Fifi took out her phone and checked. The plane would take off in fifteen minutes. Flight attendants had started reminding passengers to turn off electronic devices.
She turned off her phone and put it in her pocket. She looked out through the window shade. There was nothing special to see on the tarmac unless someone was very interested in planes.
This was not her first time flying with G Airlines to country A. This was her third semester there as an exchange student.
Fifi was pretty and smart with a good family background. She adapted easily, so working abroad or at home made little difference. Her parents preferred her to find a stable job in city D, which was a first-tier city in the country.
She did not mind and let things happen naturally. She had no boyfriend. Many liked her, but she was uninterested. She feared losing even friends if a relationship failed.
Her best friend said she lacked responsibility. Thinking about it, Fifi disliked promises and did not want to bear someone else's emotions.
The plane took off smoothly. She had stayed up all night with friends yesterday and quickly fell asleep.
In a daze, she felt the plane shake violently. She sensed something was wrong and tried to open her eyes but failed. Then, she lost consciousness amid screams and cries around her.
It felt like just waking up from sleep. She struggled to open her eyes, like a Monday morning before class.
She squinted for a while to adjust to the light. Around her were lush trees with sunlight shining through the leaves.
A bad feeling grew in her chest. She checked herself carefully and felt her heart sink.
She wore a beige dress instead of her usual shirt and pants. More importantly, her small arms and legs did not belong to her 24-year-old body.
She woke up sitting on the ground. Trying to stand and jump a few times, she found the body healthy except for slightly dirty clothes.
Looking around, chills ran through her.
The place seemed part of a mountain road with trees and faint traces of a path nearby. The roads looked different from what she remembered. They were not concrete or bricks but made of a smooth material that shone under the sun.
If this was not a forest, it would be good because she had little survival skill. But no people were in sight, and the sky was dimming. That was her biggest problem.
She walked toward the road, not knowing why she woke up in a strange place and body. Only by finding people could she get answers.
Walking on the road, she realized it was not a road but a starry path. The whole road was made from a single piece of smooth transparent crystal without seams or carvings.
She touched it and felt warmth, not cold as expected.
What was this? She frowned. She had never heard of any country making such advanced road material.
Lost in thought, a bright light suddenly shone ahead. She instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes.
A tall man appeared with a boy about seven or eight years old.
The boy had pure black hair, and the man's hair was slightly brown. Their faces looked Chinese but with sharper features.
Maybe they were mixed race? Fifi wondered and did not know whether to speak Chinese or English.
The man froze when he saw her, looked around, then smiled happily. The boy looked curious and smiled shyly when making eye contact.
She suddenly remembered she was now a child. If the man had bad intentions, she would be defenseless.
She raised caution and stepped back a few paces, ready to run into the forest if needed.
The man seemed to see her worry and spoke.
Her first reaction was trouble. The language was neither Chinese nor English. She did not know which country's language it was. Then, surprisingly, she understood the meaning.
The man asked, "Who are you? Why are you here alone?"
She was shocked she could understand but did not answer immediately. She was unsure if she could speak their language.
The boy, seeing her stunned face, asked, "Are you here to find fruit for the little water cat too?"
This was strange. Fifi cursed in her heart. Not only did she understand, but she also recalled information about the little water cat.
It was a pet raised by humans, looking like a cat but able to breathe and swim underwater freely. Most strangely, it did not eat fish but some red fruit.
Feeling it was easier to lower her guard around a child, she said, "No, I just woke up here."
Her words sounded like their language. She felt a mix of happiness and worry. Communication was possible, but why did she suddenly know a foreign language and random knowledge?
The man looked thoughtful and bent down gently, asking, "Do you want to come with us?"
Fifi quickly weighed the pros and cons. With her current condition, she could not survive alone. If she left with this father and son, there might be unknown dangers.
She chose to take the risk rather than wait to die.
"Okay, thank you for the trouble."
The man looked at her strangely. She immediately realized something was wrong. The body was young, but she spoke with too much maturity, which seemed odd. To avoid suspicion, Fifi lowered her head shyly.
The little boy's eyes lit up when he heard Fifi would go back with them. He glanced at the man for permission. After a slight nod, the boy happily ran over and carefully held her hand.
Fifi did not refuse. Children do not think about proper boundaries between boys and girls. She remembered when she was in kindergarten, she often ran after boys around the playground and kissed one she liked.
The boy smiled, his eyes almost closed with joy. He pulled her toward where their vehicle was parked.
The man followed silently behind them, his deep eyes seemingly lost in thought.
When Fifi saw the "car" they were about to take, her jaw nearly dropped.
It was a round metal object floating just above the ground. It looked only half the size of a normal car.
Was it magnetic levitation? That was the only explanation she could think of. But from what she knew, that technology was only used in public transportation.
What kind of place had she come to? Suddenly she thought of the 3D movie Avatar from a few years ago. Her heart sank. She hoped this was still Earth and not a place where she had to deal with unknown creatures.
Her steps slowed. The boy turned and saw her biting her lip, looking confused.