Waking up Just Got a Little Too Weird for Me

I could feel everyone's eyes on me as we all sat by the fire the next day. I hadn't said a word since the incident of my almost hanging. How could I? I mean, I go to work one day with all these people, go home, go to bed, and wake up the next morning in a forest with the people they play.

"This is odd," I croaked, my voice being hoarse from not using it for so long.

"How so?" Robin asked, poking the fire with a stick.

"It's just, where I'm from, I act on this show, Robin Hood, and you guys look exactly like the actors on that show," I replied, hoping it made sense to them.

"What do you mean? Show? They let girls act where you're from?" Much asked.

"Yes. And you look exactly like the people who act with me that play your characters. But we're from two way different times," I said, staring into the fire.

"We look like people you work with?" Will asked.

"Wait. There's a show about me?" Robin asked, suddenly looking up at me.

"Oh yeah. You're very famous where I'm from. There are movies, books, all sorts of things about you. You're the stuff of legends," I smiled.

"Did you hear that? I'm a legend," he smirked, looking to make sure everyone heard what I had just said.

"Oh great. Now you've gone and made his ego bigger," Allan sighed.

"So how did you get here?" Djaq asked.

I stared at her a minute until I realized everyone was looking at me expectantly.

"Sorry. It's just the girl that plays you in the future speaks in a regular accent and it's so weird hearing the accent when we're having a normal conversation," I said, turning a little red.

"That is okay. It must be very strange for you here, surrounded by people you thought you knew but in reality not knowing a single one," she replied comfortingly.

"So how did you get here?" Little John repeated Djaq's earlier question, slightly apprehensive.

It seemed that he was still suspicious of me. I don't blame him. Hell, I'd be suspicious too.

"That's the problem. I have no idea. I woke up late, went to work, came home, and went to bed. Then I woke up here," I stated.

"Who do you act as on this show?" Robin asked.

"I play Lily Weaver. Originally from Scarborough but sent to work as a kitchen maid in Knighton Hall when my parents died. Allan and I...," I stopped, suddenly turning bright red.

"Allan and I? What?" Allan asked, staring at me.

"Never mind," I mumbled.

"No. I want to know what you're talking about," he replied.

"I'm kind of curious myself," Robin smirked.

"On the show, the writers have kind of sort of made us fall in love," I said, my face burning from embarrassment.

The reaction from the group was mixed.

Will and Robin burst into fits of laughter, Allan had a wide smirk on his face, Djaq looked shocked, Little John just smiled, and Much exclaimed "Allan? Who could fall for Allan?"

"Apparently she could," Allan smiled, scooting closer to me.

"On the show. And if I fell for anyone, it wouldn't be you. It would be the guy that plays you," I said, scooting away.

"What's the difference? We're practically brothers!" he exclaimed.

I snorted in laughter. "You two are not even close to be being brothers!"

"And why not?" he asked, a frown crossing over his features.

"Because first of all, you we're born almost 900 years apart. Second of all, he's nothing like you. At all," I replied.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"It means he's not a liar, or a drunk, and he's definitely not a womanizer. He barely has the girlfriend he has now because he's so shy around the opposite sex," I replied, thinking what Joe would say if he heard me describing him.

Allan thought for a moment. "You're right. That sounds nothing like me," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Okay. So we need to figure out how to get you home," Robin said, taking charge.

"Yeah. That sounds like a good plan," I yawned.

"Maybe we should get some sleep first," Djaq said, noticing my tiredness.

"Also a good plan," I replied, dozing off slightly.

* * *

I awoke the next morning to an odd smell. Sitting up, I looked around and saw that Much was the only one up, sitting at the fire with a little pot over it. I got up and walked over to sit beside him.

"What are you cooking?" I asked, sniffing the air.

"Rabbit. It's almost done," he replied.

"Smells...different. I've never had rabbit," I said.

"That's practically all we eat out here. Nothing else to eat with the Sheriff restricting hunting," he huffed, apparently distraught about the deer.

"That's all good. My mum used to say always try new things. Or something like that. I can't remember," I replied.

"Well I suppose that's a nice outlook on life," he smiled, looking at me.

I smiled back and we sat in a comfortable silence and waited for the rabbit to cook. I thought back to the events of the past few months and sighed. I got my perfect job, the one I had dreamed about since being a little girl. I moved out of my parents’ house finally at the tender age of 20 and was starting on making my life perfect. And then I got zapped into another world completely. I wondered how I was going to get back and if I even was going to get back.

"What if I can't get back?" I asked Much, voicing my thoughts.

"Well I suppose we could send you to one of the neighbouring villages. Or you could maybe even stay here with us. But there's no need to worry. Robin will find you a way home," he replied with sympathy in his voice.

"You really trust him, don't you?" I asked, turning to face him.

"With my life," he said, poking the fire underneath the pot.

"I wish I could trust people that much," I replied, admiring him.

"You can trust all of us. That much I can tell you. No one here would ever hurt you. Unless you turned out to be a traitor. Or a spy. Then the trust might waiver," he smiled.

I smiled back and noticed Robin waking up.

"Good morning sleepy head. Ready for some breakfast?" I asked, pointing at Much's finished rabbit.

"Sounds lovely," he replied, coming and sitting down beside me.

"So what are we doing today?" I asked as Much handed a bowl to Robin and myself.

"We should probably start by going to the place where Will found you and go from there," he said, grabbing the fork Much offered him and digging into the food.

"Sounds like a plan," I replied as I tried the rabbit.

I gagged and almost spit it out but thought I'd spare Much's feelings.

"Much. This tastes absolutely revolting," Robin said, apparently not as concerned.

"What? It's the same thing I make every day," He picked up his own bowl and tried a bite.

"This is not what you usually make," Robin dumped his bowl out.

"Hm. Must have used the wrong herb," Much mused, continuing to eat it.

I discreetly dumped mine as well, choosing to go hungry rather than eat the putrid concoction. Much continued to eat his and Robin and I sat in silence waiting for the others to get up. One by one, they all woke up and wandered over to the fire, ate a small bite of Much's food, told him how horrible it was, and dumped theirs out. Finally everyone was around the fire and ready to go.

"Okay. We have deliveries to do today so we'll split up. Much, Allan, and I will go with Casey back to the place where we found her and John, Djaq, and Will can finish making deliveries. We'll meet back here midday," Robin said as everyone went their separate ways.

"You ready to go?" he asked as he stood up and offered his hand to me.

"Oh yeah," I smiled as I grabbed his hand and he pulled me to my feet.