonated with me a bit. Ok, a lot. It's nice to think that I don't have to be the layabout without a purpose, I could go and do something positive with my life despite the barriers in my life such as living in a city only known for its university and single industry along with home financial troubles so yeah I enjoyed it more than I am confident to say.

"It has built up quite a community for itself quite quickly. We've had plenty of repeat visitors at the theatre as long as it is a popular choice" Danny jumps in with.

"It was alright I suppose" Žofie brushes off. She does however come back with a look of sudden realisation "Here's a fun game for us to play."

She follows it up by pulling out her phone and showing our now crowded group one of those typical questions.

"So you get a million dollars but have to live in the last film you watched," Žofie says with a grin being met with mixed looks of horror and grins alike "So guys what did you last watch and would you."

"Uh, Jurassic Park 2 so abso-fucking-lutely not" Jay exclaims with what almost looks like offence etched onto his face.

"Star Wars so yeah I think I would. It's dangerous but I think I'd risk it for that space magic" Žofie offers into the mix.

"Haha no not Alien vs Predator I would die immediately," Matty says dryly. Never gonna make an optimist of him at this rate.

"Spiderman No-way home so yeah it'd just be living in New York I guess," Daniel says.

"You'd burn through that million of yours in weeks" Žofie quips.

"Well the last film I watched was Zootopia and you know it seemed fine enough so yeah I would," I say and honestly compared to Jurassic Park and AvP it seemed like a no-brainer.

We spent the rest of the day doing exactly what we all expected to be doing. Just walking around chatting about anything we found interesting like the recent game releases but even we had a limit to our eccentric wandering around so we spurred our get-together into town so we could go to the local shopping centre for a little bit of purpose or window shopping. Anything really to give us a purpose and drag it out for the day, something to do which by the evening was enthusiastic chatting until we ended up at the theatre to watch one of the new releases courtesy of dear Danny. By the time we'd pretty much exhausted all our options with all said and done all there was to do was to say our gloomy goodbyes silently planning the next time. In our distracted state, we'd managed to entirely miss the point where it'd gone from bright happy morning to dreary dark evening leaving the streetlights to cast their mimicry of the sun glow onto the area acting as our new guides through this newer darker world. We parted and spread out into the darkness still buzzing from the film leaving me so transfixed on my surroundings and the movie action that it was a bit late to realise I was making one hell of a mistake crossing, what I thought was, an empty road only to have much fiercer blinding white light pushing back the orange glow and blinding me so I could only see it getting closer and closer. Time seemed to slow for a minute with a new shrill screeching penetrating my ears coming from the equally terrified rubber tyres of the car while I'm standing here frozen like some sort of lemming with only adding my heart beating in my ears as it hurtled closer. I clenched my eyes closed waiting for the inevitable slam but curiously all went silent at once.

"Kid get the fuck out of the road! What are you doing just stood there! Fucking pay attention and move!" an angry voice shouts in front of me. You know I always expected heaven to be nice, polite and have way less verbal abuse but maybe that's what I get for dying like a complete moron but come on it isn't that much to ask is it. Taking a deep breath I decide it's time to have words with God I suppose. I open my eyes. Yup still blinding but lo and behold no clouds just an angry middle-aged man looking furious before laying on the horn. That isn't God or I hope not at least so oh OH 'I'm alive... HAHAHA, I'm not dead' I think letting out frightened laughter slip out.

"Why the hell are you laughing? Get out the way!" he shouts now with budding bewilderment taking over the anger slightly. I jog over to the side of the road I was initially going to still in a fit of giggles with sporadic nervous laughter before apologising to the driver before he tears of down the road. I don't know why I was the one who said sorry he almost hit me and driving like that I'm not surprised buuuuut I guess it was my fault as well marching into the road like I'm invincible. Shaking off the jitters I decide it's time to focus and just get home quick so I don't have a chance to tempt fate again. Once is enough.

Having finally made it home with far fewer near-death experiences since then on out I lock the door and lean against the door and slump down as gravity hits me both ways especially after what just happened hits me in its entirety this time. I almost died. I almost died over such a simple, senseless, stupid mistake and that would have been it.

Lights out. Game Over. Night Night.

I need to be waaaaay more aware, especially with my now apparent piss-poor survival instinct and with drivers like that guy patrolling the night. Right so pay more attention to the road and my surroundings next time, should be simple because as much of a maniac the driver was for him to be going that fast down residential roads I was lucky he was at least good enough to slam the brakes as early as he did. Something hit me at that moment (not the car back for vengeance mind you) but in my daze, I hadn't noticed the silence or that no one was in at all which right now was both good as I can't be reamed for being so careless by my parents but also 'Hey I just went through a traumatic event where is the help'. I just need to quash these thoughts for now while I figure out where everyone has gone. It's not quite because I'm dead is it I am actually alive, right? I pinch myself. Ok. Yeah, probably that hurt I overdid it. Anyway, focus there is now a mystery afoot time to get moving on that now it'll be a good distraction.

Taking a few tentative steps into the living room I find nothing out of the ordinary so no clues no nothing actually, very curious. The mystique of the situation was quickly lost when the kitchen table happened to have a small stack of torn notebook paper with a tacky novelty fridge magnet of the Eiffel Tower keeping it weighted down. So disappointingly there really wasn't a grand mystery it was all easily explained by the best clues around. Right, so both Mum and Dad were out on a date night, again, which shouldn't have been surprising it was Saturday after all they did this every week so that should have been obvious. So up next was Anna and she wrote down that she was going to be out as she was covering the shift of one of her friends for the afternoon followed by then going out to watch a film with some friends. Lastly was Oscar, which in retrospect I haven't even spoken to or even seen once today, which turns out that it was going to hold true as he has a sleepover with some friends. Well, that answered that. No fun leftover questions to answer other than minor bubbling irritation that I'm so predictable that everyone, even Oscar, knew I was likely to be out all today. Scowling slightly at that recent development I clear my mind mentally switching tracks to the rude awakening that outside of the few cereal bars this morning and some overpriced movie theatre popcorn I haven't eaten about anything today and my stomach was getting both verbally and physically aggravated about this.

Looking to solve the new problem I end up rummaging around the fridge freezer only to decide that free will was a mistake as I'm now here frozen once again this time with indecision bearing down on me not a car, big improvement this time thank god. So ready meal lasagna, leftover macaroni and cheese from last night or the half-open pack of dinosaur nuggets. Outside of the leftover pasta seemed like the only decent choice right now for a bit of comfort, or at least the better of dinosaur nuggets but still the best I can do with everyone out for the night. With the choice made I leave the microwave humming away while I contemplate where to go from here this evening as it's only 8:00 PM so there is at least some evening to destress with some games after a surprisingly rough day. With that, I grab a tea towel to remove the plate leaving me to sit there and eat the mostly warm pasta from the now only slightly scalding plate while I idly scroll through social media and watch TV until a pop-up shows that Anna's sent me a WhatsApp message.

"You Busy?"

I don't think about that one very long "Nah"

"Friends ditched you up for a film?"

"So I'm the second choice am I"

"I see how it is"

"Come oooooooooon"

I really don't think that it's a great idea to go out again after the car incident and I did already spend the whole day out aaaaand watched a film at the theatre already today. I toss it back and forth in my mind for a little while.

"What genre"

"Action" So there is a chance that I have seen it already there really are only 50/50 odds here.

"What time?" I relent

"Half 9"

"Done"

With that I turn off my phone and hunt around for a plug knowing full well my ageing phone battery isn't going to hold out any longer it wasn't exactly a new model by any standard at this point so I'm really starting to push my luck at this point but I finally find a charger near the bathroom prompting me to head back to my lukewarm pasta with new goals in mind: get washed up, get changed, grab my phone and don't get hit by a car. Easy enough. Rinsing the plate and putting it in the washing-up bowl I make my way up the stairs to grab a towel and a fresh change of clothes so I feel less gross before heading into the quaint upstairs bathroom across the hall loaded down with everything I need. Towel check; fresh clothes check all good. Stripping down I make the same mistake of getting in too early, the water, as usual, was absolutely frigid for way longer than I'd hoped just leaving me shaking under a stream of cold water, I'm sure it would be a sad sight but way less sad if I left the damn shower. When the water finally reached warmth it was like a blossoming flower of warmth had blossomed and it felt soooooo good at this point with the stress cracking and then falling away around me, not gone but definitely better than before. Not as simple as everyone makes it out to be it still does wonders for sure.

I lost track of time again, a common theme, it seems as if being under a thick veil of warmth kept me distracted but regardless of how much I want to stay here forever both the water and energy bill is starting to gorge themselves on our money and that is not another conversation I need to have with Mum. Stepping out of the shower I carry on the shower's legacy by dripping pools of water all over the floor. What time is it now? All I know is that it feels like a long time. Opening the door I grab my phone from the charger just outside the door. SHIT. How was I in there for 30 minutes! I've got 15 minutes to get across town now, the shower was rendered pointless now I have to run if I'm gonna make it on time. In a panic, I decided it would take faaaar too long to dry off for a minute first. I start grabbing my clean clothes while standing in a now vast expansive ocean of water. The plain red t-shirt I put on was immediately damp but maybe just maybe this will make me look like I tried really hard to be on time and free me from consequences, boxers next and oh god this is going to be uncomfortable as hell. Just jeans now the coup d'état of discomfort.

I knew this was going to be an ungodly struggle but what made it worse was the cuffs getting wet as they drag on the floor one leg went in FINE but the other... just... will not... GO ON!

"God fucking damn it please just do the thing!" I shout with mounting frustration now hopping on one leg as if I had become a confused rabbit.

At least I was hopping around on one leg. Where did the floor go? I ask myself in a now distorted perspective of time. I'm quick to realise I am not touching the floor anymore but in flight plummeting and plummeting fast. Well, the slow kind of fast, slow that it should already have happened but fast in that I can see it happen sooner than I want. Time normalised at that moment breaking the moment with a sharp crack filling the bathroom and then my sight going leaving me. The vacant sense didn't stay gone long before I felt myself standing there in the bathroom with a hazy unfocused vision. That could have been bad I mean nearly dying twice in one day who did I piss off. It might be time to cancel that movie with Anna life is getting way too dangerous. My eyes then begin to refocus on a less-than-attractive sight. There I am or... no, yeah that is me laying crumpled on the floor with my neck resting with my head at a weird angle against the porcelain shower base with my jeans hanging around one of my ankles. That's weird.

Wait. No. Oh no. Fuck no there is no way. No shitting way did what I think just happen.

I look down at my hands which were vaguely blurry and incorporeal holding a blueish tint to them no matter how I moved them but they undeniably looked like mine but just felt wrong as if they didn't belong. I died. I fucking died slipping outside the shower like a complete fuckstick. Strangely enough, there were no tears, can ghosts cry?. Everything just feels empty like nothing, no pain contrary to the piddling traces of blood leaking lazily out of me on the floor so I reach back and brush away the hair from my blurry form where the wound should be but alas nothing.

'What do I do now. What can I do? I'm fucking dead. No more Jay and his dangerous stunts that should kill me, no more Žofie laughing about when Anna gave me those eyebrow notches, Matty won't complain about Danny being late and he can't be late anymore.' I think standing morosely over my body 'I'll never see Mum or Dad again, god I wish I'd spent more time with them, no more of Oscars infuriating backtalk and... I'm not going to make it to the film as I promised and Anna's going to be wondering where I am. Alone at the theatre. Just waiting for me'.

My eyes start to tingle now ready to cry but with no substance. The deafening silence is broken by the jovial little bell of my still-unlocked phone as it flags up a notification causing the screen to get bright. In curiosity, I get closer to 'floor me' so I can peek at the phone sticking out of my pocket.

"No fucking way," I say with complete bewilderment paralysing me upon seeing the mobile banking app open only to read "1,000,000 GBP have been deposited into your account".

"What the fuck" I howl with everything going black cutting me off and welcoming me into the inky void one last time.

(30/10/22) Welcome to the end of the chapter brought to you by coffee, tea, late nights, several days of drifting in and out of revisions and trying to make things not be pointless bullshit. No guarantee. Hopefully, I haven't lingered on inane details for too long and didn't rush the important points. Who read through this me and Grammarly so hopefully this turned out alright. And as a side note, there is no real end goal or long purpose of the story to be completely honest so any suggestions will be considered so while there are some things that I have ideas to cover in the story here we are. So why am I writing this? There aren't many "Transported to another world" stories that are more slice of life as they end up going for the supernatural (which is not the direction I'm going but they are still good in their own right) or they haven't been updated since maybe 2017. Hopefully, I can avoid that but who knows here's to hoping.

Thanks for reading.