The Witch and the Wolf

[3rd person] Emilia was a 27-year-old, successful, single college professor of Art at NYU. She was curvy and beautiful. Emilia preferred to keep to herself. She had no family and no real friends. No one she really trusted. One morning, while getting ready for work, Emilia received a package. This was not abnormal as she received packages daily. As she began to open it, a bright light burst through the opening and, with a whoosh, she was in an unfamiliar place. There she stood. Alone. Lost the middle of the woods. Emilia looked around. The sky was dark and littered with stars. The only light was coming from the moon, which looked as though it was ready to set. "Hello!? Hello!? Is anyone there?" She waited to hear an answer. "Anyone? Hello!? I need help!" For what felt like eternity, she waited for someone. Anyone. The long wait was slowly wearing her down. Suddenly, “Emilia…” She heard her name. It sounded like the wind was calling her. Frantically, Emilia looked around. “Emilia…” The voice came again in an almost whisper. “Who’s there?” She cried out. 'Where is that voice coming from?' Emilia wondered, terrified and eager to discover the answer, because there was no one in sight. Determined to find the voice, Emilia began wandering through the forest hoping to see any sign of life. She knew that in order to find civilization, she would need to find a road. With that, Emilia put the moon on her back and headed towards the sun that was just peaking in the distance. Emilia was not a religious person, but at this moment she began to pray. “Umm, Lady God or whoever is out there watching. Please help me get somewhere… Anywhere…” She huffed, “This is stupid. Nevermind. It’s not like anyone’s listening anyways.” Time continued like this. She walked in silence. The crunching of leaves and breaking of branches were the only sounds that could be heard for some time. The crunching of leaves from her feet continued. Suddenly, in the distance behind her, a second set of footsteps began shortly after hers. What felt like hours had past with no one in sight and now, another set of footsteps were coming closer. She felt uneasy. As she quickened her pace, so did the sound of breaking foliage. “Finally! A road!” Emilia said under her breath. Emilia walked onto the road and quickly looked towards the direction she had just been in. She squinted into the treeline to see who or what had been following her but there was nothing. Shrugging it off, she thought, ‘Must have been my imagination or something.’ Emilia looked down each direction of the road that was leading to the north and south. There looked to be hoof marks going to the north. ‘There must be a town or people that way,’ she thought. Making up her mind, Emilia decided to follow the tracks. Suddenly, her thoughts were broken. She heard the noise again. Quickly, she turned back towards the treeline to see if she could spot who was following her. Emilia hoped it was a person so she could ask why she was being followed or for directions, but all of her hopes were dashed when she saw what had really been following her. What had been stalking her? A large black and gray wolf stood roughly 10 meters away. It’s green eyes glowing in the shadows. They were mesmerizing. Her eyes connect with them. Her heart began to race and a sudden rush of energy shot through her. 'Adrenaline. It has to be adrenaline.' Emilia thought to herself while clutching her chest for a moment. The wolf began approaching her. Nervously, she placed her hands in front of herself. Backing away slowly, she knew she would be done for. Her thoughts went back to a dog she once had. ‘It’s worth a shot.’ She thought nervously to herself. “G-good boy,” she stammered. “That's a good boy. Go on now. I’m not food. I don’t even have food. I’m sure you can find a nice tasty deer or some…” So focused on the wolf, Emilia did notice the danger approaching from the south. A large carriage was charging towards her. Emilia looked up from the wolf towards the carriage and froze in fear. The next few seconds were a complete blur. One moment she was standing in front of a carriage about to be trampled and the next, she in shock. Emilia was now looking up at an extremely handsome, muscular man with piercing green eyes. He was holding her bridal-style a few feet away. The man had clothes that reminded her of the stories of Robin Hood. “You are peculiar.” He said, grinning, in a deep tone. “You should be a bit more careful, miss.” The man gently brushes some dirt off her cheek. Emilia blushes, and quickly jumps. She brushes herself off, clears her throat, and says “Uh… Thanks, I guess.” With a curious look, she began to visually examine Emilia. 'Hmm… She’s busty. Voluptuous curves. Very nice legs and supple bottom. But, what on earth is she wearing?' He thinks to himself as a blush creeps upon his cheeks. Emilia looked annoyed at what the man was thinking. For as long as she could remember, she was able to hear people’s thoughts. It was more of a curse than a blessing in most cases. For school, it was a blessing. She knew days before others about surprise tests or things of that nature. But in regards to friends, family, and boyfriends, it was a curse. She always knew when others were unfaithful or lying. She had lost many friends and boyfriends due to her gift. “E-Excuse me, milady?” He stammers and clears his throat. “What were you doing in the middle of the road?” Emilia became lost in thought after hearing the man’s thoughts. She didn't see a problem with what she was wearing. She thought that she looked pretty good. She had on a light pink tank and a mid-toned pink jacket. Her legs were covered by a pair of black jeggings. Her combat boots were laced to her knees. This was normal fall attire for her. This style is what she wore to work almost every day. Snapping out of her thoughts, she looked up at the man and glared. Emilia couldn’t stand people who thought they were superior and were going to put this pretty boy in his place. “Excuse you, but I'm wearing normal clothes.” Emilia stated with a bit of a sarcastic tone. “What do you mean, ‘what are you wearing’? Are you the fashion police? Actually… you know what, forget that. I’m going to be late for work. I have to get back. Where am I?” “I’m not sure why you would need policing for fashion, but to answer your question, this is the Kingdom of Knights.” the man said, “My name is Sir Maxwell the third. Second knight to his highness Augustus Kelly Church the second. You can call me Max.” He smiles and bows deeply. “And who might you be, Milady?” Emilia was now in a panic. She became completely lost. “Wait. Where am I?” She said to herself. “The Kingdom of Knights, milady,” Max stated, full of pride. Emilia put her hands in front of her and stared at them while she began to ramble. “Hold on a second. I just need to figure this out. My boss is going to kill me. I’m dreaming.” Emilia began pinching herself, saying, “Wake up Emilia. It’s time to wake up.” Max reached out and grabbed her hand to prevent the continuous pinching. “I don’t think this is a dream, milady.” Emilia began to look around in a panicked state. A vast forest surrounded her. Her mind was racing. 'Okay. Okay. I just woke up. I got dressed for work. I opened my door to receive a package. I opened the package and was blinded by a brilliant light. Now, I’m here. Where is it here? What is going on? Aliens? Abduction? Kidnapping? I’m so confused. First thing first, I need to figure out how I’m getting home.' “Eh-hem…” Max cleared his throat to get the frantic woman’s attention. “Milady? Are you okay?” Max said, concerned after watching Emilia pace back and forth mumbling to herself. Her train of thought was broken and she glared up at him. “My name is Emilia, not milady." She said with an annoyed tone. "Please, you can call me Emi.” Emi’s expression softened slightly as she realized how annoyed she sounded and must have looked at that moment. She looked up at Max and said, “So, Max. How would one get to New York City from here?” Max looked confused. “What is a New York City? I can take you to New Found City. That is where our king resides. I’m sorry Emi. I do not know what a New York City is.” Emilia fell into despair. 'What am I going to do now?' “Ah-ha! That is it. I shall take you to our king. He will know what to do. Come along, Emi. His majesty is all knowing and can help you.” He said proudly. Emilia looked at Max and shrugged. What other choice did she have? There was no other option that would present itself at this time. She just hoped she was not making a mistake. With that, Maxwell and Emilia began their adventure to see the king.