Rob stumbled, righted himself and stared in astonishment. For starters it was bright, almost too bright for his eyes after having had only the light of a flashlight to see by. The weather was cooler, spring-like, and he was in a meadow of all places, not a tobacco field. He turned and looked around.

“Uh, Guys?” He realized he was alone and tried not to panic. “I’ll just go back a few steps and I’ll be home with Cory and Megan,” he said to himself.

He walked backwards a few steps. When nothing happened, he let out a curse. Trying again gave the same result. He retraced his steps and stood there deciding what to do when he was bowled over. He hit the ground hard, his breath knocked out of him and his arm pinned under his body at an awkward angle.

“Whew! What a rush!” Cory exclaimed as he blinked, trying to adjust his vision to the sudden brightness. He was lying on top of Megan’s lower body and Rob was underneath her. He could hear Rob moaning painfully and felt him trying to crawl out from the bottom of the pile.

“Get off me! Watch your hands, Cory! Where the hell are we?” Megan instantly complained as she tried to push Cory off her and move his hand that had ended up underneath her skirt.

“Here’s an idea. Why don’t you both move? I’m smothering down here,” Rob groaned. Once his breath returned, he could talk despite the throbbing in his right arm.

“Oh sorry, man!” Cory contritely got up. He offered Megan a hand, but she slapped it away and stood angrily brushing dirt off her clothes. She was muttering dire threats at both of them. Her hair was a mess and her outfit was ruined. She was not a happy woman. Shrugging, Cory helped Rob up and dusted him off, pointedly ignoring Megan and her angry muttering.

“Not in Kansas anymore,” Rob joked as he looked around at anything that wasn’t Megan.

“Nope, we’re not,” Cory agreed, noting the difference in scenery. All the colors were more vivid than back home. Even in his wildest dreams, he couldn’t imagine vibrant shades like the ones he was seeing now. He walked a couple of steps and stopped. “Why don’t we try to find someone to help us get back home?” He suggested and bent down to inspect grass that was greener than green itself.

“Explore?” Megan sputtered. “Are you out of your freaking mind? We are stuck in a godforsaken meadow that none of us know, and you want to go exploring? I want to go home, Cory. And I’m not waiting here with you to gawk at the wonders of nature!” Megan marched back the way she thought would take her home.

“Um, Megan, I think I should warn you,” Rob began. He stopped with a sigh when Megan walked out of earshot.

Megan ignored him and went to the spot she believed they had come from. “I’ll show him,” she muttered and moved forward. She blinked, surprised that nothing happened and, for a moment, was scared but shrugged it off. A club goddess never panicked.

“I’ll just take a few steps back and go to my right,” she said firmly and did just that. She attempted each direction, with the same result. Megan felt a shiver of fear run through her, but it was swiftly replaced by anger. This was all Cory’s fault and his stupid Boy Scout nature. All she wanted was to hit him! She screamed her rage.

Both boys jumped when Megan’s muffled roar of fury reached their ears. “Oh boy,” Rob said and backed up next to Cory, who was staring at the returning Megan in astonishment.

Megan charged straight at them, her fist connecting solidly with Cory’s jaw, making him stumble back. He attempted to block the flurry of blows she was throwing at him. He was too shocked to truly defend himself against her. Never had he seen her lose her cool. Ever.

“You bastard! You did this! I’m stuck here because of you!” she screeched.

Rob jumped in, grabbed her wrists and dragged her away from Cory.

“Stop it Megan!” He shook her hard enough to silence her.

Megan’s face was wet with tears and her mascara was running. She looked pitifully at Cory and then at Rob. Sobbing, she collapsed against Rob’s chest. He cradled her gently and made soothing sounds.

“S’ok Meg. We’re gonna be alright. C’mon, don’t cry, please,” he implored her.

Cory came over rubbing his jaw and looking contrite.

“Megan, I’m sorry. If I had known we’d get stuck here, I wouldn’t have done it,” Cory apologized. He meant it, too. He wanted to save Rob, but not at the expense of everybody getting stranded in some weird place.

Megan’s sobs had stopped and she turned to look at Cory. “I’m sorry for hitting you. Let’s find someone to get us home,” she whispered half-heartedly, wiping at her eyes trying to get rid of the mascara streaks.

“Yeah, sounds like a plan to me,” Rob said as the three friends began walking.

They had to stop once for Megan to slip off her stilettos. She complained about getting calloused feet from not wearing shoes. Rob and Cory turned deaf ears and she stopped whining after a few minutes of united silence from them.

Cory paused and frowned at Rob and Megan. “Guys, do you hear that?” He peered about the meadow cautiously.

“Hear what? I don’t hear anything,” Megan retorted.

“That’s what I mean. It’s too quiet. No sounds. Something’s wrong.” Cory glanced about.

“Maybe we should get out of the open,” Rob suggested, just as they heard the sound of metal clanging on metal, shouts and screams.

The three friends looked at each other. “Not good,” Cory and Rob said together.

They each grabbed one of Megan’s hands and started running back the way they had come. They stopped and looked wildly about, trying to find a place to hide, but all they saw was open area. Not a rock or tree in sight.

“Where do we go now?” Megan panted, her hair flying wildly about her head.

“I don’t know, but we need to find some cover now!” Rob gasped.

Cory started to agree, but was interrupted by Megan’s terrified scream. He spun around and felt himself go cold. Coming towards them was a giant, ugly green creature that had to be over six feet tall. Small tusks grew on either side of its drooling mouth full of sharp, discolored teeth. It gripped its gigantic axe easily in one hand and gave them an evil leer. Cory choked on the stench coming from the creature. Megan gagged and frantically covered her nose and mouth with her hand.

“Oh man, we’re so gonna die!” Rob shouted, rooted to the spot in fear. He closed his eyes and prayed for a quick death.