Was she dead? That was all she could think of as her consciousness awakened. After all, Audriana was pushed into a body of water that was somewhat deeper than what it looked like from the surface and so all things considered, her being dead was the most plausible explanation that came to mind. 

Slowly, she opened her eyes and was immediately greeted with the sight of vibrant flora that filled the surrounding area with life, a gorgeous rushing waterfall that went over the rocky ledge of a mountain, and trees that were bristling with breathtaking beauty. The sight in front of her was almost unreal and it remembered her of that pond of which she the misfortune of stumbling upon.

As the memories of what happened back at the pond came back to her, her mind came to a grinding halt and slowly became less cloudly. Wait....just where was she?! Audriana quickly sprung up and looked around hurriedly. Where was the pond or any familiar structure that she could point out!? This didn't look anywhere near was that pond! And her clothes didn't feel wet at all! Huge surges of panic filled her chest and she dropped down to her knees as she clutched her head.

The beautiful area quickly became a backdrop to her as the reality of her situation fully pressed down on her mind. She was in an unfamiliar place from where she had once been and she didn't have any explanation for it. Even if she did drown in that pond and if this place was heaven or hell wasn't there suppose to be some sort of guide to explain things to her?

Hot tears slid down her cheeks and she let them flow. Her mother once told her that letting yourself cry, helps you calm down and regulate your high running emotions. After a few moments, her tears dried and all that was left were puffy red eyes. At this point, she had been here for an unmentionable amount of time and she needed to plan out what to do next, she could sort out the rest of her messy emotions when she figured out her situation.

Shakily pushing herself to stand up, she surveyed the surrounding area again but this time more clearly. Audriana immediately noticed something nestled amongst some bushes and as she walked closer to it, she noticed it was her school bag! She picked it out from the bushes and dusted off some leaves. It wasn't wet, just the same as her clothes, dry. She opened the zipper and something immediately flew out of it! Audriana instinctively froze up, a nervous feeling rising up inside her but it quickly let away as the thing that flew out of her bag revealed itself.

It was a butterfly, its color a shining black and gold, and its wing pattern resembling a pleasing but complicated looking puzzle. Its colors clashed with her sense of aesthetic but she found a special kind of beauty within it and she wanted to hold it. The nervous feeling from earlier had disappeared completely and she lifted a finger towards the butterfly.

The butterfly didn't hesitate and landed on her finger smoothly. As soon as it landed on her finger she felt a tingling sensation and she could have sworn she seen the butterfly's pattern glow for a split second. But the glow went away just as fast as the tingling sensation did. Audriana looked at the butterfly suspiciously before shaking her head.

"If you want, you can come with me. I'd appreciate a friend." A shallow smile crept its way onto her face. Was she going crazy? She was talking to a literal butterfly as if it could respond. Surprisingly it fluttered around her in a way Audriana felt was a way of saying yes. "Alright, let us go on our way!" She said in an attempt to pump herself up.

Audriana hiked her bag over her shoulder and started walking. "I should give you a name! Just referring to you as an it, is kind of messing with my head." She gave a hum as she thought up a name. "Arden! How about it?" Arden settled down on her head and gave a flap of his wings as a reaction.  She clapped with glee, having a friend really helped take her mind off this whole bizarre situation even if said friend was a butterfly.