TRAS: The Real and Surreal

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Title: The Real and Surreal

Chapter 1

"It all began like just another day...."


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Bzzt, bzzt, bzzt...

I gave out a sigh, as my alarm clock woke me up from my sleep. It was a relatively pleasant sleep, filled with dreams of that a normal girl would desire. Clothes, riches, a nice boyfriend. Things of that sort. None of which I had, of course.
However, I was allowed to dream of such things, at least.

As I awoke, I looked around my room, filled with things any ordinary girl would have; A desk with various things on it, like a light, my laptop, and some pictures. A drawer where I kept things like my undergarments and pajamas. Posters hung around my room in various places on my wall.

I got up, out of my bed, stopping the annoying buzzing of my alarm clock, reaching for my glasses on the the small dresser by my bed. I heaved out another sigh, knowing what was next.

My name is Maya. Maya Narada. I was your typical Half-British, Half-Japanese, eighteen year old high school girl, if that was at all typical. As I went to the bathroom to get ready to go to school, I looked into the mirror, seeing the same blonde hair and amber eyes staring back at me as they has always done. Not very tall either. A whooping five foot, three inches as told by my Doctor at my last visit. Fabulous.

I finished getting ready for school, walking down the stairs, only to find no one around, be it due to work, or school. Both my parents were office workers, always busy with work, and not enough time for their kids. My brother held a job at a local restuarant, and went to College.

I was pretty much on my own. Something which I didn't mind. Less trouble, and I preferred the quite atmosphere, than the noise of people running about, getting ready. I quietly ate some toast before I left for school, a relatively short walk from my house. No friends waiting for me outside to walk with me. I was on my own. Nothing I wasn't used to already...

I left through the front door, locking it behind me. I walked down my sidewalk, and down the street to my school. It was a relatively sunny day. A slight breeze picking up now and again. Made me glad I wore a simple sweater, and a skirt with stockings, and some simple tennis shoes. Nothing fancy, and was perfect for a day like today. Just another boring walk to school, I suppose.

Pat, pat, pat...

Half way to school, I started to hear a pitter-patter of small footsteps behind me. I ignored it at first, thinking it'd probably go away, be it a cat, or small dog. It continued, however, following me all the way close to my school. Roughly ten minutes, I would say.

Being as curious as I was, I thought it'd be take a look at what was following me so far, and why. I looked back behind me. What I saw was quite... interesting. It was a black cat. However, that wasn't the interesting part. What was interesting is what was in it's mouth; A simple yellow-ish letter, sealed with what looked like some sort of emblem.

It continued to look up at me, eyes telling me as if this letter was for me, and no one else. It started to purr, as we continued to stare at each other, wondering what I should do next. With a quick look around, seeing no one close or in sight, I bent down, and took the letter from the cat's mouth. It released it simply, not trying to reach for it back, or keep it. As I stood back up, and looked at the letter, the cat, as if on quo, ran off down a nearby alley. I wasn't about to follow. I had school to go to, after all.

However, I couldn't help but wonder what was in the letter, and why it was sent to me. I didn't have time to read it at the moment, so I stuck it in my bag to read later, and ran off towards school, hoping I wouldn't be late.

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I had arrived to class just on time. I was usually early, getting ready before everyone else. So it was no wonder why I got a few stares as I rushed through the door, half out of breath, walking quickly to my seat. I sat down as quietly as possible, ignoring the continuing stares, and giggles from the other guys and girls. I didn't care. What they said or did wasn't my business... at least at the moment. Class started right on time, the teacher coming in, and telling everyone to quiet down, and get ready for our daily lecture of boredom.

I considered myself relatively bright, so as rude as it may seem, I didn't really have to pay attention to the lecture as much as I made out I did. However, for the sake of keeping up appearances, I pretended to write down what the teacher continued to talk about. Another boring, redundent chapter in my life, I suppose.

Finally, the bell rung, signaling everyone for the next class. As usual, we all exited the class to head to our next lecture, all looking oh so thrilled to go. Again, to keep face, I tried to look like I was ready to go. Like I loved to study, and learn something new, and exciting. HA! Well, it didn't bother me. It was just another way to get through the day. I continued to walk along, minding my own business. Suddently, I felt a cold chill run down my spine, making me stop where I stood. This feeling... as if... something had brushed against my upper thigh. I instinctively turned around, ready to slap whoever might be there. However, no one was there. People were continuing to go to class, as if they hadn't seen anything. I just stood there, dumbfounded. I was sure I felt something. Was it really just my imagination?

Quickly recovering myself before someone noticed my distress, with one quick look back, I continued on to class. I had continued on with my day, trying hard to forget what I had felt in the hall. However, the uneasiness continued to linger, and it was hard to continue shaking it off. Than, lunchtime had arrived. As you could imagine, I didn't really like to "hang out" with people. I liked to eat by myself, in my "secret spot". It was simply behind our school. Not many people showed up there, so it was mostly quiet, and I was able to be alone.

I was quick to getting to my spot, beginning to eat my lunch. It was then I had remembered the letter that I had received from that black cat this morning.

I rummaged through my backpack, looking for it. Within seconds, I found it in my hand once again. I held it in front of me, looking it over, flipping it around a few times to look for anything odd besides the seal. When I had finished looking, I realized that what I had was just your typical average letter. I then began to open it.
Inside, I found a small note. Curious, I began to read;

“To whom it may concern,

You are invited to visit our wonderful land, where all your wishes will come true. If at a small price. What price, you ask? Well, you’ll have to visit us to find out. Don’t be shy, we all welcome you here! We, you ask? Just us, no worries. Anyways, if you decide to join us, and have some great times, please follow the black cat. She will take you to where you need to go.

Sincerely,
Yours Truly, The Stranger”

…

The only words that came to mind about this letter, was “odd as hell”. I found it almost interesting that such a letter would find its way into my hands, in such odd circumstances, with such an odd message.

We? Us? Wonderful land? What was this? Some crazy invitation to Wonderland?

I grimaced at the thought, thinking it some sort of crazy joke, and began to eat my lunch in peace, letting the subject drop, and continuing my peaceful, everyday, ordinary da-

"Meow..."

I heard it. The faint meow-ing of a cat in the distance, across some bushes. What was a cat doing here? Was it the same one as before? The one that had continued to follow me to school? I had become curious, and found myself standing up, and approaching the meowing sound with caution, as it suddenly brought back pieces of that letter. “Follow the black cat…” It continued to meow as I approached, starting to grow louder as I came closer. When I had reached the bushes, I could still hear it meowing, somewhere inside.

"What to do, what to do...?", I thought to myself out load, wondering what my next course of action would be. Would I jump in, and grab the cat? Or would I ignore it, and be on my way. Seeing that I couldn't leave the cat alone, more out of curiosity and boredom then anything, I did the only thing that came to mind. I slowly started to wade through the shrub. I continued to follow the cat calls, coming closer and closer as I approached. It was hard, wading through all that shrub, but when I had come through, I had found myself in a small clearing. It was surrounded by tall bushes, like the one I had just come out of. Leaves littered the ground everywhere.

"Meow..."

I heard it. My head quickly snapping to the source of the sound I had been hearing, to find a black cat not to far. "Meow...", it continued to cry, staying in one spot, and not moving.

"Come here, little kitten. Come to me.", I said, as I approached the cat, staying where it was, not moving an inch. "Come here, little kitten. I'll come take you home...", I continued to say, the cat continuing not to move, continuing to meow with each sentence I spoke. I was soon close to the cat, ready to grab it, when I heard a crack.

"Eh...?", was all I could mutter, as I quickly felt the ground beneath me give way, a split second later finding myself falling down, down. Looking up, I saw the sky above me, slowly disappearing as I continued to fall, and a little black cat, meowing at me from the edge of the hole, as I continued to fall into darkness.

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Chapter 2

"Don’t ever follow the black cat…"

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The first of my senses to come back to me was smell. A musty, moist smell all around me. The next was my hearing, a soft breeze rarely stirring, with sounds of what seemed like water drops hitting a puddle. Next, was my sight, as I slowly opened my eyes, seeing the hole that I had dropped through, seeing nothing but black as I continued to look up.

I slowly started to pick myself up on my feet, looking around once, and again up at the hole, wondering how I had ever survived the fall. As I looked around, I realized the type of place I was at, explaining everything I had smelled and heard.
It looked like some sort of cave, with small puddles forming here and there, in various places around me. I seemed to be in a circular room of the cave, with one passage way, which I had hoped was leading out.

I had noticed that it wasn’t dark at all, and I looked up by the passage, I could see a torch hanging from the wall. As I looked further, I noticed other torches lining the wall as well, as if someone had been expecting me, and had lit the way out of the cave.

Hesitant, but finding no other solution, I decided to make my way out of the cave, beginning to proceed down the passage, taking in what little there was to see. I continued to walk, feeling as this passage might go on forever, but not having a choice of going back to what held nothing for me.

Seconds seemed to pass, then minutes. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought I had been in this passage for an hour. That’s what it felt like. Then I saw it. A light at the end of the tunnel.

I smiled, glad to finally see the exit to this ridiculous cave. I began to run, both wondering, and not wanting to find out what was just outside this cave.

It was at this point, that I wouldn’t even realize that the events that were about to be set in motion the moment I set foot outside this cave, would be the moment that changed everything…

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“Welcome back, Miss Black Cat! I've been waiting for you.”, said the man with the top hat, and fancy clothes, greeting the black cat that had hopped through his open window.

“Meow.”, replied the cat, looking at The Stranger after it had leapt on the wooden table, watching him sit on a matching chair.

“I can take it that everything went splendidly?”, asked The Stranger once again to the cat, waiting for a response.

“…”, The cat continued to stare, meeting the man’s eyes as it did.

“… I see. Well, as long as she’s here, that’s all that matters, in the end. We have much to prepare for, so let us be off, shall we?”, The Stranger continued, lifting himself off the chair, as he walked to the door of the small house, opening it, and keeping it open, standing aside, and giving a bow, as if to let someone through like a gentleman would.

“Will you not join me?”, he asked to the cat, looking at it as he continued to keep the door open.

The cat looked around once again, before giving what seemed like a sigh.

“… If you insist.”, it whispered back, barely audible, as it leaped from the table and walked out the door, The Stranger following, closing the door behind them as they proceeded to their destination.