Chapter 3
It was obvious that we were getting closer to where Bonita lived. The trees and bushes began looking weaker and weaker. Even the air was thick with decay.
The path began to widen into a clearing. In the center of the clearing was a large fire. Sitting near the flames in a wooden rocking chair was a woman with slate gray hair and a black torn dress, just like Wanda’s. As we neared I realized though her hair was gray, her face was as young as Wanda.
She watched us approach and smirked. “I knew I wouldn’t have to come after you.” Her voice was rough like rocks compared to Wanda’s silky tone. “Eventually,” she said standing from the chair and smoothing her dress, “they all come.” She shook her head, “You nymphs are always protecting the forest.”
Wanda’s back stiffened. “I’m not here to fight, Bonita, just the dog.”
Bonita’s cocked her head. “Why would I want to fight you? It’s evident you are stronger than I am. I only wish you would join me.”
“Never!” Wanda shouted.
“Just give me Mazy,” I said. My voice was small but strong.
“Oh my,” Bonita said, stepping around and walking toward me. Bonita’s eyes were the color of a deep purple. They seemed to swallow the light that came from the flames. “Wanda you naughty thing. You let a child into our realm?”
“No one let me in anywhere.” I said, taking a step forward and rolling my shoulders back. “I’m here for my dog. That’s it.”
“Hmm. A dog. I saw a dog. The dog is Nowhere now, though. However,” Bonita said holding up a finger. “I can arrange for you to join the dog.”
“Don’t bother.” Wanda said, stepping in front of me, blocking Bonita’s path to me. “I’ll take her there myself.”
In a flash, Wanda turned around and grabbed my hand. Then we were gone. We hadn’t moved, or at least I hadn’t remembered moving, yet we were back in the clearing where the cliff and the drainage pipe were. I fell from the sudden rush.
“Did she kill Mazy?” I asked, eyes welling up with heavy tears.
Wanda squatted and shook her head. “No, she’s terrified of dogs. She sent him Nowhere.”
“Nowhere. You say that like it’s an actually place!”
Wanda smiled and wiped away a stray tear from my cheek. “It is, silly girl. You heard her. You’re in a different realm.” Wanda held out her arms wide. “This is a whole new world, Little Lady.”
I looked around. Though my hair didn’t blow, the trees danced about as if there were a wind. The grass I sat on was full of life, I could feel it. A butterfly fluttered by my head and landed in Wanda’s hair. The markings on the vibrant blue butterfly were a deep red in shapes I’d never seen on such a creature. It was beautiful.
Wanda carefully lifted it from her hair and blew on its wings. I watched as the butterfly tried hard to stay with Wanda but took flight and perched on a nearby purple flower.
“Well,” I said, “How do we get to Nowhere?”
Wanda giggled. “We fly of course. Quickest way.”
“Is that how we got from the fire pit back here? Did we fly?”
Wanda shook her head. “Of course not, Little Lady. I can’t fly. I simply jump from place to place without ever leaving the ground.”
That sounds quite simple, I thought to myself. “Then why can’t we jump to Nowhere?”
“Nowhere is only accessible to those who are sent or by wing. If I send you to Nowhere, you can’t get back here. So we’ll fly.”
“I don’t have wings and you said yourself you don’t fly. How are we going to fly?”
Wanda giggled again. “I told you this is a whole different world. You just wait and see. It’s beautiful, really.”
She stood again and pressed her pointer fingers into her temples for a few seconds with her eyes closed tightly. I heard wings in the sky. They had to be large wings to make that level of sound. I looked up to see two horses descending.
I ran behind Wanda as they landed. I peered from behind her. Both were identical to each other. They were black as night with long black manes. The wings attached to their backs were just as black as their bodies. Their eyes stunned me. They were as orange as a harvest moon.
“These are Pegasus’. They’re pretty intimidating looking, huh?” Wanda moved away from me, leaving me exposed to the beasts, and rubbed the right horse’s forehead. “Deep in their hearts, they are only lovers. Come,” she said motioning to me.
I cautiously stepped forward and touched the left horse’s muzzle. It let out a snort then dropped its head and let me scratch his ears. It was a loving creature! I moved along its side and ran a hand along its wing. The feathers were soft.
“How do we ride them?” I asked, turning to look at Wanda. She was already on her steed.
“Push gently on his wing; he’ll kneel for you to mount.”
I did as told and sure enough, the Pegasus kneeled on both of his front legs and using his wing as a ladder, I got up. As the horse stood back up, I had to sit in front of his wings so I wouldn’t obstruct them.
“The take off is more scary than the landing,” Wanda said as I twisted the horse’s mane into a handle in my hand. “But I promise you won’t be hurt.” I watched as Wanda squeezed her legs and the horse took off in a run across the clearing and they were airborne. They circled above me, waiting for me to do the same.
“Ok, horse,” I said, “please don’t kill me.” I closed my eyes and squeezed my legs. The horse took off in a run, just like I had seen. I opened my eyes and watched as we neared the tree line. Just when I thought we were going to run into the trees, the horse jumped into the air and flapped its strong wings. I dared myself to look down and watched as the trees became smaller and smaller.
The horse flew and I hoped it knew where it was going because I couldn’t see Wanda and I didn’t know how to steer! I was forced to just hold onto my makeshift handle and hope for the best.
Chapter 4
When I landed in Nowhere, Wanda was waiting for me. Nowhere was nothing. Literally. The ground was dry and cracking. There were no trees or plants. The ground seemed to carry on forever.
“How are we going to find Mazy here?” I asked, looking to Wanda for guidance.
She shrugged. “I bet calling her would work.”
I took a deep breath and shouted Mazy’s name as loud as I could. As we waited for something to happen, I asked a vital question. “How are we going to fly back with Mazy?”
“We don’t need to fly back. We can jump back, just not here.”
I gave up trying to make sense of Nowhere and just nodded.
A moment or two after I called Mazy’s name, I saw a small black spot coming up the horizon.
“Mazy!” I called again. The spot grew bigger and bigger. Too big.
I gasped. “I think that’s Mazy but there’s someone with her. Who is that?”
I looked to Wanda and her face was furrowed into a scowl. “Bonita.”
Bonita walked up to us, smirking. She held Mazy’s leash in her hands and jerked her away when she tried to come to me.
“I’ll make you a deal, Miss Wanda,” Bonita said wickedly, “I’ll give up the dog if you agree to join me.”
Wanda’s face softened when she looked down at me. “Don’t,” I mouthed to her. She winked at me cooly. I was confused but even more so when I looked back to Bonita to find her empty handed and looking shell shocked down at her hands.
I remembered the coin trick Wanda had played with the goblin. She had taken the objects from my pockets without being conspicuous. I smiled widely at Wanda.
Bonita growled and shook all over with fury. Wanda took my hand again and we ran across the Nowhere ground. I found irony in that. Where did we hope to go in Nowhere?
As we ran, Wanda gave me instructions. “I’m going to send you back to the clearing. Mazy’s already home. When you get to the clearing, I want you to do the same. Go home, Little Lady.”
We stopped running and Wan
da grabbed my shoulders again. “Do you remember what I had said before?”
“About…about telling what’s a lie and what’s the truth? That I have a purpose from God?”
Wanda nodded. “Yes. You’re special, Little Lady. Always believe that God knows everything because He does. He’s got big plans for you!”
“Why can’t you come back with me, Wanda?” Tears were welling up in my eyes again. I knew where this was going but I just didn’t want it to be true.
“Bonita’s mad that I am in fact stronger. She’s going to try to destroy me. But remember, good always helps people. Good will always overcome evil, that’s a fact of life.” Wanda gave my forehead a quick kiss and then I was gone.
As I made my way toward the pipe, I heard what sounded like thunder. I looked around and the world became very bright. I looked up and there was a ball of light in the sky next to the sun.
“That must be Nowhere!” I said out loud and then ducked down into the pipe again.
Mazy was waiting for me on the other side of the pipe with her tongue hanging out, ears perked forward and her head cocked slightly to the side.
“Yeah,” I said to her as I brushed off my jeans again. “You go ahead and act like you did nothing wrong.” I scooped up the leash. Mazy must have been tired from her day in another realm because she walked back calmly, without complications. I couldn’t believe all that had just happened! It was unreal!
I vowed to not speak of any of it. Grammie would have thought I’d hit my head in that pipe but I knew I hadn’t.
It was real. Just as Wanda had said: Truth has no doubts. I didn’t doubt what I had experience anymore than I doubted God had plans for me.
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