Basket of Cupcakes

The morning came in a blink of an eye. Everyone was up and feeling as energized as ever. Never did they sleep that well in their lives. Everyone that is, but Ben, who, even in a rested state soon realized he was not doped and this seemed to be a real situation when he realized he did not awake at home. He ran about frantically searching for Kiki and bumped into her in the hall.

“Kiki, darling, are you okay. We’re not home, I don’t know how we got here but I will get to the bottom of this.” Ben tried to calm her but seemed like he was trying to calm himself.

“Dad!

It’s okay, have something to drink and calm down. Okay?

You and I are going to save mum.

We’re in Blaire Blane and yes, it’s another world of sorts but you are going to have to calm down because I need you, dad.”

At the last statement, Ben realized he needed to be the alpha male to his little girl.

“You’re right Kik’s, I’m sorry, I just never believed your mums’ tales of parallel dimensions. It was all a bit mad to me you know. I think I may have not given her the credit she deserved. I brushed allot of what she said off. But those days are gone and I am here. If your mum is out there trapped in this world, I will do everything in my power to find her.”

And with that, he gave Kiki a huge hug and they both joined the rest in the dining hall for breakfast.

Kiki sat down next to Claire and gave her an awkward good morning. Claire returned the greeting and went back to concentrating on her oats and honey.

Once everyone was seated, the cupcakes started to hop out of the basket one at a time and one began to make its way towards Kiki. It was a pink one dusted with stars and it made Kiki wish she were munch on a cupcake at that moment. It hopped on her shoulder and hugged her neck. It was odd but made Kiki feel warm inside. Maybe they weren’t so bad after all. She looked up and it seemed a cupcake had made its way to each person on the table.

“Oh good!”

Yori shouted as he flew in to join everyone. “I see you cuppies have partnered up already. These here hooman’s are going to need you today cuppies, so get into your soldier mode.”

All the cuppies stood up on their respective partners’ shoulders and saluted. Victoria chuckled at the scene. Kiki joined her to Victoria’s surprise. Maybe Victoria wasn’t as bad as she made her out to be, Kiki had thought to herself. But she will never be her mother.

After breakfast, everyone set off as Yori led the way. The peculiar thing about this place was that the sun barely peeked over the horizon and no further. Soon enough it was a starry sky again. After a while, they reached a field aglow with fireflies. They crossed over and found themselves once again standing in front of a very low fence. By now they knew that they had to enter thru a gateway. Yori spotted the sign that read, ‘Forbidden Forest – it’s forbidden for a reason, do not enter!’ And of course, they opened the gates and entered. The scene around them immediately changed. They were now standing looking at a vast forest in front of them. It was an eery scene. The sky was dark grey and mist swirled all around them. There was an eery silence about this place. Not a bird to be heard. Just the rustle of leaves as the wind blew all around them. The air around them chilled them to the bone. Yori’s voice broke the silence.

“You’d think Hogin’s would be on bloody time you would.” He shouted in an annoyed tone.

Just then, in the distance, a little figure could be seen rushing along, dragging behind him some sort of wagon.

“I is here, I is. These coats made my run a bit slow Yori,” said the little man huffing and puffing.

He was a funny-looking fellow, with round spectacles, short and stump and very hunched. He had curly hair and pointy shoes and very puffy cheeks.

“Hogin’s, these are the hoomans, please hand them their coats before I need to drag iced hoomans into that forest.”

Hogins immediately started handing out warm fur coats to their gratitude.

“Thank you so much, sir,” said Victoria pulling her coat tight around her and pulling over the hood.

“You’re welcome my lady,” said Hogin’s as his cheeks turned a brighter red.

“Yori, no one has ever dared enter these forests in centuries,” said Hogins with an expression of deep fear that made everyone shiver with fear.

“Why are you going in there? Is there no other way but this?” Hogins asked.

“Flimp says he’s already met a traveller that has gone this way and even-handed him a map.”

Said Yori, handing Hogin’s the map.

Hogins straightened his specs to take a look.

“Oh goodness Yori, I know this traveller, this is not a real map and he fed flimp with tales.

I met him here and this was the furthest he would go. I even gave him a saswatch strand of fur that I had with me to make him feel better for his disappointment. There is no map to saspine county.”

For the first time, Yori looked worried. He turned to the group who looked as though they were dealt the worst cards possible.

“It looks as if we have reached a dead-end Kiki, it’s far too dangerous now to enter with no plan.”

Kiki refused to accept this was the end of it. Her mum asked her to save her, and she will do that one way or another.

“I’m going in there with or without you,” She said stubbornly. “Hogin’s, Flimp said the only way to get to the floating mountains is to find the phoenix.

Was that a lie too?” Kiki asked.

“Oh no, the phoenix lies hidden in this forest. And it is the only chance you have to get to the floating mountains, but there isn’t a creature that exists that could tame it.” Said Hogins, sad that he had to disappoint her.

It was Ben that finally spoke up.

“We will go, together, and we will find your mum Kiki. I have played safe and tried to live a normal life, but I would be stupid not to see there are things I cannot even begin to imagine. You haven’t come this far for nothing. You want answers, so do I. I’ve got you, kid. We stick close together.”

“We have no other choice,” said Claire, “we have to go further if there is any hope of returning home.” She said.

Everyone soon agreed they would move onwards. Claire stayed close to Ethan, Kiki walked together with Ben and Victoria held Geordie and Ada close to her.

Hogin’s would play the role of their guide only as far as the lair of the phoenix, but even he would not dare enter for any price. He led them into the dark, mysterious forest.

“In here stick very close to one another. Trees have an odd way of shuffling around, there are ghosts here that are waiting for a new company so look ahead and never, under any circumstance, get distracted.”

Hogin’s warned as they made their way into the depths of the unknown.

The forest was dark making it hard to see further than a few steps ahead of themselves.

The ground was covered in thick moss and the trees dense canopies towered high up as far as the eye could see, making the possibility of light to enter impossible. Some trees had trunks as wide as trucks. Spiders as large as dinner plates crept about all around them.

“Stick to the mossy pathway, don’t get off the path.” Whispered Hogin’s to the rest of the group. “And try to be as silent as you can, we don’t want to bring attention to ourselves.” Hogin’s warnings did very little to keep their fear at bay.