Extraordinary

Chapter 2

I get home, exhausted by the stress of homework and the upcoming basketball game I have this weekend. I shrug my messenger bag strap off in the corner of my room and look into my mirror. 

It's an old mirror, given to me by my mother, with a gold design that's fading away. 

I'm nothing different. Of course, that's what everyone else says, so I guess I really am not that different.

I stare into my own eyes. 

Then I reach for the mirror. I don't know why I do this. It seems like a pretty movie-cliche thing to do.

But the problem was when I fell in.

 -----

I tumble through darkness. I don't see anything. Where I am, or where I'm going. Surprisingly, I don't scream or yell. I suck in my breath. What is happening to me? Where am I going? What was that mirror?

For a few seconds that seemed like eternity, I hit land. But I feel fine. Nothing seems to be broken.

I rub my eyes and roll over so I'm facing the sky.

There was a woosh!-ing sound and the black tunnel-like thing disappears. Just like that. 

"Where am I?" I ask myself aloud. I stand up. All I see is grass, then a small city-or castle? Maybe it's both. This is definitely not anywhere close to where I live in Los Angeles.

"Why, you're in Abilar!" an unknown voice answers.

I spin around. I'm facing a middle-aged woman. She looked like a woman, at least. The only minor detail that questioned this was that her skin was green. 

Bright, bright green.

"Why is your skin green?" I ask, then immediately regret it. I could have said something that would actually give me information to get out of this place. 

The strange woman watches me, her amber eyes piercing through me, like she's reading my soul. "You're asking the wrong questions," she replies, giving me a half-smile. "Abilar isn't anywhere close to Earth. Or your universe, for that matter," she adds. "I'm Beth."

"But then. . .where is Abilar?" I ask.

"A different galaxy. I can't explain it," Beth says. "Here, come with me. I'll explain it to you on the way to the castle."

I get up. Maybe she could help me find a way home. "Okay. So do you know what that mirror just did to me? Like it transported me here."

Beth starts walking, and I follow her. "Right on," she remarks. "You were transported here. By us."

"How exactly?" I question. "I mean, that's impossible, right?"

Beth purses her lips and says quietly, "I'm not supposed to disclose that information. But how many things in your life are not possible?"

I think of my power, and I see Beth smile. "Precisely," she says, grinning. 

"You can read minds," I say simply. 

"Right again. That's one thing in life that makes my life impossible," she explains. "I mean, there's my skin, too. The two things in my life that are impossible."

I try to put the pieces together. "So here, in Abilar," I state slowly. "This universe that varies from Earth, everyone who lives here has a . . . power. Something special. Is there anything different about the planet itself?" I ask.

Beth only shrugs. "Not really."

In several more minutes, we reach the castle. It looks like a pretty standard castle, with stone walls that enclose the building and I could hear the city behind it. 

Beth yells, "Beth, Libra!" and the drawbridge lowers.

"Is your technology . . . that old-fashioned? I meant the drawbridge part," I say. "And that Libra part-that's your zodiac sign, isn't it?"

"Yes, that's my zodiac sign. You'd be surprised at how many things we have in common with your Earth. And no, it's pretty up-to-date. It's just that the castle was established some centuries ago, and I guess we never thought to replace it. The city looks modern enough, though. Here, c'mon. Let's go inside."

I have so many questions, but I hope they get answered soon.