IMPORTANT: I've made a small, yet important change. Instead of commenting on the latest chapter uploaded to ask to write a chapter, comment your "I want to join, because..."-thing on the chapter called RULES. It'll be simpler for everyone that way since I'm always going to be uploading new chapters.

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Chapter One/ Prompt chapter

Note by MLB998

IMPORTANT!! Every time there is a note titled 'Note by MLB998' (a.k.a me,) it means I have important information to give you, so please read them.

This first chapter is written by me, but the next ones will be written by other authors who will be named at the end of the chapter. If you liked their chapter, why don't you check out their profile, they might have more stories you'd like!

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I was woken up by the angry glare of the sun. I tried to bury my head in my pillow, but instead of its usual softness, I felt the rough scratching of hot sand. I sat up, bewildered, and looked around me. Instead of my small room back home, I was surrounded by dunes of golden sand. I blinked several times and spotted a silhouette etched agains the purplish blue sky. Standing up on wobbly legs, I tentatively walked towards it.

A soap bubble floated towards me and I looked at it for a moment, my dirty blond locks and large brown eyes staring back at me, albeit a bit distorted, before the bubble popped just in front of my nose.

I jumped slightly, and looked up to see a few more floating my way. They were blown by the man I had seen earlier.

"Why are you blowing bubbles?"

"Why not?" He answered calmly.

"Because you're an adult, and we're in the middle of a desert." I stated. "Plus, that's not a very good answer."

"Maybe not, but yours wasn't either. Adults have the right to blow soap bubbles if they want to, and this isn't a desert, at least not yet."

"Do you know where we are?" I questioned. I was dimly aware that I should be panicking, but I felt strangely dazed.

The man dug into his pocket and pulled out a map.

"Right here." He said, pointing on the bottom left corner of the map with a dirty finger. He looked up and seemed to get a good look at me for the first time. "You're not from around here, are you?"

I shook my head.

"I see," he sighed. "You're another one of those travelers."

"I'm not traveling, I don't even know how I got here." I tried to argue.

"Can't even control your power, I see." He studied me for a moment longer. "What's your name?"

I opened my mouth, but I found I had no answer.

"Stella. Your name will be Stella."

I wanted to protest that you couldn't just name someone like that, but I had a feeling that, maybe, this was actually my name. Plus, having a name given by a random stranger was still better than having none at all, although I was sure I had had one once.

"Well, Stella, it's simple. You need to go there." Saying so, he pointed to the other extremity of the map, on the topmost right corner. "It's a long way from here, and it's a strange world out there, but I think you can do it."

I nodded. There wasn't really anything to say. I couldn't stay in this place forever, and hopefully the walking would help me clear my head. I was having trouble forming a clear thought right now; it must have been because of the heat.

"Here, kiddo, you can keep the map." And with that, he turned around, resumed blowing soap bubbles, and I was on my way.

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Stella, dirty blond curly hair, brown eyes, a bit of a stubborn streak, and right now pretty confused, is now on her way! To where? Well good question, that man wasn't really that helpful... Read (and write) on to find out more about the strange word she's in, why she's there, and if she will ever get back home. Wherever that is.