3: "Same Place, New World"

I woke up to the smell of burning kerosene and the dim shade of a lamp. The light flickered against the vintage wallpaper of the small room. I immediately sat up from the bed I was laying in. Where am I? I don't remember anything past the moment I was in the hospital... chasing after that girl.

Someone had changed me from my doctor's coat and scrubs into old fashioned pyjamas and I've increasingly become alarmed. Everything in the room looked so incredibly rustic, like back in the 80s or something. I almost contemplated on being in one of those hidden camera shows for cheating spouses, and some loser would pop out scream "Psyche!" But then I don't actually have one, heh.

Seriously where the hell is this? I walk over to the vanity where a couple of sepia toned frames stood. Sepia toned. Maybe it's some interactive museum exhibit? There was a smiling family, and two girls... one I've seen before. It was the brown eyed girl I was chasing after before I got suckered into some time warp. But I was genuinely curious of my untraceable whereabouts and headed for the door.

"Is the girl awake?" I stopped in my tracks. A gruff man's voice made itself known past the white oak door.

"I don't know. Let's check," a raspy, melodic woman's voice next. Thud thud. My heart started beating frantically, and my skin suddenly felt incredibly vulnerable. I could feel my fine hairs on my neck stand up and my arm getting goosebumps. Had they done something to me? Who was that woman?

The door creaked open and the pair stood there surpised at me. But I couldn't really tell for sure. I was only looking at the woman. Her brown hair and those porcelain limbs. The smell of strawberries wafting through the atmosphere. And her brown eyes, stabbing my own ocean orbs. Piercing straight into me, and even places I couldn't reach myself. The tension could have been cut with a knife and the both us stood an impasse, neither moving. By now, my heart was beating rapidly, and I couldn't even pinpoint why.

"Where am I?" My lips quivered ever so slightly - I still haven't taken my eyes off of the girl. The brunette's brows furrowed, and she looked to the man. A silent conversation passed through their eyes. She apprehensively stepped towards me. I took a step back every time she got closer.

"I'm not going to hurt you." She whispered quietly, her voice was so soothing and gentle. It tugged on my heartstrings and made my chest take on a life of its own.

"Where am I?" I was beginning to feel nervous, and this gut wrenching feeling in my stomach started to sharpen. Thud. Thud. So many questions flew past my head, the sharp beat of a headache was beginning to creep up.

"I-ah, uhm... You're..." She ran her hand nervously through her curly hair, and slowly tried to grab for my arm. I quickly backed away.

"Where am I? Who are you?" Shit. My heels hit the chair by the vanity. Cold sweat dripped down my back and my hands started getting clammy and sweaty. I gripped the back of the chair and slightly leaned against to support myself. Every time she got near me so many emotions and physical reactions out of my grasp started boiling up. I couldn't stand it, she was unnerving and I was in a dream.

The girl looked at me sadly in the eye, a ghost of a smile gracing her lips and if I couldn't get anymore confused and nervous and scared out of my wits I would have done anything to get her to smile. She reached for the chain necklace around her neck and pulled it out. The ring with the purple round gem caught the small light of the lamp and reflected against my eyes.

"Wait! Hey! Wait up, Jesus Christ!" Damn, she was fast. Going down these stairs are killing my feet.

"Hey your," I sucked in a huge breath, "your necklace!"

I finally caught up to her and grabbed her by the sleeve of her hand that flung back when she ran.

"Hey I just wanted to-"

Next thing I know, I found myself suspended in the air. The crazy woman fucking flipped us against the staircase railing and dragged me along with her! We're falling a hundred feet to the fucking floor and before I could react I was enveloped in a cloud of mist and water and darkness.

"What did you do to me? Where am I?!"

The girl looked down at her feet, unable to meet my stare any longer. I bit my tongue from quivering and my body from trembling, I needed answers. The man gave me a sympathetic look, he had warm blue eyes and dark hair. He looked at me as if he had known me before, but then looked away.

"You're in Boston, Massachusetts. 1862."

In the bubble of air I can feel my eyelids get heavy and my brain start to lax. Railing after railing swooshed by like cars. Everything started to fade, and I almost forgot I was falling to my death. Then, I felt a warm pair of lips against mine. Strawberries. A whisper of "I've missed you" against my ear, and then I closed my eyes.