I trudged down the street, my mind clouded with frustration and disbelief. Getting fired from my job today felt like the final nail in the coffin of my already miserable luck.
Just yesterday, my boss praised me for my hard work, and now, out of nowhere, I'm jobless.
"How could this happen?" I muttered, kicking a stray pebble on the sidewalk.
As I neared my apartment, something caught my eye. A new café had sprung up overnight, nestled between the old bookstore and the corner grocery.
The warm, inviting light spilling out of its windows seemed to beckon me. I sighed, deciding I could use a moment to unwind before facing my empty apartment and the weight of my problems.
I pushed open the door, and a small bell chimed. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee instantly soothed my frazzled nerves.
As I stepped into the café, the first thing I noticed was how eerily empty it seemed. Despite the inviting atmosphere and the warm glow of the lights, there were only a few scattered patrons throughout the cozy space.
I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should turn back and find another place to unwind. But before I could make a decision, the barista behind the counter caught my eye.
He flashed me a friendly smile, but there was something more in his gaze that gave me pause. It was as if he knew something.
"Welcome," he said, his voice was soft but commanding. "You look like you could use a break."
I blinked, caught off guard by his sudden comment.
"Uh, yeah," I stammered, unsure of what to say. "Just a regular coffee, please."
The barista nodded, his smile widening ever so slightly.
"Coming right up."
As he turned to prepare my order, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to his words. It was as if he were trying to tell me something.
With a sense of unease gnawing at the edges of my mind, I took a seat and waited for my order.
After I paid for my order, I took my coffee and made my way over, sinking into a comfortable chair. The shelves were filled with mix of titles of books that some were old, some new.
One book, in particular, caught my eye. It was a leather-bound volume with no title on the spine. Curious, I pulled it from the shelf and settled into my seat. As I opened the book, a strange feeling washed over me, as if I were meant to find it.
I opened the book in a random page and immediately stumbled upon an excerpt that struck a chord within me.
The story depicted a man named Davian Castlewood, who, despite his best efforts, always found himself on the wrong side of fortune. He lived in a different time, but his struggles resonated with me. Every failure, every moment of bad luck, mirrored my own life.
He just faced a series of unfortunate events in the treacherous Darkwood Forest. His path blocked by fallen trees, his provisions ruined by a sudden rainstorm, and his encounter with a nest of angry hornets leaving him battered and bruised.
It was as if I was reading my own story, each sentence resonating with my recent streak of misfortune.
I smirked at the thought.
As I turned the pages, I couldn't shake the feeling that Davian and I are very similar. Not just because of the misfortune he had gone through, but also his impression reminded me of myself.
His hair are wavy, his tall and slender frame that I had always considered too skinny, and a complexion that leaned towards the darker side. The only exception is that I wear glasses and he don't.
I must say, I was quite hooked. The more I read, the more I felt a strange connection to this book.
As I flipped the page, the pages suddenly began to glow.
Surprised, I tried to shut the book, but for some reason I can't do it.
"What the hell is happening?" I exaggerated.
A brilliant, golden light burst forth, blinding me. The light grew brighter and brighter until it enveloped me completely. I felt a strange sensation, like being pulled through. Then suddenly, everything went black.
With my hand grasping my head, I feel the throbbing with a dull, persistent ache as I slowly opened my eyes. Blinking away the haze of disorientation, I found myself surrounded by towering trees and a canopy of green leaves.
"Where am I?" I whispered at myself.
Confusion washed over me as I tried to make sense of my surroundings. The last thing I remembered was sitting in the café.
But now, I was no longer there. Instead, I lay on the damp forest floor, with its earthy scent of moss and soil filling my senses.
As the pain in my head intensified, a sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Something is definitely wrong, and I have a feeling that I'm far from home.
Despite the unwavering questions in my mind, I stood in the middle of the vast forest.
I look around to see if there's anyone with me but there was none.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" I shouted. The air was filled with the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves. It was only my voice that can be heard.
I tried recalling what happened before but I failed. Even my clothes were changed. And even a single of my belongings aren't with me. What am I supposed to do now?
As I walked through the vast expanse of the forest, a sense of uncertainty gnawed at the edges of my mind. Each step I took seemed to lead me further into the unknown, with no clear path or destination in sight.
I paused for a moment, waves of shock surged through me as the realization sank in.
"Forest? Different clothes? Unknown place?" My eyes widened in shock.
I had been transported into the very book I was just reading!
My heart raced, and my mind struggled to comprehend the whole situation.
"How could this be happening? That barista! It must be him!" I blinked, I slapped myself, hoping to wake up from this bizarre nightmare, but the forest around me remained unchanged. Apart from that, the slap also did hurt.
Panic crept in me, but I forced myself to take a deep breath. I had to stay calm, to figure out how I ended up here and, more importantly, how to find my way back home.
Glancing around in every direction, I had no idea where I was going, but I knew that I had to keep moving forward.
With a determined frown, I clenched my fist, feeling the resolve coursing through me. "I need to find that barista."
Whatever had brought me into this strange world, I need to find answers. I need to know why I was sent here, and most importantly, who was behind this.
"Wait- since my clothes were changed, and I'm inside the book, does that make me one of the characters in the story?"