Call to Adventure

~~*~~

KP led Shane and her mother to the edge of the park. Feet touching Kentucy Blue Grass before she realized she no idea where she was going, what she looking for, or why she had even headed back to the park.

Shame reddened her cheeks as she peaked back toward Shane for direction. Shane was beaming with pride and she tried to focus on that instead of the swirling green eyes behind Shane. They hadn’t stopped raging since Shane had laughed in her face after she had agreed to come.

“You know where to start.”

Shane nodded encouraginly for KP to keep leading.

KP shook her gaze from those green eyes and stared forward. Should she know where to begin? What if she made the wrong move and Shane was disappointed?

She took in her park for a moment, stretching her gaze. A light breeze tickled the grass, the ocean of leaves roaring. The birds chirped, dancing among the streaks of sunlight streaming through the leaves. Alive, this park was alive and anyone who said differently wasn’t looking hard enough. Lost in it’s beauty, she forgot about the people behind her until Lydia Ann’s frustrated cough brought her back to reality.

What was she supposed to be looking for?

A flash of color near the grass caught her eye.

A yellow butterfly.

Circling her tree.

Of course, her first adventure would start there.

Once again, KP found herself skipping confidently forward with a sense of adventure and excitement coursing through her veins. She marched right up to the tree only to freeze again and look back to Shane for advice.

“Open the door” Shane stated.

“I…I have no idea.”

“You can,” Shane nodded encourginly once again. “Just….”

“Ugh, seriously, I don’t have time for this. I will do it.”

Lydia Ann stepped around Shane, grabbing the back of KP’s backpack and pulling her out of the way, her blue Sketchers snagging on roots as she tumbled backward. Shane caught her and literally growled. Who knew butterflies could growl? As KP glanced up at Shane’s face she wouldn’t have been surprised to find her eyes that venomous green.

~~*~~

Don’t smash her face into the tree. Don’t smash her face into the tree. It would set a bad example for KP. Don’t smash her face into the tree. You are grown woman who can control her emotions. Shane thought the mantra to herself as she tried to calm the volcano in her chest.. Breathe, just breathe. It had been years since she had to pull herself out of this big of a reaction. Lydia Ann sure did know exactly what buttons to press to flood her system with rage.

What that monster was currently trying to do Shane could not figure out. Waving her hands and muttering something that sounded like a bad cough. What in the…Shane ignored her, used the moment to calm her body back down.

“Aperto imeperio aperta demanda aperta” Lydia Ann was growling, shoulders squeezed up around her shoulders, hands gripping the tree, fingers white against the dark of the bark.

“Aperto imeperio aperta demanda aperta!”

Seriously. Shane snorted slightly and placed her forehead in her palms. Of course, the sea witch thought THAT would work. The incredulousness of Lydia Ann trying to force her will upon the Dreamworld…What a sea witch…

~~*~~

If KP had had any lingering doubts that her mother was a sea witch cursed with an evil power capable of great darkness, they were now gone.

“Aperto imeperio aperta demanda aperta!”

The growling sound sent shivers down KP’s spine, it was unlike anything she had ever heard before. How was she ever supposed to compete with that power?

A sound hit her ears and KP whipped her head around to see what magic had revealed under her mother’s power.

The sound was coming from Shane.

It was Shane bent over laughing, one hand clutching her upper chest. The other wrapped around her side. Laughing so deeply that she couldn’t breathe.

“What are you laughing about?” Lydia Ann snapped. KP jumped.

Tears had begun to stream down Shane’s red cheeks as the deep belly laugh took hold of her.

“You think…” she slowly wheezed out. “You think…that trying to force open the door is going to work? That you can demand the freaking door of the Dreamworld to open because you are just oh so powerful.” Air quotes and a more than slightly mocking tone had Lydia Ann seething.

“Please woman, tell me did you honestly…honestly,” Shane raised an eyebrow, “think that was going to work?”

KP had never seen her mother so…irate. One of last week’s vocab words.

What do I do?

“KP step forward….C’mon, step forward.” Shane finally wheezed out. KP shuffled forward, trying not to trip on the roots.

“Close your eyes.” She felt Shane’s hands gently guide her shoulders-keeping her steady.

“Take a deep breath, think of your tree and gather that same energy you used to try and draw in the butterfly. The gold swirling.”

KP whipped open her eyes. She had never told anyone about her attempts with the yellow butterfly.

“Yes I could see it, now turn back around and close the eyes. Breathe…there you go….picture that gold swirling, ahh, yes perfect.” A reassuring squeeze graced her shoulders. KP felt her body warm as she pictured the gold sparkles dancing around herself and Shane. The sun warmed her cheeks, recharging her. “Stretch that gold forward,” Shane’s voice was barely a whisper.

“Stretch and wrap it around the tree and ask.”

“Ask it what?”

“What do you think?.”

KP began to bounce on her toes, the feeling of magic coursing through her. This was longer than she had ever held onto the feeling, it was electric. She stepped forward and placed her hands on the bark, the bumpy edges she knew as well as her favorite book. She imagined all the times she had rested her back along the tree. How despite it’s roughness, it was one of her favorite spots. She thought of all the adventures she had read, all the places she had been, resting against this tree and she realized the question she had to ask.

Will you please take me on one more adventure?

“And that’s how it’s done.”

KP opened her eyes.

A door had appeared in the trunk of the tree.

~~*~~

Built into the tree, made of the same dark bark, the door was slightly taller than KP. Gold leaves and vines twisted along the edges ending in a beautiful gold ring handle.

Tears slid down KP’s cheeks, she had opened the door to the Dreamworld. Eyes wide, body shaking just a little she met Shane’s gaze. Pride and tears shined back at her.

“High five, you did it kid.” SMACK, the clap sounded through the park.

“Oo, now that was a good one”

An angry snort reminded KP of her mothers existence. Shane gripped KP’s shoulders and spun her back around.

“Go ahead, open it. “

KP’s fingers gripped the cold metal, and she slowly pulled the creaking door open to reveal a tunnel.

A long tunnel dark IN A TREE. TO A MAGIC DREAMWORLD. This was it, the start of her adventure and she took her first step.

~~*~~

Shane took her first step onto the dirt path, her first step towards home. As she crossed the threshold a tingling spread through her and she couldn’t stop the fidgeting. Home. She was going home.

A few steps ahead KP confidently strutted down into the dark tunnel, realized it was dark and shrank into the side of the wall. Waiting for Shane to take the lead.

“Oh no kid, you must lead. If I try the tunnel will collapse and disappear. Your door, your path.”

The wide eyed girl turned back, stretched out her hands and began to walk into the darkness. Slowly at first and then again more confidently. She has it in her, it’s buried deep, but she’s got it, Shane thought proudly. Shane went to take her second step towards home when something snagged the back of her jacket.

Not something, someone Shane realized as she felt knifelike fingers grip her back. Lydia Ann’s hot breath grazed her ears, sending shivers throughout her whole body.

“I don’t know what you think it is you’re doing, but it’s never going to work. You think she has it,” Lydia Ann’s voice a near silent hiss. “That she can do it. You’re wrong. One hint of a tempstats waiting to drag her under, she’ll freeze. The girl can’t sleep outside in the tent without panicking, you think she’s gonna fight the demons of the dark off.” The sea witch gave a soft gleeful snort. “They are going to devour her. She’ll never be able to fight them off. And unless you wanna try to lie to me right now, we both know you can’t either. You two are just so similar.”

With that final hissing jab Lydia Ann released Shane’s jacket with a shove sending her stumbling down the dark path. The light from the door had faded. Rage roared in her ears as she caught her balance, scraping her hands on the tunnel walls. I’m going to tear her apart, Shane turned towards the sea witch.

TINK.

KP’s boots kicked a rock, the sound echoing down the path. Shane took a breath. Don’t smash her face in. Don’t smash her face in. For KP. She strutted down that path, she’s got it. She will prove Lydia Ann wrong. Let’s just hope she didn’t hear of that sea witch try and get in her head.

~~*~~