It was supposed to have been the most attention-grabbing scenario she could place herself into. There she was, standing in the middle of the sidewalk, in her cute little dress, with her pretty hair all done up, twirling a gauzy parasol, and just oozing schoolgirl charm...

And the people around her walked on past, as if in a blur of life and busyness.

Occasionally she noticed glances from other young women, but instead of being jealous or judgmental -- two attitudes she was very familiar with and, frankly, appreciated equally -- all she received was a vague sense of disappointment.

She pouted. Not even THAT classic move worked.

Intensely disappointed, she slumped to the ground and leaned back against the brick wall of one of the shops lining the street.

Except that the wall didn't do what it was supposed to: she fell right through it and landed on an emerald green field of grass.

"What happened?" she shrieked. "Where am I?!"

"Welcome," said a deep, rich, sonorous, invisible voice that seemed to exist on both sides of her, "to Somewhere Better."

(To read Part 2, go to the following link: http://sixminutestory.com/stories/somewhere-better-part-2.)