Ali awoke to unfamiliar scenery, the moon was still high but the shadow of dawn encroached the horizon, looking down at her clothing the excessive damage was apparent, there were various rips and holes torn into places and more than a few spots that were simply burned away.

She again looked around the empty street to catch her bearing but her eyes only met the great dane next to her, it sat and stared at her with it's tongue hanging out to one side and it's tail happily wagged back and fourth when she noticed it.

'It's not the same.' Ali had to remind herself, her mind kept leaping back to her ordeal earlier in the week, waking up next to a dead man in the middle of the moors with her clothing in tatters.

Shaking herself out of the depressed mood she was in, she looked again at the energetic dog which distracted her from those undesirable thoughts.

She once again looked around the empty street making sure to avoid looking up at the moon whose light was bearing down from the cloudless sky.

If it wasn't for the insects in the background making their nightly noises she would have gotten more creeped out than she already was.

Ali got to her feet and began walking in the direction that would likely take her home but after a moment the distance blurred but into the background, a short while later the sound of heavy panting could be heard behind her.

The great dane ran after her.

The dog panted loudly as it finally got itself under control.

"Alright you mutt. Stay!!" Ali said walking away.

But the dog still followed her, even though it seemed out of breath as she had moved away from it while trying to get home. When she stopped it quickly caught up again.

After thinking it over for a while she decided to try taking the dog with her.

Ripping the bottom off her already ruined top, showing more midriff than her usual style of dress, she used the fabric as a makeshift leash to tie it to the dog's collar.

The big dog licked her hand, which made her feel a little more at ease, more, normal.

After the last time she found herself in a strange place a lot had changed for her, not big things but huge things, that shook her to the core.

The one thing that Ila had taught her was to get up, so even if that was a dream, Ali used it as motivation to keep going forward.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

The two of them walked through the empty streets of London, Ali wasn't very familiar with the area she was in but after reaching a particular crossroad and reading the sign, she started down the path that would eventually eventually lead her home.

The dog walked with her, which was odd, as she moved she could feel herself if not quite moving faster than normal, jumping forward jumping in pace and location in every few steps. The dog seem to be able to manage her odd cadence but how that was happening was still a mystery to her but as near as Ali could figure, as long as something was close enough or attached to her in some way it would travel with her to some extent.

So, through the moonlit night with a surprisingly friendly dog that had kept following her, Ali drew closer to her home.

Ali felt tired for a moment but suddenly a shot of adrenaline kicked in for her, like she had extra strong coffee that a spoon would stand up straight in.

That feeling of wakefulness didn't seem to pass as she walked through the streets and sidewalks.

The moon was still out by the time she got to her house but it was waning in the sky.

After a some time Ali reached ber house, the sight of her front door was so relieving that she felt like hugging it but memories of the least events before blacking out filled her mind and made her apprehensive. She wearily approached her front door and turned the knob, the door wasn't open but it wasn't locked either, she quietly edged into the room while being careful not to make a sound and grabbed the frying pan she had left in the corner of the room where she held the man hostage. Ali didn't feel bad for what she did to the him just annoyed at the latest blackout that came with it.

The house was as she left it or at least how she remembered leaving it as she crept through the house and peeked into every room with her pan held high. She half expected a man in black coveralls and a balaclava to jump out but no such thing happened. With a deep sigh of relief she relaxed then began checking the rooms for missing items but nothing seemed to be out of place. Even the money she had put away from the incident with the car earlier in the week remained untouched.

After a bath and a change of clothes she made her way back to the kitchen she put the same frying pan to use and began making dinner or was it breakfast? She wasn't quite sure but her ever increasing hunger she was most definitely certain of.

It didn't take long for the sausages and other foodstuff she'd taken out to fill the kitchen with a delectable aroma. She filled her own plate with food then put down an old plate for the dog with foods that she remembered wouldn't be harmful and took some time to check the dog's collar as they ate.

"So you're name's Maple huh? It's nice to meet you Maple, I'm Alice and this is my house but where the heck did you come from?"

The dog raised it's head to look at her for a moment but then ignored her and continued eating.

Ali finally settled down as she slouched over the table with a cup of tea in one hand and a fork shoveling food into her mouth with the other. But just as she got comfortable the phone rang.

She cursed various things and various people as she dragged herself over to the phone.

Putting the receiver to her ear the blast of sound caused her to recoil.

"Alice? ALICE!, where were you? I've been calling you all morning, strange rabbits with antlers are at the orchard. They attacked Shawn this morning when he went to check on the fields and trees. We need you back up here right away."