Not Until We Are Lost

Laurel woke up alone, and not next to a certain boyfriend. She didn't like the feeling, and she didn't think she would ever get used to waking up in a different place from where she fell asleep. She thought bitterly that the aliens must have just figured it was time. After all, she'd started to feel at home in the last place. The team had even started training and testing her abilities, and she'd started to like her job and her apartment. They'd even started doing patrols as needed. Not that there was a whole lot of crime in the small town, but it still felt good to suit up and get out there.

She went about exploring her new surroundings immediately. She'd woken up in a cozy little cabin with a fire crackling merrily in the fireplace, and Christmas decorations in every spare corner of the cabin. It would almost be cheery, if she weren't alone and disoriented by yet another change of locale.

She changed out of the flannel pajamas that she'd been wearing into a cozy sweater and a pair of jeans. A wool coat, gloves, hat, and scarf finished off the ensemble.

If she thought that the inside of the cabin looked like something out of a Christmas card, that was nothing compared to the small village outside. Everything was covered in a thick snowfall, and fairy lights twinkled out at her from every rooftop, lamppost, and tree that she saw. It was easy enough to navigate the place, and she eventually found herself in a town square. Under a giant tree in the square, there was a choir of what looked like children singing Carol of the Bells. As she got closer, she saw faces that looked too old and wizened to belong to children, and ears too pointed to be human. Elves? Was she really going to suspend her disbelief and accept that?

There had to be someone else here from the group of abductees. Someone who was human-sized. Her eyes scanned the street for any familiar faces.