Ruby Cast~Part 1

3-Too Late to Backtrack

"Mama, don't you cry, don't you worry. I cannot stay here any longer. The time has come to find a distant calling. That only seems to get much stronger. And I know it's hard, to see the one you've come to lean on make his way." Bent to Fly-Slash

The sky was so very bright as I opened my eyes. Stepping through had been like going between rooms. Nothing amazing, no flashing lights, odd sounds, nothing cool, just a simple step. One step from a room of darkness to a room of light. The ground under my feet was lush and covered with green, tiny purple flowers shot up every few inches. There was a sweet song of birds singing, and the air smelled like flowers and crisp clean air. Theo was a few feet ahead of me, rubbing his eyes then looking around like he was movie star watching. Onyx was a few feet ahead speaking with her flying monkey friends. Once my eyes fully adjusted to the brightness, I looked around. We had arrived in what seemed to be a garden. Mammoth flowers grew up to my height. The tree trunks were so thick it would take ten children holding hands in a circle to reach around them. Looking up, I couldn't see the tops of the trees, purple and yellow ivy plants grew up the trunks, and over the limbs of the trees. The bark of each tree seemed to move like rivers, flowing up and down and even around it. Chipmunk-like animals ran across roots peeking out from this and that plant. Overhead the birds took different shapes, some looked like a robin, another was like a winged lizard, a third, a bird side lighting bug. It was all very breathtaking. Now all of my odd drawings of fantasy creatures made sense. If I was really from here, then all the things I had thought of must have been from here. Somehow I had imagined them or maybe my subconscious had remembered them and leaked out in my drawings.

"This place is amazing," Theo said as he came up to me.

"It's all just so beautiful," I answered and smiled at him. I was truly glad I wasn't alone in this whole unknown world. While I thought, it was all alluring I couldn't help to think about Jackie. God only knew where she was or what was happening to her. Taking Theo's hand, I pulled him along, moving toward Onyx. I wanted to find Jackie as soon as we could. "Um, Onyx you said you could help us get Jackie back," I said as we caught up to her. I didn't want to sound pushy but I was really worried.

"Yes dear," Onyx said as she smiled, "first let's get you into some clothing that won't make you stand out so much." She gave me a worried grin, "In Archin, you will stand out too much and that will not help you at all along your way. Blending in will be your best bet, maybe your only bet."

"Wait I thought you said you were from Crimsdale," I said, crossing my arms.

"Crimsdale is our world, but you are in the country of Archin," Onyx said as she turned to continue strolling down the path. "There are five countries here, lucky the Pied Piper is from here, I would hate to send you to any of the others. They are inferior places, with no law, no beauty, no justice, places your friend would be cut up and shared between true monsters. Bless your lucky stars you will only have to travel these lands where I can keep you safe."

"So this place, is it another planet?" Theo asked, but it was a good question and not one I would have come up with.

"That's a hard question to answer, Mr. Theo," Onyx said as she made a corkscrew twirling motion with her hand. Three small trees stepped closer and bent their trunks into makeshift chairs. "Sit, I will try to explain. As well as I can that is." She took a seat and waited for us to do the same. I was surprised to find that the tree was a softer place to sit than I imagined it would be. Then I giggled at Theo who looked like he was sitting in a preschool sized chair. I giggled harder as the tree moved and Theo jumped up like it had bitten him. The second time he sat down much slower, this time the tree was at the correct height. "Mr. Theo do relax; the trees here will not harm you. "Everything here is very well behaved." She smirked as she fixed the skirt of her grown. "We are still on, what do you humans call it? Earth?"