A Lost Age

SIERRA

As I looked out the window, I almost fell off my seat as the car made a turn. My big brown eyes scanned the roads looking for traces of anything familiar. I could feel the stare of John but I didn't dare look at him. Thinking about my family I thought about talking to them, but what would our conversation be? 

 "Hey, Mom and Dad! I just got transported into a place that apparently isn't Earth anymore, and I'm this rare thing called a Snaga! Yeah, so how's your day been?" 

 I suddenly realized that we were in the front of the car and there was no steering wheel. 

 "Oh God, there's no steering wheel!" I was going to faint. 

 He extended an arm out to calm me down. 

 "It's okay, this car drives itself." He squeezed my shoulder and I continued looking out the window. 

"Are you going to be mad at me?" He asked. 

 I turned to look at him and gave him an enraged look. 

 "Mad at you? I barely even know you! You've always been this hotshot football quarterback and you never stopped to actually acknowledge my existence and now you do? Is it because of my powers? You don't even know me! You just kidnap or "transport me" into this place you call "not earth" and you don't even bother to explain anything to me!" I turned back to the window. "So yes, I am mad at you." 

 He didn't respond, but I could feel his gaze shift off me. 

 My eyes felt heavy. They slowly drifted close. 

 I dreamt about my family. I dreamt about myself before I beheld my powers. When we were still living in NYC and everything seemed so simple. I imagined me and my old best friend Rachel sipping hot cocoa as we stared into the bright lights on the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. I thought about my sister when she was just 4 years old when she died of cancer. When she was a newborn, I felt like I saw a glimpse of a big smile on her face. I remembered tears of happiness rushing down my face as I held her. I dreamt of my happiness that was too far away to remember. 

☼ 

 "Wake up," John instructed me urgently. 

 My eyes refused to open. 

 "Wake up!" He pleaded. 

 "Ugh," I said as I slowly opened my eyes. 

 "Get out of the car." He said seriously. 

 I nodded my head and followed him out. 

 Walking out of the car, I almost fainted, but John held me in place and put his hand over my mouth to stop me from screaming. An enormous, slimy what looked like to be a worm was perched on our car. It let out acid to melt everything it went on. 

 "Shhh," He whispered.

 I quickly stopped whimpering. 

 "It can sense fear and if it senses your fear it will try to destroy you or capture you." He whispered.

I slowly nodded my head and thought of things besides the fear of the monstrosity of a creature that could and probably would potentially kill me. He loosened his grip on me, sensing my calmness, and led me to a forest.