Dimensional Traveler 02

Chapter 2: What the Hell? (Where the fuck am I?) Part I

Awakening

Mia opened her eyes only to quickly shut them again. ‘Why the hell is it so goddamn bright in a motha’ fuckin’ library?’ She wondered as she slowly tried to open her eyes again. She let them adjust and then started looking for Lyra.

Though, before she could, she realized that she wasn't in the library anymore, but was in the middle of a dense forest. The trees towered overhead, blocking out most of the sunlight. The only sound was the rustling of leaves and the occasional chirping of birds. No one was with her.

‘How did I get outside? Where the fuck am I? And where the hell is Lyra?’ She thought calmly, having to keep her wits about her. As she stood up to get a better look around, all she could see were thick trees in every direction.

Not being able to see anything Mia decided to listen instead, but she heard no buses, no cars, and not even the noisy people that always seemed to come out of nowhere when you finally get the silence you wanted. She did, however, hear the very faint sound of running water.

Deciding to follow it, hoping to find some form of civilization, she headed in the direction of the water. As she walked along the sound became louder and louder until she could finally see where it was coming from.

Disappointment ran through her as she found that the water wasn’t from that of civilization, but instead from a giant waterfall. Wanting to wet her face and clear her head she walked over to the small stream that led water away from the pond that the waterfall went to. As she looked into the water to make sure it was safe to use, she stopped dead in her tracks and gaped at what she saw.

* * *

Lyra woke up to someone shaking her. She opened her eyes and was staring into the gorgeous blue eyes of a really hot guy, who looked to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. His skin was a dark chocolate and to top it off he had amazing golden locks of hair.

“Ugh, where am I? Mia?” she said looking around for her lost friend. The boy extended his hand to help her up. He asked in a concerned tone of voice, “Are you alright?” Lyra accepted the helpful hand and stood up. She then replied, “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks. Um… have you seen my friend? She's a honey-skinned girl with bored, hazel eyes. She has shoulder-length, dark brown hair with a red headband holding it back. She had on slightly baggy, black pants with way too many pockets with a long chain dangling on the right side, she was wearing a dark red shirt that said, “I would be good, if being bad was not so much fun,” in white letters on the front.”

“No, I haven’t. Sorry.” The boy answered, concern still etched across his face. “Oh, alright. Um, one more thing.” Lyra said glancing around at her surroundings. “Who are you and where am I?” She asked with a note of confusion in her voice. The boy gave her a confused look before saying. “First off, the name is Piers, and you are in New York City.”

It took a few moments for what he had said to register in Lyra’s brain. Once it did, she loudly exclaimed, “New York City!” With some confusion and mild anxiety, she thought, ‘How the fuck did I get here?!’ The boy, Piers, who had yet to take his concerned and confused gaze off Lyra, looked at her with a questioning stare. He thought to himself, ‘What the heck is with this chick?’

Realizing that he had not asked for her name yet, Piers quickly said, “And you are?” Blinking at him a few times she finally replied, “Lyra.” Lyra wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but she knew she should not reveal everything to a random stranger, even if he did come to her aid. Seeing that she was not going to say anything else Piers continued, “So Lyra, are you alright? You seem lost and confused.” The girl blinked at him a few times and shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, before responding, “I’m fine, just a little disoriented.” Piers nodded and offered her a warm smile, “Do you need help finding your way?” Lyra contemplated her response, a little help couldn’t hurt, so she said, “I’m not sure how I got here.”

Piers looked at her puzzled before saying, “So you have lost your friend, and you don’t know how you got here?” “Pretty much,” Lyra confirmed. Believing that Lyra may be in some sort of trouble he offered to say, “I have a couple of friends who may be able to help you. They are a couple of detectives; their office isn’t far from here.” Lyra considered the possibility; that a detective could be useful in helping her figure out what was going on. So, she nodded her head and replied, “Okay, lead the way.”

The Twenty-Sixth Precinct

Piers led her to a police station, the twenty-sixth precinct. Lyra looked up at the outside of the building. It was a bustling scene, with people coming and going at all hours of the day. The building itself was a large, imposing structure, made of sturdy brick to withstand the city’s harsh elements.

The front entrance was marked by a large sign that read N Y P D in bold letters, and the iconic blue and white shield was prominently displayed. The doors were made of heavy metal and had a security buzzer or intercom system for visitors to announce their arrival.

Surrounding the building, was a designated area for police vehicles, including patrol cars, motorcycles, and vans. Most of the vehicles were marked with the all too recognizable blue and white colors, along with the large N Y P D logo.

The sidewalks outside the station were lined with metal barricades, creating a clear path for pedestrians and ensuring the safety of those entering and exiting the building. A few officers were stationed outside, keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings.

In front of the building, there was a large American flag flying on a flagpole, along with a state flag, as well as the N Y P D flag. Symbols that served as a reminder of the duty and dedication of the officers inside.

The area around the police station was well-lit, with streetlamps and security cameras to provide a sense of safety and surveillance. There were a few sitting areas for people to wait or take a break.

Overall, the outside of the police station exuded a sense of authority, professionalism, and security, reflecting the important role that the N Y P D played in keeping the city safe.

"Um, Piers why did you bring me here?" Lyra asked the golden-haired boy; she had thought that his friends were private detectives. "I told you my friends could help you." Piers replied, "This is where they work."Lyra rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, “Oh, joy.”

"What's your problem?" Piers asked her confused. "Nothing, just had a few bad experiences with cops," Lyra said as they walked into the building. It was pretty busy at the station, with cops running around filing reports and cops coming in and out, with and without criminals.

"Come with me," Piers said heading towards a desk in the back. "Piers!!! What did you do now?" A man with light brown hair, with golden undertones, and dark brown eyes, that were intense calmly said. He had a warm and inviting appearance, and a friendly, approachable demeanor, while his features conveyed a sense of warmth and kindness.

"Joe! Why do you always assume I did something wrong?" Piers said to the man, Joe. "Because you usually did something wrong." The reply came from a man, sitting next to Joe, with a head full of jet-black hair, neatly styled and framing his angular face. His sharp eyes were a piercing shade of brown, accentuated by his thick, dark eyebrows. They seemed to hold a certain intensity and intelligence, constantly scanning his surroundings with a keen awareness. The sharpness of his jawline and cheekbones added to his overall striking appearance.

He exuded confidence and a sense of determination, making it impossible to look away from his piercing gaze. His black hair only added to the mysterious aura that surrounded him, making him a formidable presence in any room he entered. "Nobody asked you, Seva," Piers said scowling while Lyra looked on in amusement.

"So, if you're not in trouble what are you doing here?" The guy known as Joe asked confused. Piers jabbed a thumb in Lyra’s direction. "She lost her friend and to top it off I found her unconscious, and she doesn’t know how she got here."

"Did she hit her head?" Seva questioned. "I don't know," Piers answered, while Lyra looked annoyed, she was about to comment when Joe spoke up. "Maybe you both would get better answers if you ask her the questions, she is right here." He had said in a calm and rational voice.

"Thank you, Joe. No, I didn't hit my head and I feel fine. Now, if you would excuse me, I'm going to go freshen up." Lyra said walking to the ladies’ room she had noticed on their way in.

More Questions, Less Answers

A sign indicating that the restroom was intended for female use only and was being monitored by security cameras for safety purposes hung off the door in big, bold, red letters. Entering the bathroom, she found it to be clean and well-maintained with walls painted a calming pale blue. The floors were tiled with a simple white and gray pattern, the bright, warm lighting reflecting over the surface, creating a welcoming atmosphere. There was a large vanity area with a sink, surrounded by tall mirrors for women to freshen up. The countertops were made of sleek granite with plenty of paper towels and hand soaps neatly available in the corner.

To the left of the vanity area, was a private stall that was spacious and held a toilet with an automatic flush mechanism for convenience. To the right of the vanity area, was a separate room with an individual shower stall, fully stocked with shampoo, conditioner, and body wash for women to use. In the corner of the restroom, was a comfortable-looking seating area with a few chairs and a small table where a diaper could be changed.

Lyra locked the door and went to the sink, setting her book bag onto the counter, splashing some water on her face, then ripped off a towel and dried her face. She looked herself over in the large mirror, noting that everything looked fine. There were no injuries, torn clothing, dirt spots, nothing out of the ordinary. She was perfectly fine, aside from not knowing how she could have possibly gotten nearly five thousand miles to New York City, and where Mia was.

Lyra sighed and pulled her bag towards her when a thought struck her, that it was heavier than she remembered it being, she had not noticed it before. She opened her bag, reaching inside to pull out the bag of snacks and drinks, digging deeper into the bag she came across two business cards lying on top of a set of clothes. The first card was to a hotel named Sakura and the second was to Lady B's Menagerie.

Removing the set of clothes, Lyra found bundles of cash wrapped in various colored rubber bands. She stared wide-eyed at her bag, her thoughts running wild. ‘Where did all this money come from?! I mean I’m not complaining, but I know this wasn’t here before. Don’t people usually get robbed in their sleep, not be given large sums of cash? How could I have gotten it? Did I rob someone in my sleep?’

Flipping over her book bag, she let the contents spill out onto the counter. Once the bag was emptied, various-sized money bundles were sitting on the counter, each with a teal, red, or yellow rubber band securely wrapped around. Retrieving a small bundle wrapped with a teal-colored rubber band, she unfurled it and noticed that the bundle was made up of twenty-dollar bills, totaling five hundred dollars. Then, she picked up a bundle with a red colored rubber band, unfurling it, she saw that this one contained one-hundred-dollar bills, summing up to ten thousand dollars.

The final bundle, the largest of the three types, was wrapped with a yellow-colored rubber band. As she unfurled the bundle, she realized that this bundle was made up of smaller bundles, the same-colored rubber bands wrapped around the bundles inside. She counted each colored bundle, quickly doing the mental math to calculate the total amount, assuming that the bundle amounts correlated with the bundles she had just opened.

There were twenty teal-banded and nine red-banded bundles, meaning the total amount per yellow bundle was one hundred thousand dollars. In shock, Lyra looked over the bundles still on the counter, there were still eight yellow bundles, as well as twenty teal and nine red. Realization dawned on Lyra’s face as she finished her final calculations, she had been carrying around a million dollars on her person and had not even known.

‘Fucking hell, I'm so confused,’ Lyra thought aghast. ‘First, I turn up in New York, then I find out I have a million dollars in cash on me. I am so confused.' Deciding that it would be best to figure out what was fully going on later, she began putting everything back into her bag. She grabbed her wallet out of her back pocket, having decided to put the teal bundle she had opened inside, making it easier to conceal the rest if she needed to pay for something.

Opening her wallet, she unconsciously glanced at her identification card, only to realize that it wasn’t accurate. Though all of her information looked correct, according to her identification card it stated that she was twenty-one. Slightly sticking out from behind her identification card was an all-black credit card she had never seen before, pulling it out she noticed that her initials were written in golden cursive letters in the bottom right-hand corner. 'Where the hell did I get an ID saying that I am twenty-one and a black credit card?’

Allowing the thought to linger for a moment, she shook her head, deciding to leave it for later along with the rest of her questions. Lyra placed the five hundred dollars into her wallet, put the wallet back in her back pocket, and then placed the set of clothes and the bag of snacks and drinks back in her bag before closing it up.

Fixing her appearance Lyra composed herself, then exited the restroom. She came out looking refreshed with her long hair that was previously flowing down her back, now in a ponytail for easy movement without it getting in her face.

Copyright ©2024 Fable Galactica

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Next update: 4/16/24