Fabricated World

Chapter 3

I sat up, looking around in terror. The buildings were all made of clay and hay, each house was obviously eastern styled. With the recognizable orange tiles for roofs and pedestrians wearing long robes, I was only left in shock. People were walking back and forth, attending to their daily schedules. Some men toiled large barrels of what appeared to be rice on their backs and women were selling fresh groceries on the sides, shouting to draw attention to their business. Small children were running around and squealing like crazy.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

I turn to face a short, plump woman tapping her foot on the floor impatiently. Her brows were knit and she was not happy.

"Get out! What's with your weird clothes?" she grumbled , grabbing a nearby broom. "If you don't leave, I'll kick you out!"

I scrunched up my face, unable to comprehend her words. What was she talking about? She spoke a language I could not understand.

"Out!" she shrieked, swatting my bottom with the dusty broom.

I scampered to my feet, stepping out of her shop. "Okay okay, relax, woman."

Her nostrils flared as she glared daggers at me, standing at the entrance of her mini-market. To be honest, the broom she carried in her hands was pretty intimidating. I sighed and scratched the back of my head before wandering around town.

Millions of questions were cramming my head. One of my main concerns was where the hell is this place?!

As I walked down the busy streets, I feel the unwelcoming stares of the passerbys. Of course they would be weirded out. Everyone was wearing robes that fell down to their ankles. While me, on the other hand, was wearing a loose gray t-shirt with light denim shorts. My blonde hair stood out against the others, who had sleek, black hair. I couldn't help but feel like I was standing out a bit too much.

"That's her!"

I turn around to the commotion. There, the same, plump old lady pointed a finger at me.

"Right there!"

I parted my lips, confused. Why does she look so angry? My answer came flying back at me, smacking me in the face. Two large, burly men wearing armor and equipped with dangerous-looking swords stood behind her. I gulped, feeling my middle clench in anxiety. They weren't after me, were they?

"She sure does look like a foreign spy. There's no doubt." one of the men spoke, nodding to his companion.

I bit my lip and stepped back, eyeing the guards cautiously. When I thought of dying, I found myself stricken with fear.

Shaking my head, I fled, my heart racing and pounding against my chest.

The men chased after me, their heavy metal boots thudding against he dirt. I cursed and continued to run, not glancing back. I was too focused on escaping out of their sight.

As I was running, I felt a pair of hands reach out from the darkness of an aisle and pull me into the shadows.

I screamed, flailing. I was done for.

"Shh." my mysterious kidnapper ushered. "Be quiet."

I frowned and struggled under his grip. "Let me go! No!"

He gritted his teeth and in one swift movement, I felt something soft press against my lips. My brown eyes widened as I noticed how close his face was to mine.

I was busy blushing when the soldiers hurried past where we were hiding, not knowing where I was. I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I watched them disappear from the corners of my eyes. Then the stranger pulled away, peeking out, making sure the coast was clear.

I just stood there, in a daze, not moving. I studied the young man. His dark navy-blue hair was tied in a small low pony-tail behind his back, adorned with a red ribbon. Eyes like two perfectly round spheres of sapphire twinkled like a polished diamond. He wore a dirty blue robe, and strapped to his back was a long spear, its blade at the top wrapped by a piece of cloth.

"You're safe now." he spoke, smiling. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

I stared, astonished. How..?! I could understand what he was saying?!

"Hey. You alright?" the man questioned, waving his hand in front of my eyes.

"I..." I murmured, touching my lips. My cheeks started to heat when I remembered the kiss I was forced into. "You forced me to...!"

"Oh, that, the kiss. Sorry." he apologized, grinning sheepishly. "I couldn't shut you up since my hands were busy holding you down... did I scare you?"

I puffed my cheeks and raised my hand. I did what my gut told me to do: I slapped him.

His eyes grew incredibly wide was he gazed unblinking. He brought his hand to touch his face which was red from my sudden outburst.

"Idiot!" I screeched, storming away. "How dare you! Go die in a hole, pervert!"

I wiped my lips furiously, fuming about loosing my first kiss to a shabby guy like him. First, my parents made me stay over at my grandparent's house over the summer break. Now, I'm in the middle of who knows where and I just got kissed by a stranger! It was as if my life was a living nightmare.

After cooling my head by walking around town, I realized that maybe I was a bit too harsh on that man. In all honesty, he saved me! I should be grateful for being alive right now and not being taken by those soldiers. I sighed, rubbing the side of my arm. Note to self; if you ever see him around, thank him properly.

Now that that was out of the way, I realized another problem creeping up on me. My stomach was growling unstop and boy was I hungry when I smelled the buns sold on the sides of the street. I watched a woman pay for a bag of meat buns with a bunch of copper coins. I figured in this world, US currency wouldn't work.

The sky quickly turned dark as the streets were illuminated by red lanterns hanging from the roofs. I leaned against the railing of a bridge that overlooked a small river, staring at my own reflection. The city lights were shining in the back as I admired the full moon in the night. The contrast was amazing; the sky was pitch black like the depths of midnight and the moon was ivory white. Barely noticable stars were pinned up, scattered about. I rubbed my empty stomach that was rumbling like mad. Oh, why didn't I finish the dinner my grandma was making? Why did I have to go into the library?

After asking around, I gathered information about where I was.

Apparently, this is in the past, 218 AD, in the Han Dynasty. I was currently in the capital, Luoyang (Pronounced: Luer-yaghn), in the Henan Province. It boggles my mind how the book I opened led me here -- to the Han Dynasty of ancient China. All I wanted to know was how to get back home. Unfortunately, I can't do anything about this since I have no knowledge of what to do during these situations (which obviously don't happen under normal circumstances). I've tried explaining my predicament to people willing to help, but not a single one of them believed my tale. I'm tired of running around and asking people. I just want to curl up in a nice, warm, comfy bed and sleep the night away. Only I couldn't, and it was getting dark, fast. If I don't want to sleep out here tonight, I better work fast.

I thought about who I could ask that would be willing to help me. One person popped up in my mind, but as reluctant as I was to go, I had doubt chew at the back of my brain. Why would the man that I slapped help me if I asked him? He saved me and I hurt him. He probably thinks bad of me now. I groaned and ruffled my hair, clearing my mind of all my unnecessary thoughts. What other choice do I have? Sighing, I fixed my hair and turned back to town.