"Henry, look!" Arabella cried.

Henry was gazing into the distance, thinking about the book he was reading, only half watching his little sister. Arabella opened her hands, and a glittery heart appeared.

She opened her hands and shot the beam of glitter at a bush. A squirrel shot out, and began to rub itself against a rock.

"Cool," Henry said distractedly, and then noticed what she had done, and the glittery particles floating around the squirrel and rock, and on Arabella's hands.

What did you do? Henry thought, exasperated. He got up from the floor, with the book in his hand.

Suddenly, he felt like there were people watching them.

Arabella opened her eyes in shock. "Henry!!" she shrieked.

She got up, but something seemed to trip her, and she stumbled

into the bush.

"Help!!" she shrieked as she was falling. But the thing was, she never stopped. There was a seemingly endless tunnel that seemed to flicker into view.

"Come." a female voice said softly. Henry didn't move, shocked by what had happened.

"You, come on!" another voice hissed, pushing Henry into the bush.

He felt like he was falling. It was so fast, and he could barely breathe, let alone move.

Henry just decided to close his eyes and hope it was all a dream.

~~~~~

Henry landed somewhere. It was white and had clear glass everywhere.

Looking around more carefully, he noticed signs hanging from the ceiling. The one closest to him read "Wait for a Senior Zalar to Meet You."

What's that? Henry wonders. Are those what the other people are called here?

The person who had first asked him to come was carrying a small bundle. With a jolt, Henry realised the bundle was Arabella, small and curled, like a small mouse sleeping.

"Hello, Domino. Come with me." She said, tilting her head towards an emptier hallway. It had rows of doors, and no glass. Just concrete.

Deciding on the spot it was better to follow the person, Henry felt the walls. They were oddly smooth.

"I'm Amber, by the way. I'll be your Trainer."

Amber had white wings, each feather lined with different shades of gold, orange, and brown. Her eyes weren't the gray-blue they were before, but a warm orange color. Her hair had a streak of fiery orange.

Amber opened a door. It led to a waiting-room-like area, with two chairs, and a table with a vase on it. Again, there were doors, this time six of them.

"Welcome to your new home."

Henry walked into the room with the door that was made of pine.

It had two beds, one was orange, one was yellow. He sat on the orange one, hoping it wasn't already taken. Amber stood in the doorway, still holding Arabella, while Henry looked around. He noticed how everything seemed to be ready, there were clothes, a bed, a clock-

Wait, that's not the time in Atlanta... did I travel somewhere else? Or was I here for that long... Or did I fall through time, literally?

"Settle in. You'll stay here for a long time." Amber left wings brushing the door frame.

Looking through the closet, Henry noticed that all the clothes were white or orange. The white ones were lab coat thingys, and the orange was almost everything else. There were black pants, along with jeans.

Leaving the room, he went into the middle room. It was a bathroom, with everything that anyone needs.

Leaving the bathroom and taking in the inside room, he noticed that Arabella was sleeping - was she sleeping?- on a chair.

A person walked through the door. Not the main door, but the door behind the desk.

"Don't get too attached," he said, although Arabella was an animal or something. 'We'll need to take Lotus away in a little while."

"L-Lotus?"

"Lotus," the Zalar said absentmindedly.

Henry sat in seething silence. They had taken him and Arabella here, and then treated her like some- some cat or something!

He disregarded the fact that they - Amber, at least- had treated him well.

"Henry?" Amber came back. He jumped back from Arabella, acting as though he was just looking around. The sliding doors closed behind her. "I need you to fill out this form, and take the watch over there. I think," Amber paused here. "I think you're smart enough to figure it out."

She took Arabella, just as she had done before, and walked towards the desk. The Zalar looked up, and jumped slightly. They greeted each other, nodding. Amber left through the small door behind the desk.

He walked into the dorm-like room again, and sat down by the desk. Henry looked at his watch-thing, wondering how it worked. Is it more like a phone? Is it supposed to be used in emergencies only?

He decided to start now and wonder later. It was basically getting a phone all over again, but at least he knew somewhat how it worked!

"Welcome, ________" Flashed over the screen. Each letter revealed itself, flickering, and then dying out.

"Welcome, Domino, to Zalari."

Henry sighed. "I guess I'm truly part of this place now."