The sky was dark and clouded as the air was thick with intensity. Cries echoed throughout the deafening space as the war-torn battlefield raged on from below. Glancing down atop the rugged cliff face, a white knight rested. Clad in a gentle white glow, her silver armor glistened from her magic. Her voice was gentle yet piercing as she cried out, raising her illustrious sword-!

But this isn’t that type of story.

This story is about an ordinary girl who’s about to have her whole world changed, literally.

 

The sky above my head was a bright blue as the birds chirped softly around me. My short curly brown locks brushed gently against the wind as my chocolate eyes glittered in the sunlight. My shoes tapped against the concrete as I happily walked over to the little grey house at the street corner. Jiggling the doorknob and pushing the door open I took in a deep breath.

“I’m home!” I yelled throughout the house happily.

I quickly kicked off my shoes by the door and slid into the kitchen.

“How was school Liliya?” My mother asked, chuckling at my excitement.

“Great, now that it’s over.”

“Oh, don’t be like that dear. High school is supposed to be some of the best years of your life.”

Well, I don’t know about that. I thought thinking back to all the high school gossip and drama.

“Maybe,” I muttered back to her. “Anyway, did either of the boys get home yet?”

“Your brothers got home about an hour ago. Currently, they are holed up in their rooms. Would you mind bringing them down for dinner after you get changed?”

“Can do mom!” I waved before I ran up the stairs.

I couldn’t contain my excitement and who could blame me.

“Finally! Summer!” I cried out flopping onto my bed.

“No more homework, no more essays, no more clubs, and no more drama!” I called out before I sighed happily, turning to my bedside desk.

But most importantly, finally some time to write again. I thought with a smile as I gazed at the little brown notebook on the desk.

I had been working on this particular story for over a year now but it was still only bits and pieces of a story. I didn’t even have a title yet.

Even still, it was my pride and joy.

Yes, I’m an author, well an author wannabe, I guess. I have only written a few fanfics before now, but now I’m finally writing my own original story. Pretty neat right?

I would love to have my own story published someday, but for now that is just a dream.

I got up from my bed and quickly changed out of my school uniform before I headed over to my brother’s rooms, and gave them both a swift knock.

“Hey mom’s got dinner ready! Better hurry downstairs or I’ll eat all the dessert!” I teased through the door.

“Ok.”

“Be right there!”

I rolled my eyes at their response, walking down the stairs to be greeted by something golden and fuzzy.

“Murphy! Hi buddy! How’s the puppy doing?” I smiled petting Murphy’s fluffy fur as he panted happily in front of me.

“Liliya if you don’t hurry, you’ll be late for dinner!”

“Then we will eat all the dessert!” My brothers yelled as they ran past me.

“Hey!”

All three of us ran into the kitchen as mom and dad finished setting the table, Murphy chasing happily after us wanting to be part of the action.

“What have I told you about running in the house?”

“Sorry mom,” We apologized as we sat at the table.

“Thank you for the food!” We blessed before we dove in.

Dinner was amazing as usual, mom and dad are excellent cooks after all, not gourmet, but excellent all the same.

“Liliya, have you thought about what you would like to do after high school?”

I looked up at my mother at the sudden question and smiled, “I would like to become an author!”

“Hold on, haven’t you been working on that book of yours for over a year now? How are you going to become an author without a book?” My brother spoke up.

“Now, now, as long as it pays the bills, she can be whatever she likes,” Mom defended.

“That’s not what I meant. Liliya, you tend to overthink things a bit too much. Just let the story write itself, otherwise you may never finish it.”

Mom sighed at my brother before she smiled back to me, “No matter what you decide Liliya, know we will support you fully.”

“Thanks mom,” I smiled.

That same night I lie awake, pondering over the book in front of me.

The plot is… they need to- no. How about-ugh.

I sighed within my sea of thoughts, closing the book and falling into bed, shutting the light off.

“Liliya, just let the story write itself.”

“Whatever, I’ll work on it more tomorrow. I’ve got all summer. I’ll have it finished in no time,” I muttered before I fell asleep.

Unfortunately for me, time passed more quickly than I expected, and soon enough, a week passed, then a month, then it was the last night of summer break. And I still hadn’t made hardly any progress on my story.

“Ugh!” I groaned smacking my head against the desk.

I lifted my head and glanced down at the little brown notebook. I just couldn’t figure out this story. My characters were unique and interesting, and I even had some decent worldbuilding down, but the story had no plot, no drive! No way to keep the readers engaged! Like a compelling villain or anything! It was so- so frustrating!

I sighed staring at the notebook now in my hands. Maybe I need to be realistic. I’m never going to finish this story.

I stood up from my seat, tossing the notebook into my bedside trash bin.

 “Maybe I’ll start from scratch in a few months,” I mumbled depressingly before I drifted off to sleep.

 

Something tickled my face. No, not just my face. What is that? Since when did my bed become so ticklish?! And why is the sun so bright?

I opened my eyes not to the sight of my bedroom but to the sight of a woodland forest. The trees were knotted and twisted and covered in mosses of a variety of different colors. Fruits familiar and unfamiliar grew from the tree’s branches, some even with odd patterns.

“No way...”

Bushes left and right looked both calm and absurd alongside the grasses varying in shades from green to yellow.

“You’ve got to be kidding…”

Stones and ancient looking ruins protruded from the grass and its surroundings, piercing the earth. The sounds coming from the forest were foreign to my ears as the situation I found myself in finally settled in.

“I’ve been reincarnated into a fantasy world?!”