New In Town

As my eyes regained focus, I took in my surroundings. In some ways everything seemed familiar. I found myself standing on a street corner, cars driving by, tall buildings around me. While I didn’t know where I was, it could very well have been the city I had grown up in.

Except for a few things, things I only noticed after watching for a few minutes.

Glancing up, trying to get my bearings, the street names were unfamiliar. Not only unfamiliar, actually, but unlikely. I was standing on the corner of ‘Witch’s Wart’ and ‘Red Dragon’, names I was sure I wouldn’t have seen back home.

Not only that, but the people who were passing me, upon closer inspection, weren’t all human. Yes, they were dressed like regular people, but about every third person had something that showed them to be quite different. Pointed ears, whiskers, oddly coloured skin. A few even had tails!

Still, the world was familiar enough that I didn’t feel scared. The voices had put me somewhere that I felt I could figure out. And besides, I was in a grand adventure! It was time to explore!

I checked my pockets and found my wallet. While it no longer held ID of any kind, it did hold a significant amount of cash, all bills of an unfamiliar currency, but sizeable denominations. If the value of the money was anything like it was at home, I would be set up for quite a while.

First thing first, I would need a home base.

“Excuse me,” I said to an ashen skinned woman passing me by, “I’m new in town. Do you know if there are any hotels around here?”

She paused and looked at me strangely.

“Right behind you,” her voice had a gravelly quality to it, “The Green Dell Hotel.”

Then she continued her walk leaving me to turn around. She had spoken true. Just behind where I stood was a tall hotel with the name over the door in large letters. Feeling a little stupid, I walked inside.