Straight-Up Not Having A Good Time At Night Raven College: Prologue

Prologue Chapter 1: Stranger Waking

Kat jerked awake.

At first, she wasn't sure if her eyes were even open-- it was pitch-black, like a tomb or something.

She blinked hard a few times, fumbling at her face-- okay, her eyes WERE open, and she was even wearing her glasses.

She could move now, at least-- and she was definitely fully awake. She could actually keep a thought in her head until it was finished, not just watch them slip away like fish in a pond.

Wherever this was, it definitely wasn't her room, or her bed.
She was lying down, but propped up in a semi-standing position, with her back and feet against what felt like some kind of varnished wood.
She also didn't recognize these clothes-- they felt like... Some kind of  kimono?
No-- maybe robes, like a... A cult's robes, or a priest or a wizard's or something?
They were heavy, and felt expensive-- like silk. As she rubbed the hem of one of the sleeves between her fingers, she could feel intricate embroidery.

Reaching out, her fingertips brushed against something in front of her-- some kind of door or lid.
Ohhh-kay...
Was she in, like, a wardrobe or something?
A big box?

...A coffin?

No way-- seriously?!

The panic was really rising now-- okay, calm down, calm down.

Kat was just trying to remember that Tumblr post she saw once about what to do if you got buried alive when there was a thump from the outside of the box.
She stiffened, heart racing.

...What the hell was that noise?

There was another thump, and a scrabbling noise-- like some kind of small creature with claws, clambering around on the outside of her prison.
Okay, so she wasn't buried, at least...

There was some kind of noise, like grumbling or muttering-- somebody was talking to themselves under their breath.
The-- door? Lid?- rattled, and she pushed herself against the back wall, but whatever was trying to get in didn't have any luck.

"Aw, crap," whoever was out there muttered, in a high-pitched but oddly gravelly tone, like a cartoon character who smoked six packs a day.
"I better hurry up and get my paws on that uniform before someone spots me..."

The lid rattled again, and the speaker grunted with effort, then gave a frustrated growl.
"Urgggggh.... This lid weighs a TON! If that's the way it's gonna be... How'dya like THIS, huh?! FGNYAH--!!"

Kat flinched back, throwing her arms up to shield her face. The box rocked violently, a searing burst of heat and light blowing the lid off and releasing her into the world.
This wasn't much of an improvement, though, since this world seemed to consist mainly of a lot of blue fire.

She shrieked, squirming sideways and burying her face in her elbow to avoid the shower of splintered wood.
Luckily, none of the debris hit her face, and the clothes she wore were too thick for any of the shards to pierce her skin.

"Now THAT'S more like it!" The mystery speaker enthused, a mischievous giggle at the edge of their voice.
"Now, all I gotta do is swipe that uniform, and--"

Shaking some wood bits out of her hair, Kat looked around, then down.
By her feet, standing on its hind legs with its front paws planted on what could theoretically be called its hips, was a... Cat.

Well, it looked a lot like a cat. Maybe a British shorthair, with that deep gray fur that was called 'blue', except for a white, fluffy chest.
The head and face, big triangle ears, even the body shape, legs, and tail were all right for a cat...