“It’ll all turn out okay. Everything happens for a reason, from birth to death. If someone tried to control their destiny, that would only mess up the world. Let your mind and heart guide you through your life, and destiny will do the rest. Not everyone turns out good, but if everyone was good, there’d be no challenge in life.”

I nodded, shaking so much I thought my hair would fall out. I looked up, tears blurring my vision. Rachel smiled at me. It would be okay. . .

“Mariel?” a voice called. Every part of me froze. I stopped breathing without knowing it. That was Doctor Valen’s voice. There was nothing I could do now.

Rachel lay a gloved hand on my arm. She said nothing. There wasn’t anything she could say that would make me feel better. I had no more time to cry, no more time to be comforted.

Doctor Valen’s assistant, Diana, opened the door to my room.

“Doctor Valen will see you now, Mariel.” she said in a monotone voice. She obviously had no interest in making me feel better. I felt a squeeze on my arm.

“You better go.” said Rachel, “Doctor Valen probably doesn’t want to wait.” my best and only friend who was about three decades older than me smiled lovingly. She nodded, and then gave me a little push out of my bed.

I gingerly followed Diana down the hall, to the right, to the left, to Doctor Valen’s office. As Diana closed the door behind me, I saw Rachel wave goodbye, and then I was on my own.

I knew the routine. I didn’t have to be asked to lie down on the reclining chair. I closed my eyes, knowing that I would shortly feel myself drift off to sleep. My last reasonable thought was: I’m a prisoner in this hospital.

I sat up straight in the comfortable bed. Where was I? I began to panic. I had just woken from the anesthesia, my operation was over. I looked around. I wasn’t in the hospital anymore. I was in a luxurious bedroom with blue curtains drawn over the massive window. To my right was a night table, and on the wall parallel to that was the door. On the left wall was a big wardrobe. This isn’t my room. . . I reasoned, and then I remembered. I was in the Personio palace, locked in a guest room.

I struggled out of the numerous plush covers, and forced myself to escape the fabulous pillows. I rolled out of bed, falling off onto the puffy white carpet below. No floor creak, I noticed. Back in the hospital practically the only thing I heard besides my breathing was the floor creaking. I’d been given an old room that no one used. But it had been modified to be cleaner than soap.

I lay on the carpet and started to close my eyes. It was more comfortable than my own bed. I could have slept there for years if I hadn’t heard a knock on the door. I scrambled up, attempted to flatten my hair (it did nothing), and ran to the door.

“Come in?” I awkwardly asked. A yellow flash lit up the lockhole. Then the door opened slowly. An Personio guard stepped in first, a sword at hand. Behind him was a female Personio. She wore a plain blue dress. Her feet and hands were bare. She had black hair like all the other Personios, which was tied into a long braid down her shoulder.

There was silence for a moment.

“Good morning, Mariel.” the guard broke the silence with his deep, powerful voice, “ It is precisely seven o’clock. The King hopes you have slept well in his humble home. Breakfast will be brought to you shortly.” The Personio motioned to the female beside him.

“My name is Redine. I’ve heard much about you. I’m a clothing specialist. I’ve been assigned to get you some proper clothes so you’re presentable at the meeting this afternoon.” she said. Her voice was high and harmonic. Like birds singing.

The guard left, leaving me to be dressed by an Personio. I’m going crazy, aren’t I? I wondered logically.

Not a nanosecond wasted, Redine excitedly ran over to the wardrobe. She opened the big doors to reveal mirrors on the back of them. Inside the wardrobe were shPersonios stacked to the top with clothing.

I’d never been offered nice clothing. I figured that this chance may never come again, so I tried to make the best of it. Unfortunately, I failed this task. After the first five dresses, I zoned out.

Two hours later Redine led me down to one of the many breakfast halls. Sunlight poured in from the tall windows, flooding the room in white, natural light. A long wood table was set up fancily in the middle of the room. Chairs with tall backs lined the table. Every chair but one was taken by an Personio in a uniform. I awkwardly sat down between a female Personio in a blue uniform with countless badges, and a male Personio in a green uniform which read: GK. Underneath in black were the words: Guardians of the King.

Redine whispered to the female, then scurried away to her next task.

All shiny black Personio eyes were on me. I felt ridiculous in my long red dress. It was made of a soft comfortable fabric that wouldn’t be found in our world. It had brown fur at the bottom. Nevertheless the comfort, I felt out of place in this room of generals. Why was I here anyway? Surely the Personio King didn’t want me near his community. The logical option would have been to have served me breakfast in my room, and then have my talk with the Queen and King, I wasn’t too sure where.

Suddenly Personio waiters filed neatly into the room, carrying plates of food that made my mouth water. They circled the table, serving each Personio to their delight. I didn’t speak. What was there to say? “Can I have some fish, even though I shouldn’t be here?”

After about half an hour of everyone choosing their foods, the waiters left with empty dishes. The uniformed Personios began their breakfast. I didn’t. I had nothing on my plate. The waiters had purposely avoided me.

I was out of place, uncomfortable, hungry, and bored.

An hour and a half passed like this, when finally Personios began to leave. In little groups of twos and threes, the generals all left.

Where was I supposed to go? I didn’t ask anyone, they all stayed away from me. I felt like crying. Why was I being treated this way? Arkel didn’t do this, neither did his people.

An Personio in a navy blue suit entered the hall.

“The King wishes to see you,” he announced. I got up quickly, eager to leave this awful room. I followed the Personio down some hallways, passed some guards, down the green cylinder that acted as an elevator, and finally back into the throne room. The King sat in his special chair, stroking his beard patiently.

My escort left. I was on my own with the King and a few guards.

“I have no desire to waste time in silence.” the King said, leaning forward in his throne. “We will get right to business. How was breakfast?”

I didn’t know how to answer. If I said “good”, I’d be lying, but if I said “bad”, that could be considered as an insult. I raised my hand, as if about to say something, and opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I just stood there silently, hoping that the King would break the silence. He did.

“I see. Not so great, I suppose?”

I nodded.

“Good. Then I presume your decision is made.”

I cocked my head in confusion. The King rolled his black eyes.

“I have given this choice much thought. I spoke to the Queen, and we have decided that you cannot stay. To make your decision easier we gave you a little demonstration of how you would be treated if you stayed with us. This is my community of Personios. I don’t want a Human.”

This was too much to take in. I had to leave? Go on my own again? But to where? I felt a ball form in my throat. I wouldn’t cry in front of a King. I wouldn’t. . .I couldn’t. . .

A tear rolled down my cheek. Then another. And another. I burst into tears.

“I was afraid you would start crying. There was something on my mind. Since you’re a different species, I wanted to know if you were a child or an adult?”

I hiccuped, then tried to answer his question.

“I’m a- Hic- child.”

“Oh dear. I can’t deal with a child crying. I will tell you the facts, and then leave you with someone of your choice to deal with your fragile emotions. You can either leave my territory with a fight, and be injured on your way. Or you can leave by will with supplies to help you survive wherever you plan to go. It’s entirely up to you.”

There was a long pause as I attempted to catch my breath. Then the King continued.

“You may choose one Personio to help you make your decision.” I knew immediately who I wanted. She was the only one here who I felt I could trust.

“Karym.” I said.

Two hours later a carriage pulled up in front of the castle. A young Personio with loose long black hair came out. She wore a brown long sleeve dress with no designs. Escorted by a guard, she walked happily towards the castle.

I soon heard a knock on the door. Although I had expected it, I was startled. Karym must have arrived.

“Come in.” I croaked, my voice cracked from crying. The door opened without a creak. I wasn’t used to that, but there was no time for thought; I had to talk to someone who I kind of knew.

She skipped in, every part of her buzzing with excitement. I had never seen her like this before. Since I met her, she had seemed so shy, lonely, in her own little life, controlled. Now she seemed alive.

Noticing me with my dirty red eyes made her wide grin disappear. Karym took a step back towards the guard, as if remembering why she was here. She mumbled something, and the fit Personio left us alone.

After a painfully long moment of silence, I attempted a greeting.

“Hi.” I shrunk back at how pathetic that sounded. Karym had come all the way here, just for me, so I, an intruder in her home, could say “hi”? I brought my knees up to my chin, curling myself into a ball.

“Hello, Mariel.” Karym responded. When she realised I wouldn’t say anything further, she decided to lead the uncomfortable conversation. “I heard that you have to go.” she paused, waiting for a reaction. I only reacted on the inside. My stomach flipped at the sound of her true words.

“Where do you plan to go next?” she asked. I felt like I would puke.

“I don’t know.” I managed.

Karym paused, not knowing what to say. Her eyes then briefly lit up with an idea.

“The Dwarfs are very welcoming. I’m sure you’d have a nice home there. Or the Fairies. They love newcomers. They could even turn you into one of them, so you don’t feel out of place.”

I considered these options. If I had no way to go back to Earth, then these were pretty good ideas.

“I just don’t want to go alone.” I blurted, before the shy side of my brain could stop me. It felt amazing to let the words out. Finally, I told someone the truth. To my surprise, Karym didn’t laugh. Nor did she jeer. She just smiled warmly.

“Are you asking me to go with you?” she asked in a quiet voice. I looked up from the floor.

“Are you offering?” I questioned.

“Yes.”

I let my knees down, and folded my legs criss-cross-applesauce. I stared right into her Personioine eyes. A friend. Like Rachel and Buddy. I had three friends. A human, a dog, and an Personio. Of course two of them were probably fake, and one of them was dead. I had no friends.

I burst into tears again.

“You don’t want me to come with you?” asked a disappointed Karym.

“No.” I sniffled.

“Then what is it?”

It took me a minute to build up the strength to say the truth. But finally I did.

“I don’t want to wake up!” I barfed out the words. Literally. I threw up on the beautiful carpet. Karym ran away screaming “Janitor! Janitor!”. Finally one came and grudgingly cleaned up my tear mixed puke.

“Wake up from what?” Karym asked after he left.

“This-hic-dream! I know I’m dreaming! All this can’t actually be happening! I know I’m just going to wake up in that awful hospital, and live out the rest of my life as a specimen and a doctor’s toy! I don’t want to wake up!” I cried.

“Mariel. Calm down. No one can dream something this real. Look at my finger.” she held out her bony green finger. “Tell me if it’s real. Look at the shadows, the wrinkles. Does my finger look real to you?”

I nodded.

“Good. Then I’m real, or at least my finger is. And even if you do wake up in your world, there’s nothing you can do about it now. So you might as well make the best of this world while you’re in it.”

She looked me in the eye, then continued,

“The King is going to kick you out anyway. Can I come with you or not?”

“Please do.” I replied.

Karym smiled.

“Then let’s go tell him we’re ready.”