Ethan Mitchell, daylight, some random cabin

Waking up and stretching, I am still hoping that it was all a dream. Seeing rough hewn timbers way above me, and feeling even shorter than yesterday quickly dispels that idea.

Standing up, I realize I do not have to jump down to the ground, hoping that something was the right size for once, I look at the chair, and groan in displeasure.

I snapped the legs of the chair. By sleeping on it.

Walking across the floor to my stuff, I carefully step, hoping there is no basement or hidden deathtrap of a cellar. Suddenly, Mom comes in the room, and seeing me, quickly attempts to pick me up. I hear a pop, and she grimaces. At least I don't have to worry about being carried away by anyone soon! She gestures to me to sit at the table. I hop up, hungry, and hoping that whatever they have for food is edible to me.

Looking down at what is served, I get my hopes up a bit. Grey mush, like oatmeal, and some form of fried smoked meat that looks kind of like peameal bacon.

Starting with the oatmeal, it tastes like oatmeal! At last! Finally something familiar and actually the right scale! The flavour of it is a little bitter, but quite good. Could use some syrup though. Looking around the table, the boy? man? I don't know? runs off and grabs a clay jar of something. Looking in, it looks like jam. I put a bit on the oatmeal and it's good! Reluctantly, he puts some on his oatmeal as well, and his eyes light up as well. Must have been a long time since he's had that!

Thinking about earth's history, the fact that they have jam means they must have good trade to somewhere warmer that has sugarcane, or a really good industry to process sugar, or some magical plant or system that works in colder climates, but is still rare enough to be a treat.

I try the meat. It is quite soft, closer to barely cooked boiled chicken in texture, or bean paste, rather than an actual meat like structure. It is not terrible, although I cannot eat much of it due to the level of grease it has. About a quarter of the way through, I bite something hard within it. Thinking it is a fishbone, and trying to not be rude, I chew on it some more. Looking at the other 2, they have no issue, and are talking about something. I really wish I knew the language here!

After a good 5 minutes, (according to my watch) I still cannot break the bone, and it starts tasting like pennies. Carefully extracting the bone from my mouth, the other 2 look at me funny. Looking at what I pulled out, I am immediately shocked!

"WHY is there a WIRE in MY MEAT?!"

There before me, is a piece of some shiny metal, about an inch long, and as thick as a strand of braided wire, IN my COOKED "NOT BACON"!

Thinking I literally bit the plot hook now, I quickly grab my coat boots and bolt for the door. Only to run into Mom. She is looking quite angry, and starts barking at me, pointing at the kidman behind me. Kidman, good name. Through a bunch of gestures, she wants me to eat the wire. Pushing past her, she grabs my collar and hollers at me.

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Sitting back down, I try to eat it, and even when I get it partly down, I cough and choke it back up.

Mom, eventually fed up, lets me go. Finally with my freedom, I head out, and turn left, following a trail that leads from this house to... somewhere . Somewhere where crazy ladies not wanting me to eat literal plothooks exist.

I get about 5 minutes down the road before I hear someone running up from behind me. I quickly hide behind a tree. Once the running stops, I hold my breath trying to not make a sound.

"Boo!"

I jump. I've never liked jumpscares, let alone real ones! Fight or flight kicks in and I attempt to punch the offender, only to hit Kidman right in the knee as he jumps upwards into the tree. His foot comes flying at my face due to striking something within, and I grab on.

"OOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!"

Not realizing my strength, I panic, thinking he is building up rage to do more damage, pulling him down, I yank him out of the tree and onto his back. Eyes wide in shock, he quickly limps off and out of site.

Calming back down, I continue towards what appears to be a small town. Walking into it, I see a poster on what I can only assume is a questboard, showing a picture of one of the guards, one of the mages and the outline of the tower I came from. I cannot read it, but it seems like they want as many mages and guards as possible. The entire image is surrounded by a black void, with the tower acting as some form of light source overcoming it. Seeing this, I quickly pull my coat closer to me, and try to act small, as this feels like another plot hook trying to get me killed, not unlike the literal one in my bacon.

I hear a handbell being rung, and next thing I realize I am in a swarm of similar height elves. They swarm over me and run into the building behind the sign. Sighing, I turn away from that building and start heading towards the far end of this village. Where I am stopped by the guard.

Fortunately, he's dressed differently than the ones I saw at the tower. Unfortunately, he and his buddies are blocking the road.

After more gesturing and some spear thrusts offered by them, I end up being escorted back to the building I just came from.

Entering in, the guards depart, and I stare out the door as it closes again. Facing inwards, I am faced by a swarm of kids? all staring at me. Some suddenly get up, and of course the larger men who are starting to tower over me approach, while one of the girls is wrapping the foot of Kidman. Kidman looks at me with hatred in his eyes, and I can suddenly piece together what they think.

Random kid stumbles in from forest injures another kid, but does not seem that tall. Bracing for the worst, I tighten my backpack straps, and stand palms forward in a defensive but hopefully nonthreatening way.

It does not work.

I am suddenly surrounded on all sides as about 7 of the older kids circle me and start kicking and punching. At first I am feeling the impacts, and take a deep breath out to deflate my lungs and stomach in case they end up trying to knock the wind out of me.

I slowly spin, trying to dodge as many impacts as possible. But I am a terrible dodger. After the second punch, I am glad that I breathed out, but not from the pain, or the threat of being knocked over, but from how it feels like they are just poking me and pressing on me.

Suddenly remembering my backpack and the much more delicate laptop within. I start acting quite defensive of it. but also knowing that this is the max impact, me falling over is more dangerous than them hitting me.

Weighing my options, and not wanting to cripple another person, I take off my backpack, and curl up into a ball around it.

The kids, thinking they are winning, try to rip it out of my hands, and kick me in the back. Those that kick end up with sore feet, and those ripping it out end up with sore hands, due to my death grip on my only possessions I have.

"Iqua gnowleth la!!"

I hear shouting from the front of the class, and looking up, another rather tall, elven man is there. Looking sternly at those attacking me. Eventually, they all sit down, glaring at me.

The man up front, Mr. Teacher suddenly barks at those around me, making those attackers appear beet red, as I can assume what has been said in such a verbal lashing that some of the other kids cover the littler one's ears.

Turning to me, the teacher says something much softer, probably some form of apology. Looking around, and knowing that there is a poster for mages out the door, I do not respond verbally, but sit down, near the front, acting shaken and rocking back and forth as if I am stressed.

Doing so for a few minutes, The feeling stressed turns out to be real. Here I am, somewhere where buckets break, floors bend, and no one speaks English, and I am stuck in public school!