Chapter Text
She never felt so alone as when she was surrounded by crowds of people.
Trying to navigate it all was tiring. She tried her best to get through without having a nervous breakdown, just wanting to find a part of the beach that wasn't overrun. Probably should have known better than to come here a day like today.
Then she saw it. As she remembered later, she found it strange that nobody else had seen it. A glass bottle with a strange rainbow tint to the glass. Perhaps it was a trick by the sunshine, but she'd never seen glass looking quite like that. She crouched down to take a closer look. Once she touched it the glass seemed to sparkle under her fingers, like it recognized her touch. Remarkable.
The bottle was partly buried in the wet sand at the waterline. She pulled it out and the sand dissolved easily as the water rinsed it away. It looked like an ordinary bottle in shape and size, only the rainbow sparkle indicated something unique. And she loved unique things; they intrigued her to no end.
What's even more intriguing was the silhouette of a paper note inside it. She opened the bottle with a growing sense of anticipation and fished the paper out. It felt strange to the touch. She wondered what kind of paper had been used. It seemed foreign; something about the texture...
The letters, in black ink, were intricate and perfectly shaped. She should have wondered about the fact that they were written in ink, when everybody nowadays only used ballpens and the like, but it only added to her excitement. There was an almost indescernable green gloss to the black when the sunlight fell just right.
Only one sentence was written on the bottled note: "I’m so sorry to have done this to you."
She looked up, suddenly aware of the eerie silence that filled the air. The waves were lazily lapping at the sand as before, the sun and the sky were unchanged, but the beach around her, that had just moments ago been filled with people, was now empty as far as the eye could see.
She looked down at the bottle, at the note, read it again, turned it over. The back was blank. She turned in all directions but there was nothing to be seen except the beach itself. Everything was the same, only the people... any sign of human presence... were gone. Not even a towel or a piece of trash was left behind.
Am I going nuts?
Next thought was that she had been drugged. When was the last time she ate or drank anything? But the thought that someone would break into her home just to lace her food didn't make any sense whatsoever. Gas? Was she actually home in bed, just dreaming about the trip to the beach? It sure would explain it, but it didn't feel like a dream. Not even close.
She started walking. A sense of dread was creeping up on her and she focused on other things to keep it in control. The sand beneath her feet, the rough grass on the hill she passed, the fabric of her longshirt as it hung loosely around her form.
Focus on the physical, focus on what's real.
She walked for a long time, it felt, before she found something resembling human life. It looked like a man, sitting in front of a houselike structure. It was small and inconspicuous and seemed to melt into the background. It was only when she came close she actually saw it. The man stood out in the deserted world, seemingly lost in his own thoughts as his eyes were fixed on the sea. His long black hair was moving slightly in the wind, framing sharp features and high cheekbones. It was only when she was a few steps away that he turned to face her.
"So here you are," he said.
"Here I am," she answered, waiting to see if he would clarify his cryptic statement.
His gaze travelled briefly over her person, not indicating whether he was pleased or disappointed to see her. There was nothing familar about his features; she was sure she'd never encountered him before. So why did he sound like he'd expected her to show?
"I don't know if you noticed, but a lot of people suddenly disappeared on me," she said when he didn't show any sign of continuing.
"They didn't disappear, you did."
"Okay... Care to explain what that means?
Just play along. I want to see what he says. This is all so fucked up anyway.
He stood up, turning out to be considerably tall and slender in build. He wore a loose green tunic with gold details and black leggings. Not a way most guys dressed where she came from.
"It means I stole you away from your world," he said, sounding calm and completely serious. "You're in an... alternate dimension that exists beside your own."
"Okay..." She waited, wondering if he would say more or if she had to formulate a question that levelled his words in absurdity.
"Don't believe me?" he said, smiling slightly. "Feel free to explore! You will find that there's noone here except us. Unless you count the wildlife, of course."
She considered it, but wanted more out of this encounter first. If she left and came back he might be gone and she would have missed an opportunity. Not that she could trust everything out of this man's mouth, but it was still a chance to learn something.
"And why would you 'steal me away' as you call it?"
"I'm tired of being alone," he said, looking at the sea again. "The borders are thin at times; I can... observe what happens on your side, even if I cannot enter. You come often."
It was true. She did visit the beach several times a week, but usually when it was more or less empty.
"So you've been watching me."
"Sensed you, rather. I didn't see your physical form until now."
"Sorry if it disappoints you," she said sarcastically.
He looked at her again.
"I care little what you look like. It's your mind I'm interested in."
Somehow that sounded even creepier than the fact that she'd been watched. She also noticed the unusual, slightly old-fashioned way in which he talked. It seemed natural to him, not like he was acting or trying to impress her.
"Who are you?" she asked, both wary and intrigued.
"Does it matter?" He made a brief smile, more like a twitch of the mouth really. "I'm someone who's fated to remain in this place and I have decided I will no longer be alone."
"Of course it matters." She was sure to keep her distance, but he hadn't made any attempts at touching her yet. She wondered how fast he was if she needed to run. "You talk about kidnapping me because you want company. The least you can do is tell me who you are."
"You will find out eventually," he said quietly and sat down on a thick length of wood that seemed to serve as a bench. "Please take a seat," he said and indicated the free space beside him.
She didn't move.
"I will not grab you, if that is what you fear." His voice sounded slightly exasperated. "There is no need, and I don't wish to intimidate you."
Well, that sounded nice and all but she was not going to take his word for it.
"Why should I believe anything you say?"
"Do you have a better explanation for how you ended up here? For how all those other people could so suddenly disappear? You're free to believe as you wish; it will not matter in the end."
Good point. It was just too... supernatural. She couldn't explain how everyone around her could vanish so completely in the mere minute she took her eyes of them. It was physically impossible. The only explanation was that it was a dream, and then her actions, and the risks, didn't really matter.
She went to sit next to him, but with some space in between. He did seem disturbingly real. She considered touching him just to check, but decided against it for now.
He looked amused.
Leaning forward he rested his forearms on his knees.
"I enchanted an object," he said, "so when you interacted with it you would be pulled through the barrier into this world. It took quite some effort. I had to make it just right, every detail... had to be perfect for it to work satisfactory."
"Enchanted?"
"It needed to be attuned to you specifically, so to catch your attention and connect with your touch. Then it needed to pull you in, intellectually and emotionally. I'm quite proud of it; magic is a true work of art at times."
She took the note out of her pocket.
"So you wrote this?"
"It's a vessel for the enchantment. Yes."
This was getting further and further from the reality she knew. She read the note again, touched the writing with her fingertips like it could reveal the answers she was looking for.
"So how come you know how to do magic stuff?" she asked. Who are you?"
He sighed, sounding impatient.
"It makes little sense to tell you now. I know magic because I was taught from a young age."
Something about his demeanor warned her from asking more in that direction.
"So what do you want with me?" she tried instead. "What am I supposed to do? Entertain you?"
He moistened his lips.
"I don't expect much in the way of stimulating conversation, since you're a mortal. I merely want... your presence. Your voice, your thoughts. Your company in any way you choose to present it."
"But why me? There were plenty of people on that beach, why pick me?"
"Because I could sense you. There is something about your mind that's easier for me to connect with. It would not have been possible to pull you in otherwise."
She looked down on her feet. She had always felt different, but this... this was beyond weird.
"But I... Can I go back? Or are you going to keep me here?"
"There is no way back," he said. "Once you cross over you're bound to stay." He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world, and nothing to be upset about.
"You pull me into another dimension and tell me I'm trapped here? What the f...?"
He reached out, incredibly fast, and captured her chin between his fingers.
"Yes, you are trapped. I suggest you make the best of it." There was a malicious glimt in his eye, contrasting to his previous calm behaviour, and his voice had a sudden sharpness to it. "I don't have patience for childish games," he said. "The sooner you accept your situation the easier it will be for you."
"Fuck you!"
He laughed, but the amusement didn't reach his eyes. The grip on her chin loosened and he withdrew his hand.
"Feel free to explore. I will be here when you come back." He stood and went into the house without another look in her direction.
She walked back to the road, but had a heavy feeling that this wasn't going to end well. She'd had lucid dreams before. This felt nothing like it. It was all too real, including his hard fingers on her face. She wondered if they would leave marks. What do you do when your whole reality is turned upside down?
The road was gone. So was the parking lot and the wooden building that had been standing next to it. All signs of human presence were gone like they'd never been there. Another dimension... She touched a tree. Nature, at least, seemed the same.
She walked slowly, needing time to think. If this was another... world entirely, what was he doing here? So desperate for company he kidnapped someone from the other side. He'd been willing enough to explain how she got here, but refused to reveal who he was. How did that make any sense?
The sea came into view again. So did the house, or whatever to call it. The stranger, dangerous as he might be, was her only lead to an answer. She realized one thing; if he was so set on keeping her here he had no reason to tell her how to get back. It was perfectly possible that a way existed.