Chapter 4 Waking up in a New World
~Dani~
It was nearly evening when Dani heard a knock on the door, she stood up and went to it.
"Dani" Katherine said as she walked in, she wore a short shiny black gown.
"Hi, it's been a long time. Happy birthday." Dani said as she welcomed her inside, Katherine sat on one of the sofas while Dani sat on the big couch opposite her.
"Thanks. Hey, Kate told me she got engaged. Such a pity that I just found a boyfriend" Katherine said looking neither disappointed nor jealous.
"Yeah, it happened yesterday" Dani replied. Katherine is Kate's twin sister and they look alike a lot but they behave differently, though having good conduct. Dani observed Katherine being the social type, while Kate was the suffer in silence type because she rarely talk to people only if it's something she needs to talk about.
And again Dani could only nod, laugh and exclaim at Katherine's chatting. She was talking non stop almost giving Dani an headache.
" I thought you said we were hanging out this evening" Dani said to stop her from advancing in her speech.
" Oh yeah, I forgot. You should quickly get dressed, now." Katherine said, while Dani lazily stood up and headed to her room to get changed.
Few minutes later, Dani walked into the living room wearing a deep brown long sleeve gown with glitters.
"Wow you look stunning my dear friend. But do you think you won't catch those guys attention by wearing such a non attractive dress with how naturally beautiful you look.
"Whatever, let's get going." Dani could only sigh.
"Okay" Katherine answered. And with that the ladies left the apartment.
In the garage, they were walking to Katherine's car when Dani immediately felt a pang on her wrist suddenly causing her to halt.
"Ouch" Dani winced.
" What is it, is everything okay?" Katherine walked closer to her friend to check if she was alright.
"I-I'm fine" Dani replied.
" No you are not, you look pale. How come, you looked just fine when we left your apartment. What is wrong, are you okay. And why are you holding your wrist, did you get injured there" Katherine blurted, Dani saw the worrisome look on her face.
She just realized that she was holding her wrist, right! she felt a pain there. When she saw the tattoo again she frowned.
"This tattoo" Dani whispered, looking down at her wrist.
"Which tattoo, I don't see any tattoo on you. Are you sure you are okay?" Katherine asked, Dani felt so weak and confused. Every word Katherine said echoed repeatedly in her ears. She suddenly felt numb and fell on the ground before she was unconscious and blacked out.
~~
~~
In a deep greeny forest
Dani found herself lying on a green grass, the sun shone brightly on her face making her to lift up her hand to stop the rays from blinding her vision. She stood up ignoring her head that was throbbing in pain.
"You should not worry about a thing just go with the flow" Dani heard a voice, she turned back and saw a blonde boy standing there smiling as always.
"Heanad!" Dani said looking at the boy, he looked cool in native clothes.
"It's me" He answered.
"What's all this, why am I here again, why are you here, what's happening, where am I" Dani had so many questions in her mind that she could not even put in words.
"As I said, go with the flow. Remember I told you that you are being replaced." Heanad replied.
"Go with the flow, w-what, h-how. I am being replaced by who" Dani asked looking confused.
"Calm down, you are replaced by someone in this time. So she is in the future, where you live." Heanad said.
"Future!, by who" Dani asked
"The princess of the human empire, she went to the future for some unknown but important reason. And now she represents you there, and you represents her here. And the reason she chose you to represent her is because you both look alike" Heanad explained. Dani somehow understood what the whole drama meant now, so time traveling is real uhn!, Dani thought. But when her mind drifted to her family and her occupation, she panicked
"But how will she manage, I mean my family, my work, my friends" Dani said.
"Don't worry, the princess is a genius" Heanad assured.
"What do I do now, wait until she is done with her unknown mission" Dani asked.
"Yes, something like that but you will also act as her. And for the switch it might take some years" Heanad said.
"Some years!!" Dani eyes widened.
"You don't have to worry about a thing. The princess told me to tell you that she promise to pay you back with something when you return to the future." Heanad assured her again and Dani could only sigh in disbelief, how will someone she barely know replace her, and pay her back, with what?.
"Okay I get it, I hope everything goes smoothly. Wait you said she is a princess, so I will have to act as one" Dani asked, now she was having a one sided smile.
"No you will act like her, Princess Ella never liked being a princess because she does not have freedom. But the real thing is, she went missing after her engagement party with an unknown man." Heanad said. Dani could only accept her fate and help the princess who asked for her help without her consent by replacing her, so she would be bounded in this dream they called time till she return. Dani somehow felt that the princess and her were the same, they both craved for freedom. So she as to sacrifice her freedom for some time for the princess freedom.
"So I will have to pretend like I had a memory loss when they find me. And I would go with the flow" Dani said after thinking for a while.
"Exactly, wow you are a genius" Heanad said
"Okay, but how will I believe that all this is true" Dani asked.
"This place is an evidence" Heanad replied and Dani nod.
"How come you know about all this" Dani asked the boy.
"I am a witch in the princess's aid since the time she possessed some powers" Heanad replied.
"Powers!, what powers" Dani asked.
"I am sorry but the princess told me not to tell anyone about it, since no one knows about it, not even her family. And no one knows about this switch as well excluding the three of us" Heanad said
"How old are you" Dani didn't not even know how the word came out of her mouth, because she as been craving to ask him.
"Four hundred years" Heanad replied causing Dani to gape at his answer.
"I can become as old as the age I want to be, but we witches do not age including the vampires and the werewolves. Or do you want me to show my real appearance" Heanad asked.
"No, no need" Dani stopped him.
'So there are such creatures in this world I am about to live in' Dani thought.
"Okay I think I have told you all the necessary things" Heanad said.
"Wait, how will I know when she is done in the,err, future" Dani asked.
"I would inform you and you will wake up in your world" Heanad said
"So I wouldn't get to see her" Dani asked.
"If you both see each other, you will be bounded here forever, it's an abomination for the two of you to see each other. It is the consequence of the time traveling spell." Heanad explained, and Dani could only nod.
"I have to leave, see you soon" Heanad said and disappeared into the thin air as if he was part of it.
Dani wanted to ask him about the man she saw last night but he was already gone.
'Go with the flow, walk around until they find you' Dani kept repeating to her self as she walked deep into the woods.