There was a pond.

  It was square-shaped and composed of blocks that seemed to belong to the pyramids. The material—possibly stone?—seemed ancient but also timeless. The water contained was calm, pure, and not at all natural.

  Short pillars and beams surrounded it. Behind it, a stone wall of a small mountain stood. The ground around the pond was normal, though.

  Just then, there was movement, something sliding opening within the pond's depths. Seconds later, water blasted upward, a relatively high fountain. No water fell. Not a droplet touched the ground.

  Except for the man that was thrown up and came crashing down into the same strange stone. A patch of it existed around the pond. The man groaned, already curled into himself but stretching a little.

  His eyes were closed, and his face in a permanent wince. His body wiggled against the ground. Seconds later, his hand opened a little, his other searching and touching the ring he prayed was still there.

  He relaxed. His body went limp. His soul could be at peace.

  Remembering that he needed to breathe, Rodent did precisely that, finding no water in his lungs or nose. His clothes were also dry. The confused man loosened his confused face so his confused eyes could be even more confused by what they saw.

  "H-Huh?"

  Rodent coughed even though he didn't need to—like there was some hidden water deeper within that he needed to expel. Nothing came up except for further hurting his already weak lungs.

  He couldn't control his breathing as he lay on the ground, the light intense on his eyes. His messy bangs helped to block it. Seconds and a couple of blinks later, though, and Rodent could see properly.

  And what he saw amazed him.

  It was a clearing inside a mountain shaped like a horseshoe. Curved, natural ramps to the side led to hidden land below. A short valley beyond served as the entrance.

  Rodent finished coughing and slowly pushed himself off the ground. He came to sit while holding the hand with the ring close to his stomach. He breathed, glancing behind at the pond.

  The fountain was still tall and continuous, though starting to shrink and calm. The sounds of slabs closing came from deep within the pond. Soon, the water relaxed to its previous state.

  Rodent pressed a hand to his head.

  "W-What… e-even happened to me?"

  He searched for bumps to find none… unable to believe anything… until his hand slid down to his chest… feeling the rapid beating of his heart. His hand remained there as he breathed deeply.

  This was happening.

  This all was real.

  Rodent shook out of it. He uncurled his hand and carefully slid his ring back onto his finger. The immediate connection soothed his soul. Rodent caressed the ring for a little longer, knowing what could have been lost.

  Soon. He rose.

  And stumbled to the ledge.

  Below was a patch of trees and bushes, while wild grass composed the rest of the land. Further on was the valley that looked out to a great openness. But something was wrong.

  Rodent felt something that he shouldn't have, a significant presence that had yet to appear… until a great flapping could be heard. The air changed, and the wind was created. Rodent's foot slid backward as something massive seemed to draw closer.

  And for a second, through that valley, something passed, a flash—a black dragon. It blurred, and the 'THOOM! THOOM!' of its wings could be heard. The beast carried on outward as it scanned the nearby lands.

  Rodent was too stunned to move—even after the sounds were long gone. The hand on his chest still remained there. But then… he laughed. Laughed a tiny little laugh that could hardly believe itself.

  "T-This… t-this is real." Rodent needed to speak. To say it aloud—as if to make all this even more real. "T-This… this is another world. I'm in another world."

  His hand slid on his chest… feeling the notebook in his pocket.

  Still in disbelief, he took it out, opening the first page.

  The empty page.

  He drew out his pencil next.

  H-How… i-is this even possible?

  "Hmm?" chortled an old voice. "That's the important bit, is it?"

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Rodent exhaled.

  "You better!" Flower said. "I want real adventures." She huffed. "No more fairy tales!"

  "Real stories?" Rodent asked himself. His head shook. "This list. It's supposed to be for me." His shoulders dropped. "But… what do I even want?"

  Without thinking, he caressed his wedding ring, feeling and indulging in its smoothness. It brought him eternal comfort. And then, a breeze rolled through—fresh.

  It reminded him of another a long time ago, one on a hill beneath a tree, where he sat next to someone special to him.

  "This is stupid."

  "My moves?" asked a child Rodent, standing in the shadow of a tree, pretending a stick was a sword—assaulting the air. "Was thinking of doing a spinning attack. But then I'd get too dizzy."

  "No. Not that." A young lady rested against the tree. Her legs were limp against the ground. On her lap was a book and stapled papers. "Well, actually, yeah. That too." Her head cocked, her long black hair flouncing. "You look like an idiot."

  Rodent closed his eyes and smiled widely. "Thanks!'

  "Not a compliment."

  "Everything from you is a compliment."

  She gave up.

  And Rodent returned to striking the air. His eyes noticed her papers. "They're making you do those too?"

  The girl's eyebrow cocked. "Wait. You actually filled them out?"

  "Mmm-hmm!

  "It makes no sense." Her arms limply fell against the grass. "We're not making it to adulthood. So what's the point of asking us what we want to be?"

  "I dunno. Proof of concept?" Rodent shrugged, ending his battle. "I just didn't want to give the nurses a hard time."

  "And what did you say?" returned the lady. "Grocery bagger?"

  Rodent scrunched his lips and nodded. "Not bad! I am pretty fast."

  "NOT THE POINT, IDIOT!"

  She expected him to leave or go away… but he only ever did if she asked him to. Instead, the boy remained silent and did nothing. The lady exhaled and lowered her head.

  Her shoulders slumped.

  A breeze rolled through, one that lasted a while, caressing her black hair and raising the blond bangs over the boy's face. It was something that the two of them indulged in together—able to share the same experience.

  This calmed the lady.

  Who once again spoke.

  "S-So… what did you write, Rodent?"

  Rodent gave a mile-long smile. "Guess!"

  "Professional idiot?"

  "HUH!?" gasped Rodent. "That PAYS?"

  The lady couldn't help but break down, giggling. "OH, MY GOSH! YOU ARE SUCH AN IDIOT!"

  Rodent still proudly grinned. "Thanks!"

  The lady smiled, controlling her laughter. She felt lighter from it. "Why… do you keep thanking me?"

  Now it was Rodent's turn to be confused. "Because everything from you is a compliment."

  The lady was suspicious but did not have the heart to criticize him. "And why is that?"

  "Because it means you notice me." Rodent nodded, smiling. "Nothing else matters."

  The lady blinked and blushed. Her head hung to try and hide her smile. "You are an idiot, then."

  Rodent could only give a thumbs-up.

  The lady relaxed into herself again. The breeze blew again, and the grass danced to its melody. The tree offered shade from the sun—but even that was calm in its warmth.

  "So…" the lady began, raising her head after a time. "What did you answer?"

  "Hmm… I was going to write inside a coffin… but then the nurses would get mad at me for sure."

  The lady would have smacked him if she could.

  "I also thought it was stupid waiting to grow up to be what you want to be." Rodent lowered his stick to his side, turning so his gaze to chase after the breeze. He looked beyond the hill and the woods behind the hospital—to a place he was only allowed to imagine. "So I wrote I wanted to be a hero."

  Air blew from the lady's lips before she laughed loudly and childishly at him.

  But Rodent—being Rodent—found this equally funny and laughed too.

  "Ahahahaha…. hehehehe… t-that… is SUCH a boyish answer!"

  "Mm-hm!" Rodent calmed into a smirk. "And don't you want to be a princess?"

  The lady scowled. "Not a real one, doofus."

  "Why not?"

  The lady struggled to answer…

  …as another breeze rolled in…

  …and passed behind him.

  Rodent snapped from his memory in a world not his own. He was looking down a cliff and almost expected himself to be on the hospital's roof. Nobody there would believe him now.

  But that didn't really matter.

  Rodent looked at the great distance that led downward.

  And didn't know why he couldn't look away.

  What would you say to me now?

  Rodent stopped playing with his ring, sat on the cliff's edge, and let his legs swing. He focused on the empty pages of his notebook, his pen still in his other hand.

  Or… what should I be writing anyway?

  Rodent took a deep breath for courage and… started to write the first idea on the page. It wasn't anything clever or smart. It was a basic thing—but something that he wanted.

  That idea spawned another. All that he wrote was silly, foolish, and probably impossible… but that didn't stop Rodent. He wrote increasingly, letting his heart beat louder, and his hand move faster.

  And soon… he was done… gasping and leaning backward… exhausted from being so consumed. Rodent relaxed, planting his hands behind him, gazing forward and upward as another breeze came.

  Rodent indulged in it, the freshness.

  And then he came out of it, looking down at the notebook he had previously struggled with. Smiling at it, he planted his hand upon it—as if sealing a connection.

  When he was done, the man flipped to the first page and looked at what he had called the book.

  Looking for a Good Time in Another World.

  ~ Triple-Triple