{Unknown}

     The soft rays from the red sun gently caress my skin, a serene breeze blowing my hair annoyingly into my young face as I stare up at two people.

The taller one with black hair, picks me up.

I look into his dark blue eyes-eyes identical to my own, a magical spark twinkling brightly inside each one.

He smiles.

A warmth lights in my chest, everything around me feeling perfect.

He reaches a hand out, laying it palm up.

I laugh as a small fire ignites in his palm.

It twirls around, doing a mysterious dance. Then suddenly, a horse takes form from it.

I gasp in surprise, my young eyes widening in both astonishment and curiosity. My uncontrolled little hands coming up to try and touch it.

I look over as a delicate hand grasps onto my smaller one, stopping me before I can completely stanch my curiosity. Only to find piercing green eyes staring into mine with disapproval.

Her long dark-brown hair flies around her face, red lips set in a frown, an aurora of serenity surrounding her.

I look back over as I hear a laugh, another smile immediately lighting up my face.

He stares over at her, his face set in a teasing smile as he makes the fire horse gallop around his outstretched palm. It's tiny hooves just barely touching his skin, not a burn in site.

She shakes her head, a small smile settling on her lips as she looks between the two of us.

Then, the fire transforms again.

I watch in amazement as the fire horse slowly folds into a fire rose. Each petal perfectly shaped, perfectly arranged, perfectly detailed.

He holds it out to her, a love filled smile on his face, eyes alight with warmth as he gazes down at her.

She stares pensively up at him.

But then, she slowly reaches a delicate hand out.

She carefully takes it, a gentle smile forming on her lips as she stares down at it.

The warmth inside of me intensifies, a feeling fills me, telling me that everything is as it should be.

That it's perfect.

~~~~*~~~~

I jerk up into a sitting position, a gasp leaving my mouth as my head collides with a hard object, painful explosions igniting behind my eyes.

Leaning over, I hold my head between both my hands, eyes clenched tightly shut as pain runs through my head.

"What the-" I hear a pained voice practically shout.

I squint my eyes, angling my head up.

Roxie's sitting three feet away from my right, her slightly red face scrunched up in pain as she fiercely rubs her forehead with her right hand, left arm wrapped around her middle as she shivers uncontrollably.

What?

Why is Roxie here?

I feel dread hit my chest.

Wait.

Exactly where is here?

I swing my head up so fast black spots invade my eyesight.

I blink rapidly, trying to see.

"Bates?"

My heart literally stops as I take in the surroundings, my hands slowly lowering back down to my sides.

Crystal white snow blankets the ground everywhere, making it look like a winter wonderland.

A forest of huge trees surround us, snow sticking to their sides, limbs hanging down from the heavy weight.

"Bates?"

Long collapsed trees litter the ground every couple feet, limbs sticking out of the snow-like hands reaching out to grab you.

The sky is filled with dark clouds, no sign of the sun.

I breath out, the air hanging like smoke in front of my face.

Where are we?

Cause this doesn't look like Washback, Pennsylvania.

What happened?

I think back to the last thing I remember.

Getting off work, those Suit people outside.....

My breath catches.

Being chased through the alleys, running into Roxie....

I bring a hand up, rubbing my sore forehead.

I've really gotta stop doing that.

Listening to a voice in my head-which for the record, was a really bad idea on my part. Going into that abandoned mansion with Roxie.

Guns, dogs, chased.

Up the stairs, into that room.

The painting!

The stone had gotten warm, then it started glowing along with the painting.

"Bates!"

I redirect my attention, head snapping back over towards Roxie-who has her mouth open to say something else.

I feel annoyance flicker in me.

I narrow my eyes at her. "Don't call me that." I snap, irritation getting the best of me.

Her mouth slams shut, brow raising in confusion. "What?" She questions, eyes wide in puzzlement.

"It's Cal, or Callon." I elaborate, my voice dripping annoyance. "Not, Bates."

Her eyes harden, and I see anger spark in them.

"Oh, well excuse me!" She shouts, waving a shaky hand around. "I wasn't exactly paying attention." Her breathing comes out in gasps, clouds forming in front of her from each one. "You know, cause I'm too freaking busy with trying to figure out where the hell we are!" She shouts, her face going even redder.

She angrily motions over to me. "Unlike you who's been spacing out for the last three minutes!" She holds a hand up as she sees me about to say something. "And you know what?!"

She stands up, her eyes set on my face. "I blame you completely!" She crosses her arms. "For everything!"

Anger courses through me.

I shake some of the snow off my arms, keeping my eyes on her. "Well sorry, I didn't know you had a death wish." My voice comes out rougher than I intended.

But she just stands straighter, the anger building.

"But you know." I hiss, continuing on. "Next time we happen to be getting shot at, I will just leave you behind to get killed!" My voice involuntary rises and I look down.

I relax my tense shoulders, taking a breath to release some anger.

I look back up at her stiff form. "Because I know without a doubt." I quietly say, my dead serious eyes staring over at her. "That's what would of happened." I sincerely say.

I watch as the anger seems to deflate from within her, the spark in her eyes draining out in despair, shoulders slouching in defeat as she thinks over my words.

A suffocating silence fills the air.

Then she walks a little closer to me, raising her head up in defiance.

"Alright fine." She stops in front of me. "But I still hate you Callon Bates." She declares.

I look back at her. "Yeah, well the feelings mutual." I state.

She huffs, walking over to one of the fallen trees. Dusting off a spot on the trunk, she sits down. Both arms wrapping around herself, hands tucking under her armpits as she continues to shiver.

Is it really that cold?

I frown, concern running through me.

I sigh.

I'm too much of a softy.

Throughout my whole life-that I can remember, I've never really been affected by the cold that much.

But at the moment, I hardly even feel a slight chill in the air.

I furrow my eyebrows.

And she's sitting over there acting like it's negative thirty degrees.

Weird.

I look down at the snow I'm currently sitting in-that surprisingly hasn't melted into my pants yet.

I experimentally stick my left hand into the snow, all the way to the forest ground.

My hand goes down to about six inches, and I just keep it there.

After a full minute and I still don't feel any numbness in my hand, I pull it out.

Bringing it up to my face I see it doesn't even look red.

Confusion swirls in me.

I stand up, wincing as a slice of hot pain runs through the palm of my right hand.

Oh yeah, the accident on the steps.

And right as I think that, my right knee gives a throb of pain.

And that.

I keep my right hand clinched together, ignoring the strange warmth that seems to be emitting from it.

Standing completely up, I look back over at Roxie.

She's slouching on the log, blowing into her red tinted hands. Her light winter jacket pulled tightly around herself, whole body shaking from the cold.

The cold I for some-reason can't feel.

At all.

I stand there, uncertainty running full force through me.

This is my fault, I guess.

Even if I did save her life in the end.

Which she has yet to thank me for.

Making up my mind, I hesitantly pull off my hoodie-being careful not to knock my Beanie off in the process. Leaving me in my white short-sleeve shirt.

As I hold onto the hoodie in my left hand, I wait for the certain cold that's to come.

More surprise flickers in me as all I feel is a slight prickle on my exposed arms.

Now that is strange.

I look back over at Roxie as I hear movement.

She's looking at me like I'm crazy, astonishment clear in her eyes as she examines my bare arms.

I self-consciously cross them, holding my hoodie out for her to take.

She looks up at me with suspicious eyes.

I roll my eyes. "Just take it." She raises an eyebrow at me in question. "The cold doesn't really bother me." I admit.

      And no, I didn't just quote Frozen.

She cautiously reaches out a trembling hand.

As she grabs onto it, her eyes latch onto my left arm that's holding it out.

Or to be more precise-she's looking at the marks on my arm.

I quickly pull my arm back, clearing my throat and crossing my arms again as I look away.

Like I said before. You'd never catch me outside without anything covering my arms up.

But this is a completely different situation.

I hear the rustle of clothing as she pulls my hoodie on over her jacket.

"Wh-where a-are we exactly." She stumbles out through her shivering, rubbing her head again. "I f-feel like I g-got run o-over. Repeatedly." She adds.

I look back around, my eyes examining the snowy scenery.

Facing her again, I smirk. "Narnia?" I lightly joke.

She frowns, looking annoyed again. "Would y-you quit j-joking and be se-serious?" She fiercely says-well as fiercely as you can sound while stumbling over each word.

I straighten my smirk, sobering up. "Uh, for your information, that was my first joke." I point out.

She rolls her eyes, looking down.

"Idiot." I hear her mumble under her breath-my ears catching it like she was saying it directly to my face.

We make a great team.

I look up as shadows suddenly appear, sunshine streaming in through the tree tops. And I feel my eyes widen in disbelief as they land on the sun.

A bright Red sun.

My jaw literally drops.

And I don't mean it's tinted red like a sunset.

No, I mean it's a Red sun.

I wince as there's a mighty throb in my head, a feeling like a tug in my brain-like something's waiting to be released.

My eyes widen.

That dream I was having right before I jerked awake.

A dream I've had plenty of times before, but always wake up with an ache in my chest and the whole memory blurred.

The faces blurry.

Memory......?

I almost gasp as my vision suddenly tunnels, and I'm momentarily transported somewhere else.

Warmth

Comfort

Belonging

Love

I lean over as I come back to myself, the memory still blurry except one thing.

There was a red sun in my dream.

I glance back up at the sky, and sure enough. It's the exact same one.

What's this mean?

Thoughts run through my mind a mile a minute. All questions that can't be answered.

Wait.

I think back to the painting.

Right before it exploded into hundreds of different colors, I had looked it over.

I scan it over in my head, looking for some unknown something.

Water.

Strange creatures.

A castle.

Mountains.

I stop, my breath catching.

Right in-between two Mountains, was a red sun.

Just like this one.

Three identical suns.

I put the pieces together.

Are we in the land from that painting?

I look back over at Roxie who's still focused on her trembling hands. "I don't think we're on earth." I slowly say, gauging her reaction.

Her head swings up to me, brows furrowed in confusion. "Wh-what the h-heck are you saying?" She questions, horror filling her eyes.

Instead of saying anything. I point up to the sun.

She slowly drags her gaze from me, up to the sky.

I see her mouth fall slack, eyes widening so big they look like saucers.

"Oh my god." She raises a red tinted hand up to her mouth, eyes slowly dragging back down to me.

Fear filling them.

"W-where a-are we?" She whispers, her voice cracking.

I look away from her, my eyes staring out through the thicket of trees, my stomach twisting with unease.

"I don't know." I truthfully answer.

We're in the Unknown.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N

So now they're finally in Orelon! (they just don't know it yet lol) Yippie!!!!😂😁

So I finally did a shorter chapter this time and it totally took way less time.

Oh! For those who didn't know this. I'm hosting a contest called: The Wing Awards.

If your interested then swing on over and take a looksie! (Information is inside the contest book)

And I'll also be putting a short little teaser at the end of each chapter now.

Questions:

1. What'd you think of this chapter?

2. How do you think Callon and Roxie are going to get along now, basing it on their *Clears throat* already dwindling friendship? (if you want to call it that😬)

3. Oh, did you notice I changed the cover again? Which one do you think is more eye catching? (I'll put them down here🔽 for a better visual)

Now people, *Sighs* we did Not make it to my voting goals for this chapter. (Which I'm a little disappointed with) But I'm being nice and updating anyways.😇

People!!!!

I know there's more than enough people reading this to complete my voting goals. I mean, I see on each chapter how many people have read them. So for GOODNESS SAKE! There should definitely be more than four votes on the chapter! (Sorry if I just sound like a whiny pig lol) but I feel this needs to be pointed out. So go ahead and quit reading this book if you want, but if you've read this far then you might as well continue with it.

I work really hard on this, and when I see people have actually voted, it literally makes me feel ten times happier. But then when I look and see I have maybe 4 votes on a chapter and like 60 reads, that kinda bums me out.

Just THINK!! If each one of you Pressed that little star before you left the book, there would be 230 something odd Votes on this book!

So I dare you! 😠

Before you leave this book, press that Star that's over in the corner of the screen, make it Yellow!!! (If you don't know how to vote, you just press on the little star that's in one of the corners)

Don't be lazy.

You've already take the resolve to read my book, so the least you can do is vote on it.

I mean, come on people!

Are y'all afraid of it or something? Cause it's not that hard to do.

Because this time.

I will Not be updating until I get 6 votes this time. (That's a promise.) sorry to those of you who do vote😭(y'all are AWESOME !) you don't deserve it, but I feel a lesson should be taught.

Thank you.

Comment!!! And VOTE!!!

Teaser; Callon and Roxie have to find shelter before nightfall and figure out what exactly they're going to do.

Maggy