Crown of Sunlight

Chapter 3

"Son of a bitch," Jo heard, along with a string of other colorful words as her hearing and sight began to return. Sharp blades of grass brushed along her fingertips and the smell of pollen reached her nose. She sat up slowly, rubbing the back of her head. It felt like she'd been punched by a prizefighter. The last thing she remembered was getting McDonald's and heading back to work.

Sunny sat up as well, groaning another curse. She had quite the vocabulary. She shook her head, blonde hair flying free from its bun in a tangled mess. Abruptly she stopped, and her blue eyes grew huge as she looked around. "Jo..."

Jo followed her line of sight and knew she must be dreaming as she took in what was in front of her, no, all around her. They were in a forest, but it was unlike any forest she had seen before, at least in central Ohio. The trees around them had smooth, almost coppery bark and leaves that were so bright green they shone like emeralds. The ground was covered in patches of spring grass, which made her take note of the temperature. It was much warmer here than it had been back home, and she was starting to sweat in her jacket. They definitely weren't in the same state. Jo wasn't sure they were even in America. There was something about the smell of the air and the color of the sky. It was... off, somehow. Different, but only slightly, like one of those hyper-realistic dreams. The trees went on as far as Jo could see, with no sign of civilization in sight.

A grey streak in the sky drew her attention. Was it a bird? A plane? Before she could decide, it had flown beyond the clouds and out of sight.

"Um, Sunny?" she asked, her voice abnormally high. Knowing what she needed, Sunny grabbed Jo's hand in hers and held tight. Proof that she was real. Proof that she was there.

This is not Earth, Jo thought.

"Don't be silly, Jo. Where else would we be?" Sunny answered, her voice shaky. Jo hadn't thought she spoke out loud. But she wasn't sure she believed her sister. She didn't know how she knew they were somewhere else, but she did.

Reality hit like a wrecking ball. She had no idea where she and her sister were, or how they had gotten there. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and her heart felt like it would burst from her chest, it was beating so fast. Jo was trembling and, when she looked over at Sunny, she noticed that her sister was as well. Jo squeezed her sister's hand tighter, a reminder that they were together.

"It's okay. It's going to be okay," Sunny said, only slightly hysterical. Jo knew Sunny was just saying it for her benefit. The terrified look on her face proved that she didn't believe a thing she was saying. Jo didn't blame her—she didn't believe Sunny, either.

They both stood on shaky knees and walked over to study one of the trees. What Jo had thought looked coppery before now shone like bright amber. She reached out to touch it, and her fingers came away sticky. Tree sap. She almost laughed at how unexpectedly normal it was. But she couldn't shake the persistent feeling that something was very wrong. She felt an urgency, but why, she couldn't explain.

Probably my fight or flight instincts, she thought. But there isn't anything to fight.

Is there?

The moment the thought flashed through her mind, she heard a twig snap behind her. Jo and her sister whirled around, hearts pounding, to see four men emerge from the surrounding trees. The men wore some type of black uniform made from thick, sturdy material. Their heads were covered in sleek helmets, their faces obscured by tinted visors. But what drew Jo's attention was the weapons that glinted at their sides. Each of them had a sword strapped to one hip and some sort of strange gun holstered at the other.

Despite their obvious weaponry, they held their hands up, as if to show they meant no harm.

She and Sunny backed closer together, eyes never leaving the men in front of them.