The New World

Chapter One

Word Count: 3,426

Everything was for a reason.. Everything was for a reason... Everything was for a reason.

It seems like it took forever, in a way it did. I've been pushing myself past the breaking point after waking up in this world. I can't remember anything before my 20th birthday. All I knew was my age and my first name, but it didn't seem right. Everything was for a reason, I tell myself to make it all make sense.

I woke up in a field and the adventure has only taken worse for worse turns. Until I made it to an island that had a fable sunlight at the bottom of the ocean, I was tossed around the globe it felt like. I stumbled my way into town after realizing I was in some kind of vegetable field, taking some carrots with me for the walk. The air felt like I could jump 10 feet up without resistance, and the breeze of the ocean was so strong of salt and the trees smelled like nothing I've ever known. Walking up to a tree to examine what climate I was in, I realize I know nothing about these plants, deducing that I might recognize the village. Maybe I had too much to drink and permanently damaged my brain? The building did have a familiar scent of mold and musk, every stall was packed with broad shoulders and shouting at cards or dice. Did I gamble too much and get jumped? Checking my pockets, I actually had quite a lot of money on me. Well they sucked at robbing me if that did happen?... keeping my head down i make my way down the rocky street to what looks like a big enough building to be an inn. The hall was dusty and dank, smoke lingering in the air making a haze of the dark surroundings. Walking up to the front desk, every fiber of my soul was telling me to turn around and run as far away as I could. Why didn't I listen to myself?

The man at the front desk had half of his face covered in metal and a gross smile plastered on the other half. He had some guys matching his style loitering around him, and then the smell of booze and dog piss burnt my nose.

"Well well hello damsel, are you in any distress?" he sneered out with a chuckle, and the goons laughed like he had more than one meaning behind his words.

"Could you tell me where I am? And the closet inn? Please?.." I trailed off as they stood up and all turned to look at me.

They exchanged looks and nodded before one walked into a separate room. The other goon took out a ... Snail? It was the size of his smallest finger, and he spoke into it "payday is coming soon." then put it back in his pocket. What the hell... the first guy leaned over the counter top and looked me up and down. "You're dressed in really odd clothes to be walking around a pirate port town sweetie, you said you don't know where you are?" eyes lingering on my legs as I was in shorts. I finally look down at myself and am immediately uncomfortable. The body I thought I had is not what I'm looking at and I dissociate so far away I can't smell this disgusting room. My legs look 6 inches taller then they used to be, and then i notice little things like my ankles aren't as thick, that used to bother me unnecessarily, and now i'm so unsettled that my insecurities i hated are gone. I look at my arms and my tattoos are still there, little cartoon characters I got for special people in my life... and then it felt like my brain hit a wall. Why can't I see their faces? I pull at my hair and it's up in a huge ponytail, dragging it over my shoulder it's a dark vibrant blue. That wasn't weird to me, as I go to smell it thinking it would smell like berries. Why would it smell like berries and why am I disappointed it doesn't? My hair just smells like the field of carrots, and maybe some salty notes. I definitely need a shower, but I bet I smell like roses to these creeps. I finally snap out of it and can see my surroundings again, but the guys had been leading me up the stairs to a different room. I don't know how many flights we've walked or where the stairs even were, I'm lost in this building now. We get to the last room of the hall on the top floor, the windows show a view of a mountain range in the distance, and what looks like a glint of blue hovering over the peaks, circling something. They push me into a chair and that's when I realize my hands are tied up. In front of me was the oddest thing I've ever seen, even with my shit memory. It's a giant snail, with unnerving large eyes with little sunglasses casing a rose hue on the blank stare that felt like it was ripping through me. It was decorated with feathers and had its own pedestal.