Chapter One - An Evening Run

There weren't always dragons in the Valley. Staring at them now, it was as though they possessed this land and I was the visitor. I often wonder what happened that day in March, as I traversed the once familiar forest of my childhood. Had I been destined to open the portal or was it simply waiting to be discovered by the first person to stumbled upon the trail? My life was so different then, I mused, only six months ago. Now I was unsure which reality I preferred. As the largest of the four beasts drew its giant head skyward, I tensed, fingers twitching, and followed its gaze.

"He's just looking for lunch." Vada's voice drifted up the ridge to my perch. My fingers relinquished the arrow shaft before I drew it from the quiver. I relaxed and inclined my head toward her. "It's time," she said, "are you ready?"

"I suppose. Let's go."

***

Six months prior

It was Saturday. I was fuming. Looking out the window, I despised the bright sunny day, wishing clouds would roll in to match my mood. I tapped the end of my spoon on the table, in an intentionally irritating manner. When this elicited no reaction from either of my parents, I dropped the spoon back into my mug and clinked it loudly against the sides as I stirred.

"I think the sugar has fully dissipated, my dear," said my father, Jerry, without glancing up from his crossword puzzle. My mother, Alice, quietly sipped her coffee and reached for a croissant on a platter at table's centre.

"Why not?!" I burst out, "I've been planning this for months! No, years!"

Mom let out a deep sigh. "We've already discussed this. At length."

"Mom, I'll be eighteen soon. You have to let me make my own decisions."

"Oh, I have to?"

"I just don't understand why I can't be left alone to make this decision, about my life."

"Sky, please. You are not moving out for college and that's final."

"I'll be fine! And, I'm going to pay for everything. And Jazz isn't comfortable going on her own. And I'll be an adult!"

"Then act like one," said Mom.

I scraped my chair across the kitchen floor and stomped away to my room, leaving the unfinished coffee to turn cold. I didn't see the meaningful looks my parents gave each other.

In the sanctuary of my bedroom, I flopped onto my stomach in the middle of the floor. I wouldn't describe myself as a particularly rebellious teenager, but, when my independent plans were foiled by the strictures of adult authority, I became acquainted with my own caustic temper.

"Hi Jazz," I mumbled into the phone, my face planted in the carpet.

"Did you talk to them?" I heard the care in my best friend's voice as she brought up the sore subject without preamble.

"I can't talk about it. Every time I try, I just start yelling. Mom isn't going to budge."

I heard her exhale, though I imagined she had a hand over her mouth in an attempt to muffle the sound. "Well, I guess that's that."

I lifted my head, refusing to release my steely resolve in this, most frustrating, instance. "I'm not giving up, okay? We still have almost six months before we're supposed to move out. I can convince her by then. Or maybe Dad can."

Jazz chuckled, knowing my father was just about the only person who could sway my mother once she had dug in her heels. "I really hope so."

"I'm still dreaming about it," I reassured, "don't you let go of the dream, okay?"

"I won't. Promise."

She hung up and I buried my face in the soft carpet once more.

***

In the evening, after a day of simmering alone in my room, I decided a run in the fresh spring air would clear my head. I passed Mom on the way out, answering her questioning look by holding up my running shoes. I still couldn't look her in the eye. Stepping onto the porch, I paused to inhale. The leaves were budding early and brought with them the renewal of possibility.

I opted for a short run on my forest trail, where I could avoid people still further and let my mind wander freely. Each step helped to dislodge the pent up anger and release it to the atmosphere. I was thankful for the feel of, first the asphalt, then the dirt trail under my shoes as I moved forward in space and time. I was so intent on each step that didn't notice the moment the world began to look unfamiliar.

I wanted to escape, I know that much. I remember running and running until...I found myself here. I slowed to a walk, staring down at my shoes, until a chill ran through me and I could see my breath. The day had not yet parted, neither the sun in the sky, so I checked my watch for answers. It read 7pm and the temperature 15C. I stood in the middle of the trail, inhaling and exhaling, each puff of breath visible in the March air. But...my breathing was the only sound I could hear. The birds were quiet.

Entranced by the sudden stillness of the deciduous forest, I continued on, slowing my pace to hear every crunch of my shoes on frosty soil. Frost? The bird twittering was replaced by a different noise. It was unfamiliar and hypnotic, pulling me further along my way. The blank space of my brain decided it was an insect I hadn't noticed before, one who lived in darker forest corners. The chill grew the further I traveled and the humming sound became rhythmic, matching the tempo of my stride. Looking down at my bare arms, I saw images running across them, like invisible ink stories coming to life on my skin. I glanced upward, realizing the sun was glinting slightly blue.

"Where am I?" I murmured.

I hurried along, desperate and confused, to the trailhead, my pace quickening to reach that enticing sound. I ran and ran, toward the deep blue sun and burst through the bushes. I stopped. All around were strange creatures, lithe and ethereal. They settled in a row on the edge of a still lake, their reflections brighter than sunbeams. When the first caught sight of me, they smiled with delight.

"You're here," she said, "we've been waiting."