The Toad led me down long, carpeted passageways until we finally reached what I thought was the princess's bedroom at first. It was darkened despite the single window that took a huge chunk out of the northern wall. The bed was neatly made with pink and white sheets, and something was true that I had always dreamed of in a bedroom: there was lots of space.
Sleep that night was memorable… for my dreams starred Mario. How he spoke so seductively and delicately to me within them… It's still a mystery as to how something so exciting could have been wished by my heart at such a young age.
Or was I really that… young anymore?
I'd soon find out that romantic insanity spanned farther than just myself.
It's true. Everything went like a fairytale: no hardships… no real life rules applied whatsoever.
I STILL don't get it!
I figure out that things were going to go like a charm the morning after I awoke from my first bout of those dreams. Literally.
Actually… I must admit, I was so entranced that after eating a hearty breakfast, I pranced throughout the castle, searching for him. I could barely control myself and my thoughts… for love was new to me. A new concept. Something totally unknown before. I wanted him… and not even in that filthy way, either. I just wanted to feel him kiss me, I believe. The mustache was no bother.
I remember that as I turned down one corridor, I came upon a rather unfortunate citizen. Then, the memory of where I had exactly seen Mario came rushing back. A meeting regarding a pandemic. A pandemic that this poor Toad was unfortunately a victim of, I knew. I knew it the instant that he both didn't look right and did look miserable.
"My… bod," he groaned in pure agony, sitting as a bloated mass against the wall. "What do I do now?!"
Back then… I was shy to the max. Others were not necessarily my enemies… but my weaknesses.
Yet that almost subsided when I approached this Toad. I still can't believe it myself.
"That stinks," I sighed. "…I-Is there anything I can… do?"
"No, but thank you much," the Toad replied, almost smiling for a second. "You'll see a lot like me out on the streets."
Strange. Was I too caught up in getting to Dr. Toadley's place to see anyone going through the same agony?
"I can only hope for a cure," he sighed sadly, staring up at the ceiling as if it was the only way his eyes could go.
As the moon glinted off of the fogged windows around me, I had to accept that going any further at once would get me lost. Lost within this palace of a castle that was definitely a lot more gigantic from the inside.
I headed back to my room and sat down on the bed… jumping in my spot.
I had just put a hand on someone else's leg. An oddly familiar leg as well.
Where had he come from?