Hiraeth: Blackout (I)

Chapter Three

The tan colors of the portal shifted into purple. I was soon standing atop an empty stairway leading to a dimly-lit hall, one I was familiar with.

I slowly, quietly, went down the steps and looked around the corner. The corridors were empty. It was completely silent, other than the soft sound of activity on the floor above. I breathed a sigh of relief and found my dorm quickly, but couldn't get inside because - surprise surprise - I'd lost my key.

I leaned against the wall in defeat, letting out a long, frustrated sigh.

It was then that another sigh sounded from not so far away.

I shot up and whirled to my left where it had come from. There, a few feet from me, stood a girl with pasty skin, a soft figure, and short, black, stick-straight hair. She wore a dark lavender shirt dress and black flats.

"Sorry if I scared you," the girl said with a giggle, pale lavender eyes looking me up and down. "Just headed back from my dorm."

I shrugged my nerves off and managed a smile. "N-N-No problem."

The girl returned my smile, muttering, "No point in going all the way back to lunch. Mind if I hang with you for a second?"

I shrugged.

"What's your name?"

"Micha-" I paused. Karter's got me using my full name. "Mike," I corrected.

"Pleasure to meet you, Micha-Mike! My name is Bexley." She paused and offered me her hand. "Bexley Bancroft."

We shook (which made me feel kind of professional) and Bexley motioned for me to walk with her. I followed, figuring that it'd be nice to calm down with some company for once. The bell still hadn't rung, and I wouldn't be late so long as I kept the portal in close proximity.

"What's your story?" Bexley asked me, taking something out of her small lavender backpack. It was a container with a slice of some type of baked good. The treat was yellow with swirls of chocolate inside fluffy cake and white frosting.

"W-What d-d-do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean... how'd you get here at SAM High? Where are you from? What's your species?" Bexley replied.

She took out two small napkins from her bag, then wrapped half the cake in one of them and handed it to me.

"Y-You sure? You don't have to share!" I stuttered.

Bexley giggled again. "It's from my masters' baking course, I just had it. I took the beginner's class last year, so we got right to baking to-Day! Lucky, huh? I knew I wouldn't be able to finish it all by myself."

"T-Thank you." In all the chaos at the courtyard, I hadn't finished my lunch. I was grateful.

I bit in and my taste buds were immediately swarmed with delicate flavors of lemon, vanilla, chocolate, and cream. The cake was the perfect balance of dry and moist, fluff and frosting.

"Thank you very much!" I exclaimed, warfing down the next bite.

Bexley laughed and started eating hers. "Not too shabby."

We walked in silence until I finished the dessert. I threw the trash away and gave the fork back to Bexley, who asked, "So... about my question?"

"Oh! S-Sorry, that cake was so good I almost forgot," I said nervously. "... I don't know if you heard, but... I-I'm the one who blacked out... Wondryn."

Bexley gasped. "That's why you looked so familiar! I've seen you on the news."

Of course you have.