The Mearsmaine Chronicles 1 - The Return of the Queen

Chapter One

It was ten in the morning and Elizabeth was still trying to eat the chocolate muffin she had been staring at for the past half an hour. She wasn't feeling very well that morning: it was like something was making her uncomfortable, but what on Earth could that be? She was fine, she wasn't sick, she hadn't broken up with her boyfiend, she hadn't pissed off her boss (yet) and she wasn't even late for work, which was a miracle.

She decided she wouldn't eat the usual chocolate muffin that morning because she just couldn't stand sitting there much longer, that weird feeling was driving her mad, so she decided to take a walk. She left five euros on the table (she didn't want to wait for the change, besides, Mr. Melville had always been very kind to her). Elizabeth left the coffee and started to walk down the street, she looked at her watch, but it was only fifteen past ten: she still had plenty of time before going to the library.

Lizz wandered though the Central Garden where the usual old ladies were walking their dogs and the old men were playing cards and telling their life experiences. All of that had always seemed so near, but now it just felt like it was happening on a different planet, she felt so distant, it was like she wasn't even there... But she was! Elizabeth tried erase those thoughts of her mind.

'I am just in a bad mood, that's all.' But she knew there was more to it than that. That was definitely not her bad mood.

After getting tired of walking, she sat at the bus station to rest. She wanted to sleep, but she couldn't fall asleep there. Besides, it was probably time to get to work, if she got there late (again) her boss would probably tear her head out. She looked at the clock and, at first, she thought she wasn't seeing the right number, but she was: it was already fourty past two. How could that be? She had to get up and run to the library.

'But I am so tired.' She thought. 'I just want to take a nap.' Which she did. Right there, at the bus station.

***

When Elizabeth woke up again, she was feeling dizzy. She was lying on top of something soft, but wet. She touched the soil with her hand: green grass still wet from the rain.

'Wait. What?' She pushed herself to get up and find out where she was: a forest. How did she get there? The last thing Elizabeth remembered was siting down at the bus station! She had to be dreaming, but it just seemed so real. She pinched herself so that she would be sure she was awake, which she actually was.

Lizz didn't know how the hell she got there or where that place was. However, she did know she needed to get out of there, unless she wanted to be eaten by wolves or bears or whatever lived in those woods. She decided to start walking towards something, she wasn't sure about what that something was, she just knew that she was going in the right direction: that was unquestionably the way to follow.

'But how do I know that? I must be going crazy' She thought as she penetrated deeply in the woods. Although she should be having a panic atack, she was surprisingly calm. It was like she knew every single one of those trees, as if she had been there before. Lizz knew that was a stupid idea, she had never been in a forest, she wasn't very attached to nature. She was trying to remember the last time she had gone camping with her friends when she heard some voices.

Elizabeth stopped and listened to them, it seemed like they came from her right, so she tried to follow the sound of the two male voices. She ended up hiding behind a tree looking to two tall and elegant boys who were wearing funny clothes, each one of them grabing a sword. Did they really think it was the Middle Age or was it Halloween and nobody had told her?

'Nathaniel, I think we're in the wrong spot.' Said the blonde-haired boy.

'We cannot be in the wrong place. This one fits Lily's description. She must be somewhere near.' Answered the black-haired boy.