The seams in my backpack were probably straining due to all the textbooks and notes I'd shoved into it, but I needed my hands free. As it was, the squirming puppy nearly sent the both of us tumbling with his complaining. He was supposed to be my grandfathers, a gift from my side of the family to help with his newly bought farm. A Great Pyrenees puppy, with his extra toes on his back feet, and adorable fluffy/pudginess. He was a blob of white fur at the moment, that was complaining for some of that food that was stuffed into my bag.
It's really not his fault that no one else could pick him up today, and not being mad at him was easier than I had thought. He was entirely too cute. But he was also a bit thick, and my arms were starting to ache. I had just left school when the text came through to go get him, so my notes and books were weighing me down. I considered taking a break and sitting down, but he might take it as an invitation for another escape attempt. He was adorable, but I didn't have the energy to chase after his stumbling attempts to run.
My keys fell out of my pocket just as I was considering it, and I let out an explosive sigh. It was difficult to juggle the dog and lean down to pick up the keys, but I got it eventually. My skinny jeans had water on the knees now, and they stuck to my skin even more than before, cold and clammy. My converse weren't much better, waterlogged Alice in Wonderland socks sending my feet into fits. I stuffed them into the front pocket of my hoodie to make them easier to carry, trying to ignore the way the mass of keychains, keys, and trinkets rattled around. I checked the time on the little pocket watch charm, resisting the urge to bang my head against a wall. If Terese already noticed I wasn't back yet then I should just pound my skull in myself, because her wrath would be glorious. My backpack weighed me down, straining my legs when I went to stand back up. I winced, mumbling curse words under my breath to make me feel better. It only worked slightly as I shifted the puppy, resolving to start a petition against the rule about no bags with wheels.
I cut through one of the alleyways in order to try to get home quicker, cool wind brushing against my ears, giving me the creepy sensation of fingers dragging through my close cut hair. The hair in the front flared a bit from the draft, causing me to try to blow on it to keep it out of my face. I skirted a stray dog and his roach buddies, trying to keep the disgust to a minimum. Only a few more blocks till home, after all. I turned sharply behind the chinese place to get to the apartment complex, fighting down my stomach's protests at the glorious smell of wontons and noodles. The puppy whimpered, probably hungry, too.
I was ruefully watching the back door slam shut, wafting the smells my way, when I very unceremoniously ran into a wall. I blinked, shifting the fluffy creatures to free one of my arms for a second and squinting at the air in front of me. There was nothing there. At all.
I poked a finger at it and saw a glimmer of trees through the ripples, taking a hasty step back and blinking rapidly.
"What the fuck?"
No one answered me and I was extremely grateful for it, I was already seeing things, I didn't need voices in my head as well. I glanced around to make sure no one was around to observe me acting like a lunatic. Once I was certain I was alone I stepped forward cautiously, tapping the space again. The ripples once again revealed trees, and if I looked hard enough I could see it was raining there too. The image was beautiful and every time it faded I tapped the air again to bring it back into view. I was tapping away, trying to figure out the logistics of taking a video of this without getting my reflection in the puddles when the area went white.
Completely white. A white figure moved into view, edges blurred just enough to tell it apart from the background. It was grinning, though the expression seemed slightly strained. I stared, racking my brains for what anime I'd seen this in once upon a time, wondering if I'd finally gone off the deep end. I'm done. Stress has done me in. The figure cocked its head, examining me.
"What is it with you people and knocking obnoxiously on the gaps in between dimensions? This is the second time today some idiot teenage girl started knocking in the middle of a deserted alley."
I just gaped and it tilted its head the other way, speaking with a number of voices, layered over one another in a way that sent chills creeping up my spine.
"Well? Why were you knocking, Holly Rhodes?"
It knows my name. I just ruminated on that until it shifted again and I realized it was probably annoyed with me. This is hella creepy. I stuttered,
"W-eh-you see, um, that is, I, well-"
"Speak clearly."
"Yes of course. I….was curious. I wanted to see something amazing, so I kept tapping."
The thing thought over my answer before the grin widened, showing the shadows of what might be teeth. I shivered, and it stepped closer to whatever divide kept us separated.
"You want to see something amazing? You want to see it badly enough that you'd annoy me for the second time today?"
"...in my defense I wasn't doing the annoying the first time around."
"Then I guess we'll just push you through the dimensions and show you something amazing."
It snapped its fingers, ignoring me, and the sound of forrest got louder. I took a step back, wanting to run but stuck in place through sheer curiosity, fight or flight response still buffering, most likely.
Then it stepped forward again and leaned. It grabbed my wrist, and there was no texture, no temperature, just pressure. I didn't even have time to yank away before it was pulling me forward through the blankness. I saw white, and then colors, and then nothing at all. The air seemed to vibrate, giving me a hyper feeling that had my eyes popping open and instantly I was rushing to my feet. Trees. Fucking. Everywhere. I put my hand back through where I would have come from, waving it around to make sure nothing was there anymore. The puppy was just as traumatized as I was, so I held it closer, turning in a complete circle. I sat down abruptly, hyperventilating.
Thisisn'twhatImeantholyshitwhatamIgoingtodo-is that a bunny?
The rabbit crossed over my legs, continuing on and I stared after it,
"What the actual fuck?"
The rabbit looked at me, scrunching it's nose up cutely, rubbing front paws through greyish fur before scuttling off. Panic attack diverted, for the moment, I took stock of what I had with me. Paper, books, pencils, pens, highlighters, various other school supplies, cell phone, and key chain. That was all I was certain of. And baby dog, plus food. I sat heavily under one of the trees, hiding from the water and tucked said dog into my lap. I dug out my phone first, no signal. Whatsoever. I put it up with a sigh, running my hands all over my head, skating through the short hair, leaving it sticking up wildly. I left it there, not caring at the moment. If I cared about it I wouldn't have cut nearly all of it off. I was getting tired of the redhead jokes, I have a soul, thank you.
I leaned against the tree, taking a deep breath to think things through. Okay. I had taken a class about this shit as an elective. Intellectually I knew what to do. Physically? I was fucking screwed. I'd joined archery club in order to get out of having to take a physical education class. I couldn't run to save my life. Well, maybe technically, like if a bear was chasing me. Then I could probably discover some hidden ability to run like hell. As it was I was only motivated by sheer panic. But running wouldn't do me any good now. I needed to find shelter from the rain, and think of a fucking plan.
If the Truth (I remember now, FMA, duh, haven't seen that in forever…) was truly a gate to somewhere else, and this was an alternate dimension, then I needed to figure out where I was, and what sort of society was located here. But that could wait, honestly. Curiosity had already killed the cat once today, kitty wants food and a nap before she tempts fate again. I could start a fire, we'd gone over that in class, actually having to start a flame in a controlled setting for a grade. I had the binder with the notes on that actually. As the thought hit me I dove for the notes, tossing aside the AP Calculus, not feeling a lick of regret when it became soaked. That shit's unnecessary anyway.
I flipped open the binder, passing over my foreign language notes until I got to the back pages, flopping down on the ground to read through what could be my salvation. I skipped most of it, it's not like I could wait around for someone to find me. For all I know I'm in a dimension where pokemon are real, if TRUTH is here who knows what shit I'm dealing with. I don't want to be unarmed and in the open when fucking zubat swoops in and starts shit.
The further I read, the more the slight shaking in my hands calmed. I could do this. I would survive. I would make a camp, figure out how to survive a little while in nature, and then I would find civilization and get a read on this dimension. Terese would be pissed when I never came back but...tears hit my hands and I jerked my head back to avoid ruining the notes with them, tilting my head up to look into the rain.
Terese would be alone. Her boyfriend had left her when she had to start taking care of me full time, but she was a good sister. A bit harsh and controlling, but loyal and loving all the same. She punched the lights out of that one waiter who she thought might get fresh with me in Denny's last week.
She's fucking 16, hands off jackass!
I snorted at the memory, her nostrils flaring, the nose ring and brilliant red hair completing the image of an angry bull. I took a deep breath, letting myself dwell on thoughts of her until I couldn't hold it in any longer. Then I released the air with a whoosh. I'd let it go, for now. Of course I was going to look into ways to get home, but for now I needed to survive. I went back to breathing normally, much calmer now, looking back to the notes.
Come to think of it, Terese would be more pissed if I got myself killed in the woods like some pansy. She'd want me to put up a fight, to not be beaten by anything and take on everything with a snarl and a middle finger salute. I'd always been more the type to curl up and read a book, but for now I could stand to be more like my sister.
I shuffled closer to the tree, carding slightly trembling fingers through the dog's fur, content with my plan for the moment:. Live.
~TimeLordOfPie