She could see nothing but darkness. The air was heavy and thick with moisture. As she breathed in, an unfamiliar odor filled her lungs. She tried to recall the scent, her mind grasping for something familiar that would help her place where she was.

Though her eyes were wide open she was unable to perceive shapes or colors or movement that would help to make sense of this state. It was too dark to see anything. A faint, wavering glow from an uncertain source seemed nearby.

"Where am I? What is this place?" she wondered. Her body felt heavy, wet, and so tired. What little detail she could make out was too blurry to identify. She couldn't focus. Her mind was spinning, and she was afraid.

She closed her eyes, hoping to wake from the dream. When she opened them again, nothing had changed. She was still there -- wherever there was.

The last thing she could remember was looking at a bright star in the sky before falling asleep.

Now it felt like her body was floating; she had a sensation of being lifted up and then slowly being lowered down. Her legs were paralyzed, unable to move. Her body lay on an itchy surface that crackled if she moved. She felt something, or someone, pulling her gently backward.

Was she alone? Who or what was moving her? She still couldn't recognize anything beyond her own body. She felt confused and helpless.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes again. "Maybe if I just keep my eyes closed this place will go away," she thought.

Suddenly she felt a sharp pain below her stomach. Then, something heavy weighed upon her pushing her down. The ground around her moved back and forth -- or was she moving? She could not tell. The sharp pain dulled and then stopped.

She tried to reach out and grab hold of something to steady herself, but her arms were being held fast by something unknown. Everything around her was moving and swirling. Then, she felt a shaking sensation pulse through her body that threatened to overwhelm her entirely.

The moving stopped and the weight lifted from her legs. She lay very still feeling nothing for a moment. The uncertainty returned. Where was she? What has happened to me?

The dim light faded and flickered out. Her young mind could not comprehend the strange and confusing feelings inundating her. She closed her eyes and lost consciousness.

(End of Chapter 0)