Imagine It

The malt shop was in even worse shape than our previous visit. The explosion rendenered  it unrecognizable. There were bits of glass and debire everywhere. The only thing that was still in tact was the counter and a couple of booths. I found a broom in a closet and went to work. I didn't feel I could be much, if any help, but I wanted to keep busy. After a few minutes Olivia asked me to sit with her at a booth. "Imagine it." She says, molding her hands into a square camera lens while piering out the window. "I'm imagining it." I reply. "Are you?" "I'm trying to. It's just..." "Just what?" "Well, look at this." I say, pointing to the surrounding chaos. "We got this." Olivia says, brushing it off. "It's just there's a lot to do." "Don't worry.  We can handle it." I take a deep breath. " I suppose you're right. Even still we should get to work." I get up to stand. Olivia gently grabs my arm. "In a few minutes. Let's imagine some more."

Location Scouting

We wandered the streets of the abandoned city yet again. By this point the dust had cleared, and we didn't stumble upon any dead bodies, but it still wasn't exactly a family friendly place. There was a perpetual cold, grayness to the area. I didn't believe there was a sage strong enough to cleanse the city. "So, you went to the conference in the hotel?" I ask. "No, it was well over by the time I got there, but I did run into James in the hallway." "What did he say?" Olivia shrugs. "That you are stubborn and don't listen." "I  already knew that." I  say. Olivia smiles. "Do you have any idea what he does?" "Yeah, he's a motivational speaker." "Sort of. He specialises in psychic real estate." "Psychic real estate?" "Yes, he's a big deal. He's got properties all over the place." "Does he have any in the city?" I ask. Olivia shakes her head. "No, he didn't know about the city." "Wait, for someone who is supposedly such a big shot, how does he not know about this city?" "He's got many projects in many dementions. He can't keep track of everything. Besides this seems like someone else's  abandoned project." "I guess that makes sense. But what about Hilda? Why didn't she ever do anything with the city?" I ask. "Maybe she didn't want to.  Maybe she was happy with just the Willow tree." I take a deep breath and nod. "Ok, but what now?" "Well, now find a place that we feel comfortable in and set up shop." I think for a moment. "What about the malt shop?" Olivia's  eyes light up. "Perfect! We can sell ice cream in the store, and we can rent rooms up above."

The City's Potential

"You really wanna go back to the abandoned city?" I question. "Yeah. It has a lot of potential." Olivia replies. "Like what?" "Well, I didn't see any hotels there. We could be the first one. Imagine how much money we'd make." I squint my eyes.  "We wouldn't make anything. There's nobody there." Olivia leaps off the counter. "Don't be so negative. There's always a wayward traveler." "Maybe, but even still there's no real reason to come there. It's nothing but decay." I say. "Which is we gotta start the beautification process." Olivia adds. I shake my head.  "Do you have any idea how long that would take?" "Just the two of us? A lifetime. But it won't be like that. Not for very long." She says, excitedly. "What are you talking about?" "People will help as soon as they see us making something of the city." "What people?" Olivia rests a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry about it. " she says with a reassuring smile. "You really wanna do this, huh?" She smiles at me even bigger. "I do."

High On Inspiration

Jacob and I patiently waited for Olivia to materialise. She was gone much longer than fifteen minutes. I knew when she finally got back she'd have many stories to tell. I was right. When she returned she was aglow. She was talking a mile a minute. It was obvious she had a positive experience. Then she mentioned James. "I also saw this great motivational speaker." I roll my eyes. "Was his name James Bean?" I ask. " I believe so. Did you meet him?" "Yeah." I say unenthusiasticly. "What did you think?" I shrug. "He seemed full of himself." "Were you listening to him?" She asks. "I got the gist." "Really?" "Now now. Let's not let tempers flair. This is a happy occasion." Jacob reminds. "He's right. I'm sure you had a long journey and you want to relax." I say. "Not really. I feel revitalized. I want to plan." Olivia replies. "Plan what?" I ask. "Our great, grand, business venture." "Our business venture?" I say, confused. "Yeah, our business venture. We're going back into the abandoned city." "What?" Olivia smiles big."Yep. It'll be great."

Purple Shoes

Jacob rummaged through a closet.He pulled out a pair of purple, orthopedic shoes and handed them to me.  They weren't exactly my ideal fashion choice, but I didnt want to turn them down either. I slipped my feet into the shoes. They were surprisingly comfortable, and they fit perfectly. "How do they feel?" Jacob asks. "Good. Real good." Jacob smiles. "They're yours." "Won't Hilda mind?" I ask.  Jacob shakes his head.  "Not at all she'd want you to have the proper footware for when you started your next journey. By the way where shall your next journey be?" I shrug. "Don't know. Been sorta playing it by ear." "And how's that been working out?" He asks. "Fair to middle." Jacob chuckles. "Perhaps your other half will know where to go." "Perhaps. All I know is that this is my third pair of shoes I've gotten on my travels." "Where did the others go?" "The bottom of the Atlantic ocean, or at least one pair did." Jacob smiles. "We should get back to the kitchen. She'll return soon."

Discussing Classics

"She took the potion? When?" "Oh I don't know shortly after you did. I suppose it was a Romero and Juliet thing." Jacob says. I roll my eyes. "I hope not." "It ended in a double suicide." "Must you put a negative spin on a classic story?" He says sharply. "I'm not. It wasn't a happy story by any stretch of the imagination. In the very beginning they were reffered to as Star Crossed Lovers. That means fate was against them. They were doomed from the start." Jacob huffs. He crosses his arms. "Maybe." There is a brief silence.  "So what happened? Did I just diasappear?" I  ask. "That's exactly what happened." "How long was I gone for?" "Fifteen minuets." "Only fifteen minuets?" I say, surprised. "Only fifteen minutes." He assures. I look down at my dangling bare feet. "That's not long, but probably just enough time." I leap off the counter. I start to exit the kitchen. Jacob stops me. "Where are you going?" "Find shoes. I can only go barefoot for so long." "And what about her?" He asks. "We have some time to kill. Don't you think it would make more sense if I spent these minutes searching for footwear as opposed to mindlessly sitting around?" Jacob sighs. "I suppose. But I will accompany you.  I will not have you tear Hilda's Inn apart."

The Way Back

"I didn't expect to see you here." I say to Hilda. "And I didn't expect to see you." She replies. "I was merely trying get bigger, and then I ended up on a beach." Hilda smiles. "Did Jacob give you a potion?" "Yes. Did he do it wrong?" I ask. "Oh no. He did everything right." "Then why am I here?" Hilda smiles again. She walks up to me. "He worries about me sometimes. He must have been thinking about me while he was making the potion." "And that would have brought me to you?" I  question. Hilda nods. "It can. Some relationships are so powerful that the people are forever tethered together even though they may be miles apart. You probably have something similar with your lady friend." "I do." "By the way where is she?" "She didn't take the potion." "Well,she should. You should ask her to." She says. "Ok. How?" "Simple. Open your eyes." "What?" "Open your eyes. " She says again. I know it's silly, but I decide to play along. I close my eyes. I sit there for a moment, staring at the red and green lights that appear behind my closed lids. I then open my eyes. To my amazement I find myself sitting on the kitchen counter. Jacob is delighted by my return. "Welcome back. " He says. I don't respond. I'm too busy searching for Olivia. I jump off the counter and search underneath me. "Where is she?" I shout. "She's gone." "What do you mean she's gone?" "She took the potion shortly after you did. Don't worry. She'll be back."

Frustrated Speaker

The man in the black suit dragged me on stage in front of everybody.  If that wasn't embarrassing enough he proceeded to point to my bare feet. Despite the fact that I couldn't hear a word he was saying, I knew he was mocking me. I knew he only wanted to point out how different I was than everyone else. I don't know why I went along with it, and I don't know why I stayed. After he was done doing whatever he was doing the audience applauded. He then ushered for me to take my seat. I watched the rest of the man's performance in a daze. I looked around. It seemed everyone else was enjoying it.  Really enjoying it.  What was I missing? He finished the second half.  There was a roaring applause. The next few minutes were filled him shaking the hands of his adoring fans.  I overheard some of the sappy remarks from some of them. They gushed about how inspirational he was and that he was a gift to the world. He eventually got to me. He asked what I thought of the second half.  Again, all I could think to say was "good." "Good. There's that word again." "Good is not a bad word. It's...um...good."  "I suppose not. I was just hoping you'd increase your vocabulary. But no matter what did you think of my advice to you?" "It was.." I refrain from saying "good." "It was a lot to take in." He nods his head. "Indeed. I hope you can follow my advice." "I will. Now, do you have a phone I could use?" He glares at me. "You have a one track mind, don't you?" "It's possible, but we had a deal." I say. The man takes a deep breath. He reaches in his breast pocket. He pulls out a business card and hands it to me. "What's this?" I ask. "It's my card. I'm still reserving a little hope that you'll care." He then stomps out of the room. I look down at the card. JAMES BEAN
MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER .....and Beyond. "Don't worry about him." I hear a familiar voice say.  I glance up from the card to see Hilda standing by the doorway, smiling.

Back to the Show

The audience shuffled back into the room and the man in the black suit resumed his speech. Once again he spoke passionately with grand gestures, and once again I couldn't hear a word he was saying. It was especially baffling because I was talking to him before the second half. For whatever reason he wanted me to stick around for the rest. I don't know why I agreed to. I didn't understand him one bit. Perhaps I was to polite to say no. So I sat there with glassy eyes and the blankest expression. Several times it seemed as if he was making direct eye contact with me. I brushed it off , thinking he probably chooses two or three people in every show. Then everyone in audience gradually turned to look at me. I started to feel self conscious. Were they making fun of me? Finally the woman seated next to me explained. "Aren't you gonna go on stage?" "Huh?" "He's been talking about you for the past ten minutes. He wants you to join him up there." I looked back at the stage. The speaker gives me a "come here" gesture.

Enchanting Speaker

I couldn't hear or understand a word the man in the black said. He wasn't speaking a foreign language, and he enunciated perfectly, yet I couldn't understand him. It was as if there was a door in my ear canal preventing his words from entering. All I could do was watch. He used grand gestures and his posture was on point. The audience hung to his every word. I thought it possible that they were all lost like me untill they all simultaneously applauded. There was a roaring ovation. He took a bow. I sighed in relief. I knew I could finally ask to use the phone. Unfortunately, the audience got up and left before I could open my mouth. They didn't quietly exit either. They stampeded  out of the room like a herd of elephants. It was a miracle I wasn't trampled.  The only ones left in room after that were me and the speaker. He saw me and mistook that for earnest enthusiasm. He walked up to me. "What did you think?" "It was good." He looked down at my bare feet. "You're a fish out of water." "I guess you could say that." "What did you think?" He asks again. "It was good." I know it's not what he was looking for, but it's all I can think to say. Then I change the subject. "Do you have a phone I can use?" "A telephone?" "Yes." "Or a cellular phone?" "Either or. It doesn't matter." I  say. He scratches his chin. "I can do you one better." "You can?" "Yes,but I need you to stick around for the second half. Could you do that?" "Ok." "Good." He glances at his Rolex watch. "Second half will start in five minutes. "

Staff Meeting

If this were 1998 I'd have no trouble finding a payphone, but it is 2017 and payphones are hardly abundant. What I had to do was find someone who works at the hotel and ask kindly if I could use their phone. I thought it would be an easy task, but I couldn't find anyone who worked there. All the offices were vacant and there was no one at the front desk. I wandered the hotel hallways till I noticed the door to the conference room was ajar. I pushed the door open. There I saw a room filled with people wearing various uniforms staring at a man in a black suit. It was obvious it was some sort of staff meeting.  I knew now was not the time to ask to use the phone. So I sat myself in a empty chair in the back. I folded my hands in my lap and I patiently waited for the man in the suit to finish his speech.

In the Distance

It was nice to be away from everyone's thoughts and opinions. Not that I didn't value these various thoughts and opinions from around the world, but sometimes it is a bit much. Sometimes you need a break. I watch the waves crash against the shore. I bury my feet in the sand. I don't leave the spot until the spirit moves me. My leg was cramping, but still that doesn't mean it wasn't the spirit talking. As pretty as my surroundings were I knew I couldn't stay there forever. I didn't even know where I was. It seemed the only place nearby was a hotel on the hill. I figured they would be able to tell me where I was. Maybe they would even let me use their phone. I knew it would be a hike up the hill, but I was ready.

Black

Everything went black. Blacker than the darkest night. It was cold and I couldn't see an inch in front of me, but I welcomed it. I welcomed dissolving into nothingness. A peaceful rest where my consciousness would be spread to the edges of time and space. All of the sudden I saw a light in the distance. It felt like it was there to challenge my very idea of transition. The light drew nearer and nearer. I soon found out that the light was actually a tunnel that I was being pulled through. It didn't take me long to reach the end of the tunnel, but what happened next was stranger. I awoke on a beach. My clothes were tattered and my shoes were missing. I sat there in wet sand for a long while watching the crashing waves. I wondered how I got there, and I wondered what exactly I should do next.

Making the Potion

Jacob placed us on the kitchen counter. We came close to being smashed by either a bowl, or a spoon or a bottle. We had to constantly remind him that we were down there. It was a bit irratating, but he was helping us, so we took it as best as we could. Jacob pulled practically every bottle off the shelf. He poured the bottles into a bowl and stirred it together. "So, how do you know how to do this?" Olivia asks. "I've been going to Hilda's for years. I've seen her do this dozens of times. She often explains the process to me. I guess she figured one day I'd have to do it myself." "Yes, but-" "Don't worry. I'm not a professional, but I'm the next best thing." We both force a polite laugh.  Jacob grabs an eye dropper.  He sucks up a little bit of the liquid into the dropper. He then grabs two teeny, tiny bottles and carefully squeezes the liquid in. "Bottoms up." He says, handing us the bottles. I grab the bottle, but I stare at the remaining liquid in the bowl. "What about that? Isn't that a waste?" I  ask. "Not at all. That can be used for me get small again later." I shrug. "I guess that makes me feel better." "Yes. Nothing to worry about.  Nothing is wasted. Everything can be used again. I just always have to make sure the portions are right." "What would happen if the portions are off?" I ask. "Well, it could quite lethal." He says flippantly. "What?" Olivia shouts. "It can only be harmful when you are small and had way too much." "What's too much?" Olivia asks. "I don't know.  I only what's just enough." Olivia sighs. "This is not comforting in the slightest. Where is Hilda?" "I told you she's away." "When will she be back?" "I don't know. If you like, we could wait for her,but that may be a while." "No. I trust you. " I say. Olivia turns to me. "Are you serious?" "Yeah, I don't think he'd harm us." I say. " Not intentionally, but it could still kill us." "Then I'll haunt his ass." I take a huge swig. It doesn't taste like anything at first, and then everything goes black.

Helping Hand

"Oh my goodness. How are you? How was your time? I bet you saw many shows. So many shows. I mean you'd have to when if you're in Hoppersville. Hoppersville is known for the arts. Did you know that once upon a time I played King Lear? But enough about me. What did you think? What did you do?" An excited Jacob pauses to catch his breath. "We went to a bar." I say. "A bar?" "Yeah, the Flea's Bar. " Olivia adds. Jacob rolls his eyes. "You went to that?" "It's possible that beetle dropped us off on the wrong side of town because we didn't see much of anything else." I say. "To be fair many of the grasshoppers are hybernateing this time of year,but you two were gone for some time. Surely you must have gone elsewhere." He states. "We also saw River Bank." Olivia says. "River Bank. That's a good town too." "It was, but I think we're ready to be big again." Olivia replies. "Ah. The life of a bug is not for everyone." Jacob says. "No it's not. Is Hilda around?" Olivia asks. "She's out." "Where is she?" Jacob shakes his head.  "Business trip I guess." We both sigh loudly. "Hey, it's nothing to fret about." He assures. "What do you mean?" Olivia demands. "I've watched her dozens of times. I think I can make the spell myself." "I don't know about this." I say. "Trust me." Jacob puts out his hand. Olivia and I reluctantly climb on and he takes us inside.

Taping on the Window

We hopped out of the nest and carefully walked on the branch to the window. We glanced inside. Thankfully, Jacaob was in the room. Granted, he was asleep on the bunk bed, but it was nice to finally see someone we knew. We banged on the window with our little fists. Unfortunately, it didn't do much. "This is usueless. He probably thinks it's rain." Olivia Says.  "I know, but we can't stop." We continue to pound on the window as hard as we can without waking Jacob. We are, however, able to catch the attention of Mrs. Robin. She flies over to us. "Did we forget something?" I ask. Mrs. Robin shakes her head.  She then chirps loudly and repeatedly. We hear Jacob groan. After that Mrs. Robin taps at the window with her beak. Jacob, groggily looks to the window. Olivia and I use big gestures to grab his attention. I can tell we are successful because his jaw drops slightly. Olivia pantomimes opening the window. Jacob nods his head and Mrs. Robin flies away.

Home Repair

Luckily the baby robins were not injured by the flying rock,  and the hole in the nest was only about the size of a quarter. I shouldn't say only. When you are small, something that size is huge. It could easily be a day project, or longer. Olivia and I rolled up our sleeves and got to work. It was quite difficult in the beginning. It would appear as though progress was being made, and then it would cave in. It would do this every time. "I don't understand what we're doing wrong." Olivia says. "Well, how do birds do it?" I  ask. "Exactly what we are doing. They gather twigs together." All the sudden a thought occurs to me. "But how do they get the leaves and twigs to stick together?" "They... oh... no I don't want to do that." "It might be the only way." I say. Olivia sighs. "Very well." Olivia and I spit untill our mouths are dry and we are all but out of phlegm. By the time we are done working there is an aweful stentch, and our hands are sticky, but the wall holds up. Mrs. Robin admires our work. She then gives us permission to go to the window.

Twigs and Leaves

We hopped on the robin and soared high in the air. We flew away from the willow tree, away from the miniature towns below, away from everything we had known the past few weeks. We eventually landed in middle of the meadow amidst piles of dead leaves and twigs. Olivia slides off the robin. "I don't understand. Why are we here?" I ask. "Isn't it obvious?" She says. "No." "We're here to get supplies to repair her home." She says.  I slide off the robin and gather building supplies with Olivia. It seems at first that the robin has a problem with every twig and leaf that we present to her. We think we're doing  good and show her our pile, but she caws. It is especially frustrating because we don't exactly know what she is looking for, and she can't exactly communicate that with us. Finally, probably through sheer luck, we are able to present a pile that she deems worthy. She nods her head approvingly. Olivia and I grab as many twigs and leaves as we can. The rest the robin carries in her beak. We climb on her back carefully, and we take off into the sky for her nest.

Mrs. Robin

I didn't view the bird as particularly threatening, but I didn't want to be pecked to death either, so I kept my distance. I sidestepped a little and I could see its orange chest. It was a robin. The bird of spring. I took that as a good sign. "I just want to apologize. I think we got off on the wrong foot." The robin cocks its head. I realize it might not understand me. "How is that that this is the only creature we've encountered lately that doesn't speak English?" I shout to Olivia. "I don't know, but try anyways." Olivia says. I take a deep breath. "Me and my friend over there..." I point to Olivia. "We accidentally threw a rock at your home." The robin raises its wings and caws loudly. "It was an accident. Complete accident. We didn't mean to." I assure. The robin lowers its wings. "We were trying to hit that window up there." I point to the window. The robin cocks its head in that direction. "We really need to get up to that window. Could you perhaps give us a ride?" The robin caws angrily at me. "Okay. I wouldn't give me a ride either. But we really need this. We'll do anything for you. We'll even help repair your home." The robin thinks for a moment then nods. She looks at Olivia in the distance and ushers her to come closer.

Bird Attack

Olivia starts to run away. She stops after a few feet when she realizes that I am not behind her. "Why are you standing there?" She shouts. "Why are we running?" "Because we just hit a bird with a rock." "So?" I can see the bird peaking out of the nest. "What do you mean so?" The bird stands up tall. It sees me, and I see it. "How you know it's gonna attack us?" I ask. "Because we hit it, and we are the  sizes of insects." The bird opens its wings. "I don't think it will eat us." I say. "What makes you so sure of that?" Olivia asks. "I just know." The bird flies out of the nest. It shoots itself in my direction. "You have to run." Olivia shouts. "No, I'm not running." "What?" "Fire a heart." "What?" "Just fire a heart at it." The bird is now less than a foot away from me. Olivia fires a pink heart at it. It hits the bird in the nick of time, causing it to veer slightly to the left. A couple of the feathers brush my arm, but at least it doesn't crash into me. I turn around to see the bird sitting calmly. "Nice shot." I tell Olivia. I start to walk over to it. "What are you doing?" Olivia asks. "We're gonna get a ride up to the window." "Are you sure that's a good idea?" "You sedated it, didn't you?" "I gave it a slight change in perspective. It's still bound to be a little upset though." "I gotcha. I'll keep my distance for now."

Throwing Rocks

We had to enter Hilda's Inn if for no other reason than returning to our normal sizes. We couldn't do it our own. We knew Hilda was the only one who could help us, but we were locked out. I, however, did not want to give up. I climbed out of the hollow, slid down the base, and ran to the side of the tree. By the time Olivia caught up to me I was still panting. "What are you doing?" She asks. I point to a window near the top of the tree. "Yeah, so? It's a window." "That's the room with the bunkbeds." "Ok." "Remember when there was a storm and Norm came through the window?" "Are you suggesting we climb the tree?" I shake my head.  "Then what?" She asks. "Norm, or Freddy, or Jacob is probably in that room right now. All we gotta do is throw a rock a rock at the window to get their attention." "It's not a bad idea. There's only one problem." She says. "What's that?" "We're basically gnats right now. If no one could hear us knocking on the door they're not gonna hear us throwing rocks." "But don't you think we should try?" I  ask. Olivia sighs. "I suppose." I grab a handful of pebbles. I throw them as hard as I possibly can.  Unfortunately, not one single pebble hits the window. They all either hit the middle or miss the tree entirely. Olivia rests her hand on my shoulder. "You made a good effort." "You wanna try?" I ask. Olivia half smiles. "Sure." She grabs a handful of pebbles and tosses them in the direction of window. They appear to fly past the window and into the branches. Half a second later we hear an angry bird caw. "What was that?" Olivia asks, worried. "I don't know,  but I don't think it was the window." It caws again. Olivia turns to me, pale. "We have to get out of here. "