Mari

What do you pack for a trip to another world? Blaise said the climate was very warm so no jacket. I should shave my legs in case I have to wear shorts or skirts.

I remembered the crazy outfit Blaise came into the store in. I will stand out like a sore thumb. A nervous panic started in my chest. I should just tell her I changed my mind.

I heard footsteps and the feeling of someone towering over me. I felt my face grow hot, I snapped, “Are all phoenixes as huge as you? Am I going to be like a midget?”

“I’m just above average so no, I don’t think you’ll feel small, plus many clans congregate in the capitol and many are far shorter than humans.” The honest and open response made me ashamed of my outburst.

I turned to see Blaise plop on the bed, “What if I changed my mind?”

Blaise watched me with that unhindered openness, so unnerving. “Up to you but I think you’ll miss a chance of a lifetime.”

We looked at one another—it started to feel awkward.

“You don’t need all that,” Blaise nodded her head at my overnight bag, “I can provide anything you need there.”

I raised my eyebrow, “That’s pretty cocky,” and went back to packing my bag.

After showering I packed my bathroom essentials.

“That shampoo was really nice, do you have an extra bottle I would like to keep some,” Blaise ran her fingers through her wet hair.

“That’s conditioner and yeah, I have a full one I’ll give you,” I didn’t recognize my own voice. I didn’t sound annoyed. Maybe defeated? Resigned? Oh well, twenty grand, keep my eyes on the prize.

At some point in the middle of the night I got up to pee. I looked at the toilet paper in my hand—a whole new world—

I took a fresh roll and stuffed it in the overnight bag; better safe than sorry.

What is that noise? My eyes firmly shut, it took my brain long, excruciating minutes to realize the blaring came from my alarm.

“That means it’s time to go, right?”

I opened my eyes to see a pair of gold pupils inches from my face. “Ah,” I screamed and scrambled away.

“You awake?” Blaise laughed.

“Shut up, we’re sleeping,” one of my roommates snapped, jarring my brain fully awake.

I pushed past Blaise throwing clothes on as quick as I could. The alarm clock read 4:30 a.m.

Blaise wore the same extravagant outfit I met her in; I felt underdressed as I threw on a pair of jeans and a gray, fitted t-shirt.

An hour later we found ourselves shivering as the sun rose in the middle of Central Park. The horizon lit up in vibrant orange and gold.

“It’s good to know sunrises are beautiful everywhere,” Blaise commented before starting to chant strange unintelligible words. I couldn’t watch the rising sun anymore—Blaise’s hands glowed!

The glow slowly spread from her hands to the rest of her body; her hair turning from red to fiery, rising like flames into the air. As the glow reached her back, it flamed behind her forming into what looked like wings.

A panic rose in my chest. This was real—all real—she wasn’t human and we were about to leave…Earth!

I fell to my knees, I couldn’t catch my breath. “I can’t just leave my world!” I stuttered but Blaise didn’t respond—she probably couldn’t—didn’t so many books and movies say one couldn’t stop in the middle of a spell?

Hahahahaha. My point of reference were fantasy movies. What the hell am I doing?

Once the glow encompassed Blaise, it moved outward from her palms, gathering in the air in front of her, growing larger and larger. Finally after what felt like an eternity, the glow was as tall as Blaise. She lowered her hands and the glow around her vanished. She turned and smiled at me, completely oblivious to my turmoil, “Let’s go.”

One look at me and the smile vanished, “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t go to another world!” I cried.

“Why not?” Blaise looked puzzled.

I opened my mouth but no reasons came out. I’m scared. But that didn’t feel like something I could say.

Blaise grabbed my arm, “I’ll have you back here in no time.” With inhuman strength she pulled me up, grabbed my bag and stepped through the portal.

I screamed, shutting my eyes. But Blaise pulling me ended as suddenly as it started. Nothing changed. I could still breathe; nothing hurt.

I cracked open one eye. Too bright. I squeezed it shut again.

“Come on already,” Blaise pushed me.

My eyes popped open, “Why is it so bright?”

“Is it?” Blaise asked, I still couldn’t see her properly with the sun in my eyes. “You know, I thought the same thing when I first got into your world. Maybe our suns are different.”

Once my eyes adjusted I realized we were on a balcony, as high up as the top of the Empire State Building. I screamed again and shut my eyes, in hopes my stomach would stop doing flips.

“You really can’t take heights, huh?” I felt Blaise’s hands on my shoulders turning me around and pushing/guiding me forward. “You can open your eyes now.”

I opened my eyes. We were inside a dimly lit hallway.

“Come on, you won’t know you’re in a new world until you see it from on high. We can walk out slowly; you don’t even have to walk past the doorway.”

I glared at Blaise but didn’t protest when she slowly walked me back to the balcony. I refuse to be a wimp. What I thought was a balcony turned out to be a long ledge without railings. I got just past the doorway and planted my feet. Yup, that’s far enough.

“What is this?” I asked.

“Hmm, a landing strip? I don’t know if that translates correctly. We can take off and land here.”

I gaped at her before a blue streak crossed the sky above my head. The sky itself was the same bright blue as home with the same puffy white clouds. Maybe not everything was different.

“That blue streak is Aodh—what a showoff.” Blaise shook her head smiling.

I finally looked out into the world in front of me. The breath whooshed out of my lungs.

Wow.

Buildings as tall as any skyscrapers filled my line of sight, many taller than the height of where we stood. But not metal and glass like I was used to—these towers were as colorful as a peacock, kind of curved at the top without a roof to speak of reminding me more of tall, thin mounds? Or mountains? They looked soft, not made of metal or cement, more earthen?

I watched a man stepped on a ledge similar to the one I stood on and in a blink of an eye he changed—suddenly a bright orange bird larger and prettier than any bird should be stood in his place. He flew off.

I gasped.

“Yeah, I know how you feel,” Blaise had her hands on her hips staring proudly at the flying bird-man.

She whirled to face me, her eyes on fire, literally. I screamed and scooted back. She didn’t look human, “I’m going flying, come with me.”

I could only shake my head and watch as Blaise ran to the edge of the ledge and jumped off. I screamed again—I think—and rushed to the ledge edge not thinking. I watched Blaise’s body contort and end as a fiery red bird. Her wings and tail blazed a trail of fire, I blinked and she moved so fast she turned into a red streak across the sky.

Blaise

The air rushed through me as I fell, the velocity of the fall increasing my speed. I couldn’t help but smile. My body shifted as natural as the flow of water and wings slowed my fall into flight. I laughed. My body’s heat flashed fire along my feathers, finally having a release. I flapped my wings once and the world blurred, moving too fast to see.

For a moment I forgot the human girl I left behind, or why I brought her in the first place. Pure joy flowed out of my stomach, forming a knot in my chest so hard I couldn’t stop smiling. Before I knew it I was staring at the ocean. Scent of saltwater assaulted my nose, the sound of seagulls burst through the bubble of my speed.

Time to head back.

Another flap of my wings and the world blurred again.

I reached the ledge where I left Mari but she was nowhere to be seen. Shit.