• The fire crackled and popped as he added more wood to it. Matrix looked over at the pale Zarathian girl lying next to the fire. Her ink black hair was tangled; her already pale skin looked even paler. Matrix had found her laying the dirt near the edge of the forest. She was barely breathing and she had broken out in a cold sweat. Now her skin was almost back to normal and her temperature was fine. Matrix watched her chest rise and fall evenly as she breathed. There was something different about her than most Zarathian’s. He wanted desperately to ask her some questions but he knew if she saw him she would probably run away screaming. See, Matrix wasn’t from Zarath. He was from Earth. Believe it or not Earth and Zarath are parallel worlds; the walls between them are normally incredibly thick. But somehow Matrix had fallen through the one spot that the wall was almost non-existent. He had been in Zarath for almost a year now…well he thinks it’s been about a year in Earth time. See, time here in Zarath is different than time in Earth. But because no one has ever been to both worlds no one has been able to calculate the time differences.


    Matrix brushed his dark brown hair out of his hazel eyes. He rested his hand next to the girls and compared the skin tone difference. The Zarathian’s were very pale, while Matrix was extremely tan. He sighed, knowing he would never be able to fit in here. People would think he was a monster or an alien or something. The girl moved, her eyes starting to flutter open. Panic surged through Matrix, he jumped up. Reaching down to grab his bag he turns around and runs, leaving the girl and the fire behind. His long muscular legs stretched out as he ran, the fire quickly disappearing from view. Because he wasn’t a mean person, Matrix had left some food with the girl. He silently wondered why she was so far away from her home. His mind flashed him images of her running from a pack of what seemed to be wolves and most likely people from her village. A sigh escaped his pale lips, he felt sorry for the girl. She was running from her home for some reason, but he didn’t want to risk scaring her to find out why.

    He slowed his steps as he neared the edge of the forest. The trees here offered no protection; people would be able to see him now. Inhaling deeply he fills his lungs with fresh sweet air. Everything in Zarath was simpler, the air was fresher, and the land was greener. It was times like these that Matrix thought he might as well stay here and not try to go back to Earth. Times like these that made him wish he were more like the Zarathian’s. Pulling the straps of his backpack tighter he walks out of the protection of the trees, the bright light from the two suns blinded him. That was another thing. Zarath had two suns, not just one but two. They didn’t look anything like the sun on Earth. The suns on Zarath were more like squares and they were bright red. Putting a hand up to shield his eyes he walks forward. The nearest village was about a half a days walk if he was lucky; it could take longer depending on who and what he ran into.

    The area ahead of him was dry and barren; it looked a lot like the deserts back on Earth except that it was flat. There were no hills, no rock mountains, no dunes, just flat land. It was a cross between a desert and a prairie you could say. Matrix sighed and looked at his watch. The battery had long since died and it was one of the only things left he had from Earth. His heart panged at the thought of his little sister, Kate, who by now must be at least three. Tears filled his eyes as he thought of his family and friends back at home. They had probably given up on looking for him; he had been gone for so long. He looked down at his clothes, they were normal Zatharian clothing. It was made out of some time of animal skin but they had dyed it different colors. The clothes looked a lot like something he would wear on Earth but a little more form fitting.

    The suns heat beat down, making Matrix break out in a sweat. Although he had only walked for a few hours it felt like days. His mind kept wandering back to what might have happened with the Zatharian girl. But, every time he thought of it he shook the thoughts out of his head. As hard as he tried to shake her out of his head her image kept its presence in his mind. Her ink black hair slightly tangled and her pale skin paler than normal. Her emerald green eyes blazing in the dim lighting of the forest. It made his heart skip a beat every time he closed his eyes. Wiping the sweat from his brow he sits, taking his back pack off. Opening it he finds a water bottle and takes a sip, he didn’t want to waste it not knowing how long he had left to walk. Looking back behind him at the distance he covered he was slightly shocked. The forest was no where in sight and neither was the girl. Although he was pretty sure he would be seeing her again sometime in the future.


    Selena’s eyes fluttered open, as the fire died down next to her. She sat up abruptly, not remembering what had happened. Quickly she grabbed her bag, shifting through it making sure everything she had stolen was still there. A sigh of relief escaped her lips, noticing everything was in its place. Whoever had brought her here was kind enough to not go through her things and start a fire. Looking around the area she notices a small pile of food. It had things she had never seen before. On the wrapper it said granola bar. “What’s this?” She asked out loud.

    This is not the beginning of the story. But...TO BE CONTINUED!