* * *
Spots spiraled in front of her eyes. By the time they cleared, Jasmine had discovered she was sprawled on her back in the middle of a cracked sidewalk. Her hair cascaded across her face and one of her eyes felt like it was swollen shut.
Using her good eye, she surveyed her surroundings. Her right hand was resting at the top of a gently sloping grassy hill and the other gripped a rock. She glanced beyond the rock in her left hand. Her magic prickled when all she could see was water. About 100 yards north of her a huge building jutted out into the water. She turned her head to look the other way. Beyond the grassy hill a road huddled, looking like it was trying to hide from the cars racing its length. She rolled over onto her stomach, dropping her collar to the cracked sidewalk. Slowly she climbed to her feet. With her head still spinning slightly, she didn’t dare bend over to pick up her collar. “Where am I?” she called to the empty air hoping for someone to answer.