The World Walkers: Taithmarin: You: A Single Step
Playing with second person.
All it took was one step. Before you took that step you were walking down an alley, a friend in front of you, close enough to the nearest road that the sound of traffic was filling your ears. In the background it was just about possible to hear a dog barking from the field. As you took that one step you were planning to spend the rest of your day relaxing, after a long week at work, and maybe that thought was the impetus for what happened. There was no way for you to ever know, but it seemed like it was just your luck to have something happen that would totally change your life.
That single step took you from being outside to somewhere inside, which was something you knew wasn’t possible. You look around, hoping to see your friend, but the only thing you can see is a hallway full of doors. It reminds you of being in a block of flats and as you take a closer look at the door closest to you that’s exactly where you believe you’ve ended up, because the door looks almost exactly like the front door you closed behind you when you left home. Blinking, you do your best not to think of home.
Breathing deeply, the breath shuddering a little as you feel the emotion welling up in your throat, you curl your hand into a fist. The only logical thing you can think of doing is knocking on a door to find out where you are, even though thinking about it makes you want to sit in the corner crying, so that’s exactly what you’re going to do.
“Don’t,” a male voice says from behind you, making you jump.
You turn, your hand falling to your side still fisted, to look at the owner of the voice. His eyes meet yours, just for a moment, before you look down, trying not to sigh with relief when you realise that he is human, but keep your fingers tight against your palm. Just in case. Meeting a human was better luck than you thought you were going to have and he doesn’t look dangerous. That doesn’t mean he isn’t, or that you’re safe.
“Why not?” you ask, going for the simplest question first.
“I’m here to guide you.”
You nod, because it’s the only way you can think to react. “Where am I?” you blurt out, even though you weren’t planning on asking the most difficult question so soon. You’re sure you don’t want to know what the answer is, but you need to know as much as you don’t want to. “I was walking a moment ago and now I’m here.”
“That happens.” His voice is full of sympathy, but you don’t want sympathy. You want answers. “This world is called Taithmarin. It’s magical and you came here by stepping though a door.”
“I didn’t see a door.” You run a hand through your hair as you think back to your surroundings from before. “The alley seemed to keep going the way it always did and then I found myself here.”
Mirrored from K. A. Jones Writing.