Black was all I could see. Was it night? Why is it so dark. And then I heard the loudest noise ever. This incredible booming all around me. I thought my eardrums would explode. Overtime it started to recede, but an annoying buzz began to replace it. Like a really muffled voice, and then I realised it was a really muffled voice. Straining to hear the words, make something out, to no avail. I resigned myself to this world of black, which was exactly when I realised not everything was black. Some parts were lighter than others; was it morning, or was I waking from whatever strange dream this was. Wait it couldn't be a dream if I was thinking like this right?

"Dude," someone drawled, past the murky curtain of greys, "Yo dude, it's been ages can you like, uh, wake or sum'."

Because it's that easy, I swear I could feel my eyes roll somehow. 

"Haha, yo you're wakin' about time," he drawled out.

Sweet fuck he actually said haha instead of chuckling and why does he sound like the one guy who could prove smoking too much weed would make you retarde - ah I promised Violet I wouldn't say bad words. And then it hit me, I should be with Violet, in my room at home and instead some idiot was standing over me to wake up. Fuck. Then the colours and everything hit me, the sounds and smells. I was in a small black walled room that was plastered in colourful inscriptions? Of pentagrams, magic circles - at least those were my guesses - and a lot of completely incomprehensible stuff that made my head pound when I looked at them for too long. Okay, this was definitely not my room. 

And then I saw the guy. Dressed up in leathers, kind of like what I imagined medieval archers might wear. He didn't look any bit as dopey as he sounded, sharp features with sharp blue eyes to match. They bore into me, like a hawk that had spotted its prey. I could feel my hands clamming up; what the fuck should I do. I looked at the floor, like some schoolkid that had done something wrong, I couldn't think straight and my heart was slowly picking up speed, beating my chest like it wanted to escape. 

Weird, he was all chatty before I woke and now I'm awake he says nothing? Just stares at me? Weird. I decided to stare at his shoes as a way of retaliating against his stare. He had a really nice pair of leather shoes too, seemed like all he wore was tanned and browned leather. I guess they weren't really shoes, because upon closer inspection I noticed they were more of a boot-shoe hybrid. 

My heart started beating quicker. I eventually came to the conclusion I'd need to speak before I died of heart failure. Speaking of which, why was my heart going insane. Looking at my hands I noticed they were slightly shakey, and covered in sweat. I felt weird; bad weird.

Why?

I glanced around. I was alone, bar the guy staring at me like someone was giving him a free blunt. Like, free? Me? Hmm... and then glare. Wait; I'm alone.

"Where's Violet!?" I shouted far louder than I had meant to, I hadn't meant to shout at all, actually.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Yo chill dude," he grinned like someone who'd just done so much cocaine they had to reboot their brain, "so you speak, haha."

There was that annoying spoken haha again; in that drawling way only a really high and simple guy can speak. This guy was really getting on my nerves. The worst thing was I couldn't tell if he was putting it on or actually spoke like that. Annoying because it didn't match his appearance which screamed, 'I'm roleplaying a rogue but I'll actually stab you,' and also had eyes that made my soul squirm. Regardless of his scary apearance though, he was the only other person I could see and I had no fucking clue what was going on. Which brought back a strong wave of anxiety and sweaty hands; kinda surprised there weren't two little puddles either side of me at this point.

"Where am I?" I asked, a bit too tentatively.

"Haha, come on dude, let's go walkin' and talkin' I got a lot," and he really dragged that lot out, "to tell you."

He turned and started walking - I swear I could hear him humming a Bob Marley tune - to the only entrance to the enchanted room. I didn't care if it wasn't real magic, this was gonna be the Enchanted room from now on.

"This room is called The Link by the way," of course the fucker had to ruin my dreams straight away. "and those really are enchantments if you're wondering," dreams unruined; magic? I started to feel a little less terrible that Violet was gone, but then it came back almost immediately. Maybe I could learn magic and find her though..?

Out of the room we came into a long dark corridor with openings every few metres, the corridor was also plastered in enchantments and as we passed by the openings I realised they led into rooms like the one I was just in, black and covered all over in colourful enchantments. I was so engrossed I only realised I had missed some of what stonerbro said, yeah I was gonna call him that; he never introduced himself anyway so his fault.

"Yo dude, you listening? Names Rogue and you better start paying attention or you're gonna be fucked haha." 

Yeah yeah, Rogue, I thought sarcastically, because you're clearly going to be so helpful.

"Yeah so I'm an information broker dude," he announced as we stepped into sunlight, "I'll teach you all about this world in exchange for some information on yourself hehe," Did he actually change from haha to hehe? A bit ominous no? And then it hit me he'd actually be helpful and I'd misjudged him already a total of, well, many times. And then it actually hit me, holy shit. This is not Earth. 

Colours hit me. The blue sky. A shining sun, nothing like what you'd see in Ireland unless it were the peak of summer, and to top it all off, a fuckton of people masquerading in fantasy clothing in a fantasy town. There were no roads, at least not like roads I was used to. Worn dirt roads led in three directions, to the front, right and left. There was a mix of shabby houses and shops, like old craft shops. I could hear the ringing metal of a smithy, or maybe more than one. The knock of hammer on wood; I could smell baked goods and dirt, like forest dirt. I could smell the dry earth, wafts from forest trees somewhere.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw the sleek and beautifully carved black rock building I had just stepped from, The Link. What did it link? Earth and this world? Where even was this. The unease in me grew stronger and I started to feel really really weak. 

All I wanted right now was Violet, but she was nowhere to be seen. 

"Welcome to Beginnings, haha, ya like? You're gonna be here a while," And my stomach sank like a stone.