Meanwhile.... Pt. 1

Waking up in a different world was difficult for many a main character to process. Jim was no main character, and this was certainly not a book. He was an average guy that did average guy things. He owned a small cookie-cutter home, worked average hours, and did average things. Jim even did his part to minimize his carbon footprint by taking the train to and from work. A good day involved working quietly and efficiently while avoiding office-fueled drama. After Jim clocked out at five pm, he'd take the train back and enjoy a nice dinner at the local cafe. Blackberry cobbler always held a special place in his heart.

However, for all his average Jim-ness, this did not prepare him for his new reality. In fact, Jim idly wondered if he was dead or if this was a nightmare. Did he have some sort of medical hiccup and was now unconscious? Maybe this was a dream? The last thing Jim remembered was that he'd taken a trip out of the city on a quest to find the perfect gifts for his twin nieces' twelfth birthday. The twins loved all things fantasy, from unicorns to monsters. All of it. So, Jim had done his research.

Dragon's Hoard "specialized in the fantastical," and had been in the O'Sidhe family a long, long time. Plenty of stories surrounded the centuries-old shop. Many believed the old stone and moss cottage-turned business sat on a crossing of ley lines, a place of magic with whispers of fey picking up travelers they'd taken a liking to.

It was a bright day when Jim made the trip just three hours out of the city. The drive had been just what he needed after a rather tiresome week. Peaceful with little to no traffic and stunning hills covered in rolling autumn forests. When he arrived, Jim had to stop at the wonder of it. Stone and moss, with ivy lazily crawling up the left corner and across the top of an old wooden door. It looked like a painting. One that had Jim snapping a few quick pictures to share. He definitely needed to bring Seren and Tesni here. They'd go nuts over the fantasy aesthetic that the O'Sidhes had carefully cultivated.

The interior was just as magical as the outside. There was a charming mixture of stone and wood combined with an obvious love for all things fantasy, from druidic tomes to small offerings for the fey, as the shopkeeper put it, that graced deep windowsills. There was even a comfy sofa-couch set placed in front of an oversized fireplace in the corner for guests to enjoy one of the many scrumptious fey-inspired milk and honey treats.

As amazing as it had been, Jim was a bit concerned. Did he have a reaction to something in the food? He wasn't aware of any allergies, so maybe it was something else? Where did he collapse? In the store? Outside? Did he make it to his car? What if he'd passed out in his car? He felt like he was somewhere between wakefulness and a deep sleep.

That's... A disconcerting thought, as Dragon's Hoard was quite a distance from the city and he'd visited during a lull in business hours. Jim had been the only customer in the shop. Not that he minded. It'd been nice to wander around checking everything out without having to thread his way through a crowd. He'd enjoyed looking through all the knick-knacks and hand-bound books. Some waited for stories, while others detailed a myriad of topics, from herbs to faux spells, even various mythologies of monstrous creatures.

Jim drifted lost somewhere in the shadows of the sleepscape until a light appeared. He floated over, curious what it could be. It was nothing but a large rectangular doorway of light. Jim's hand almost touched it before he slapped it down with his other hand. No. This, this is what you don't do when glowing doors of light appeared. In fact, one should go the other way. Jim hesitated, though. This was nothing but a dream. Right? So what is wrong with stepping out of the box in his dreams? Reaching for more than the average? Jim squared his shoulders, touched the light, and everything went dark.

He blinked once, and the next thing he knew, he was in a park. It was nice. He didn't know what any of the flowers that were being grown, but they were definitely blue ribbon-winners, given their unusually large size. Huh. On a bench nearby there was a red-cloaked figure sitting next to a... Jim's brain crashed. There was a dinosaur. A T-Rex, to be exact. It was green, scaley, with a swirling pattern on its gently waving tail. A Tyrannosaurus Rex. King of the Lizards. Fearsome predator of the prehistoric ages. Sitting in front of him. On a park bench and the little hooded figure was kicking their legs back and forth like it was nothing.

The duo looked up at him. The red cloak fell back enough to reveal a dark mist with brightly glowing blue eyes. One of its oversized red sleeves lifted and waved in hello while the T-Rex nodded at him. Jim stared aghast, but quickly straightened his collared shirt and brushed a hand across his neatly pressed khakis. He ran a hand over his hair, making sure he was presentable, and did what any sensible person would do. He screamed and ran away or at least tried to. The red cloaked figure stuck out a leg as he passed and Jim went flying. He fell down down down until he struck water and everything disappearred.