Chapter One Contest

She does not feel brave, in fact, she feels little emotion. There is a dream-like quality to her surroundings, and to her own state of mind. She shakes her head to try and clear it. There is something...

There is something she should know. Why that has become clear when the something itself is still trapped in the fog in her mind, she has no idea.  

The gate. She faces it, and shoves the papers back into her pockets. Slowly, her every sense on alert, she passes through and then stands there in awe. She finds it disquieting going from daylight to night with one step. At first all she can do is stand there and stare. The lights! The sounds! It is like nothing she has ever experienced before. She recognizes the bay, and the coast of Honshu Island; yet doesn't remember being there before.

She does know that when she saw it last, it was nothing like this! So she stands and tries to adjust, tries to get her bearings. Tries to understand what exactly she is seeing. As her heartbeat slows, she notices the breeze.

Strange. Against her bare legs, in front of her, the grass brushes back and forth, yet the plant life just a few meters away to each side is still as death. Looking about, she can see that the warm wind blows in almost a straight line heading away from all that noise, and the square blocky skyline.

A city, she thinks. She is sure she has never seen one before, although the concept is familiar. What does it mean?

Unable to grasp the memory, she again turns her attention to the breeze, and begins to walk facing into it. Driven to follow the gusts, her head up like a hunting dog trolling, she heads for the lights.