I blinked, my mind swarming. My surroundings were unfamiliar to me. The forest was quiet, almost peaceful, with the sunlight streaming through the anfractuous branches of the massive redwoods that surrounded me.

The first thing I noticed about my condition were my legs. Massive scrapes lined my thighs and calves, almost claw-like. A pool of blood lay around me, sticky and warm. I was not one to stomach blood easily, and against my better judgement I leaped up, gagging. The sight of blood made my head hurt worse.

I tried to breathe normally, searching my mind for an image or thought that would calm me down. Strangely, I came up with nothing. In fact, I couldn't remember anything. A vague memory of a blinding light flashed before my eyes, but was gone in a heartbeat. What's my name? I asked myself, trying to sort out my thoughts.

As I lay back down, far from the pool of blood, I felt a slight pressure against my hip. I pushed myself up into a sitting position, reaching into the pockets of my jeans, worn and ripped. I came out with a small calendar. Several dates were circled. The heading read December 2011. The dates were insignificant at the time, and my mind was too clouded to be able to read properly, anyways.

In the other pocket, I retrieved a small piece of paper. It had been folded and crumpled so many times, I was afraid the words would not be readable. It was a post-it, with two words scrawled in blue marker. I couldn't tell if it was my handwriting or not. I had no memory of how I wrote my words.

"Tokyo" and "Zephyr" were the two words. I snorted. However, the moment of doubt soon ended. I had a feeling that the words meant something. That it would have a huge impact on, not only my life, but perhaps the world's as well.

It was then that I noticed a low drone, wavering to the east. My curiosity got the better of me, and I rose, my dusty red hair blowing in my face as a gale swept across the enclave. I began to follow the sound, and it became gradually stronger.

I pushed past a tight tangle of brambles and stopped short. The drone had grown from a whisper to a blare, and what I saw before me made my head spin even more, and I had to cling to a tree before standing up again.

Before me stood a large stone arch, vines twining along its worn cobblestone. Electricity crackled in the center. It seemed to be suspended in the air, matter coming down in ribbons. I stepped forward, my hand outstretched, and knew I had to enter.

There was an urgency in my mind, and as much as I hated the idea, I knew I must. I took a deep breath, shaking from head to toe, and stepped forward. As my hand came in contact with the wall of light, it seemed to dissolve. I pulled my hand out, terrified that it would not be intact.

But sure enough, it was fine. She felt alone, and had to fight back tears as she stepped into the portal, dissolving as it pulled her in.