TWST'D: Keys to the Future

Story Dressing for the Salad called Lore pt. 2

She ran across dozens and dozens of classrooms, courtyards and alleyways, nearly bumping into a few students just to make sure she didn't get caught by the murderous racoon creature.

She felt the now smoldering spot where the fire hit the top of her head and growled at the bare scalp that she felt instead of her usually thick, soft tuft of hair.

She had to adjust her glasses each time she turned as she didn't want them to fall off and risk losing her vision along with the addition of ending up in a strangely familiar place.

"Come back here!" Grim's shrill voice wasn't far behind her, and soon the searing heat returned, one fire blast almost touching her ear, another was about to claim her leg had she not thought to move it.

A few people in uniforms different from the robes she wore (students?) looked on and dodged the fireballs in horror as they gawked.

As she saw a pair of folks carrying a cart of books, she threw some at Grim in an attempt to slow his chase.

True to his small frame, he nimbly dodged them all, jumping and ducking while the few unlucky students and faculty had to deal with a book being flung at his face or other unfortunate places.

She yelped as he increased speed, to which she jumped over the rest of the books, while Grim just burned the bookshelf to ashes, much to the panic and dismay of the holders and the onlookers.

Without a second thought she would throw various random objects at Grim, to which he would dodge with ease.

"Hmph, your aim sucks! Maybe you need new glasses, huh, four-eyes?!" he mocked as he sent fireballs her way, to which she narrowly dodged.

One managed to hit the bottom of her robe, and she skittishly patted it down as other flames went her way.

She saw a globe and a bottle of glittering liquid and grabbed them without thought.

She threw the globe at Grim, and he dodged- but this time, she was prepared for that as she opened the bottle and threw the glistening liquid at him.

He paused and examined the strange liquid.

"Huh?"

He then regained his air of smugness.

"Look, human! Your stupid tricks can't touch me, or did you not learn that by-"

Inch by inch, his movements began to stiffen.

"Wait... what's goin' on?"

Realization then panic lined his features as his limbs were entrapped by the stickying liquid.

"Ugh! I'll just..."

He attempted to burn the liquid away, but it had no effect, which caused him to panic even more.

"What the hell did you do to me?!" He yelled as he couldn't move his legs or tail.

Using this opportunity, she turned and ran without a second thought, moving further throughout the building until she landed outside, where few students were around.

She used this time to catch her breath, collapsing on the walkway.

As she calmed herself, she replayed the events of today in her head:

She dreamt of a shadow talking about flowers of evil, then woke up to a talking animal who wanted her clothes, only for said animal to attempt to murder her via fire, like a medieval judge trying to kill a gypsy for refusing his advances.

Was all of this a dream?

She pondered the thought for a moment before wincing at the dull ache from where Grim managed to burn her head and the bottom portion of her robe where the glistening gold was reduced to an ugly rusty brown-black.

None of that felt imaginary at all.

She can still feel the pain and fear in her heart, the aches in her head and legs, and her heavy breathing hitting her lungs.

The nighttime wind blowing at her face, the soft glow of the moon, the warmth of her robe...all of that felt very real.

She wasn't sure if she'd even be able to tell if she had been dreaming or not, so this whole experience was new to her.

All she knew was that this place was strange, even a little dangerous.

But another thing tugged at her too, a feeling that had been growing since the moment she woke up:

Excitement.

Yes, as afraid and confused as she was in regards to being chased around a strange place, she couldn't help but wonder about the why's and hows of such a place.

Why the coffins can float in midair without so much as a problem.

How that glistening liquid was able to harden like cement.

Why she was here in the first place.

It felt like the start of an amazing adventure, and while she wasn't prepared for the ride, she was very much anticipating it.

A grin tugged at the corner of her mouth as she stared out at the sky, students flying together on their brooms beneath the glow of the full moon.

It looked breathtaking.

Maybe she should just stay here and enjoy the scenery?

The shadow of the trees created a nice frame for the sky, and the moon was a wonderful centerpiece.

If only she had a camera-

FWOOSH!!

She felt it before she heard it.

It was hot, and easily whizzed past her head, something blue.

The joy and excitement she had nearly crumbled as the realization came to her as fast as that fireball and she turned to meet eye to blue eye to him.

Grim laughed like a super villain as he put his paws on his hips, his fur looking completely soaked.

This didn't look like the stuff she poured on him; in fact, some of it was still dripping off of his "elbow".