The ground was soft, and damp with dew. The girl, Anna, guessed that it was still early in the morning. Despite the time, the air wasn't cold, fortunate given the girl's situation. She glanced around, taking in her surroundings. She was outside in a grassy, lightly-forested area. From where she stood, there were no signs of humanity to be seen. The girl started walking, not knowing where she was heading, but wanting to get there quickly if possible.
This had happened to her a handful of times before. Each time, she had been going about her daily routine, doing what was normal for a girl her age. Once she was in her bedroom, another time at her high school, and once more she was at the local park. Then, from where she stood, she'd be snatched up, with very little warning. Seconds later - though it wasn't really later at all - she'd realize that she was in a forest, or waist-deep in lake water, or hiding in the closet of someone's log cabin. Like the times before, she had once again disappeared briefly from the world she knew, to be placed within this foreign one. She'd have to stay here for a few hours at least, but perhaps for up to a day or two, until whatever force brought her here returned her to her small, Virginian hometown.
She hated the randomness of it. She hated that she wasn't in control of her disappearings. If she had some control over it, she might enjoy this ability, even making short vacations of her journeys. As it was, though, this was just an odd, seemingly pointless occurrence that did nothing but make her life harder.
There was a house. Ahead, Anna spotted a small cabin within the forest. She quickly darted behind a tree, not wanting to be seen by anyone who might be inside or around the house. For several minutes, she watched the house, checking for any signs of activity within. There didn't appear to be anyone home. On the side of the house that faced her, there was a chopping block and some firewood. Stuck in the stump used to split wood was an old, hand-crafted axe. Leaning up against a tree was an old cross saw, which Anna thought had been near obsolete for more than a century. Behind the house, laundry was hung up outside to dry. Overall, the scene looked like something from the 18th or 19th century. Anna wondered if it was.
Confident that no one would see her, the girl darted, suddenly, out from behind the tree and moved speedily, but cautiously, for the back of the house. As she approached the clothesline, she noticed one particular dress. She quickly put on the dress once she had reached it. It fit moderately well. Among the worst parts of her curse was the fact that each time she found herself pulled back, it was just she that disappeared. Whatever she had with her at the time when she was taken, whether held in her hands or worn on her body, was always left behind. Wherever she ended up, she ended up with nothing, not even the clothes on her back. Other times, this had been more problematic. She was lucky, this time, that she found clothing to wear so quickly, and before she ran into someone else out here.
Now dressed, she wished to make the best of her time here exploring this world. From the cottage, there was a rather clear path that might lead to a village. She started off down this path, hoping she would get to see the town, if there was a town, before she was taken back. To the right of the path, a forest stood, becoming denser the farther down the road she went. To the left were pastures, open and teeming with a taste of spring - birds and flowers and bees. Beyond these pastures, in the distance, she thought she could see land that had been cultivated into a farm. As she walked, Anna tried to piece together the details that she knew about this world, trying to figure out just where she was.
Continued in part 2.
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