𝔹𝕖𝕥𝕨𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕍𝔼𝕀𝕃 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝟙

I sneezed as I rolled over in the cot the smell of something cooking in the background as voices whispered to each other.

Who’s talking is Blane here? Its real warm in here, did I turn on the heater last night?

I opened my eyes to see wood walls and a black what looked like a caldron. I sat up groggily rubbing my eyes when a someone talked.

“Good morning, Zaphira.” Evelynn said as she looked at me with as smile.

“G- Good morning,” I said confused as I looked around. Raylan sat in one of the chairs, a bowl of something sitting in front of him as he looked at me.

“Good morning, Zaphira, I hope the blanket was warm enough.” He said politely before going back to his bowl of food.

Huh! I’m still here, I thought I would have woken up by now to the sound of my alarm clock. Is it still nighttime? Am I still sleeping? I feel so well rested yet I’m still dreaming.

“Did you sleep well Zaphira?” Evelyn asked as I pulled the blanket off myself. The further blanket Raylan said he was going to get sliding off my legs.

I guess he did get the blanket, Evelyn was right I guess he was more determined than I thought.

“Yeah, I slept okay I’m sorry to be intruding.” I said as I got up from the small bed. The sound of the fire crackling in the hearth.

“Zaphira do not worry you are not intruding like we said yesterday you are more than welcome.” Raylan said as he pulled out a chair.

“Yes, you are we have enough food to make sure you’re fed so please feel free to move about.” Evelyn said as she put another bowl on the table.

I moved towards the table sitting down at the chair, a white mushy stuff filled the bottom.

Looks like oatmeal or may be cream of wheat. I thought shuddering at the thought that it could be cream of wheat. God that stuff is bland it took so much sugar there was never enough sugar to get that bland taste out.

“What is this?” I asked as I picked up the spoon about to stick it in my mouth.

“It’s oatmeal,” Evelyn said looking confused. “Have you ever had oatmeal before?”

I looked at her thoughtfully thinking of a way to answer the question without telling her any clues about my past or who I was or telling her that I had multiple flavours or of oatmeal and I’ve never seen this kind before.

“I have, it’s just… It looks so different from the kind I am familiar with.” I said nervously.

Why does it feel like no matter how I think of it, it still sounds rude and insulting?

“That’s because Evelyn makes it from scratch,” Raylan said sounding proud. “Most oatmeal’s that are made are prepackaged and stuck in those giant rice bags but Evelyn makes hers fresh, it makes it more enjoyable that you know that it’s clean from any pesky creatures.”

“Raylan you should probably head out, it is almost 11 and Zest is waiting for you if you leave him waiting any longer he will get cross with you again.” Evelyn said.

“Yes, you’re right I forgot, you should show Zaphira around she might get interest in seeing the town just be safe and get back before sunset.” Raylan said as he made his way to the front door opening it.

“Oh, you’re right I should.” Evelyn said as she put a towel on one of the chairs before blowing her husband a kiss.

I sat there silently confused as I ate the bland oatmeal, Evelyn moved swiftly to the other side of the small house grabbing something off of a hook before walking back towards me.

“I’m going to tend to the crops real quick meet me outside when you’re done.” Evelyn said before opening the door and leaving.

I’m so glad that I had the experience to eat bland cream of wheat for most of my childhood. Eating this doesn’t taste so bad though I’m starting to miss the idea of drowning it in sugar.

I looked around for a sink, my confusion when I noticed how small the host truly was. Okay so the house is a lot smaller than I thought where stir sink? How do they do their dishes?

I put my bowl back down on the table unsure what to do with it when I remembered that Evelyn wanted me to meet her outside.

“Um… Evelyn?” I called out as I opened the door, the morning sun shining over the house almost blinding me.

“Zaphira, you done?” Evelyn asked as she came around the corner, wiping her hands on her apron.

“Yes, but I got a question.” I asked as I followed her around back. The huge garden cluttered the back of her house, various plants and vegetables growing in the sunlight. Some of them even looked ready like the zucchini.

Is that zucchini? Or is that something that looks like zucchini? Wait! Exactly where am I how far back did I go? Am I even in my own world? What kind of world is this other than medieval?

“Of course, you can ask anything.” Evelyn said pulling me out of my thoughts as she stopped in front of strawberries or at least what I think could be strawberries.

“How do you do your dishes? And where is your sink?” I asked thoughtlessly before realizing what I just asked.

“Shit! Do they even have sinks in this world? Wait did they have sinks back then? God damn it how far back am I?

“Sink? What’s a sink?” Evelyn asked as she looked at me perplexed.

“Shiiit!!

“Oh, I sink is something you used to wash your dishes with, using warm or hot water we have them back where I’m from their very convenient.” I said hoping she wouldn’t ask any more questions.

Great, look what you’ve done Zaphira, you probably just dug yourself a grave. If you don’t think she’s going to ask what a sink is your clearly mistaken.

Evelyn looked at me surprised, her eyes practically sparkling with curiosity as she walked towards a vegetable that was growing.

“Fascinating, that sounds very handy but alas we do not have such a thing I currently wash our dishes in a giant Bayesian filled with water I get at the river outside of the city.” She said before kneeling down and watering the crops checking for bugs.

Too bad they don’t have pesticides, then she could grow her crops with relative ease. Too bad I can’t bring things from my world here… Or can I? Then again it would be really hard to explain to her what each thing is and what they do plus isn’t there a saying that if you alter something in the past it can affect the future?

Wait does not even count? If this isn’t the past and it’s a dream world, does it matter if I had anything from the present with me because in a dream anything could be possible right?

“What are you growing?” I finally asked breaking the strange sidelines as Evelyn went from plant to plant watering each one.

“I’m currently growing some strawberries, cabbages, lettuce, and pink rose blossoms.” Evelyn said proudly as she got to the last row of plants.

“Rose blossoms? What are those?” I asked trying to think of what they could be.

Looks like when I wake up, I’m going to have to Google what pink rose blossoms are. They sound like a really pretty flower.

“There a common flower used for medicine and magic.” Evelyn said as she turned towards me smiling with her sweet smile.

Medicine? I have never heard of Pink Rose Blossom is that a real flower? ……. WAIT!!! MAGIC? Did she just say for magic? Theirs magic in this world.

“I’ve never heard of pink rose blossoms are they a type of rose?” I asked as I looked at their small sprout.

“Hehe, no it’s a big flower like a lotus but with a magic glitter all around it and spouts out the chemicals witch we use for potions and medicine. And we use the leaves for pills and creams.” She spoke.

I wonder what kind of magic this world, Is it like the movies? Or maybe its ….I don’t what would magic be like?

“What do you mean by magic?” I finally asked.

Evelyn looked at me a strange look on her face as she tried to study me. She glanced at her plants for a moment then looked at me.

“Where did you say you are from again?” She asked almost sounding suspicious.

I looked at her nervously trying to think of something that could answer her question.

Okay, what I tell her? I can’t exactly tell her I’m from a world without magic and I’m sure that this is not the only place in this world that would have magic. I thought as I struggled to think of something.

Just before I could say something my body began to tingle as I stood in front of her, her expression still questioning as she waited for my answer. A white light and engulfed me as I watched the garden and the host disappear from my vision swallowing me into a white light of confusion.