Chapter One.

Krista?" I heard a voice all out to me. My eyes darted from side to side in the thick of the surrounding darkness. The voice rang through the pitch and seemed to reverberate back to where I was, though I couldn't see myself. It sounded close, almost as if it were talking to me in my ear; but I couldn't place who's it was. My brain struggled with my body as it will my limbs to move, even a fraction of an inch, but to no avail. My body felt as if it were cast in concrete; I saw nothing but darkness, and felt nothing at all. "Krista," The voice whispered. "I'm so sorry," then it faded away leaving me to suffocate in the thick of the pitch black abyss that engulfed me.
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Flashing light. Deafening roar. A pained scream... I awoke with a start, breathing heavily and clutching my stomach. My heart was beating rapidly and my left hand flew up to place itself over the spot where my life was racing through me.When I'd calmed down, my heart sped up again as soon as I realized that the place I'd woken up in was not a place I was familiar with, in a bed that I was unfamiliar with as well. In fact, I wasn't even aware that I had fallen asleep. And since I had apparently fell asleep, how did I get here?I took a deep breath and threw the blankets and sheets of the large bed I was in off of me and carefully climbed out.
"Okay, Krista, just breathe," I told myself in a reasonable voice. The one that gave you the false hope that everything was going to be alright. "You're fine."
The room I was in was rather small, but that could have just been from the fact that there was a very large bed taking up most of the free space. It was a very peculiar, the room. Two of its walls were black while the other two were white. Each wall alternated a colour: black, white, black, white.I turned and walked steadily towards the only other piece of furniture that was present in the small room: A wall closet.
It was enormous and made of solid, mahogany wood, I noted as I ran my fingers lightly down the right door before resting my hand on the shiny, polished silver doorknob. My left hand imitated the right as it reached out to grab the left knob, it felt cool, almost cold. I took a deep breath before wrenching the doors open. I gasped in surprise at what I saw: rows and rows of clothes lined the cavernous inside of the wardrobe.
"Wow," I mused before I realized something. The closet wasn't just any wall unit, I placed a foot inside and reached out to where the back should be but felt only air. My right hand grazed a switch on the wall, I flipped it and the gloom of the closet disappeared to be replaced by a bright light. My eyes widened to see that the faux wardrobe was actually an enormous walk-in closet with thousands of clothes and hundreds of shoes lining the walls. This was too much to take in all at once, so I flipped off the lights, shut the doors and leaned against the outside and closed my eyes.
"Where am I?" I mumbled
"Krista?" a phantasmal voice called out my name. My eyes snapped open and scoured the small room for any source where the voice could possibly have come from. I sighed heavily and sat down on the very comfortable, unmade bed and rested my head in my hands.
"Ah, lovely, you're awake," I heard a soft voice say. My head shot up and looked around wildly before noticing a small figure to my left. He was a small person, and only looked to be about ten, with shaggy brown hair, deep blue eyes and a boyish face to match. His body was clothed in a white lab coat and black trousers. The child was carrying a brown clipboard with furiously scribbled notes on it. He would look like a totally normal kid except for two things, he had a tail and a pair of ears; not just any old pair of ears and tail, but dark brown cat's ears and a dark brown cat's tail to match his hair.
"Um, excuse me?" the boy looked up from his clipboard, his kind eyes looking straight at me.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Not to sound rude, but, what exactly..." my voice failed and I couldn't bring myself to ask the question.
"What exactly am I?" he asked. I nodded and he chuckled. "Don't be embarrassed, ma'am," he smiled. "You're from the Otherworld, I wouldn't expect you to know much right now... but you'll learn," he delicately put the pencil behind his ear and climbed up onto the bed and sat next to me. "I'm a demi-human."
"A what?"
"A demi-human, its kind of like a cross between a human and something else. I'm sure that, even though you live in the Otherworld, you've heard of a demi-god?" I nodded numbly. "I'm basically the same thing, but crossed between a cat," his tail twitched slightly and he smiled at my expression. "Its alright," he breathed softly. "You'll be on your feet in no time at all, once the shock wears off."
"The shock?"
"Mmhmm. Right now you're in the Special Patent's ward of This Facility but not to worry, sweetheart, you'll be out all too soon."
"We're in a... facility?" he nodded. "And you work here?" again he nodded. "How old are you, are you old enough to have a job?"The demi-human chuckled softly.
"I am, actually. I'm twenty-four."
"But you look like you're--"
"Ten?" I nodded. "That's because demi-humans don't look like they age. Its kind of like a built in fountain of youth, but we do die. We just look as if we die young, something about genetics, but enough about me, lets get you cleaned up and ready for your journey. My name is Charlie, by the way."
"My journey?" I asked Charlie as he jumped off the large bed and scurried over to the walk-in wall closet."Of course, since you're from the Otherworld, and don't technically belong here (not to sound rude), it is my task to prepare you for your journey back to the Otherworld," He disappeared into the closet for a few seconds and came back with several articles of clothing. "Here you go, you may have these just so you don't have to go outside still wearing the clothing from This Facility."
For the first time, I looked down at what I was wearing. The t-shirt I had on was tight and the lightest, palest blue I've ever seen and the shorts matched. I had nothing else on except a bracelet on my wrist.
I studied it close there were bold words printed on it:Krista Miller17, FemaleOtherworld Patient #498,798,364Diagnosis: Comatose
"Comatose?" I murmured as Charlie rummaged through the clothes and picked out different matches for me.
"Comatose is the state of your body while its trapped in the Otherworld," Charlie explained as he threw a pair of jeans my way. "When people who live in the Otherworld get into serious accidents their spirits are sent here for a chance at redemption and a second chance at life. You're patient 498,798,364 and your journey begins soon so we must hurry," he threw a balled up pair of black socks at me as well as a tight-fit, black shirt and studded belt. "These seemed your style, hope you don't mind."
"Thanks," I muttered and quickly pulled on the clothes as Charlie disappeared into the closet once more. He brought out a pair of black converses to match the rest of my wardrobe."Here's a hair-tie in case your hair annoys you," I slipped the black elastic over my wrist.
Charlie grabbed my hand and led me towards the door, his cat's tail swished this way and that as he opened the black door and led me into the blinding white hallway.
He led the way down the immensely long corridor. After what seemed like hours, but I'm sure was only minutes, we arrived at what I assumed were the front doors.
He turned to me:"Alright, this is where I leave you, Hun. Your journey begins right through these doors and once you walk out of them, you're on your own and my not re-enter so I'm here to make sure you have everything you need. Wait right here," he held up a hand and disappeared behind the main desk.
Charlie reappeared a few minutes later with a dark green backpack, a small, brown leather wallet and a pocket sized, dark red book. "Here's a pack for you in case you pick up things on the way that you feel will help you, a wallet with some money to help you along the way and, last but certainly not least, "The Very Helpful Book" or, Chuck as it prefers to be called. These are the standard items for you to have, as a patient now leaving This Facility. Whenever you're ready, Krista, you may walk out of those doors and step on the road back to the Otherworld, but I will warn you, its dangerous and this journey is no easy task; but if you're determined and use your common sense (as well as Chuck) I'm confident you'll make it."
I put the small wallet into my new pack and clutched Chuck in my right hand.
"Thanks, Charlie... Well, I guess this is it isn't it?"He nodded solemnly, his ten-year-old features very serious. Charlie waved and gave me a last
"Goodbye and goodluck" before I turned around and, taking a deep breath, pushed open the heavy doors and stepped into my fate.