Magic Rock, Take Me Home!

"Get up!" the lady yelled as she reached into the pile and pulled Meira out.

Meira didn't have time to say anything before the lady screamed in her face. "Don't you know not to ruin another person's house?"

"Well, um-"

"Who wants to hear your excuses!" the lady interrupted.

Meira watched the lady reach into her pockets and pull out a wooden stick. Meira closed her eyes thinking that she'd get hit, but the pain didn't occur. Cautiously, she opened her eyes.

Then, she saw a magical scene of ropes floating in the air. Her mouth barely opened before the ropes flew at her and bound her tightly; one of them blocking her mouth.

"I only want to hear a confession," the lady coldly leered. Her beautiful red irises deepened to black.

She waved the wand again and a blue light flashed. A tingly sensation briefly scratched Meira's skin.

Before Meira knew it, the scenery had changed and she was in a dark, musty room. She was suddenly strapped into a chair with a bright light illuminating her face. The ropes bounding her mouth slipped off, and she finally regained her right to free speech.

"Who are you?" the lady questioned, her eyes narrowing with scrutiny.

"Meira," she answered truthfully. She was forced to squint under the harsh lighting. "Can you shine the light elsewhere? You're blinding me!"

"Not until you answer my questions!" the lady refused.

"Then, at least untie me," Meira continued to bargain, albeit exasperated.

"Not until you answer my questions!" the lady refused yet again.

Meira held her anger in. She took a deep frustrated breath and tried again. "Then, at least tell me your name and where I am."

Luckily, the lady was only silent for a moment before answering. "Esthel, and you're in the Enchanted Forest of Reynes."

Meira lowered her head in defeat. She had come to terms with the possibility she was no longer on Earth just from the giant bird alone. Now, hearing Esthel utter an unknown place, she confirmed her thoughts.

"Okay, ask away," Meira yielded. "But you need to let go of me when you are finished."

Meira waited for an answer and then heard a reluctant "alright".

"Why are you here? Are you here for the witch?"

Witches? This place had witches!? Then, was this like H*rry P*tter?

"I was transported here, and I don't know anything about any witch."

"Who sent you here? Transportation magic is a difficult spell."

Meira shook her head. "I don't know who sent me here."

To be honest, she had a hunch of who could've done it, but that was admitting that she had arbitrarily sent herself here! And she didn't know how either.

"What's your name?"

"Meira," she said easily. That was a simple question.

Then, there was silence. Meira waited for the next batch of questions, but it never came. "Hello? Are you still there?"

All she could see in front of her was that harsh light. But the lack of noise and the feeling of emptiness confirmed her thoughts.

"Didn't you promise to let me go!" Meira yelled with frustration. She jumped in the chair and banged the leg of the chair on the floor. "You liar!"

It was useless to escape the chair. No matter how hard she wiggled or yanked her limbs, it was futile.

In fact, the more she resisted, the tighter the ropes wound around her joints. Meira felt lucky the piece on her mouth had fallen off.

She stopped her struggles, and the silence invited itself once more into the room. Not a single sound.

"Hello?"

And not a single answer.

It wasn't like Esthel purposely abandoned Meira. She had sensed another unknown presence near the house. However, unlike Meira who crashed in, the person was waiting outside the door.

"What do you want? Some people are busy here," Esthel opened the door and asked. She frowned when she saw it was a messenger.

The messenger was not human but instead, a robot. With gears and a metal exterior, the only thing that resembled human was its form.

With a clank, it gave Esthel a letter. Its outstretched hand had the smell of mechanical oil.

Esthel took the letter and shooed the robot. "Alright, I got it, you can leave."

Once she closed the door, she proceeded to rip into the letter. The contents of the letter made her frown before she carelessly threw the letter onto the floor.

With one sweep of her hands, she was back in the interrogation room.

"Alright, you're free to go. On one condition, clean up your mess. I have business to attend to."

Meira didn't have time to voice her thoughts before they popped into the kitchen once again. A broom and dustpan magically waltzed to Meira's side, and she held the items.

Esthel didn't pay Meira any attention and instead, she dressed herself up and grabbed her broom. She was prepared to speed off, but Meira stopped her.

"Where are you going!" Meira asked. She grabbed the hem of Esthel's shirt.

"To the capital," Esthel answered with a frown. She tug her shirt away from Meira.

"Can I find a way to get home there?" Meira asked.

Knowing she wasn't on Earth, she wanted to go home all the more. Meira feared she had landed herself in an irreversible situation.

"I need to go home," Meira stressed.

"I'll take you home after you finish cleaning up," Esthel said. She pointed at the broom before at the mess. "So, you better clean up fast."

"No! You don't understand. I'm not a part of this world," Meira confessed. "I've never heard of the Reynes continent, and there are no witches where I come from."

Meira ignored Esthel's scrutiny and continued, "I come from Earth."

"Is that a secluded tribe?" Esthel asked.

"No, it's a planet."

"Is that a fancy way of saying tribe?"

Meira was in disbelief. "No!"

Esthel was getting impatient. "We'll discuss this when I come back."

Meira didn't have time to continue before the roof of the house disappeared, and Esthel zoomed out. The roof closed behind her, and there was only her left in the house.

Meira bit her bottom lip. Now that Esthel was gone, she couldn't continue asking to go home, right?

Meira looked at the broom in her hand and then at the pile of debris. She truly didn't want to clean up any mess when she didn't know how she was going home.

Throwing the broom to the side, Meira fell to the ground and laid down. She looked at the ceiling and let go a heavy sigh.

'If I can't go home, what am I supposed to do?'

It wasn't like she could stay here. She knew no one but Esthel, and Esthel didn't look like she wanted a housemate.

Not to mention, Meira was living with her grandmother right now. At least, just until she got a proper job. She couldn't leave her elderly grandmother alone.

'I bet she's pretty worried about now,' Meira said.

Meira reached into her shirt and pulled out a necklace. Attached was a rock that had blue specks on it.

'It's not like you're a magical rock that can bring me home, right?' Meira joked. She got the rock from Grandma; it was a simple thing, but it was given with love.

However, the rock faintly glowed.

Meira was shocked at first but the rock didn't glow anymore. She thought it was a trick of the eye, however, the rock shined once more.

"It can't be," Meira muttered. An idea came to mind, and despite it being foolish, Meira was willing to take the chance.

She held the rock and looked at it sternly. In a somber voice, she commanded the rock, "Magic rock, take me home."

5 seconds went by without another reaction from the rock. The rock did not shine, and Meira blushed with embarrassment.

"What was I expecting?" Meira scolded herself. "How can this be a magical rock? It can't take me home."

But at that moment, the rock shook in her hands and floated in the air. Meira stared with wide eyes and watched as the rock emitted a bright light.

In less than a second, her surroundings turned white before they exploded in color.

The rock lost its brightness and fell down. Meira reached out and caught the rock in time.

She looked around and realized she was back in her room. It was in the same condition it was in before she left.

As her eyes swept the room, she landed on her clock. Not a single minute had passed either.

"What just happened?"