Chapter Text
Falling
As she fell, her hand felt like it was burning.
Pain
Soon her whole body felt like it was on fire. Her skin felt too tight for her body. Her head was pounding.
Nothing
Soon, the pain melted away and she felt nothing but weightlessness.
Waiting
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_________________________
She woke up with a start.
Her heart was pounding and her vision was blurry. She heard air rushing past her ears.
She would've thought it was windy if it wasn't for the weird feeling in her stomach.
She was falling.
That was when the panic set in.
Where am I? Why am I falling? Where is the ground? How long do I have?
Focus your eyes.
She struggled to blink and focus her eyes on her surroundings. Except there was nothing to see. It was dark and fuzzy everywhere she looked.
What the-
All of a sudden, her vision got brighter and she could see the area clearly.
It was blue skies and white clouds.
She twisted her body to face the other direction and was faced with the sight of buildings quickly getting bigger.
There was almost no time to brace for impact, but she managed to tuck her chin down and wrap her arms around her head before impact.
Then she hit the ground.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry, but you can't sleep here."
A woman's voice woke her. She opened her eyes and saw a different darkness than before. It was nighttime.
She pushed herself up and stood on unsteady legs. Her body felt uncomfortable. Wrong. Tight. But she felt no pain that one would expect from a free-fall.
Did I hallucinate that?
"You can't sleep here, but there's a place on 5th street where you can get some food and rest a bit." A woman was speaking to her from a small concrete staircase in an alleyway. Looking up, the disoriented girl saw a sign that said "Cindy's Salon: Cuts, Color, Styling." And then an address listed below the name.
Wait, that address...
Under the sign read: 53 Oak boulevard, Los Angeles.
Los Angeles? Why is there a sign for Los Angles here? That's on the west coast.
Looking up at the lady, the girl opened her mouth and a hoarse voice came out, "where are we?" Startled by her own voice, she touched a hand to her throat.
"Did you hit your head?"
"Maybe I did. Where?"
The woman replied sarcastically and boldly, "Oak boulevard, Los Angeles, California."
Los Angeles? Is this when I ask myself if I'm dreaming?
It feels real. And hot.
Her head dropped down, and she steadied her upper body by putting her hands on her knees. She took a deep breath in and forced herself to release it slowly.
Calm down. One thing at a time. Where was I last that I remember?
It was the street she had always walked on her way home. Then nothing after that. The timing felt weird. It felt like both no time had passed since then, and forever.
Absently staring at the ground, something caught her eye. A small, colorful spider was laying upside down on the ground.
She took a tiny step away from it out of instinct.
Phone, I need a phone.
She pulled her phone out of her back jean pocket, and tried to turn it on. But the screen remained dark.
Turning to the woman, she asked, "can I borrow your phone?"
"The number you have dialed has not been recognized."
What the heck is going on?
That was the third number she had called and none of them were working. Her hands were shaking at this point, and it felt like her heart was quivering. Her mind was starting to feel cloudy.
What's going on? Why does it seem like their numbers don't exist?
She leaned forward and rested her head against the wall while using the salon woman's, Cindy's, outdated phone. She stared at the phone while thinking about who to call next: she had only memorized so many phone numbers.
Vivo?
The phone had a 'Vivo' logo on the front, which she didn't recognize. Sighing at the confusing circumstances, she tried the last number she could think of.
"Hello?"
"Hello? Hello! Hi!" Finally someone had picked up! "Is Blake there?"
The man on the phone sounded confused, then angry, "who? I'm sorry, I don't have time for this. I don't know any Blake."
"But I'm sure-"
"I don't know anyone named Blake. Excuse me." And then he hung up.
Damn it. Damn it! Now what?
Cindy sighed and crossed her arms, "sorry girlie, but I can give you directions to the nearest shelter."
Walking down the unfamiliar city streets, she tried to wrap her head around her situation. Her mind was in chaos, but she tried to sort her thoughts before they became too tangled.
It wasn't working.
I've got air in my lungs, and blood in my veins.
She took a few deep breaths to try and slow her heart.
Perhaps it was luck or misfortune that she had to learn about her circumstances in this world from the news.
She was passing by a storefront when she noticed the news on a set of TVs in the window.
"It's been a whole year since the chitauri invaded and the Battle of New York took place. Despite the support New York received from various organizations, residents are still picking up the pieces of the tragedy."
Wait. No. No. No...