The Grinch X OC: A Human Visitor

Chapter 5: Official Home?

With a slam, the door that led to The Grinch's cave was closed, and a body slumped over itself in exhaustion.

It took her a while, but Brittany finally made it to the front door that led into The Grinch's cave with her new bed tucked under an arm.

She worked to the soft melodies of Whoville's citizens, but the hopeful music didn't convey how she felt. The harsh chills only drove her to work harder, and the promise of hypothermia if she stayed out any longer prompted her to haul the damn thing up the small hill with a strength she didn't know she had.

So, the girl stood there for a moment to gather her wits, hands on her knees for support and the mattress lying on the stone floor.

While the girl tried to pull herself back into the land of the living with nothing but pure willpower, she took the time to inspect her new bed for the first time.

The mattress wasn't queen sized, but it wasn't too small either. She'd be able to fit, fortunately. However, the brunette wasn't very fond of the rips and tears littering the fabric, or the yellow discoloration, signifying old age.

Brittany grimaced. This was disgusting. She still couldn't believe that she really just sorted through a pile of garbage. That in itself was a hell ride, but the thought of her sleeping on the monstrosity she just dragged back was even more gag-inducing.

Still, the girl didn't have agoraphobia or anything like that, but she did cringe at germs slightly more than the average person. She could only imagine how being thrust into a new lifestyle full of...filth, would affect her. Not very well, she presumed.

Ah, but addressing that would come later, as now was the time to calm her jack-hammer-like shivering by throwing on as many layers on at once. Where did her suitcase go...? And her backpack?

Temporarily leaving the mattress behind, the human began to trudge forward. The patter of paw-steps piqued her attention, and she turned her head to see Max loping towards her, tongue lolling out in a happy pant. Brittany smiled through her shaking and reached down to stroke the dog's head. He yipped, tail lashing about behind him.

"Hey buddy," she croaked out, and the canine stopped for a moment at her uneasy tone. His head cocked to one side as she spoke.

"Yeah, I look terrible, don't I? You can thank your owner for that. Made me fish my own bed out of trash in this!" She gestured to her attire, and Max whined. "I know, it sucks. Do you know where my suitcase is? I have clothes in there that can keep me warm."

With a harsh bark, Max took off running down a rocky pathway, and Brittany almost choked on air when he nodded. Wow, a dog that could understand English. That would take some getting used to.

Now that she thought about it, if Max could comprehend higher sentient beings, could other animals in this world understand as he did too? What did the other animals even look like? Maybe she didn't have to know, now that she thought about it. Perhaps all she'd have to do is skim through a Dr. Seuss book. Did they offer those in this world? Or did they have ordinary books (as ordinary as they could be for Whoville)?

The young woman let her feet move on their own accord after Max, mind stuck in the wonderments of this universe. She analyzed every contraption that came into view, and if it wasn't for the numbing excitement (or was that numbing sensation from the oncoming hypothermia?) rushing through her, she might have just shaken her head at this entire situation. It suddenly occurred to the girl that because she had been so preoccupied - from scaling a mountain to begging the Grinch not to be thrown out in the cold, to digging a beaten up, good for nothing mattress out of a pile of garbage - she never stopped to think about how amazing this was! When she returns home - if she ever returns home (that sent a shiver down her spine) - what would her family say? Her peers? NASA? How would she even present her case to NASA?
'Oh hey guys, sorry I wasn't able to come to work. I was busy being transported to Whoville by a portal of sorts and ruining and saving Christmas with my roomie The Grinch. I still have that internship, right? Won't happen again!'