Page 13 of Barbi and the Villain

PomPom stares at me.

“Sometimes I forget you can’t answer back.” I sigh. “But I will get us out of here, PomPom. Even if this is just a bad dream, I’ll get us back home safely. I promise you.”

She releases a happy bark and settles nicely in my arms.

First, I need evidence that this is, in fact, the continent of Akkaya.

I continue walking as I think about my next steps. I can’t deny that there is one part of me that wishes this were Akkaya. Haven’t I always dreamed of living in that world? Of meeting my most beloved characters and telling them how much they mean to me?

Perhaps my love affair with the fantasy genre has made me go crazy. The rational side of me tells me that I need concrete evidence before I make any judgments. But the romantic, semi-delusional side of me is ready to embark on this adventure—sans plague and death, of course. Now that I think better, why did I have to be in this installment of the series? Why couldn’t it be a previous book where the population of Akkaya was not on the brink of extinction?

But as that thought arises, I realize I have no idea what the rules are. If I catch the plague, will I die? And if I die here, will I die in the real world, too?

Lightning flashes across the sky, thunder making its appearance soon thereafter. And in a matter of seconds, cold, heavy rain pours down, drenching me.

I grumble something under my breath as I protect PomPom to the best of my ability.

It wasn’t enough that I was already wet from before. Now I’m also chilled to the bone.

Starting in a sprint, I traverse yet another green field, wildly looking around for a shelter. PomPom whines in my arms, the terrifying sounds in the sky agitating her.

“Shh, baby,” I try to comfort her, but it becomes harder to contain her as she moves wildly, letting out an agonizing sound that touches my heart.

The rain shows no signs of abating. I’m so wet, if the plague doesn’t get to me first, pneumonia will.

A light shines in the distance, across a hill to my right. At first, it resembles a bolt of lightning. But as I get closer, I realize it’s on the ground, not in the sky.

Hope blossoms in my chest. I change my direction, following the light. Mayhap I’ll find a human establishment that can offer us shelter until the storm passes and more information about where the hell we are.

My lips tug up in a relieved smile as I see an inn, the windows blaring with light.

But my happiness is short-lived as I notice the horses tied around the barn, all of them garbed in military armor.

I stop in my tracks. Information from the fictional Akkaya is slowly coming to me. Only government officials or military personnel are allowed to use horses in full armor. That must mean they are sanctioned by the government.

Are these the same people who were looting and killing villagers? Now I am beating myself for not taking a good look at them.

I bite my lip in apprehension.

Do I risk it?

They could suspect me of being infected and kill me.

My feet move before I can come to a decision—seems like my self-preservation wins.

But just at that moment, a loud bang thunders across the sky.

PomPom releases a high-pitched screech that reaches the horses, making them even more restless than the storm.

The door to the inn is wrenched open, and two men with swords come into view.

“Damn it!” I curse, turning and running away from them.

“Catch her!” someone calls out.

It’s a cacophony of noises. The rain splashes against my skin, the thunder a background melody meant to confuse my senses. The marauding steps behind me slam against the wet, slippery ground as they get closer. Horses neigh, the sound whispering past my ear and telling me I’m no match for armed riders.

PomPom struggles against me, my mood making her more agitated than the storm.

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