Author's Note

Adventure time.

I hope you guys like this story! As always, all comments are appreciated, especially criticism. I don't know what to do better the next time if you guys don't tell me, now do I?

1 The Beginning

I dropped wearily into my desk chair, and stared at the pen and notebook in front of me. No new story ideas. Wonderful. It had been months since my last story. Maybe being a writer wasn't a talent of mine. I leaned back in my chair and let my eyes wander to the trash can in the corner, overflowing with crumpled up pages of failed story attempts. Welp. If I wasn't a writer, what was I then? I clearly had no talent for the so called "girlish stuff" like cooking and whatever else. Nope. That was not me. I prefered being outside in nature, and among farm animals. Always a tomboy.

But I wanted something else too. Surely I had a purpose in life. But what? I shrugged and looked back at my notebook, staring intensely at the blank page as if I could somehow magically make words appear.

"I want to do something great." I stated aloud, to no one in particular.

Well. Almost no one. A very lazy Turkish Van cat sprawled on my bed stirred at my words and started purring. I snorted.

"Do you have any advice on my purpose in life?"I asked."Yours is to apparently sleep all the time."

He twitched his tanish ears at me, lazily flicked his tail, and barely blinked before letting his eyes close again.

"Gee, thanks."

I went back to staring at my notebook, silently questioning my talents, my purpose in life, my abilities. Wishing that something might happen that would give me answers to what I was even good for.

"Something. Anything. I just want to know."

Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next...

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One moment, I was sitting in peace and calm, listening to the cat. The next, I was enveloped in a flash of blinding white light. I instinctively closed my eyes against it, heard a buzzing noise, like a swarm of bees, then a rushing sound, like strong wind blowing through meadow grasses. My body felt heavy for a moment, as if I was made of lead or stone, then I felt light, weightless. I relaxed, as the sensation was not at all unpleasant, and for a moment everything grew still and silent around me.

Then, a rush of wind, and suddenly my body impacted hard with a solid and unyielding surface, causing me to yelp in suprise and pain. I opened my eyes, and to my shock, found myself laying in the dust of a...what was it? A desert? I stood up unsteadily, wincing a little as I did so, surveying my surroundings and trying to make sense of it all.

"What just happened? Where am I? What is this place? How did I get here? Wait. Why am I even here??"

There was nothing in reply to my question. Nothing but a strong, hot wind blowing across the barren desert wasteland before me. So many questions. Yet no one to answer them. I needed to find out why. Why me? Why here? How? Who? I would not stop until I knew. No matter how long it took. Meantime, I needed to figure out what to do and where to go.

I stood still, atop the small hill I had landed on, and let my eyes slowly scan the area as far as I could see. Rocks. Dead tree stumps. More hills in the distance. And all around, over everything, endless amounts of dust. There were thick clouds in the sky, dark, eerie, foreboding. I shivered a little, even though the air was not at all cold.

The ground I was standing on, as well as the ground as far as the eye could see, was parched, with gaping cracks here and there that looked like the earth was crying out for water. I could almost hear it. Things appeared so desolate, so devoid of life of any kind, with the exception of myself. Which led me to wonder...had whoever responsible for my being here transported me to a place where I was the only life form? Some planet where nothing could exist? Or had existed, but was somehow annihilated? If so, for what purpose?

I looked around again, pondering. Who would bring me to such a godforsaken place as this, and what would they hope to gain or achieve by doing so? There was nothing for me to do here. No purpose in my being in this wasteland. Well. Time to try to find answers.

I started walking, my steps slow but sure on the cracked ground. All the while, I kept my eyes open for any sign of life whatsoever, and kept my mouth closed against dust and dirt flying around in the gusts of hot air. I hoped I was not the only life. If so, I wouldn't last long. No food. No water. I would die very quickly, and very painfully.

'Keep going straight....you'll find your way....'

I froze, blinking at the sudden and unexplained whisper that reached me. Great. Had I already been out in the burning wind so long I was hallucinating? Hearing nothing further, I shrugged and had just taken another step when I heard something else. More clearly.

'You will find your way, Liz. Keep walking ahead...'

"What in the royal hell?!?" I exclaimed, blinking."Who said that??? Who are you?? Where are you??? What are you?? Well? Answer me!"

Nothing but wind.

"So I'm crazy then?" I said, rolling my eyes."Well, yay. That's just fantastic. I haven't been here in this damn wasteland an hour and I've already freaking lost all my marbles. Wonderful."

'No. You are perfectly sane.'

That creepily mysterious voice again. I snorted.

"Oh really? Then tell me who, what, and where the hell you are, and why am I even here!" I gave a stomp in the dust for added wrathful effect.

A whisper of a chuckle. 'All will be revealed to you in time, Liz. All you need to know now, is you are here for a purpose. Discover that purpose, you may go home.'

I scowled fiercely. "And I suppose you're just gonna talk to me at random times but not really tell me anything?"

'I will always be watching you, Liz, of that you may be certain. Your life is valuable, I will not let any fatal harm befall you.'

"Great."I said sarcastically."So I can get hurt, just not killed. Gee, thanks. So, I can't even see who I'm talking to? Ever?"

'In due time, young human. In due time. For now, walk straight ahead. Your first adventure is coming soon.'

"Young human?!?"I sputtered indignantly."I am not young! I'm...well. I'm in my twenties."

A chuckle. 'Yes, I know. But still you're young. Now go on, enjoy your adventures. And I am never but a word away from you.'

I huffed. "Fine. Yay. Silent protector. Always there, never seen. Ugh. Just wait til I see you in the future, you aggravating voice! I'll give you a piece of my mind!"

No reply. Well, of course not. Whoever it was had retreated to being my silent and invisible bodygaurd for now. I sighed as I resumed walking. When this was all over, whoever it was better have a very good reason for my being here! I took a breath, coughed once, then held my head up high and marched forward.

Forward to what, I had no clue. All I knew was that adventures and challenges lay ahead, and I was determined I would meet each one without being afraid of it. Go find my purpose for being here? Fine. I would do that. And I would let nothing stand in my way!