The water felt great. It was cool, refreshing, and it made her feel like she was completely free from all of her ties back home. She poked her head up out of the water and looked over to her friend Leslie who had now managed to make her way over to the guy and had started a conversation. Not interested in being with anyone? Yeah right! Then she had another thought, what am I supposed to do here if she’s hanging out with that guy? Wasn’t this trip supposed to be about her and me? Suddenly Dakota felt a surge of heat rise within her and she had to let it out, so she took another deep dive under water, only this time she swam out as far as she could without resurfacing. She must have swam through a wave because she could feel an odd sensation flow over her, wow that must have been a strong one, I’d better go up to the surface before I get too turned around she thought to herself. When her head first broke the surface of the water she had to wipe the water away from her eyes. She looked around to see if she could see Leslie, but something wasn’t right. At first thinking the water was still in her eyes she rubbed them again and scanned the surrounding area for her friend. The only problem was there wasn’t a soul in sight, and this wasn’t the same water she had entered into, this appeared more like a lake of some sort. And there were bushes and trees surrounding the water, definitely not palm trees, and where did all the huts go? A surge of panic began to overcome Dakota as she turned her body around in the water trying desperately to find something familiar.

Chapter two

“Well that’s a right bit of a pickle you got yourself into, didn’t you?” Dakota scanned the area trying to find the source of the voice she thought she heard.
“D—did… someone say something?” There was a snort
“If that someone be me, then yes, I said something. Although I don’t know if that should really be your main concern right about now.” She moved herself closer to the sound of the voice, just stay calm Dakota, no need to panic now, does any of this whole trip feel real anyhow? I bet this is just a dream; I just need to concentrate on waking up…Another voice piped up.
“Oooooh that is a nasty spot to be, you’re right there Christopher.”
“I wouldn’t want to be in there, that’s for sure, right bit ‘o strange creatures in this here lake there are. What were you doing, going for a swim?” Approaching the shore more shrubs and bushes came into view, but still not a person in sight. In fact, the only thing she could see was a horse.
“Hello?” The horse shook his head,
“Are you daft girl? I asked you a question!” The horse turned his head to face the pouch attached to his saddle and continued to talk, “She’s seeming a bit rather rude wouldn’t you say, Wally?” Upon seeing this she gasped out loud,
“It is you! You’re talking to me!” The horse chuckled.
“Is she serious?” He seemed to be talking to himself when he said that. “Of course I’m talking, but you know it is customary to answer one’s question.” Get a hold of yourself, she thought, he may be able to help you… even if he is a talking horse…
“I’m sorry, question?”
“I suppose you are in a bit of a predicament, so I’ll forgive your inattention for the moment, I asked you what you are doing in there? Don’t you know you’re in dangerous water?”
“Yes quite dangerous.” A second voice chimed in.
“Honestly I don’t know where I am! I was swimming in an ocean, but this does not appear to be the same ocean. Perhaps you know where I am?”
“Good golly, you can’t be serious? She can’t be serious?” The horse turned his head again in the direction of his saddle. “You’re in the province of Beniton, after Queen Beniton of course.”
“Oh.” Not sure what else to say Dakota came out with the awkward question,
“Is… the province of Beniton a good place to be then?” For a moment it looked amazingly as if the horse almost gave a bit of a shrug.
“It’s not the worst province to be, just don’t interfere in the queen’s business, and you should be fine.” There was a ripple in the water and she developed a cold shiver throughout her body which produced the most frightening goose bumps.
“Something doesn’t quiet feel right.” She quivered.
“No, I wouldn’t think so in that water, I wouldn’t. It might be best if you made your way out.”
“I don’t know if I can.” She began to panic as another ripple in the water made its way to the surface. “The edge is too high and I can’t quiet reach it to climb up to where you are! Can you help me?” Her voice was starting to sound rather shrill.
“Well I don’t know if you noticed this but I am a horse, I don’t have arms you know.”
“I know that! But there has to be something you can do!” At that moment she could distinctively feel something very large move around underneath her, it felt like it was circling into her position.
“Well, hmmm perhaps I could… no that wouldn’t do… what if I?” The horse attempted to move closer to Dakota’s position but didn’t have anything with which to reach to her. It attempted to lower its reins towards her, but they still were just out of reach.
“Can’t.... quite… grasp…” Try and try as she might she just couldn’t get enough power to push her body up to reach the horse’s reins. Not wanting to look back she could feel the water rush toward her as something else had broken through its surface. For a moment she went back under, unprepared she began to choke on the water. I can’t believe how this has all turned out she began to think, all I wanted was a vacation, a place to get away from the real world… In the next moment it was all a blur. She felt a gigantic pressure on her body as it pulled her up and away from the edge of the water.

***