Cole came to to the song of birds and the babbling of a brook. Above him, branches of green, tender leaves rustled in the breeze, dappling sunlight all over. Was he dead? Was this heaven? Cole's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden nudging of his shoulder, a snort of hot air into his ear.
"Argh!" he cried out, sitting up.
He turned to see what had disturbed him, a beautiful, snow-white horse stared at him with docile, brown eyes.
"Hello... horse."
Wait a minute, the thought, that wasn't his voice. That wasn't the nasally, cracking voice of a sixteen year old boy. No, this voice was rich, and almost melodic. It was deep but without being rumbling. He held a hand to his throat.
His hand! It was, wider, his fingers were longer, and blonde hairs seemed to dust his knuckles. He looked down, long, strong legs stretched out before him. He padded himself down and felt muscles beneath the billowy tunic he found himself in.
Heart racing, he crawled on hands and knees to the stream gurgling nearby. He peered over the edge. The water's surface showed him a stranger's face. A stranger with a chiseled chin, and an aquiline nose. Everything was perfectly proportioned. Framing all those features was a mop of golden hair that parted perfectly as it hung gently just below his ears. A gold circlet adorned with rubies and diamonds sat on his forehead
Cole scrambled back as he screamed in the stranger's voice. The horse whinnied in surprise.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
His fingers brushed against something. Cole looked down and spotted a familiar scarlet cover. The fairytale book! It must be cursed or something! Cole opened the book and flipped through its pages. They were empty. He closed and opened the book time and time again, but every time he was greeted by the same blank pages.
"This cannot be happening. This has to be a dream of some sort!"
Cole pinched himself, but the sharp pain was all too real.