Ally got up with a mild grunt. She dusted the moist dirt off her skirt, and did a small twirl, watching the ends of the loose skirt fly in a wavy circle. When it fell back into place, she noticed it was all waves. Not a bit was just a straight, flat fabric, like these modern, skin-tight dresses with super low V necks. Ally liked this better, like she was a fairy tale character. Not a peasant or a princess, just girl that might live in cottage in the magical forest. And since when does one see a pretty Renaissance dress at the mall for sale? Unlikely.

But still, Ally sighed. She had liked that tee-shirt. Though, she knew not to pout about it. She pushed her hair behind her shoulders and continued walking. In the far distance she could see a wall of rock surrounded by trees. Cascading from the top was water, splitting up in different directions as they met up with rocks poking out of the cliff side. A small river ran from it and curved off into the forest. Ally decided to go to the river and follow it, knowing that life might hang around the water source. She jogged to it, the marshy ground squishing with each footstep. The purpley fog opened up a bit for her as she made her way through. If she hadn't just been painfully snatched from her home and pushed out of a tree, she might have smiled and thanked the magistical fog. Her hair flowed behind her in thick strands, whipping the fog. She enjoyed watching her shadow as she ran, and the skirt made it even more fun. But it also made it harder to press forward with ease. 

A moment a panic struck her. Usually she'd be home by now, unless she went to go hang out with her friends. And she always told her mom if she would be doing so. Ally faltered for a bit, worry lines seeping onto her face. The fog swirled around her, trying to offer what little comfort it could give. And if her parents called her friends, the school, wherever, and she wasn't there--they would call the police. She had to get home, as fast as possible. But, she didn't even know where she was. Ally began to sprint, her lungs burning from the effort, even though air was surprisingly clean. Eventually she reached the river, it surface reflecting the sun. The soft gurgle of the flow of the river was nice, but combined with the roar of the falls, it made Ally want to pee. 

She looked down both ways of the river, searching for what might be for luring for life. Finally, she chose the left, jogging a few feet away from the river bank. She began to see a some dirt paths, which increased as she went along. After about twenty minutes of jogging, Ally came across a quaint market place. Wooden shacks held clothing, food, trinkets, and trade centers, which were filled with all sorts of weird nick-nacks. People in what looked like Renaissance clothing pushed wheel barrels and carried weaved baskets filled with fruits, vegetables, and hay. 

Ally tentatively walked forward. The yellow and green leaved trees surrounding the market blew in the soft wind, whistling a sweet sound. The chatter of the people and calls of the salesmen all felt so familiar. It was an odd feeling, like déjà vu. She'd never even been to a market, unless the grocery store or a carnival counted. But neither held the serene beauty of this place. Even through all the panic, all the places she'd seen so far were just so pretty. She sucked in a breath, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. As Ally made her way around, to shy and dumbfounded to ask anyone about where she was, she noticed the way they looked at her. When they saw her, there eyes would widen, or they'd make a small gasp and point to a paper. Most commonly, they'd point to one on a large board in the center of the market. Ally tried to ignore them, though she couldn't help catching a few glances at the board. At the top it read 'News Board,' in fancy cursive. A large part of it was devoted to wanted posters. Ally shook her head. She walked over to a place with maps. 

"Excuse me, sir," Ally greeted the man with unease," but, um, where am I?" 

The man chuckled. "Beatsta, though most folks call it, 'The Marketplace With The Nice People,'" he told her in an English accent. 

"Um, well, thanks," she said quietly. "But, uh, do people, like--well, is this place, um, magic?"

"Oh, this land? Yes, in fact, it is," he gave her a reassuring smile. "You must be new. Welcome, I am Mr. Boston. I used to live in England."

"Oh, that's nice. I'm Ally, from America." She said, sadness leaking into her voice. "So, do you get, like, magically snatched from your homes?"

"Yes," he replied. Ally could see a tinge of sorrow in his cheerful eyes. She wanted to ask him more questions, but another customer demanded his help. He turned away from Ally, smiling. She turned and walked off. At least she knew where was--kind of--and that it was probable everyone in this place had experienced the same fate as she had. But she also realized that most of these people looked like they'd excepted the fact that they might not ever see their loved ones again. She stopped, tears threatening. She might never see her family again. Surely they'd go into a panic when she wasn't at her friends house or home by dark. But there had to a way back, right? If there's a will, there's a way. She clung onto that thought, knowing that if she tried hard enough, she could figure out a way back home. 

Another person gasped and pointed. Ally was really getting sick of this. She'd even seen a mother grab her child when she saw her. Ally walked up to the news board, weaving through the people. There were tons of wanted posters, each one hand drawn with a surprising amount of detail. And all but two were clean and sharp, looking like a photograph rather than a drawing. The two that lacked detail had the highest price on them, their lines blurry and smeared. And yet, the people looked so innocent. Both were young, probably teenagers. She giggled, maybe they stole the royal tarts, she thought. But her expression turned serious when she saw the dark streak above the portrait on the left. The boy in the picture had dark hair, though that was about the only way to pinpoint him in a crowd. His title read 'Shadow Dragon,' and said he was most commonly seen as that streak. She gasped. She'd seen him! When she first arrived in this land. Ally frantically looked at the drawing to the left. It was a girl, but it was even more scribbly than the boy. The title said 'Name Unknown,' but with a shocking realization, her eyes widened into planets. 

It was Ally.