Zera's gleaming white fur is in disarray, and I'm sandwiched between a massive tree and a wounded, mourning fennec. Thank goodness we found this Treehouse when we did, or we would be some creature's evening snack.
"I intend on writing a very angry letter back to Santa!" I seethe while plucking stickers out of Zera's fur. "Blue Sung Thicket is as much a paradise as Raphael's bathroom!"
"Raphael..." she whimpers, leaning over and tensing over the pain, "... is your brother? Like Michelangelo?"
"Yes." I'm having troubles with one thorn in particular; she won't like this round. "He isn't the most hygienic, but I suppose he has a method to his madness."
RIIIIIIIIIPPP!
I cover my ears from her screams, and blood oozes from the injury midway through the ordeal. She sucks in more air and allows me to finish the job, despite her discomfort.
"You have cuts, too. I will tend to those when you're finished with me."
"No," I quietly reject. "Mine are not serious. Remember, I'm used to it."
Her head sulks a little more and her long ears droop by her side. It's true that I'm used to it but with thicker reptilian skin. Not having my shell also alarms me, too.
"I adapt quickly," I reassure her and perform one last check for rogue stickers. She doesn't smile, even when I tap her chin and flash a mischievous grin. My inner Mikey isn't working. The sunset... er, moonset, whatever is happening in the sky, knits through the clouds and I have to stop and admire it. Home... is home beyond the clouds? If they are clouds? I remember the sky curls like water in this world. What Donny wouldn't do to see this land. All of them, really.
The best thing I've learned from my short time around women is to leave them to their devices. Zera's lips are sealed, and I doubt I"ll get anything more from her until later. My instinct is swatting at my desire to touch her a little more. It's simply not a good idea and not my place. She's not April, who is a very familiar person to me.
Scrambling down the giant jungle tree, and I say scramble because mushrooms with golf-ball sized eyes are watching me, the wet grass ices my sore feet. I was wearing shoes, but during our marathon across Blue Sung, I ran much faster without them and tossed them aside. The ground is so peculiar with coral reef-like plant life in a variety of colors.
"Like an acid trip." A slip of the tongue and a pinch of my memory elude me. More often than I care to admit out loud, my eyes follow up the tree and dock on Zera. I wish she would join me and provide stimulating commentary about the Thicket's habitat.
I guess it's just me and the bug-eyed mushrooms for now.
"You have pretty eyes," a flighty, cute voice streams from the tree. I know exactly who is talking to me in a hot minute.
"And you have some fine ones yourself, too. Thank you."
The mushroom twitters her vast hazel eyes in my direction and gushes, "What is a handsome man like you doing in our wood? Only ugly old farts and bums, if THAT, come here."
"Then today is your lucky day, isn't it?"
"Oh, yes!" she warbles and shivers her little mushroom body, "I love hearing stories of how organic folk arrive to our wood. Will your friend be joining you? I have several 'shrooms who would like to talk to her."
I nod, "I'm sorry, but she needs alone time. Please don't disturb her."
The mushroom pouts and sighs, "Ooookay. What do you call yourself then?"
"Leonardo. And yours?"
"Minky Tournefort the 28th of the Agaricus Bisporus. I enjoy meeting new folk! I hope you will not turn me into a mushroom pie," Minky whimpers, her chocolate eyes floating. "Many of my brethren are deceased because we are absolutely delicious."
I warmly chuckle and sit on a huge yellow rock. "I promise not to eat you, Minky, and I won't allow anyone to touch you."
"How did you come to the Blue Sung Thicket? Who talked you into coming here? Nobody wants to step near this place."
Something slimy crawls on my foot and I immediately flick it away. "No offense, but I can see why, especially with the bizarre creatures. Where I come from, mushrooms don't talk, polar bears live in the cold regions, and sloths typically don't spit." A rogue shudder from my left arm reminds me of the near-miss.
Minky squeals, which causes the other mushrooms to vibrate, "Eee! Did you see the Rainbow Koala? Did it come down off its tree?! I bet that was scary!"
"Ahhh. The one that goes batty when it touches the ground? Yes. We encountered it." Sadly, it was the animal that almost strangled Zera and ripped out patches of her fur.
"The key to the Rainbow Koala is to feed it a coconut."
"And where would I find this coconut?" I peer around the environment. No coconuts in sight.
"The next island over. It's Koala Krack!"
"That doesn't do any good if you reach this place first, right, Minky?"
She giggles, "But you came in from the wrong side! You are so cute and clueless! We love to hear tales so please continue. I won't interrupt you much, promise!"
Minky has a point: I'm totally clueless, and rattling my brain of the last day's events is a heavy chore. So much happened after we stepped off the Express. All of the passengers scattered their separate ways, and Zera wouldn't say two words to me. I couldn't tell if she was angry that I saved her or what. I tried to ask Dr. Buck the Bear and Dirty Marty, but they were in a rush to meet a chicken coop salesman. I believe they're scared of women so I was the lone ranger again.
I did my best to avoid the blue cheese and underwear factory, but that's the place to get your brochure and general information. The desk clerk resembled a raw chicken breast with potato roots for arms and legs, and it squawked often. Alarmed me a bit, I won't deny, and the first thing that popped in my head was to call it was a "sea pig". She even had a disastrous blob of makeup on her face, and I tried so hard not to give her a few tips. Yes, a man that knows a little about cosmetic products, and no, I don't use them on myself. Occasionally, I like to help April doll herself up for date night. What else do I have to do on a Friday night?
When I relayed that little story to Zera, she briefly smiled. Success?
After traveling through the gate, that's when my memory gets a little foggy because everything happened so quickly. All kinds of colorful, ghastly creatures encountered our path, attempting to show us the way to our StockCrib, or Treehouse, what I call it, but I think shoving us into a canoe, tying us together (they didn't get far, I can assure you), and forcing us to drink liquids that would take the scales off a lizard are unwelcoming and brutal. A human lady almost drowned me because she thought I was her long lost half brother; I really hope she doesn't find the man if she harbors that much hate for him. Zera used Sinai for clouting and attacking purposes only. Actually, anything she could get her hands on, she used it as a weapon. Even me. I felt like a bowling ball at times. That's how we crushed the polar bear and sloth, AND how I lost my shoes.
The further we got into the Blue, things became more dangerous, and for the first time, I worried about our safety. When the Rainbow Koala dropped out of the tree and swung on a massive rampage, I didn't think it would ferociously attack us. I had my hands tied with a giant peacock that liked to attack ankles for some reason. I was never really a dancer, but I learned very fast in the forest! As soon as I heard Zera scream, I landed a swift upper cut punch square in the peacock's jaw but not before one of its savage claws tore my leg. I didn't have time to think about it and rushed to Zera's aid.
Although I don't think it's as serious now as my mind perceives, I really believed I was almost too late. Upon first glance, blood and bits of fur were scattered in the grass because they had wrestled a short distance away, and I swallowed a lot of horrible thoughts. Would I find her dead, maybe her hand in the Koala's mouth and it viciously tearing the rest of her body apart? I never tell my family of these unhealthy speculations, and I won't tell her either.
She didn't kill the Koala, but I doubt it'll ever mess with her again. She stabbed it enough times for it to cower in a bush somewhere, and I found her leaning against a glowing red rock. Imagine my relief when she still had the energy to follow me to safety and kicked the fuss out of the Koala in the bush. It hollered like a baby and zoomed up a tree. Then, I accelerated the both of us through the forest, avoiding as many of the wildlife as possible, but in doing so, we stepped in thorny leaves, plants, and bushes. My face really hasn't stopped itching from getting whacked by a limb.
When we came to a small clearing, it was short of a miracle that it was our assigned area, especially since we lost the brochure during the peacock and koala rumble. Good thing I have a photographic memory, and Zera has a quick eye. She immediately saw our StockCrib and up the tree we climbed. I let her go first, but she slipped a few times and I helped her onto the porch. Instead of checking out our guest home, we sought the comfort of the tree's mammoth branch and caught our first breaths since getting off the Express.
"Now my leg is stinging slightly," I whisper to a gawking Minky. "I should probably get back up the tree and call it a night."
Minky trills back, "You should take her to the nearby Imboo! Yes, I have a good feeling that that's where you should take your friend."
"Imboo? It's not an igloo, is it?" My mind colors a picture of an igloo, and Zera and I fishing on an ice lake.
Another one of Minky's girly laughs, rattling her other 'shroom friends, "Noooooo. You'll see when you get there! It's quiet from here to the Imboo. We'll protect you! You have been very nice to us, and we'll be sure no one attacks you. Just avoid going past the Imboo for now. Nighty night, Leonardo!" Minky's and the 'shrooms' eyes close and the jungle is draped in a purple/blue darkness. It's very serene and takes my mind off the stinging wound. I'll nurse it once I see Zera to sleep.
But first... a light trip.
"Sinai... it didn't come to me," her small voice reveals. Her dull black eyes blink up at me, and as I'm carrying her through the thicket, her body feels heavy, like all of her energy has been zapped from her. She hardly wraps one arm around my neck.
I keep walking, being as quiet as I can, and listening to her every word.
"My only link, and it is no longer parallel with my heart. What's happened? It won't answer me." Her words string along to the music of the forest: a soft melody humming through the trees and air. Completely opposite from the crazy daytime. Is the Blue Thicket... singing? Putting its own creatures to sleep?
The pleasant sound of water edges closer and closer, but before we reach this Imboo, I gently place Zera on her feet and help her gain balance.
"Thank you..." A weak smile, and she stands a little taller. She looks rather pretty in the soft orchid light, even with the wounds.
To add a little harmless suspense, I cover her eyes from behind and guide her through the bush and to the water. When I catch a glimpse of the Imboo, it's a sight to behold: an amazing cascading waterfall, flickering Tams dotting high above it, and the beautiful light reaching from end to end. The Imboo is rather large and seems like it shouldn't be real, at least in this savage forest. Like the twinkling eye of a storm.
As soon as she sees it, her ears slowly elevate, and it elates me to finally see her good mood return. I think her fluffy tail even wags a little. My hope is that her worries have subsided for now, for just a night.
Zera leans on the bank and stretches as far as she can, grinning into the water. When she reaches a hand into it, I assume she's angling after a goldfish or something, but a few droplets of water arrows into my forehead. There's her mischievous grin again.
When I don't respond to her aquatic threat, she dips her legs into the water and closes her eyes, enjoying a peaceful moment. This allows me enough time to climb a tree and use a firm, enormous leaf as a water-slide and return the favor to her. Of course, I almost slide straight into a huge rock and swept under the waterfall. Close call!
I break the surface and she's smiling in her wet spot, barely even moved during the ordeal. Probably shielded her eyes mostly. We chuckle and then laugh from the stress of the day while I'm hugging a rock. It's a much needed break. I glide from the spot and look up at the Tams, bursting the sky in emerald. Floating on my back just isn't the same without my shell, but I make do with what I got.
Pretty soon, I'm lost in meditation, drifting with the water and riding the small, decreasing waves. I don't know when I'll get home or when I'll see my family and friends again, but it's peculiar that I'm thinking of it less and less now. Am I growing accustomed to this world and what it offers? Do I feel more comfortable with it and myself in it? Getting home is still my loyal mission, but I seem to be taking things in my stride lately. It helps that I have allies now. If you can call most of them allies... but as long as they're not stabbing or eating me, they're my only help. And then I can't help but feel something different came from riding the Express, like a mid point to a race. As soon as I touched the line, I saw and felt uniquely.
A mellow splash breaks my concentration, and when I open my eyes, Zera is peering into them.
"You have a bright green glow behind you. Like a twilight zone," I joke. She sneaks a peek above her and then back down to me. I hum the Twilight Zone theme, and it's only funny to me but she laughs at it anyways.
"You have a green glow to you as well, Hamato. All over you."
I smirk and reach for her face, smearing a wet spot across her cheek. The clouds part in her beady eyes, and they shine; I'm glad to see my partner in crime again.
A Tam whizzes past her ear and she snatches for it with her teeth. I almost tug her ear for that! "Hey! Don't eat them!"
She darts after the Tams, splashing and jumping at them. I kick back on the bank and watch the cute show starring a soaked fennec failing to catch a few Tams. She can stab a rapid koala but can't capture a few flying bugs. During the many times she trips back into the water, I create another obstacle for her: splashing and kicking waves in her direction. We try climbing behind the waterfall, but she almost slips and crashes her skull into the rocks.
…...I think it's time to call it a night for real now.
I help her out of the water and we have a nice stroll back to the StockCrib, but we don't really say much. We're both smiling, so that's good enough for me. When I let her climb back up the tree first, I notice that we kept holding hands during the walk. She didn't let go, and neither did I.
The inside of our Treehouse is a mansion! To me, since I live in a sewer. From the outside, it's a large Treehouse, but it's a different dimension inside. Wow! Shiny floors, a homely feel, a pleasant smell, and in a nice mix of earth colors. A very luxurious establishment. "I feel really bad coming in here all damp and soaking wet!" The whole place really boggles my mind.
She unbuttons her shirt immediately and hangs it to dry. "We deserve this much after almost losing our lives to get here! I expect a cooler full of food and a warm, fluffy bed!"Off comes her boots and pants now. She's completely damp and naked and running through the house.
"I found the bed!" I can hear her bouncing on it, too. "It's wonderful! I've never felt anything like it!"
I work up the nerve to undress myself aside from my underwear. She may have already seen me naked plenty of times, but I'm not used to it. The first thing I do in the bedroom is find the closet and get fresh, DRY clothes.
"You're still wet and you're getting the blankets wet, too!" I scold and change underwear in the closet. "Find some dry clothes, Zera!"
She quickly scuffles through her side of the closet and throws on an oversized blue shirt that hangs by her knees. It reads "Blue Sung Thicket – your ticket to a perfect paradise." Yeah! After you nearly die!
"I'm beat!" I throw myself on the bed and close my eyes. I feel Zera leave the bed and scamper to another room and clinker around in it. I'm sure it's the kitchen from the sounds of plates and silverware.
"You want some food?" she returns with her mouth stuffed. I politely decline and roll over on my side. I hear a little more of her clattering about before I whisk off to oblivion.
Sometime later, I wake up to no lights and a snoring fennec in the room. I feel beside me, and she's not there. Where is she then? I switch on the lamp, and she's on the floor! Curled up and using one ear to cover her eyes. No lady is going to sleep on the floor while I take the bed! I gently pick her up and put her in my warm spot. Her fur is still soggy, but miraculously, all of her wounds are healed. I take a look at mine and they're back to full health as well. Minky Tournefort the 28th was right.
Zera mumbles something in her sleep, and I bend closer to catch what she's saying. It brings a glorious end to a near-rotten day.
"I like you with a green glow."