The Swan | A KotLC Fanfiction

chapter one

Something warm and wet pressed up against my face. Reflexively, I shoved the creature away, my eyes snapping open. Cool metal pressed against my hands.

I squinted in the dim lighting. I was sitting in the equivalent of a metal coffin in a mostly featureless room. There was a desk with several folders on top, and a stack of non-perishable food next to it. A little farther to the side was a floor-length mirror.

Something whimpered and I leaned forward. A small Border Collie with black and white fur blinked up at me with bright blue eyes. I mentally slapped myself. I just threw a dog. What was wrong with me?

I sighed and slowly climbed out, taking my time to get used to walking. My joints were stiff and it took a while to get the blood flowing again.

Everything in the room seemed to be covered with an inch of dust. The floor, the desk, the food, the mirror. It was all buried under it. Apart from the dog, it was clear no one had been here for a while.

I shuffled over to the mirror, stifling a yawn. The dog was hiding under the desk; I wasn't going to risk getting bit right now. If the rest of the room was in disrepair, I probably was too. I needed to get an idea of how bad I was, though.

My hair was a dull black and almost waist-length; snarls and knots were everywhere. It would definitely take hours to comb it all out, if I could find a comb. My skin was unusually pale, almost bleached white. Probably because I'd been stuck in that metal coffin for who knows how long.

I was wearing a long white gown, like the kind you'd find on hospital patients. The fabric scratched at my bare legs. I definitely needed to find something for me to change into before I went anywhere.

The only thing that seemed untouched were my eyes. They were cornflower blue, leaning a little bit more grey than blue. My eyes were bright, full of like, something that this room was lacking. There was a story behind them, something that I didn't know. I needed to find out.

Something wet nudged my nose and I stifled a scream. When I looked down, though, it was only the dog. Clearly, he'd decided I wasn't so bad after all. That, or he was planning to bite me once I leaned down. I regarded him suspiciously.

Finally, cautiously, I crouched down so I was eye level with the dog. His tail wagged a little as I gently stroked the fur on his head. "Good boy," I whispered, then winced. My voice sounded horrible, like I was choking on something.

A gleam of metal caught my eye. I carefully felt through the dog's fur until I felt a piece of fabric. Rotating it, I found a metal tag. Ace, a good boy was all it said. When I flipped it over, there was nothing. No address, no phone number, nada.

"Well," I said softly. "I guess you're mine now, huh, Ace?"

The dog wagged his tail and let out a loud bark.

I stood up and moved to the desk. There were two cardboard boxes underneath; I easily pulled them out and set them on the chair. One of them was labeled CLOTHES and the other was labeled EXTRA INFORMATION. The information could wait for later; I wanted to get out of this stupid gown.

Inside the box, the clothes were mostly untouched, aside from a faint covering of dust. I beat it out, then changed into them. There was a garnet red tunic that reached halfway down my thighs, plain black leggings, a pair of grey socks, and black boots. Everything fit me perfectly, which I found slightly disturbing.

Before looking at the extra information, I turned to the files on the desk. I picked up the top one; it was labeled THE SWAN. Wonder what that is, I thought. Only one way to find out, I guess. I flicked it open.