Chapter 6: A Strange Morning

It was a seemingly normal morning when Cinnamon woke up. She smiled to herself as she heard the birds chirping their morning songs. 'It was just a dream.' She thought. Then she brought her hands together and stretched them down and then up and out in front of her on their way up over her head. She gave a quiet moan of pleasure as she stretched. Only as her hands were directly out in front of her she felt her something brush against her. Or rather she brushed against something. Her "Mmm" turned into a "Hmm?" and her eyes sprung open. Instead of seeing her ceiling, and the wolf howling to the full moon poster that was above her bed, there was canvas. The canvas of a tent. Cinnamon groaned. It was real. She'd been sucked into a magic portal in her toilet and brought here. Wherever here was. 'Where is here any how?' she thought.

Before she could ponder that thought any further a hand brushed aside the tent flap and a twenty something year old woman stuck her head in. "Good morning Cinnamon." she said seeing Cinnamon awake. "Did you sleep well?"

"Oh... uh... yes. Thank you... Muriel?" Cinnamon replied hesitantly.

Muriel smiled and said "That's good."

Cinnamon carefully sat up and gave her a shy smile in return. "Thank you for letting me sleep here last night." she said gratefully.

"Oh you're quite welcome. May I come in?"

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Cinnamon exclaimed. "Of course you can come in. It's your tent after all."

Muriel gave her a wry smile. "Well after last night, we thought you'd appreciate a bit of privacy."

Cinnamon looked down as she felt her face flush with embarrassment at the memory of the night before.

Not wanting to embarrass the girl further Muriel changed the subject. As she crawled into the tent she held a bundle to her in one arm. "Harnley found some things that I think belong to you." she said waving the elbow of her arm holding the bundle at Cinnamon.

Cinnamon looked up surprised. "He did?"

Muriel nodded and settled down facing the bed roll. "Yes, we believe these belong to you." and she held out the bundle in her arms.

Cinnamon gasped and took them. They were the clothes she'd planned to wear yesterday to school. She hugged them to her breasts while pressing her face into them. She could still smell the scent of the fabric softener on them.

"Oh Muriel!" she cried. "How am I going to get home?" Then she broke into tears.

Muriel moved forward and embraced the sobbing young woman, pulling her to her breast. Cinnamon wrapped her arms around her and cried harder. "I want to go home!"

"I know Cinnamon. I know. And I promise we'll find a way to get you home. There, there, shh shh. It'll be alright." Muriel told her while gently rocking her and stroking Cinnamon's long hair down her back. "It'll be alright."

When she'd run out of tears, Cinnamon slowly pulled away and rubbed the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry." She said.

Muriel looked at her and gave her a gentle smile. "There's no need to be." and gently kissed her on the forehead.

Cinnamon blushed and gave her a shy smile. "Thanks. Muriel what's going to happen to me?"

"Well, if you're agreeable, we plan to take you to High Priestess Ila in Avondelle" Muriel replied.

"Can she help me get home?"

"I'm sure she can." Muriel told her. "And if not, I'm sure she knows who can." Then at Cinnamon's crumbling look she took both her hands and said "Don't worry Cinnamon. The Goddess works in mysterious ways. We may not know the reason why you are here yet but the Goddess does have a purpose for you here. So do not worry. She watches over you."

Cinnamon just nodded her head reluctantly and sighed. "I'll try."

Muriel kissed her on top of the head and said "Good girl. Now how about some breakfast?"

At that Cinnamon's stomach rumbled in agreement. Cinnamon blushed with embarrassment. She crossed her arms over her stomach while Muriel laughed. "I'd say that's a yes." She turned and looking back over her shoulder added with a grin. "Hurry and get dressed. I'll save some breakfast for you if Harnley and Sharmon haven't eaten it all already." The tent flap closed behind her.

Cinnamon hurriedly looked through her clothes. They were all there. Cinnamon sighed with relief. She didn't want a repeat of the night before. She quickly grabbed her panties and pulled them on under the covers. Then feeling more covered, she crawled out of the bed and tied the tent flaps closed. She paused for a minute listening to make sure no one was near and then, with her back to the tent door, she hurriedly lifted off her nightshirt and grabbed her bra. She hooked the straps under her breasts and then spun it around her body until it was the right way round. Then she slipped her arms into the shoulder straps and lifted them to her shoulders. She quickly settled her modest breasts into the cups and then pulled on the pink t-shirt she'd planned to wear followed by her favorite pink pullover sweater. The one her mom hated and kept trying to throw out because she'd worn holes in the elbows and cuffs.

After her sweater was on she pulled a thick pair of white cotton socks onto her feet. Then she wiggled into her favorite pair of jeans. They weren't skin tight as you would suppose, merely comfortable. However putting on jeans in a small tent that you can't stand up in does require some wiggling no matter how tight or loose the jeans are.

Once dressed Cinnamon lay panting for breath for a minute and then sighed happily. While she was far from over being worried she at least felt less exposed, and a lot more comfortable now. As she lay there she tried to imagine how her clothes had managed to come with her. She'd placed them on the edge of the bathroom counter by the toilet. She gasped. "That's it!" she thought. "They were on the edge! And I must have pulled them in with me when I lost my grip!" She giggled insanely at that thought and then immediately sobered. "Oh Lord please don't let me lose my grip!" she prayed. Then Cinnamon turned over and got onto her hands and knees and, after undoing the ties on the tent flaps, crawled out of the tent and stood up blinking in the bright morning light.

As soon as she stood up she heard Muriel call, "Cinnamon we're over here."

Cinnamon quickly walked over the dry grass and up onto the large slightly sloping flat rock they had their camp fire on. She was still a little nervous around them but since they hadn't harmed her she was beginning to trust them. Vanessa and Ernon smiled at her in greeting and moved to make room for her. Cinnamon smiled back shyly. Lancos smiled as well and said "Good morning sleeping beauty. Ye ouch!" as Muriel accidentally spilled something that smelt like coffee on his hand. He jumped away from the fire and Muriel waving his injured hand in the air.