Autumn POV

I always fantasized about a life that was more interesting. A life that was fantastical and supernatural. I dreamed of being plucked from my commonplace life and placed into another world filled with magic, mystery, danger, and excitement.

But for all my daydreaming I never truly thought my wish would come true, and when it did.... Well, I got my wish and more. How naive I was! Never had I considered that with danger, people would undoubtedly get hurt. After all, they were my daydreams. They were perfect.

I remember that day with grim clarity. It was the last day of my normal life. I was sixteen at the time...

I awoke to the terrible screech of my alarm clock. I groaned and pressed the off button. After a few moments of lying there in bed, I finally got up. It was Monday... Undeniably the worst day of the week. I got ready for school, and when that was done, I walked into the kitchen. I wondered silently whether I should eat breakfast. A quick glance at the clock determined that I was not going to be eating that morning. With that, I went out to the car and left. Nothing of interest happened at that time. It was on my way to school that it happened.

It began with a headache. I dismissed it at first, as they were very common with me. But as I continued driving, it worsened significantly. When my vision began to blur, that's when I pulled into a McDonalds parking lot. Spots danced before my eyes, and a moment later... I blacked out.

Jasper POV

I don't remember much. I remember a headache, and then I collapsed in the hallway at school. I don't remember what happened before that... However, I clearly remembered the dream I had afterwards...

I was surrounded by darkness. I reached out in front of me, and my fingers scraped against something cold and earthy. Suddenly, torches appeared and illuminated the tunnel I was standing in. I walked down the tunnel. I walked and walked, but I didn't see an end.

Finally, I saw a dark cavern just ahead. When I set foot inside, I noticed something odd. I heard... breathing. Then the cavern was lit with fire, and I saw it. It raised its massive head and locked eyes with me. I stared, unable to move. It's scales gleamed red, and its yellow eyes burned into me.

The dragon opened its mouth, and I was consumed by fire.

I shot up in bed. My heart was pounding, and my breathing ragged. I realized that it was just a dream and sighed. After calming myself down, I looked around at my surroundings.

"I'm... Not at home..." I observed. I was in a small, shabby cabin that resembled a shack more than a house. The bed I was sitting in was merely a mattress tucked away in a corner, and the only source of light was the sunlight streaming in through the glassless windows and a few gaps in the ceiling. In the room was a small dresser, a small bookshelf, a cracked mirror leaning against the wall, and a backpack. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, including the floor.

Hesitantly, I rose from my bed and walked over to the door. My bare feet left footprints in the dust. Does someone live here...? I wondered. I kind of doubt it, seeing all this dust... I walked softly and looked around the tiny cabin. There was the bedroom, and this room. There wasn't much in it. A small empty closet and a small fireplace.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. I jumped, startled by the sudden sound.

"H-Hello?" someone called uncertainly.

I opened the door. On the other side stood a girl with waist-length, wavy brown hair, and stunning green eyes.

"Hi!" the girl said. "Sorry to bother you, sir, but I just woke up in the woods and I have no idea where I am!"

I sighed. So she was in the same boat as I was. "Sorry, but I'm afraid I don't know any more than you do. I just woke up in this cabin." I looked her up and down. She was wearing torn jeans, sneakers, and a plain green t-shirt. "A-anyways, please come inside." I stood aside and allowed her to pass. I noticed the black backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Did you find that after you woke up?" I asked.

The girl nodded. "Yeah. I wish I'd woken up in a cabin rather than in the middle of the woods. Anything in here?"

I shrugged. "Not really. I have a backpack in the bedroom and there's a dresser in there, but that's about it."

"Oh, I just remembered. I should probably introduce myself. My name is Autumn." She smiled brightly and held out her hand.

I shook it. "Jasper," I said.

Autumn POV

I looked Jasper up and down. He seemed nice enough, and he definitely didn't seem like someone who would set up camp in the middle of the woods like this. He had shaggy black hair that hung slightly in his face and contrasted his pale blue eyes. He was tall, too. I was barely above his shoulder and I wasn't really short.

He's cute, I thought. Really, Autumn? Now of all times!

"Er, you okay?"

I blinked, and realized that I'd been staring at him. I felt myself blush. "NO, NOTHING!" I squeaked.

Appearing somewhat unnerved, Jasper cleared his throat. "I don't suppose you ran into anyone else outside?"

"No," I said. "You're the first person I've seen here."

He nodded. "Okay. I'm hoping someone lives here that knows where we are and can give us directions."

I looked around. The fireplace was clean and there weren't any signs that anyone lived there. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm pretty sure no one lives here."

He sighed dejectedly. "Yeah, most likely..." He agreed. "Well, on the bright side, that means we can stay here for a while."

I smiled. "Yup!" At that moment, my stomach growled. I blushed. "Er, do you have any food?"

Jasper shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't go through any of the stuff because if someone lived here, I didn't want to be rude..."

"Maybe there's some food in my bag," I said. I set my backpack on the floor and sat down beside it.

Alas, when I unpacked the bag, there was no food. But there were three bottles of water, a dagger, and.... A rock.

I frowned. "A rock? Why the hell do I have a rock in my bag?"

Jasper shrugged. "The point is- the rock is glowing!" His eyes suddenly widened and he pointed.

Alarmed, I looked down at the stone in my hand. Indeed, it was glowing, and the light was only growing brighter. I dropped it, startled, and the light immediately faded. I tentatively reached out and pick it up again, and it glowed again.

"Weird... Maybe it reacts to warmth or something?" Jasper held out his hand, and I gave him the stone. The light faded, making him frown. "That's really weird."

I nodded. "Wanna go through that bag in the bedroom?" I asked.

"Might as well," he sighed.

Jasper POV

The backpack was the only thing here that wasn't dusty. I had similar equipment to Autumn, but instead of her glowing rock, I had a small box and a key. Inside the box I found six jars. Three were filled with liquid and were labeled 'Poison'. One was additionally labeled mild, another was moderate, and the third deadly.

"Well, this is somewhat disturbing..." I said.

Autumn nodded in grave agreement. "What are the other jars filled with?"

"Um, let's see..." The bottles were filled with dried leaves. "Sleep, Infection, and Burns. Wonderful. I'm a doctor now."

"That might come in handy," Autumn said cheerfully.

I nodded. "Yeah." Somehow, being around her made me feel better about the situation.