I open my eyes and I'm lying on tall soft grass underneath an exceptionally large willow tree. The tree is filled with long leaves of a magenta shade. It almost looks like...NO. Stop it, Jude. Be practical. You're not in a...
As I pick myself up and inspect the golden ground, I start feeling dizzy. This cannot be real.
"Where am I?"
"You're in Althion of course."
I look around terrified. I can't see where the voice is coming from.
"Wh-here are you?" I stutter as I frantically scan the tall grass.
"Up here, silly girl." As I look up, I don't see anyone but a small copper squirrel.
"I-I don't see you?"
"You're looking right at me, darling." My face goes white. The squirrel is talking to me. Is this what losing your mind looks like? The little squirrel runs down the tree, scurries over to me and stands up on its hind feet.
"You're lookin' a bit pale? You sick or something?"
"No...I'm just having a mild heart attack."
"No need to be afraid. You're safe here. The Queen's castle is miles away from this patch of wood. But it will get dark soon, where you staying?"
"I-I..." Before I can finish whatever I was going to say, my vision goes dark.
Then I feel something pulling at my hair. It was just a dream. You were just dreaming. It wasn't real. As I open my eyes, I see the dream squirrel nudging at me.
"Come on, silly girl. You can't just sleep in the middle of the forest."
"You-you're...this isn't real."
"Well we can debate on that later, but it's nearly time for the moon to rise, so you need to get up and follow me. You can stay with me until you get your wits back." I stand up slowly and nod to the squirrel. The squirrel begins running through the tall grass. I can't see it, but only the tall grass that is steadily shifting quickly away from me. We end up near a large tree, similar to the one I woke up under but not nearly as big in size. There is a small hole in the bottom of the trunk, but it looks barely big enough to fit a human through. As I follow the squirrel and squeeze through this miniscule opening, I begin crawling on my hands and knees and it appears the hole has led to small sized burrow underground. I see a petite wooden table accompanied by tiny chairs and a small bed in the far corner covered neatly with a small red quilt. As I try to reposition, I bump my head hard on the dirt ceiling above.
"Ow!" I moan.
"Best you keep a sittin' stance, girl. You're the largest company I've brought back to my home in quite a while. So where'd ya come from? Your clothes look quite strange." Oh really, I look strange? I'm not the talking rodent in a miniature house under a tree.
"I'm from Chicago."
"Hmm...never heard of it? Is it near Crystal Falls?" the little critter asks.
"Honestly, I have no clue where this place even is. I saw it in a painting..."
"A painting? Someone painted our perdy world?"
"It doesn't make any sense and I know I've probably lost my mind but I think that's how I got here."
"So you walked through a painting in Chicago?"
"No, I wasn't in Chi- I was in Fairfield...ugh that's not even the point! None of this can be real."
The tiny copper squirrel jumps over to me and pinches my leg.
"Ow! Why'd you do that?!" I yell.
"Just wanted to show ya that you're really here and ain't in no dream that you think you are in."
"Well you didn't have to pinch me."
"Sorry, darling. Just trying to get you to understand that you are in Althion. And, I'm sorry to be such a rude host. We haven't properly introduced ourselves. I'm Hazel. What do they call you?"
"My name is Jude Mason."
"Well it's a pleasure to meet ya, Miss Jude. Are ya hungry? I just made some mushroom stew this morning, and everyone tells me my stew is the very best in all of Althion," Hazel smiles.
"Um sure, thank you." Hazel scurries to a cupboard and grabs a bowl filling it with the hot stew.
As I sip the warm liquid, I feel a millions times better. Hazel wasn't lying - this is absolutely delicious.
"So what else is in this Althion? You mentioned something about a Queen? Maybe she can help me get back home?"
"No, Jude. You mustn't ever meet the Queen. She'd more likely kill you than before ever helping you."
I'm scared. "Why would you say that? She doesn't even know me? I don't even know her? Plus, I'm not even from Althion."
"That's exactly the point, Miss Jude. Ya see...she's been looking for someone. She's been looking for someone for decades now. Someone who will save us from her and bring about the end of her reign. The Daughter of Two Worlds."
"Uh...come again?"
"It was prophesized that a child born of two lands would save us. It was written in the ancient runes long before any of us were even born. Anyone suspected of being the Chosen One was taken to her castle, tortured into confession and then killed for treason."
"Ki-killed?" I'm officially terrified.
