I nervously grabbed the ring box in my pocket as the rest of the audience clapped. I looked away from the actors taking their bows on stage and glanced over at my soon to be fiance. Her straight black hair fell down over her shoulders and lay on her yellow sweater. I smiled as I looked at her. She was a touch on the plump side but she had the kind of curves that would make the coldest night seem mild. Which was fortunate, because Chicago at this time of year was always cold.

She looked up at the stage with a wide smile and my heart skipped a beat at the pure joy in it. Allison wasn’t a beauty but her smile could light up any room and she was one of the few honestly kind people I had ever met. For a cynic like me her presence was a balm to the soul. She looked over at me and her light blue eye met mine. Her smile grew a shade brighter and she leaned over to lay her head on my shoulder as the people around us started to get up out of their seats.

“Thank you for bringing me tonight. I know a musical isn’t exactly your idea of a fun but I’m Glad you let me pry you away from your computer.” She said happily as she looked up at me.

“Well….. It wasn’t that bad.” I said with a shrug. She raised a black eyebrow at my obvious lie. It really had been bad. Tonight was the last showing and it was pretty obviously the actors were ready to be done.

“Ok…. It was that bad but you’ve been wanting to come see it forever.” I said as a wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer.

“It really was that bad wasn’t it.” She said with a laugh. “Thank you anyway.” She smiled her heartbreaking smile at me again and I gripped the ring box tighter in my other hand.

Definitely tonight…..

When most of the seats had cleared we got our coats and headed toward the door. As we got to the lobby I could see it was pouring outside. There were quite a few women by the entrance waiting for their men-folk to bring their cars around.

“Well, time to go do my male duty I suppose. Wait here babe. I’ll go get the car.” I said as I slipped on my heavy winter coat and flipped the hood up. December was always miserable in the mid-west and Chicago was worse than most. Luckily it was a few degrees too warm to snow but it was a cold miserable rain and getting my car was going to be a pain in the ass.

Still it could do little to put a damper on my mood. Allison had enjoyed herself quite a bit and although the weather was miserable it was the perfect night to stay in. We could head back to my place. A couple of candles and a bottle of wine. I’d pop the question. She’d say yes and then we could get to my favorite part of the evening.

I whistled happily as I stepped out into the rain. I’d parked my Toyota a couple of blocks from the theater. It wasn’t the greatest part of town but it also hadn’t cost me fifteen bucks. Web-design wasn’t exactly the most lucrative of careers and even on my best day I was a long way from the real pros. As such my eight year old corolla was about as much as I could afford. At twenty-five I was still knee deep in student loans and I’d had to sell my drum-set afford the ring.

Even so, there was still a spring in my step as I made it to my grey corolla. I fumbled out my keys and had just hit the unlock button when something cold and hard pressed it to the back of my head.

“Your wallet and the keys. Don’t be stupid.” A voice said from behind me.

I froze. Chicago wasn’t exactly paradise but even as a lifer I’d never had a gun pulled on me. My heart was beating about a hundred miles an hour and my voice came out in a stutter as I spoke up

“Al--Alright, it’s cool man.” I said as I slowly raised my hands held out the keys. The cold knot against my head was removed as a hand briefly touched mine and snatched the keys.

“Now, hands in the roof and don’t fuckin’ twitch.” The voice said angry. It was obviously a male but the voice was thready and agitated. Even in my flustered state I could tell the guy was just as scared as I was.

I obediently put my hands on the roof and then a hand started to grasp at me clumsily. It took a few seconds for him to get my wallet out, but unfortunately as he finally pulled it out his hand brushed against my coat pocket, the one with the ring in it.

“What the fuck is that!? You packin?” He said from behind me. The barrel of the gun returned to my head, but this time I could feel the tremble of the man’s hand through it.

Seriously?. It’s a box….

My fear was momentarily replaced with incredulity. How the hell could anyone mistake a jewelry box for a gun. Then again I didn’t want to tell him it was a jewelry box. The ring wasn’t super-nice but I hadn’t really cheaped out either. Besides, I’d had to sell my drum-set for it.

“It’s just some mints man.” I lied. “I’m not armed.”.

“You think I’m fuckin’ stupid. Those ain't no mints.” He said angrily. Well, I did think he was stupid but this didn’t seem the right moment to point it out to him.

“Keep your fucking hands on the car.” He said as he roughly grabbed for my coat pocket. I sighed inwardly. Looked like I wasn’t proposing tonight after all. All things considered I’d be happy just to get out of here without any bullet holes. I wasn’t prepared to give up without trying though.

“Common man, it’s a ring. I was gonna propose tonight. Don’t take it.” I said pleadingly.

“Oh yeah, Tough fuckin’ break.” He said as he kept digging for the ring. The pockets in this coat were a pain in the ass at the best of times and from his angle getting the ring out was going to be hard. He dug for another few seconds before swearing angrily. Then the gun at my head pulled away as he stepped back. .

“Turn the fuck around and get out the ring. You try anything stupid you're going home dead.” He said, now even angrier. I lifted my hands to the side and turned giving me my first look at my attacker.

His body was covered with a ratty trench-coat and it was obvious he’d seen better days. He was too thin and his dark eyes were wild as he pointed the gun at me. It was an old revolver, maybe a a .38 or .44. I honestly didn’t know shit about guns but I figured it would be good enough to put holes in me

The gun shook in his hand and it was pretty obvious the guy wasn’t right. He’d probably run dry of his drug of choice and was out to secure funding for his next high. Either way I wasn’t in the mood to argue the point with him.

I slowly reached into my pocket and took out the ring box. I was just getting ready to hold it out to him when the situation got even more complicated.

“Justin…. What’s” A familiar voice said before I heard a loud feminine gasp. The gunmen spun wildly and soon had his revolver trained on Allison.

Shit….

“You his girl? Get the fuck against the car and I swear to god if you scream your dead.” He said as he waved his gun around.

Allison stood frozen obviously terrified and my less cowardly half got angry.

“Look man, Just take the ring and let her go. She’s doesn’t need to be part of this.” I said soothingly. Addicts in withdrawal were touchy at the best of times. I didn’t want Allison anywhere near this.

“She’ll be part of it If I want her to be. Now, hand me your purse and get against the car bitch.” He said as he steadied his gun on Allison again. She finally seemed to gather her wits a bit because he took off her purse and handed it over before moving over next to me.

She must have seen the ring box I was holding because her eyes met mine with a wide questioning look as he moved next to me. I just shrugged. There wasn’t much I could say now the cat was obviously out of the bag. Her eyes started to tear over although I wasn’t sure if it was from happiness, fear, or some weird combination of both.

“Alright man. Here’s the ring, take the car and just go.” I said as I held the ring out to him again. He still had his gun pointing at Allison as he reached forward to take the ring out of my hand. Just as our fingertips touched there was a loud clap of thunder.

The lighting must have been right on top of us, because the thunder was so loud I thought the whole damn world was ending. Time seemed to slow to almost nothing as everything happened at once.

I’m not sure how, but in that moment I knew. I KNEW he was going to shoot. I was already moving as I watched his eyes widen in fright. Maybe it was adrenaline or my years of platform gaming but my body moved like quick-silver in that one split second. I dove to the right putting my body between the gunman and Allison just as the gun went off.

*Bang*

White fire seemed to sear my chest as I hit the ground. I landed on my side hard and the impact sent a fresh wave of agony through me as I tried to see my wound. I looked down at my chest and could see fresh blood coming from the wound. Right in the chest, just left of center. A perfect shot.

That figures…..

The whole situation just seemed so damn funny. The night when I finally, FINALLY manage to work up the courage to propose. Then I get held up because I’m too cheap to spring for parking. Then the theft drags out because I have the ring. Then the bolt of lighting and the gunshot. A dozen coincidences and I’m dead.

I tried to laugh but it turned into a wet cough as blood flowed up and into my mouth. I heard Allison scream but in this weather no-one would hear her anyway. Besides, he’d shot me in the heart. I’d be dead even if I was already in the ER.

Allison’s face came into view above mine for a split second before my vision went dark. Even her sobs were drowned out by the roaring in my ears and the pouring rain.

************************************************************

*Gasp*

My lungs felt like they were on fire as I inhaled for the first time in what felt like hours. I immediately started to cough loudly and nearly gagged from the force of it. I was so cold. Pins and needles rushed over all my nerves and I shook and shivered as I curled into a ball attempting to warm myself. A woman's excited gasp came from nearby then it turned to sobs I opened my eyes hoping to see Allison.

However the woman wasn’t Allison. She was dark-skinned with vaguely Asian features. Her dark hair was a tangled mess and a fat tear ran down her plump face. She looked at me with such a look of relieved happiness and love that I was baffled. I’d no sooner had the though when the woman grabbed me and pulled me against her massive bosom.

I didn’t know this woman from Adam but apparently she knew me. I looked around in a daze over her shoulder trying to figure out who she was and what was going on. My gaze swept the area but that made the situation even more confusing. I was laying on a bed of straw in a primitive hut. The floor was dirt as well as the walls. A fire crackled in the middle of the room making the entire place too warm but my body was like a sheet of ice and the extra heat felt good. A man stood to one side of my bed. He had the same dark-skinned asian features as the woman and his gaze was also filled with a level of love and trust that made me feel distinctly uncomfortable.

What the hell?......

I tried to pry the woman away from me but she had me in a death-grip. My arms also didn’t seem to work properly. I couldn’t even manage to sit up, I was so weak. I flailed helpless for a few moments before giving up.

The stress of the situation rapidly ate away my meager strength and I felt so tired I just wanted to sleep. I let the woman continued to hug me and drifted into blackness as she continued to cry.

******************************************************************************

I awoke to darkness and silence. The fire had burnt down low and it cast only faint illumination letting me see the outlines of the small hut I was in. The woman from before was sitting next to my bad and had fallen asleep with her head near me. I still had no idea what was going on. Everything was so surreal. I lifted a hand awkwardly and patted at my chest. The motion was clumsy and difficult. It was like my body was all wrong somehow.

I awkwardly peeled back the ratty blanket I was under and looked down at myself for the first time. I was naked, which was interesting and baffling. My skin was much darker than I remembered, nearly the same shade as the woman beside me. The wound on my chest was nowhere to be found but my eyes widened in shock as I continued to look at myself. My belly, which had a good deal of paunch before, was completely changed. I was now skinny to the point of emaciation. The changes were equal in the rest of my body. My arms, which had been at least average sized were now small and weak. I frowned. Laying down, my perspective wasn’t good but I felt too small.

I scooted off the bed and stood. My knees wobbled and I had to lean on the wall to support myself. It was only as I stood up that I realized the true extent of the problem. The ceiling of the hut was short, but even so it was obvious I was way too short. Before I’d been over six feet but now I was less than four. Combined with my puny arms and tiny appearance It could only mean one thing. I was a child.

I moved slowly around the bed as I pondered the situation. My memories were crystal clear. I’d been robbed at gunpoint and had been shot. I’d obviously died but now here I was in a house full of strangers as a child.

Is this heaven?

It seemed unlikely. If so it was a crappy sort of heaven. Being transplanted into a weak and sickly child who was likely eight or nine didn’t sound very much like a reward. Then again I hadn’t led a terribly upstanding life. Depending on how many karmic points were deducted for internet porn this could be any place between purgatory and the ninth circle of hell.

I let out a resigned chuckle. The sound of it was loud in the small hut’s stillness and the woman, my mother, I guessed. Slowly awoke and glanced at me standing next to my bad. A radiant smile appeared on her face. Before she spoke something completely unintelligible at me.

It sounded Asianish…. Maybe. I’d never been very good at foreign languages. My two years of spanish in high-school hadn’t netted me much and spanish was way easier than whatever it was this woman was speaking.

I just looked at her uncomprehending and shook my head. She repeated the words again but it didn’t do any good. I shook my head again and said in English.

“I can’t understand you, I’m sorry.” She tilted her head in puzzlement. Obviously, unable to understand me either before her joyful expression collapsed and tear started to run down her face again. I just spread my hands apologetically. I could sympathize with the woman. Obviously her son had some kind of accident and she’d been over joyed when I’d woken up. However, instead of getting back a recovered son, she’d gotten me instead. Which was a poor trade in anyone's book.

She probably thinks her son is brain damaged…..

I mused as looked into my new mothers crying face. I made a few helpless gestures then started to explore the house on shaky legs. I wasn’t sure how long this body had been unconscious but it had to have been a while. Staying in bed wouldn’t help me build back up my strength and even for a child’s body this one was ridiculously weak. I’d only been standing a few minutes and I was already exhausted and hungry. My stomach rumbled loudly to emphasize the point and my mothers head snapped up. Her tears stopped falling and a small grin tugged at her mouth before she stood up and started bustling about the small hut.

Soon a rough copper pot was placed over the fire and a delicious smell started to permeate the small room. The smell woke the man from earlier who was sleeping on another cot. He stood up and examined me as I continued to walk around the small room. When he saw me walking under my own power relief spread over his lined face.

I put him around thirty-five. He was well built with lean working-man muscle and his skin was sun weathered. His temples were touched with grey and he had a thick beard that gave him a bit of a wild look. He spoke to me with a smile but I didn’t understand any of it.

My mother turned as she heard him speak and they exchanged words rapidly, the tones and pronunciations completely alien. I just watch baffled as they spoke. It went on for a while before my new father turned back to me.

He watched me more cautiously now, as if he wasn’t quite sure what the think. The woman must have let him know I couldn’t understand. Then he spoke a few more words these slow and exaggerated. It didn’t help. I shook my head helplessly. This was getting pretty frustrating for me. My mind was in chaos from the implications of what had happened. I had two people in front of me that would be able to explain where and who I was but we had no way to communicate.

The man looked at me sadly for a moment before he pointed to his chest. “Jical” he said. The accent and pronunciation strange. The word was over-pronounced and guttural sounding with heavy emphasis between the syllables and on the K sounds. Like Ji-Kal. I looked at him for a moment before I tried to mimic him.

“Jical?” I said questioningly. He shook his head and repeated the name for me. I tried a few more times before I could pronounce it to his satisfaction. Then he nodded and pointed to me.

“Chok” He said with a nod. This too took me more than a few attempts but finally I got the tones down properly. He then pointed to my mother who was still cooking. “Cali” he said, the name pronounced “Ka-Li” This one only took me a couple of tries. I was getting used to the pronunciations.

Jical nodded satisfied then opened the door to the small hut. A freezing wind blew in that sent the flames dancing in the hearth. He stepped outside for a moment before returning. Then after exchanging another few words with his wife he started to dress. His outfit was a combination of animal furs and rough leather. He reminded me of the East Russian native tribes I’d seen on a discovery documentary. Infact that was a pretty good parallel for everything I’d seen so far. The hut as well as the objects in it were all extremely primitive. Almost stone-age primitive, aside from the copper pot and a metal frame over the fire there wasn’t any worked metal anywhere in the house. Everything was clay,dirt, and hide.

When Jical finished dressing he grabbed a large flint axe from the corner of the house and strapped it to his back. Then, after giving his wife a kiss, he pushed open the heavy furs that acted as the hutts door and stepped out into the chilly pre-dawn air.

I slumped back down to the bed my weak legs exhausted. I just sat and stared blankly as I tried to figure out what had happened. A few minutes later Cali came over and handed me a wooden bowl. It was thin meat broth but as hungry as I was it tasted divine. I quickly polished off the broth and with my belly full and my body once again exhausted I was quickly back asleep.

*************************************************************************************

I woke a few hours later and the sunlight streaming in from outside let me know it was finally daytime. I pushed myself up out of the covers and found some child-sized clothes near-by that must be mine. I quickly dressed and looked around. The hut was empty, so my parents must be outside. Shrugging, I walked over to the tent flap and pushed it open, hoping to find some clue about where or when I was.

A fantastical view greeted me as I looked at my new world. A bright-blue sun burnt down from overhead illuminating everything in a clear-white light that added majesty to the most spectacular view I’d ever seen. Our hut was on the side of a huge mountain that shot skyward until it pierced the clouds. There was a scattering of other huts around us and as my view swept up the mountain the houses became nicer and more modern looking until my eyes came to a large mansion that looked like something out of feudal Japan. There was a wide courtyard near the mansion and I could see the small shapes of people standing in neat ranks as they practiced martial arts. Stunned I turned to looked down the mountain and took in an involuntary gasp of air.

From this height I could see for miles. The mountain side descended down until it met a crystal blue river with chucks of ice floating in it. After the river a massive forest extended for miles in every direction broken only by rivers and other mountains. The trees were pines and hearty leafed varieties and they sparked with dew in the chill morning air. I tilted my head for a moment then took another gasp of air. It was hard to tell from this perspective but some of those trees must be three or four hundred feet tall to look so big from this distance.

I just stared. The majesty and alien beauty of the landscape was completely stunning, but it made one fact completely clear. I wasn’t on earth any longer.