Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

I coughed and spluttered, peering through the blue smoke all around me. It laid a shadowy filter over my surroundings, making it difficult to see where I was. Gradually, it started to dissipate, allowing me to take stock. The ground was hard and grey, with scattered leaves that told me it must be autumn. There was a curving roof over my head, decorated with graffiti. A tunnel. I shivered, looking out of the opening before me and beyond. My eyes still stung and the brightness of the scene in contrast to the tunnel dazzled me for a moment. I heard the sound of children laughing, and the creak of rusty metal. A playground. A dog barked nearby and the chill wind rustled through trees. A park. Was this where I was meant to be? The Wizard’s instructions had been vague. There was danger, a life at stake, only moments to cast the spell to bring me here. A sharp retort cracked to my left. A gunshot? I drew my wand and started running.