Make Believe

My mind was still having issues grasping even the idea that I was sucked into this fairy world. I didn't want to believe because it didn't make sense. There was no explanation and nothing like this is supposed to happen to someone. There was really no logical way of thinking about this.

"You know who could really help her out, is that wizard, Hawkfeathers." Collin said, looking over to what could possibly be his wife smiling.

"Wait, are you saying this... wizard guy could help me get back home?" This was sounding more and more like The Wizard Of Oz by the minute.

"He can do anything! He saved the kingdom that one time and helped me birth 3 strong baby boys with no pain!" The woman said, smiling down at me. "I'm Miriam, by the way."

Miriam, still looking down at me, turned back and covered the top of her eyes from the sun. "Oh look there Collin, here comes Prince Charles. Maybe he'll know where this girl came from-"

"I'm sorry to be rude but this girl has a name." I interrupted. If I was Camelot I sure as hell wasn't putting up with being called this girl.

"Well then why don't you tell us what it is?" The Miriam said, raising an eyebrow.

"Gale." I said solemnly.

"Gale? You mean like the bird?!" Collin let out a loud laugh from his beer belly.

And then before us rode a tall white horse with a shining man riding on top.

"Mhmm mhm mh hm."
"Your highness, you have to take your helmet off before you talk." Collin said, suddenly seeming belittled by this man on horse back.

Well, one thing is for sure. This sure isn't the smart, charming knight in shining armor that all those stories talked about.

He nodded and pulled off his helmet, letting down streams of long blonde hair, a cleft chin and shining bright teeth.

"Good day my people!" He shouted happily. His eyes then diverted themselves directly at me. "And who might you be fair maiden? I don't remember seeing you around here before?" He jumped off his horse and offered me his hand, pulling me up from the hay.

Needless to say, I didn't feel so fair. I was wearing dirty jeans and a large plaid button up over a black tank top. Basically, I was wearing study clothes.

I pulled pieces of hay out from my hair and shook Prince Charles's hand firmly.

"Gale Paterson." I said. He was staring down at me shaking his hand like it was me doing complicated math on it or something. I stopped shaking it at the sight of this and looked up into his blue eyes which didn't seriously show any sign of intelligence.

He raised my hand up to his lips and kissed it lightly. "You, my dear Gale, are possibly the most beautiful lady I have ever met." A large smirk grew across his face.

At that point I drew the line. I refuse to get hit on by idiot princes during this nightmare or whatever the hell it was.

I pulled my hand quickly away from him and looked around. From where I was standing I could see a path leading into the forest.

"Miriam, which way could I find this wizard?" I asked, pulling a pen out of my pocket and getting prepared to write her directions on my hand.

"It's a long journey, I'm afraid. A boat ride down the river 50 miles and then a three day walk through the forest. You can defiantly find a boat that'll bring you to the forest but good luck trying to find someone that would lead you through those dangerous woods." Worry filled her voice as she turned back towards the harbor in the distance.

"None of those boats would take you." Collin said, rolling his eyes at his wife. "You'd need to walk a little into the forest over there," she pointed her finger towards the woods, "That's where the boats that would bring you there would be. But you best be careful, Pirates are rumored to be around those parts."

Pirates? Seriously, how many stories are in this book? For the most part, I could figure out that all the stories were mixing together. The "brave knight" Charles was in a story about a horrible dragon that destroyed his kingdom. Collin and Miriam must have just generally been the towns people of every story that took place. As for the pirates, my mind was blank. I had basically no memory of most of the stories. I tried to forget about them and their silly ideas.

"Alright, thanks a lot guys!" I said as I began walking down the dirt path towards the harbor.

"Wait! Gale!" Prince Charles went running after me, leaving his white horse behind him and dropping his helmet in the dirt. "You cannot just deny my vow of love to you!"

Oh, now this is just getting cliche.

"Uh, listen, Charles?" I said, stopping but not looking back at him.

"Yes my love!" He said with huge amounts of hope in his voice.

"You're really nice and all but I really need to get back to where I came from. I have some huge tests coming up and I really need to get studying." I kind of made that up. It's only one test and my study moral wasn't that great but I had to say something to get this guy off my back.

"Meet me tonight at the castle!" He ordered. "I wish to proclaim my love to you!" Seriously, it's in one ear and right out the other for this guy.

"Charles, I don't love you. Tell you the truth, I don't even like you so would you please just leave me alone so I can go find this wizard guy." I said as I began walking farther down the path. He followed closely behind me like a lost puppy.

"I'll expect you tonight behind the castle, my love!"
"Yeah, okay sure." I said, trying my hardest to get off his back. A huge smile sprung across his face.

"Until then my love!" He yelled as I was finally getting far enough away from him to be unable to hear him.

As I reached the end of the path, the harbor was full of small ships, unloading fish and goods. The water was bright blue, exactly the way it looked in the story book.

I looked to my left to see a very small, unmarked path leading through the thick woods.

I don't know what form of thought was going through my mind when I decided that was defiantly the way to where I wanted to be.

I began walking and suddenly everything was quiet. Trying not to notice, I began walking a little faster.

I heard a branch snap and jumped a little.

"Calm down, It's probably a bird or something." I mumbled to myself.

And then, the world went black.

I guess it wasn't a bird.