Chapter 16

"Damn it!"

"What happened?" Avril asks, blinking her eyes.

Roy shakes his head with a smile on his face. "You ready for another adventure, babygirl?"

"Why? What happened? Hey! Where are we?"

"We are now inside the Mystical Realm of the Mirror of Wonder. The magical mirror is what just pulled us into here."

"Really? Now what do we do?"

"We cross the Mystical Realm of the Mirror of Wonder."

"How come you know where we are?"

"Because I got pulled in here when I was a boy."

"How long did it take you to get back out?"

"Well, it took me several months, but this time I should have a better idea of where the exit mirror is, so it should only take us a couple of weeks."

"A couple of weeks? We can't waste that kind of time!"

"Sorry, sweetheart, but we do not have a choice. Besides, time in here and time out in the real world is not the same. Even though I was in here for several months, only three or so weeks passed in the real world."

"Roy?"

"What, sweetheart?"

"We don't have any weapons."

"I never found any danger in this place. It is just a magical place of wonder. Don't worry, babygirl, it'll be fun."

"Roy?"

"Yes, Avril."

"I wish I would have worn underwear."

Roy laughs and puts his arms around her shoulders and kisses her hair. "Come on, babygirl, let's get started."

As they are walking along, Avril starts to notice that everything seems to glow with a saffron glow and everything is over-exaggerated. Meaning everything is extra big and extra intense in its coloring.

They are walking along the edge of the woods, which are to their immediate left, and then on the right a massive open expanse of rolling hills that has rock outcroppings sticking out of the ground in different shapes of flowers, animals, knights and ladies, and many other shapes and designs.

Avril looks up and notices the sky is gold with many clouds of varying pastel colors floating around, also in the shapes of animals and flowers.

"We will follow along the tree line until we get to a big lake. There we will rest for the night, and then take a forty five degree angle through the lakes which eventually turn into hot mud pools, and then I'll explain as we go along from there."

As they are walking along, Avril looks into the woods and screams and goes around the other side of Roy to hide from the advancing monster.

"What?" Roy asks. Avril just points at a lumbering creature as it makes its way out of the tree line to block their path.

"What is it?"

"Looks like a giant ladybug to me."

"Oh yeah." Avril slowly comes from behind Roy and starts making her way towards the giant ladybug that is about half the size of a big horse. Just as Avril is reaching out to pet it, the ladybug makes a snorting sound and Avril quickly pulls her hand back and takes a few hasty steps backwards.

Roy comes up and puts his right arm around her waist and walks forward with her. Roy holds out his hand, and the ladybug comes to him and starts doing a purring type noise as she rubs up against Roy's legs.

Avril reaches out and starts petting the body of the giant ladybug. "Oh look, Roy, she is sweet."

Roy smiles at Avril's beautiful heart. "Like I said, little lady, I only found wonder and beauty in here. I never found a predator or any danger. In fact, I never even saw any creature eat the whole time I was in here. In fact I never became hungry myself."

"It's so pretty here."

"Yes it is, Princess." agrees Roy, looking at Avril the whole time.

Even though there is not really a time of night and darkness here, everything that is glowing with its own saffron glow does dim quite a bit to help you sleep.

"There's the lake, Avril. Isn't it a pretty pink color?"

"Yes it is. Can we swim in it?"

"I did last time and everything was okay. I mean a couple of things did happen to me, but it was all good."

"What things?"

"You'll see." Avril squints her eyes at Roy, but she knows she is safe with him.

Avril and Roy strip down and start swimming in the marvelously warm lake. It takes about two minutes for Avril to get a spooked look on her face as she is trying to see down into the lake and see what just brushed up against her leg. "Roy, I think there is something in here with us."

"I know." She looks at him shrewdly, and then starts swimming towards him as something rather large is surfacing right where she was.

She is holding onto Roy as he is paddling his legs and using the one arm he doesn't have around Avril to steady them, as she asks, "What is it?"

"You'll see."

"Roy! Tell me!" But he just points to the giant fish that is sticking its head out of the water looking at them.

"Hello again." Roy says to the purple and green bigheaded fish. The fish nods its head up and down and then disappears underwater, to only moments later to reappear as it goes flying through the air twisting and flipping.

"Marvelous." Avril says, starting to enjoy herself.

The fish comes over to Roy and sticks his head out of the water again, looking at them from two feet away. "Can my friend have a ride, like I did many years ago?" The fish, that isn't any longer than Roy is tall, but is almost as thick as it is long, bobs his head up and down in agreement. "Come here, Av. Hold on to his fin here like this. Yep, just like that. Okay, hold on tight."

"Why, what is he going to..." but she never gets to finish as she squeals in delight as the fish takes off swimming with Avril in tow.

After several more times of them taking turns, they decide to rest for what is left of the night. As they are getting out of the lake, naked for all the world to see, Avril asks, "So, what is the second thing you were telling me about?"

"Look at yourself." Roy says, smiling.

"Hey! I'm glowing pink."

"Yeah, but don't worry, it'll only last a few days."

"Worry? I like it." Both of them laugh.

After they are dried off and dressed, Roy puts his back against a tree and pulls up his knees. Avril wants to talk to him, so she comes over to him while still facing him and she sits down on his right side. She wraps her right arm around his knees and she curls her legs up so they lean on Roy's stomach, and then she leans her pretty little head with beautiful long brunette hair and soft and warm blue eyes on her arm that she has around Roy's knees and on Roy's knee itself.

Roy puts his right arm around her ankles and is resting his right hand on her left hip with his thumb caressing her divine convergence of thigh, hip and lower tummy.

After several seconds of looking at each other, Avril asks Roy, "What do you see when you look at me? Who am I ... to you?"

"Who do I see when I look at you? Well, the obvious answer is a very pretty and fine woman. But as I spend more time with you, I have learned that your beauty emanates from deep within your wonderful heart and mind. You have a trust in me that makes me feel like a man. Every day I learn something new, and I am grateful that I met you.

"Slowly I am starting to understand your hair color change moods." As Roy takes his right arm and caresses the left side of her hair that now has the permanent pink streak in it. Avril looks a little embarrassed, but her hair turns blonde for a second.

Roy then rests his hand back on Avril's hip and thigh and starts rubbing her. "Your eyes tell stories so deep and strong that I can hardly gaze into them without tearing up. Your milky white skin, and trust me I've seen it all, is more precious than any white marble statue. Your dainty arms are exquisitely beautiful and surprisingly powerful. Your short little legs are way adorable. Plus your tush is very cute".

"I mean, just your face alone I could write a thousand sonnets about. Your nose, pointy and thin, is a masterful stroke of the painting that is you. Your bottom lip does that adorable pouting thing that I love, and I really adore how your thin upper lip does a seagull type thing that always makes a person feel at ease around you as it seems like a natural smile. Your long straight hair is so soft to the touch.