Mirror Lake 2 The Journey to Save the Magic

Let no man say that we have not seen a diversified planet. We’ve been to an island in the Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountains in Colorado, the Grand Canyon in Arizona, the plains in Oklahoma, and now we are looking at a swamp in Florida.

After the quickest flight ever, we made it to the everglades in about two and a half hours.

Not knowing what else to do, we went and rented a swamp boat and have been basically hydroplaning over the muck since!

I never realized how much it would stink here! It smells like sulfur mixed with year old garbage.

If I wasn’t worried about the swamp dome, I would never step foot here! Many people get lost out here, or eaten by alligators… Not to mention the mosquitoes!

Thunder rolled in the distance. Heavy clouds were gathering. The humidity was almost worse than the stench!

Hopefully the storm won't hit until we were far away from here! But my gut was telling me it's closer than I thought.

I could almost feel the electricity on my skin. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

I groaned. I’m gonna look like I have some sort of disease once we are finished here!

Luckily, we can see the dome straight ahead.

And right next to it is a little house boat.

We pull up alongside the boat and pray for an easy outcome like the last time.

When Greg stomps out, I know it won’t be so easy. I really didn't want to deal with this jerk! Why couldn't we catch a break?

Greg is a skilled fighter. He is built like an ox and mean as a bull. Not to mention he was on a power trip! He thought everyone was beneath him, so he had no problem following Jack's plan.

“Whaddya boys want?” sneered Greg.

“You know what we want,” Ethan challenged.

“Yeah, I suppose I do,” he chuckled. “Too bad for you, you're gonna have to fight me for it!”

I sighed. When are these thick skulled neanderthals going to learn that there is no point in fighting us? Jack’s plan is ruined! They are better off asking for forgiveness from my beautiful queen, than risking their lives for power they will never get.

“So be it,” said Ethan as he punched Greg right in the jaw.

Growling, Greg tackled Ethan to the ground, holding both of his hands above his head.

Lightning sizzled across the sky in a purple arch. That couldn't be good.

Ethan rolled them over and straddled Greg and lit his fist on fire and punched him in the gut.

Greg groaned, and tried to knee Ethan between the legs, but Ethan was faster.

As Ethan was tussling with Greg he grabbed the key and tossed it over to me.

The wind picked up, but I was really hoping it was my imagination. We don't have time for another storm right now!

I grabbed the key and hopped in our swamp boat before Greg knew what was happening. I found black toadstools. I really didn't want to touch anything that looked like this, but given I had no choice, I jammed my key into the hole and twisted.

Gaseous bubbles rose up from the swamp in multicolor. It was one of the strangest things I’ve ever seen. Then, a massive sucking noise reverberated in the air.

Then the stench increased by tenfold. I swear, I was gonna be sick if we stayed here much longer!

Out of the muck and grime came creatures of nightmares.

There was the bunyip with a face of a dog and clawed flippers; Then the rusalka, maidens who were murdered and are now ghosts calling young men to their deaths.

The kappa resembles a reptile with a bowl of water on its head. The kelpie, a water horse that brings its rider to a watery grave. There was a bukavac, a six legged monster with gnarled horns.

The hydra crawled out of its murky depths, and noticed the scuffle on Greg’s boat.

Amazingly quiet, she snuck up on them.

Worried about my brother I called out.

“Ethan, behind you!”

Ethan turned and saw the hydra and ducked and rolled.

She paid no mind to my brother, she was after Greg. With a roaring hiss, she chomped down on the man and drug him out to sea.

I would have felt sorry for the man, but it was his own fault!

Another loud crack exploded in the air. We really needed to move.

Finally able to take a breath, Ethan looked around at all the creatures surrounding his boat, and his skin went white.

I don't blame him for being nervous. These creatures were right out of every child's nightmares.

However, none of the creatures harmed him. In fact each one bowed before him and slithered off into the marsh.

I pulled the boat up next to Greg’s and pulled Ethan on board.

“You did it, brother! I’m so proud of you!” I smiled at him.

“Thanks man! Now if only that will lessen my punishment with Lissa…” he chuckled, but I could tell he was nervous.

Thunder shook the sky.

“Let’s get out of here! We only have one more dome, and then we can go home to our girls!” I tried to cheer him up.

It must have worked, because his smile was radiant! I know he misses Becky just as much as I miss Mel.

We’re almost done! I promised.