signingbooks Episode Two Hundred and Forty: What did I do?
Episode Two Hundred and Forty: What did I do?
My bright green magic rippled through the room as black magic burst from the dragon book, consuming the open magical book underneath it. The shop whimpered as more of my green magic physically formed. Violent winds pushed through the room as I fell, pushing the woman out of the door.
It barely slammed shut, before it burst into pieces as bright sunlight streamed inside and all of the windows melted.
I hung in space as Sable’s contract dissolved, pain wracking my already drained form.
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One second I’d tossed Lorestone and my book on the fate tome, then the next the Cat had screamed from above, firing me.
Everything went sideways, as objects dissolved into nothingness. Items shot out of my room faster than seemed possible, including the suitcases I had brought with me, and the massive painting of the Cat.
Wind picked up, pushing me toward the door. I snagged Lorestone and the books, shoving them into my fanny pack as the wind tried again, this time almost lifting me off my feet as things spun in the air.
My mug, still with a little hot chocolate, went flying by, and I leaped at it to stop it from smashing into the table. Just as my fingers clasped around it, a green force shoved me out of the door frame. Bright sunlight almost burned my eyes as the mug tried to stay inside the door. A tug of war with something unseen spilled the hot chocolate all over my hands.
“Betty!” The plea slipped out of my mouth. The shop had always helped me.
The force on the mug suddenly let go, and I went flying.
I landed on my back, staring up into the strangest sky I’d ever seen, deep blue with streaks of purple. The softest music drifted on the air, but the heat from the sunlight caused me to sit up faster than I would have liked.
The dark blue mug with swirls of yellow stars on it stared back up at me from my lap. Tears came to my eyes as I glanced up, stuffing it into my fanny pack.
I flinched as a row of shops greeted me. None familiar.
The shop, Betty, was gone.
Things lay all around me from my room. The magical plant by my feet, the pot tipped on its side. The flower was somehow, thankfully, still attached and whole. The framed painting of the Cat was leaning up against a wall right next to my suitcases. All three of them were packed, just like when I’d arrived.
I wobbled to my feet and picked up the plant, then rushed over to the rest of my stuff.
“This isn’t happening…” I whispered to myself, as I patted myself down. Nothing hurt. I still had the necklace with the charms, my bracelet, and my fanny pack.
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“Lady Sable?” The voice came from some distance away, and I hurried closer. Behind a bench rested Lorestone, on his side. I crossed my fingers and tried to put the plant into my fanny pack, even though it was big. Too big.
It somehow got sucked inside. I’d take it.
“I have you,” I whispered, pulling the lump of granite into my arms before heading back to my other stuff.
“Something’s wrong,” he whispered back. “Is this pain?”
“I don’t know what happened,” I said, as I set him on top of my largest suitcase. Then I picked up the painting. The Cat’s green eyes stared at me, and I swallowed hard.
Then I did the same as I had with the plant, and it worked. I quickly added two of my suitcases, but opened the third. Inside, folded perfectly, was my bedding, including the hand woven pillow Indigo had gotten me and, better yet, my backpack.
I snagged the backpack out and then stuffed the suitcase closed again, fighting back the tears. I needed to find Indigo and…
The soft music filling the background suddenly increased as chatter rippled over the world. The harsh sunlight shifted behind something casting shadows all around.
I added Lorestone to my backpack. “This is temporary,” I said to the stone.
“Tired…” he muttered, which caused me to pause.
The stone hadn’t ever spoken about being tired. Then again, I had asked him to translate a decidedly powerful magical book. While I wanted answers, I had a more pressing problem.
I stood in the middle of a street of shops on some unknown world.
Scratch that, unknown world.
A tall, broad, muscular blue person marched down the street, carrying very familiar boxes. Boxes that made my stomach growl. He glanced up between two buildings and came to a stuttering halt.
“The Emporium…” he said with a frown, staring at the space between the two buildings.
“Hey,” I said, approaching with a wave. “Is that for the Magical Emporium of Wares? To Sable?”
He turned in my direction and stared for a moment, before nodding. “Yes, I have this order…”
“I’ll take that. My apologies, there was a mix up in the address,” I said, trying to act like this was completely normal.
He handed over the bags and turned around without a comment.
“Uh, is there a park nearby?” I asked, before he could go more than a few feet.
“The dungeon plaza is ahead…” He gave me a curious look, as he pointed down the street in the direction he was going. “Are you okay?”
“Fine, just a long day. This will help,” I said, motioning to the bags. I waited until he put some distance between us, which wasn’t hard given his height, then followed. I didn’t want to be creepy.
By the time I arrived at the end of the street, the sun had continued moving behind the massive pyramid in the distance. Strange black and green symbols slowly faded out of view.
People. All of the people.
Groups of more of the blue people, plus others in all shapes and sizes, were all sitting within a massive plaza with green grass. Lines took up half the space, with most near a stone archway.
The other half contained benches, tables and weird metal trees.
The heat reduced as the shadows took over, and soft purple lights rippled on all across the area, floating in the air above everyone’s heads.
I swallowed hard and hurried over to an empty table, then plopped down as everything hit me at once.
The Cat had fired me.
Somehow, I stood on a world alien to me, with no way home.
Indigo, at least, was safe with the dragons.
The smell of the food from the bags I’d set in front of me drew my attention.
My stomach growled and I tried to not think about how alone I felt.