Chapter Text
What had I done to deserve this? I was a good girl, at least as good as any college student could be. Yeah, I drank before I was twenty-one, but seriously, who hasn't? Okay, so maybe I lost my virginity at sixteen, but my friend, Cynthia, lost hers at fourteen.
But who deserved this?
Waking up one morning in a strange bed?
And I'm not talking 'oh, my god, I slept with the new kid' strange bed, but a bed that was seriously not supposed to exist in in the 21st century unless you were an antiques' dealer or a loser. Usually, those go together, huh? But this bed was…a work of art. Like, it had been hand-crafted out of wood.
I should start at the beginning.
I walked into my grandparent's old barn where my temporary room was. Gran and Poppy lived in the wilds of Montana on their horse ranch. They kept their stables and barn in better repair than their house. The eight horses, three chickens, rooster, pig and cow were happy, but I wasn't entirely pleased with sleeping on a bale of hay every night.
After a year of living with my crazy, match-making Aunt Lillian while attending the local community college, I decided that I needed to get out of my aunt's house. Gran and Poppy were happy to take me in, but they had somehow forgotten that I needed a decent room for me to sleep in. I could have slept on the couch in front of the TV, but when I was little I had found a dead rat underneath the thing and ever since had avoided it with a fiery passion.
I tossed my school bag onto the makeshift desk and a black lump underneath hissed softly. "Aw, Grimm," I cooed. "I'm sorry, darlin'. I didn't see you."
Grimm, my cat, had the grace not to jump onto me until I had sat down on my hay bed. His black and grey fur was sleek and shiny and his yellow eyes gleamed up at me in reproach. "Yeah, yeah," I sighed, lying down. "I know I'm late. I had to pull an extra shift at Lucca's."
Ugh, playing hostess. Possibly the most dullest job known to man. Lucca's was the best Italian restaurant in Helena and, while the staff was friendly to everyone, they were not friendly to the new girl; me. Which was typical for me.
Grimm noted my foul mood and purred forgivingly, rubbing his head against my chin. I sighed and cuddled with him. Sad, but this cat was seriously the only man in my life. Sometimes I didn't let that get in the way; I liked being a single, straight-A student. Sometimes I wished I could cuddle with a guy who didn't have fur or purred. Okay, that last would only be an exception if he purred when we did it, but I digress.
I sighed again and checked my watch. Eleven-thirty at night and I was too tired to sleep or do my homework. I would regret that tomorrow. Ah, well. Perhaps a walk would set me straight. I grabbed my flashlight and walked out of the barn. Grimm meowed and followed after me. I walked thru the stables, careful not to disturb the horses too much, a then out to the little wood that grew beyond the ranch.
The moon was blue.
I plunked myself down on the grass in a small clearing and stared up at it. "Strange things happen under a blue moon," I murmured as Grimm settled down in my lap. I stroked him absent-mindedly, trying to remember what hype the Astronomy department at school had said about a blue moon. But either I had been really into my studies to listen to the gossip- a guilty pleasure- or there wasn't any knowledge of this phenomenon.
"Should've brought my camera, baby," I said to Grimm, tracing one of his large, grey spots. "I'd be the hero of the entire Astronomy department. Maybe I could get a date with Patrick Yew."
Yum, Patrick-dating… The hottest guy at college also happened to see nothing but the stars and planets. But if it gave me some adventure in my life, I would take it. I would do anything for a chance to change my life.
A shooting star shot across the blue moon. Oh, boy, but I was desperate and this was too good an opportunity to pass up.
"Starlight, star bright," I chanted. "First star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might have the wish I make tonight. I wish for a chance to change my future!"
Nothing.
Sigh.
"Come on, baby," I said to Grimm, getting up and draping him over my shoulders like a scarf. "Let's get to bed."
I took one step before a blinding flash of blue light erupted in front of my eyes and then everything dissolved into blackness.