It's dark out, and there is a thick fog that covers everything in a blanket of white haze, making it difficult to discern where I am. I stop and try to get my bearings, but I have no clue how I got here or where here even is. It appears to be some kind of a garden, but I can't seem to identify any of the plant life. Must be some weird tropical flora. Whatever they are, they smell amazing, and I'm wondering if Yankee Candle sells this fragrance. If not, they really should.
I can feel gravel under my feet, so I assume I am on a path of some sort. I continue forward, squinting to make out any shapes or markers that might help me gauge where I am. There is movement to my left. "Hello?" I say, swinging around. "Is there someone here?" I can't see anything moving now, so I assume the fog is playing tricks with my mind. Suddenly a light appears ahead, not too bright, but surprisingly clear through the haze. I follow it without question.
I trail the light through what appears to be a maze. A few times I could have sworn the path ended, and once I nearly face planted into a stone wall, but at the last moment, the light made a sharp right turn down a narrow aisle that I never would have seen.
After what felt like hours of weaving and winding through corridors, the light passed through a small opening in the wall and disappeared. I stopped, realizing that I had been blindly following a floating light, and now I was utterly lost. The path dead ended at the wall, and the tiny crevice the light went through wasn't even big enough for my arm to fit in. I turned, looking for another way around, and found myself in a stone circle. No path in or out. "What the...?" I blurted out. "Hey! Where did you go? Hello, Mr. Floaty Light? Wanna help a sister out, please?" I had no idea who I was talking to, but panic was setting in, and if I didn't figure out how to get out of here very soon, I was going to freak out. Ok, Brooklynne... think. You got in here somehow, you MUST be able to get out. Maybe there's a hidden door. My inner monologue calmed me a bit, and I started pressing on the walls around me, hoping for some kind of opening to appear. My eyes kept going back to the small hole that the light had disappeared through. It was barely noticeable, and if I hadn't seen the light pass into it, I would have missed it altogether. I pressed my face to the wall, and looked into the hole. I couldn't see a thing. Wherever it lead to, it was very dark. But this was my only hope. Maybe the stones around the hole had been loosened, and I could somehow create a larger opening that I could squeeze through. Putting my hand against the stones around the tiny cavity, I used all the strength I had and pushed. Nothing happened. "Well shit." I panted. "Note to self, join a gym, and start lifting weights."
Opting to try a different method, I stuck may hand into the hole to pull from the outside. But as soon as my hand crossed through the break, a vivid light filled the crack, nearly blinding me. "Holy crackers!" I shrieked, yanking my hand back. And as soon as my hand was out of the hole, the light disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. "Ok, not cool Mr. Floaty Light. Enough messing around! Come back here and show me how to get out of this cave, dammit!"
The light didn't come back. I'm not really sure I was expecting it to, but I figured it was worth a shot.
Making my way back to the hole, I tried to look inside again. Nothing but pure darkness. Very slowly, I placed my hand inside the hole, and as it crossed through, the light was back. This time I didn't pull back, but instead attempted to use the light to see past my hand into the space beyond. Before I could even press my face to the opening, my hand and arm started to tingle and the light became so bright, I had to cover my eyes for fear of going blind. The tingling sensation spread quickly down my arm, and through my body as the light grew even brighter still. Then just as quickly as it began, the tingling stopped, and the light faded. And I found myself standing in a forest clearing, with my back to a stone wall, staring out at a view that would rival a Bob Ross painting. "Wow." I breathed. It was all I could manage.
"Wait. What the bloody hell...? How did I get here?"
"It's a magic opening, and you needed to figure it out for yourself. Sorry about that." came a voice from my left.
I spun around so quickly, I nearly made myself dizzy, and I found myself looking at the most gorgeous female I had ever laid eyes on.
Skin the color of caramel, and hair that looked like it had been made from the finest silk, in a shade that rivaled the most beautiful fuchsia flower I had ever seen. But it was her eyes that stopped me in my tracks. They were magnificent. Big, with the perfect cat like shape, with lashes for days. And the color... I'd never seen anything like it before. It seemed to swirl and change, like a kaleidoscope as I stared open mouthed. "Your eyes...." I whispered.
"Do they bother you? I can make them a solid color if you prefer." her voice was like music. A soft, lilting accent played on her words, but I couldn't identify its origin.
"No, they don't bother me. They just took me by surprise is all. Actually, YOU took me by surprise. Where the heck am I? And who are you?"
"I am Alastrina. And this.." she said, gesturing to the space around her "is the Isle of the Diaga."
"I've never heard of it. Is it in the Upper Peninsula or something? I'm not too familiar with towns there."
Alastrina giggled "Not exactly, Brooklynne. The Isle of the Diaga is not in any specific place. It's everywhere and nowhere."
"Huh?" Was all that came out. "And how did you know my name?"
"I know a great deal about you, actually. But more about that later. First, you need to understand a few things." She took my arm, and began walking towards a lake in the distance.
"We don't have much time, Brooklynne, so I need you to pay very close attention. Your world is in grave danger, and you are one of the few who can help save it. You have powers inside of you, and I am going to help you unlock them."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What?!" I pulled my arm from her grasp, and took a step back. "What are you talking about? And how did I get here? You said something about a magic opening, and now you're talking about unlocking powers. Are you on crack?"
Alastrina sighed. "I know it is a lot to take in, but you need to trust me. I'm here to help you."
"Help me what exactly?" I asked.
"Save mankind." She replied, very matter of factly. "Now, we are almost out of time for tonight, you wasted too much getting through the opening. So listen carefully. You'll need to find your way back here each night, so that I can teach you what you'll need to know. Do you remember how you got here?"
"Umm... maybe. I'm not sure."
"Start at the gazebo." Alastrina said. "Once you cross through, follow the light through the Garden of Wonder, and remember not to waste time at the stone wall. The opening is magic. Just put your arm through and your powers will do the rest. I will meet you here, and your lessons will begin. Speak of this to no one. Do you understand?"
"NO!" I shouted. "I don't understand a God damn thing that's happening! I don't know who you are, or what the hell you're talking about."
"Give it time, Brooklynne. I promise it will all make sense. Now you must return." She placed her palm into mine, and there was a blinding flash of light.
"Brooke! Hello!! Are you with me?" Darla was shaking me.
"D? What are you doing here?" I said, rubbing my eyes.
"I would ask you the same thing. I went to pick you up from The Crappy Cup, and Jacks said you left early. I was headed back to the apartment, when I passed you standing in this empty lot, staring off into space. Are you high?"
"I hope so." I mumbled under my breath, looking around and trying to get my bearings back. "Wait, what happened to you this morning? You were supposed to be back with my car, and I had to walk to work in the rain, and wearing THIS monstrosity!" I opened my jacket, and pointed to my pathetic excuse for an outfit.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I met a really hot guy at the laundry mat, and I lost track of time. His name is Dale, and he's an assistant at a law firm. He has these amazing green eyes, and he...." At the mention of amazing eyes, Darla's voice faded into the background, as I tried to wrap my head around what just happened. Did I doze off? WAS I high? I don't remember smoking anything. "Speak of this to no one." Alastrina's words echoed in my mind, as D took my arm and led me to the car and continued to ramble on about the laundry mat hottie.
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