I hadn't seen any kind of entrance on the wall before, which could only mean that I had come out on the other side. I felt a rush of excitement. I hadn't ever seen what was on the other side. At first glance, it looked like more forest, but I could see a definite trail. That was significant. Were there others out here? Maybe others like me? I didn't want to let myself hope, because if there were others they might not be the kinds of things I'd want to run into.
I started down the path. I glanced backward for a moment, expecting to see the iron grate leading back towards the school side of the wall. However, what I saw was simply the smooth stone wall. My heart started pulsing. The door was gone. I ran back and Nox crowed at me as I changed direction. I ran my hands along the stone wall. What kind of magic was this? The door was simply gone. Unlike the other side of the wall, this side was perfectly smooth. It was as if the door had never been there in the first place.
My thoughts flashed to Kairn. I had never told him where I was going. Why would I have? I thought I would be right back. I tried to slow my breathing and made myself wait until I was calm. I would have to go back to the physical world. That was the only solution. I had no idea what I would be facing out here. Hopefully, I would be able to get back here once I was more prepared.
I sent out my feelers, testing the veil between the worlds. Strangely, I could feel them quite strongly, but I couldn't understand how to get out. I could feel every fold of fabric more closely than ever before, and yet, I could not seem to find the way through. No matter how I twisted or folded there was no way out. I could feel the anxiety rushing back in. Nothing like this had ever happened before. Strange things happened in the Liminal World, but not once had I ever worried about not being able to get back. It felt as though the harder I struggled the deeper I was becoming ensnared in the liminal world. I gave up the fight when it seemed that I was truly stuck. The only thing left to do was walk.
8
The Nightside Inn
Despite my feelings of excitement and trepidation, the forest on this side of the wall was exactly the same as the forest on the school side. It was littered with pines and tall grasses, and shadows that seemed to jump out at every turn. There was no sense of time passing in the Liminal World, so I simply had to walk until I came across something, anything.
That something turned out to be a dirt road. The trees thinned and road appeared. There was a foggy meadow on either side of the road and clusters of trees farther off in the distance. The mountains appeared far off in the distance as though I had already traveled a long way from them, though it hadn't felt like more than an hour. Time was funny in the liminal world. I wondered how long it would be before anyone at the school realized I was missing. Perhaps they already wondered. I tried to turn my thoughts away from that. It wouldn't do any good now.
I walked along the dirt road until I saw a strange building in the distance. It was old and built out of the same grey stone as the wall. I approached it until I could see that it was the same style exactly. It could have been built by the same people. I approached the stone building and saw a sign that read Nightside Inn. Admittedly, it had not occurred to me that there were hotels in the liminal world. The Nightside was decorated as if it could be a small version of a castle, albeit without very good upkeep. Tattered black flags were hanging from the porticos. I felt the encroaching mist surround me, and I wagered that it would be safe to go inside.
The inside was no less dim than the outside had been, but there was at least a strong, crackling fire. A long wooden bar stretched across the length of the room. Several different people were sitting at the bar or the small tables against the wall, but the inn wasn't crowded. I took a seat at the bar and peered around at my surroundings. It was dusty and dim for sure, and there were only bare stone floors. It had all the charm of a roadside bar. Nox settled on my shoulder, his feathers bristling and I caught a few pairs of eyes staring at me. So far, it didn't seem hostile.
A weathered woman of middle age came walked over from behind the bar. "What can I get you, dear?" She asked unceremoniously. She didn't bat an eye at the large black bird I brought inside.
I couldn't help but go blank with uncertainty. "Um. I'm not sure..." I hedged.
She nodded to herself, "You're new aren't you?"
"I guess so," I replied, not sure what to say.
I must have looked very confused, because she said, "Not to worry dear, It's very disconcerting at first. Do you remember how you died?"
"I don't know." I feigned ignorance. She thought I was a lost soul. "I... I
