Rider of the Laika

Rider of the Laika - Chapter 1

Hey everyone, not sure who I'm talking to (teehee) but would you mind taking a look at this? It's been drifting around in my head for a while so I thought, what the heck, might as well write it down. please tell me if its any good! I'll post a synopsis of the story soon so that things can be clarified a bit. Please let me know if you like this!

Chapter 1: A Trip to the Art Museum

How long is this field trip going to last anyway?

I was on a field trip that day. My entire class had been taken off to the museum to look at artwork made by Native Americans however many years ago. My teachers said it was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about history and ancient art. Unfortunately, I was a fan of neither. To the world I put on a uncaring, I-can-do-better-than-this expression.

"The natives made these interesting images of people transforming into mythical creatures such as dragons and flying horses. You see, it's interesting because we didn't know that..." the tour guide's voice fades into the background as I tune out again. Pegasi? People who could turn into phoenixes? Who believes this stuff?

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"See ya, Katie!" I called.

"Bye, Sasha!" Katie called back.

I walked down the road to catch a bus home as I did every week. During the bus ride I sat around and fiddled with my phone, not having anything in mind, just trying to kill the boredom. When I got home I'd have to do my homework quickly so that I would have time for my dance class this evening. Honestly, I should've been doing my homework on the bus, but I valued my spare time. I never had enough of it.

My name is Sasha, Sasha Middleton. I'm sixteen years old and am pretty ordinary. I attend public high school. I listen to weird music and occasionally sneak out to meet friends. I text all the time and don't talk to my parents much.

But in some ways I'm different. I've always felt that something is going to happen.

Something big.

When I was little I dreamt of Fairy Princesses and that I flew around on unicorns. That all slipped away when I grew up, but some part of me always clung to the feeling that I was special. That one day I would do something amazing.

Whatever. It's probably a feeling that I scored another A+ on a quiz.

But it might be something else. Something closer to little-girl Sasha's dreams.

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Mom-  

I'm going for a walk, so don't freak out when you realize I'm not home. I fed the cat. See you soon.  

-Sasha

I dropped the note onto the counter and headed for the door. I always went for a walk when I couldn't think straight. The fresh air always cleared my mind. Our house was on the edge of the city, near the woods. The house was only a few blocks away from a clearing that I liked to spend some time in when my head started swimming.

I grabbed the doorknob and pulled it open.

Crap. It was raining. Extremely hard.

Just my luck, I thought. I went back inside to grab a raincoat. I desperately needed to get out of the house.

Rrrrring! Rrring!

I snatched up my cell phone and stared at the caller ID. It was Katie, my so-called best friend. She wasn't really my best friend. I didn't have one. Sure, I spent lots of my free time with her, but... we just didn't really click.

I seriously contemplated not answering for a moment. But I'm not that mean.

"Hello?"

"Sasha! It's me, Katie!"

"Hi. What's up?" I hoped I sounded enthusiastic, and not like someone who's plans for the rest of the day have been knocked off course.

"I was just calling to see how you were doing. That field trip today was dumb, don't you think? Like, who cares about that stuff anyway?"

I collapsed onto the couch and listened. Katie would go on for hours. Goodbye, walk...

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I crossed the street over to the edge of the forest, having finally escaped Katie's nonstop commentary. Once inside the woods I instantly felt much calmer. I headed for my clearing, listening to the rain hit the leaves. How come the woods were always so much more peaceful than my normal life?

Once in the clearing I closed my eyes and listened. The rain pattered against the ground. In the distance I could hear a dog barking. Beyond that--

The air whooshed around me. I stumbled, feeling like I was being compressed and stretched at the same time. Lights danced behind my closed eyelids. I felt like I was dissolving slowly into nothingness. My hair stood on end and I was paralyzed. Not a single muscle inside of me could move. I couldn't breathe. My heart had stopped! What was happening to me?!?

Then everything was still.

The first thing I noticed was that it wasn't raining. Odd. I opened my eyes.

I was in a clearing in a forest. But it wasn't my forest. Everything looked different. Instead of graceful pine branches there were tall and very old maples. The sun was bright and clear, yet the forest felt like it was humming with some emotion. Anticipation? Nervousness?

But the oddest thing in sight was the girl standing in front of me. She had certainly not been there a moment ago. Her clothes were very odd. Loose and forest colored, they looked like workout clothes or something similar. Very stretchy and easy to move around in. Her hair was blondish, very long, and pulled back in a slightly messy ponytail. Her eyes were what startled me the most. They were a dark brown, so dark they were nearly black, but not quite.

She looked me up and down, seeming bewildered. Then she looked me in the eyes and said, "Who are you?"