1. Kira

1

KIRA

T oday is my first day of college and a mixture of excitement and nervousness flutters in my chest as I roll out of bed and begin my morning routine. I take extra care in selecting my outfit, wanting to make a good impression.

As I pull on my favorite pair of jeans and a cozy sweater, I can't help but feel a sense of anticipation for the journey ahead.

"Today is the first day of the rest of my life," I whisper with excitement.

I step out of my apartment and into the bustling streets of Brooklyn. The crisp autumn air fills my lungs, invigorating me as I start my walk to campus. The sidewalks are alive with activity—commuters rushing to work, shop owners setting up their displays, and fellow students hurrying to their classes.

I fall into step with the rhythm of the city, my mind buzzing with excitement. As I navigate the familiar streets, a peculiar shop catches my eye. Nestled between two nondescript buildings, the storefront seems to shimmer and pulse with an otherworldly energy.

For some reason, it's irresistible… and curiosity overtakes me and I find myself drawn to the mysterious establishment. The rational part of my brain urges me to stay on track, to not be late for my first class, but an inexplicable force pulls me closer, my heart beating faster with each step.

The window displays are filled with strange and wondrous items—glowing crystals, ancient tomes bound in leather, and intricate metalwork that seems to move of its own accord. I hesitate for a moment, my hand hovering over the door handle. Something about this place feels different, almost magical.

Taking a deep breath, I push open the door and step inside. I have an extra ten minutes to spare but the moment I cross the threshold a strange sensation washes over me.

The air is suddenly heavy with the scent of honey, wild roses, and the wind before the rain. The enchanting heady aroma seems to curl around me like an embrace beckoning me further in. Inside is dimly lit, the walls lined with shelves overflowing with curiosities. Deeper and deeper I go, my footsteps muffled by the plush carpet beneath my feet.

The music that fills the air is unlike anything I've ever heard before—a haunting, ethereal melody that seems to weave a spell around me. It's a sound that beckons me forward, whispering promises of secrets waiting to be unveiled. As I make my way towards the back of the shop, the atmosphere begins to shift.

The air grows heavy with anticipation, charged with an energy that raises the fine hairs on the back of my neck. The scent of honey and roses intensifies, becoming almost intoxicating in its sweetness. I find myself standing before a set of heavy velvet curtains, their deep, rich hues seeming to pulse with an inner life.

The music is louder here, more insistent, as if urging me to step beyond the threshold. With a trembling hand, I reach out and part the curtains, stepping into a world that is at once familiar and utterly foreign.

The room beyond is bathed in a soft, golden light that seems to emanate from no discernible source. The walls are draped in shimmering fabrics, their colors shifting and changing like the surface of a soap bubble.

The floor beneath my feet is no longer hardwood, but soft, mossy carpeting that yields with each step. In the center of the room stands a woman, her beauty so striking that it steals the breath from my lungs. Her hair is like spun gold, cascading down her back in a waterfall of shimmering tresses. Her eyes are a vivid, impossible blue, seeming to hold the secrets of the universe within their depths.

She smiles at me, a slow, inviting curve of her lips that sends a shiver down my spine. With a graceful gesture, she beckons me forward, her voice a low, melodic purr that seems to resonate in my very bones. "Welcome, my dear," she says, her words wrapping around me like a warm embrace. "We've been waiting for you."

I find myself moving towards her as if in a dream, my feet carrying me forward of their own volition. As I draw closer, I notice that the room seems to be expanding, the walls and ceiling fading away to reveal a vast, open space that stretches out into infinity.

The woman takes my hand in hers, her skin impossibly soft and cool against my own. She leads me deeper into this strange, enchanted realm, the music swelling around us like a living thing.

I feel as though I am walking through a dream, my senses overwhelmed by the beauty and strangeness of this place. Deeper and deeper, I follow the enigmatic woman into the shop's mysterious backrooms, the music and atmosphere growing more intoxicating with each step, leading me through a series of increasingly strange and wondrous chambers, each one more enchanting than the last.

We pass through a room filled with floating candles, their soft light casting dancing shadows on the walls. Next, a chamber where the floor is a sea of shimmering mist, cool and refreshing against my skin. The air is heavy with the scent of exotic blooms and the sound of distant, tinkling laughter.

Finally, we come to a halt before a heavy wooden door, its surface carved with intricate symbols that seem to writhe and shift before my eyes. The woman turns to me, her icy gaze locking with mine. "Are you ready, my dear?" she asks. "Ready to embrace your destiny?"

At that moment, the rational part of my mind that's been growing increasingly distant suddenly surges back to the forefront. A flicker of unease goes through me as I hesitate with my hand on the carved door. Something about her words, the intensity of her gaze, sends a chill down my spine but before I can voice my doubts, she pushes the door open and guides me through with a firm hand at the small of my back.

I stumble forward into a small, dimly-lit room, something close to a barn. In the center of the room is an ornate wooden wagon, its metal bars gleaming in the low light. The door swings shut behind us with a heavy, ominous thud. "What...what is this?" I ask, my voice trembling as realization begins to dawn. "Why have you brought me here?"

The woman's smile sharpens, turning cold and cruel. She waves a hand and the door of the caged wagon swings open with a rusty creak. "Your chariot awaits, my sweet. You have been chosen for a grand purpose."

I try to back away but find myself rooted in place, as if my limbs are no longer my own. The woman takes me by the elbow in an iron grip and steers me toward the wagon. I struggle, panic rising in my throat, but her strength is immense, inhuman.

With a harsh shove, she forces me into the cramped confines of the wagon. I sprawl on the rough wooden floor, splinters digging into my palms. Before I can scramble to my feet, the barred door slams shut with a resounding clang. The latch falls into place, locking me in.

The woman peers in at me through the bars, her once-beautiful face a mask of cold indifference. "Don't fret, little pet. You'll soon learn to embrace your new life." With that, she turns on her heel and strides away, leaving me alone in the creaking wagon.

"Wait no, there must be some kind of mistake…"

Dread settles like a leaden weight in my stomach as I huddle on the floor of my tiny prison. Tears sting my eyes as my mind spins with frantic, despairing thoughts. "Please, stop the wagon! I need to go home. I have class and a family! You don't want to do this! They'll come looking for me!"

The wagon jolts into motion with a sharp lurch, the metal bars rattling. The sound of hoofbeats echoes hollowly around me as I'm borne away into the unknown, a helpless prisoner being conveyed to some dreadful unknown. What will become of me now? I wrap my arms around myself, trembling, and send up a silent, desperate prayer to any power that might be listening.

Please, let this be a dream. Let me wake up safe in my bed, all of this nothing more than a fleeting, fast-fading nightmare. But deep down, I know with grim certainty that this is no dream. This is my new reality, and I am utterly, hopelessly trapped within it.

My thoughts drift to my family, my friends, and the life I am leaving behind. Will they search for me, wondering what happened to the girl who disappeared on her first day of college?