Victorian Era – Waking Up in Chaos
The first thing I felt was the satisfying smack of my palm against something firm—and the immediate regret that followed.
My eyes snapped open.
I was no longer in my bedroom. Instead, I stood in the middle of a grand ballroom, lit by chandeliers and filled with horrified people in silk and lace. My hand hovered in the air. Before me stood a man—tall, terrifyingly elegant, and annoyingly gorgeous—clutching his cheek like I'd just assaulted royalty.
Which, judging by the gasps around us… I had.
Oh no.Not again.
"Did I just… slap you?" I whispered.
His voice was ice. "Yes, Lady Zarabelle. You did."
Lady who now?
I looked down.
Corset. Gloves. Diamonds. The works.
Great. Just great.
A girl in an overly frilly pink dress practically shrieked, "Zarabelle! How could you strike His Grace?!"
His Grace?Wait. Did I just slap a duke?!
The man—His Grace, apparently—stepped toward me. "Explain yourself."
I faked a smile. "Uh… surprise inspection? For, um… facial symmetry?"
More gasps. A gentleman coughed in disbelief. Someone fainted.
His nostrils flared. "You are deranged."
"I get that a lot," I said. "But in my defense, you have a very slappable aura."
He blinked. "I was simply walking past you."
"Exactly! Suspicious behavior."
There were actual cries of scandal from the onlookers. A fan fluttered to the floor. Somewhere in the crowd, someone started praying.
Then I noticed it—clutched in my hand.
A Nokia 3310.
I stared at it. What the—
The duke's eyes narrowed. "Why are you smiling?"
I lifted the phone. "Ever been hit with a Nokia?"
"...A what?"
WHACK.
I smacked him on the shoulder with it.
"ARGH!" He staggered back. "What is wrong with you?!"
The room exploded into screams. Someone shouted, "Call the constables!" The orchestra stopped mid-note. The duke looked ready to throttle me.
Of course, that's when I felt it.
A pull. A wave of exhaustion dragging me under like a riptide.
No, no, not now—
My vision blurred.
The last thing I saw was the duke lunging at me, face full of murder and voice booming:
"ZARABELLE!"
Then—black.
Back to Reality – Waking Up in Chaos (Again)
I bolted upright in bed, gasping for air.
My roommate Ananya stood in the doorway, holding a mug and staring at me like I'd grown another head.
"...Did you just yell 'Ever been hit with a Nokia?!' in your sleep?"
I flopped back, groaning, and pulled the blanket over my face.
This was going to be a long week.