'THAT NEW DOCTOR IS SO cute.' Sian sighed and glanced at Kassie and Cat. 'Why aren't there any guys like that around here?''The guys around here are scrawny enough to make you look fat,' replied Cat, eyes glued to her sketch pad.Kassie snorted and winked at Sian. 'She's right. What happened to all the built guys? I don't want a guy who looks better than I do in skinny jeans.'Sian nodded in agreement and leaned back on the couch. There's been a real lack of decent male specimens lately, she thought while idly watching the TV commercials; wonder how we can find them?KASSIE LEANED OVER AND SNATCHED one of Cat's sketches. Loi's jacket will look gorgeous, she thought, impressed.'Siany, are you and Cat really going to make this?' Kassie glanced up.Sian gave no response, eyes focused on the TV while a loud toilet cleaner commercial played.'Sian?' Still nothing. 'Sianus Rachel Price!'Sian's head snapped up. 'What?'I GIGGLED AT SIAN'S STUNNED expression. 'Where were you, S
SIAN DREW IN A BREATH and let it out slow and even while she released the string. The arrow hit the target with a thud. Peering down the range she could see it'd struck bull's-eye.'Bull's-eye! Nice one,' Cat congratulated her.'Thanks.' I'm so glad I bought that new bow, Sian thought with a smile. The results make the price worth it.Cat stood up to the line and drew her bow. Sian watched her friend with pursed lips, waiting for the inevitable. Stubborn is Cat's middle name, she thought again. Cat had bought the bow at a craft fair four months ago, determined to prove that the medieval styled bow was just as good as Sian's modern fiberglass bow. While Cat's bow did look authentic Sian suspected it didn't measure up properly. It took Cat a decent effort to draw and the accuracy-'Damn!' Cat glared down the range.SIAN LAUGHED AT ME. 'I don't know why you bother with that bow, Cat, it's practically an antique.'I glanced at her and in a snooty tone replied, 'Because I like feeli
ARRIVING AT THE ADDRESS WE found a car park and hurried inside. Poor Kassie shivered when we started up the stairs but by the second floor she'd warmed up.'It's not often you're the scantily clad one,' I teased. Her costume looked great, the red dress fit her like a glove. I'd only had to make minor adjustments. I reached out and tugged a curl. 'The red rinse looks fantastic, Kass.'She flushed. 'Thanks.'I wish my hair would hold like that, I thought enviously. My red mane tended to do its own thing no matter how much work went into it. Kassie had naturally curly hair and with Sian's help she'd coaxed it into large curls, very Jessica Rabbit like.I glanced at Loi's hair. Whew, the ringlets still held, I thought the rain might have ruined them. My own hair began to ping back into unruly waves. Darn it.We arrived at the door and smiled at the host when Loi introduced us.'Brad, this is Sian, Kassandra and Catherine.'A tall, lanky guy with dark auburn hair grinned at us. 'Welc
SIAN SMILED AT THEM. 'ACTUALLY, if you can grab all the candles in holders and bring them into the lounge, that'd be a good start.'The girls disappeared off down the corridor and Sian turned her attention to moving the couches and chairs back, out of the way.I FLICKED THE LIGHT ON in my room and stared around it.Yikes, I gulped.I have A LOT of candles in holders; it's the one present people always fall back on for me. My gaze dropped to the edge of the box hidden under my bed, crammed full of even more candles and holders that I could no longer, sensibly, fit in my room. I'll just grab the ones that are out, surely that'll be enough for Sian, I thought while collecting them.Staggering to the lounge, I stumbled and ended up dumping them on the ground making Audi leap out of the way. 'Whoops, sorry Audi.'The dog grumbled then stomped to the couch and climbed on it, glaring at us while we set up the room.Sian glanced over and laughed. 'She really hates it when we move stuf
UGH. MY BACK ACHED WHEN I woke and I grunted in pain. Why the heck didn't I just go to my bed? Man this floor feels lumpy. I shifted position. Five more minutes then I'll get up, I thought before dozing off again.Sometime later I went to roll over but jammed up against a large warm shape. Patting blindly down my side I felt Audi lying next to me. Cracking open an eye I peered down at her.'Audi,' I mumbled. 'You're blocking me again.'She gazed up at me and her tail thumped in the dirt, dislodging a couple of yellowed leaves that fluttered into the air.Dirt? Leaves? My scrambled brain registered that I too lay in the dirt.'Whhatt?' I croaked. Hearing something move, I pushed up onto my elbows. The world spun before my eyes. 'Ooooh dizzy.' I slumped back down and held my head with both hands. 'Helloooo?' I called. 'Sian? Kassie? Loi?' The shuffling sound started again.KASSIE HEARD A VOICE CALL her name and woke up. Why do I feel so tired, she thought in bewilderment; her who
'HEY GUYS!' SIAN SOUNDED EXCITED. 'Look around you, I just found a pack and a cloak.' She held up a hooded blue cloak that dwarfed her in length. I climbed to my feet, arms spread for balance at the change in altitude and walked back to where I'd woken.On the ground, a bit crumpled from where I must have rolled on it, (or landed?), lay a deep red cloak. A pack in the same rough fabric lay beside it, along with something long and shiny. I bent to take a closer look.'Wow! I have a sword and two daggers! They kind of look like the ones from my costume,' I trailed off. Actually, they looked far more lethal. Of course, mine had been costume pieces while these appeared the genuine article. I tugged one of the daggers from its scabbard; it slid out with barely a whisper. The curved blade inscribed with flowing lines reminded me of the swords I'd seen in fantasy shops. The copper coloured scabbard and hilt had beautiful engravings of what looked like flames licking across the surface. The
SMILING AT AUDI AND LUCKY'S antics, I returned my attention to my pack and placed the items back inside. Then it hit me.Why would we need these at home?'I have this idea that we aren't on Earth anymore,' I almost croaked the words and cleared my throat while looking at the others, anxiety making the hairs on my arms rise. I shivered, rubbing a hand briskly over either arm.Kassie frowned, 'What makes you say that?''This doesn't look like anything we'd need on Earth, not in our time anyway.'Loi interrupted me. 'Ever seen anything like that on Earth?'We turned and stared at where she pointed.Making its way down one of the numerous vines that enveloped a tree near us, hopped a bird about the size of a pigeonits colouring a deep fire engine red. Appearing to spot something tucked amongst the vines the bird twisted sharply, its head jerking forward, beak jamming again and again into a fissure while it fought to reach something. The sharp jerky motions caused the bird's tail to
ABOUT AN HOUR LATER WE lay on our cloaks, full of food and feeling calmer, almost satisfied. Audi and Lucky seemed happy enough with their meal of beans and dried meat and we knew we had enough food to last a few days which helped soothe some of our anxiety.'What do we do next?' Loi asked.We fell silent all considering then I spoke up. 'Shelter.''Let's explore,' suggested Sian.Kassie sat up. 'We really need to find a town or city; our supplies aren't going to last that long.'We got into an earnest discussion of survival when Audi gave a sudden low growl.Huh?I twisted to look at her then stiffened.The dog crouched, staring out into the forest with a lowered head, body tense and ready. The fur around her shoulders and neck fluffed out mane like, with her tail low and stiff. Audi's tan muzzle wrinkled with a snarl before she gave a short angry warning bark. I stared, feeling my heart start to race then turned, looking for whatever she'd seen.KASSIE CROUCHED, HER HANDS