Xander awoke with a start. He was lying on a firm, almost hard mattress, staring up at the ceiling of a bedroom whose only source of light was an oil lantern on the dresser. Where was he? He was already on the verge of panic. Xander had been out with his sisters at an arts festival, but they were gone now, and he was here. Upon thinking more, he realized that he had briefly been separated from them when he had stopped to look at some hand-made jewelry. Now he was here, wherever here was.
In a panic, Xander jumped out of the bed and dashed for the door. He expected it to be locked, but to his surprise, it opened easily. Xander ran into the hallway, calling his sisters' names frantically. He thought he was going to lose his mind.