Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
PENNY
Ipress the end call button on my phone as a smile crosses my face.
I had an appointment at the place that was the only clue to where Ria went.
And it’s in thirty minutes. I glance at the clock as I grab my shoulder bag from my closet.
It looked tattered and beaten, but I loved it.
It was the last birthday present I got from my parents and I refused to part with it.
I have no idea what is going to come of this appointment, but I feel like I have to be prepared. Besides, I often left home with a bag full of goodies just in case I felt like jumping on a train or plane on a whim.
I grab my passport, a stack of cash, my favorite book, a couple of clean pairs of underwear, a bra, and a fresh change of clothes.
“Oh!” I turn back to my dresser and grab a pair of my silk pajamas.
I always forget my pjs! I head to the kitchen and pull open my snack drawer.
I smile to myself as I see it’s full of my favorite chocolate bars, and I start grabbing them and shoving as many as I can in my bag.
There’s nothing like being stuck starving somewhere where you can’t grab any food.
I throw my bag over my shoulder and look around my apartment.
Of course, I could take my laptop or some extra chargers, but those tend to be heavy to carry and I like to pack as light as possible.
Besides, I could always grab another one wherever I go.
And for all I know, I’ll be right back here in an hour.
I lock my door and head down the street to the meeting place, which is only fifteen minutes away.
Stopping at the address she gave me, I look up at the quaint little bookshop called Once Upon a Spine.
Tilting my head, I try to think if I’d seen this place before.
It’s in my neighborhood and I love reading, so I’m shocked that I don’t recognize it.
I push the door open and head inside. It’s actually gorgeous in here.
The giant wooden bookshelves span the length of the store and my fingers itch to get my hands on some of those books.
But I’m here for a reason. I look around and spot a girl with pink hair leaning on the counter, smiling in my direction.
“Penny?” she asks.
“Yes,” I say as I head towards her. She starts to walk around the counter but she stumbles a little, her hand on the counter grips it so hard her knuckles go white. “Hey, are you okay?”
“Yes, yes,” she says, standing up straight, regaining her composure.
“Just a little indigestion. Please follow me, my office is in the back.” As I follow her to the back of the shop, I can’t stop myself from glancing at the bookshelves.
We pass through the romance section and if I’m not busy after this, I know I’m going to be picking up several of these books.
“Penny?” I realize I’ve stalled at one of the bookshelves, so I continue towards where she stands with a door half open behind her. “Please, come in.” She gestures into the room.
“Whoa, this is not what I expected,” I say, looking around at the stark white walls and gray marble floors. It has such a corporate appearance compared to the front of the shop.
“Yes, this part was an addition to the rest of the shop, so it’s much newer,” she explains.
“It’s… nice.” Her lips press together as she tries not to laugh at my comment.
“Please, take a seat.” We both sit down in the gray armchairs that face each other, a glass coffee table between them.
“So tell me Pen—”
“Where’s Aquaria?” I cut her off, desperate to get to the reason I’m here.
“Excuse me?” she looks half shocked and half confused at my outburst.
“Look, I know my best friend, Aquaria, Ria, called you, and I haven’t been able to find her since.
You are allegedly the last person to speak to her, and I want to know what you said to her.
Did she come here for an appointment too?
Tell me where she is.” I can’t help but ramble out everything I’m thinking.
Her mouth sits half open as she stares at me for a moment, until finally she snaps her jaw shut and sits back, tilting her head and squinting your eyes. “Okay, Penny, I guess there’s no beating around the bush with you. I’ll tell you where she is, on two conditions.”
Holy smokes! She knows! I knew it! I eagerly move forward to the edge of my seat and rest my elbows on my knees. “Yes, anything.”
“First, tell me how you know that the Aquaria living out there,” she gestures towards the front of the shop, “Isn’t your best friend?”
“I knew instantly. It was clear she didn’t recognize me, although she pretended she did. And she’s missing a small scar… here.” I point to my inner wrist.
“Hmm, I’ll keep that in mind for next time,” she says ominously, tapping her finger against her lips as she stares off to the side.
“Next time?”
“Oh, don’t mind me.”
“Okay… what was the other condition?” I ask to get her back on track.
“Ah, right. Well, if I tell you where she is, you have to follow her there.”
“Oh my god, did you kill her?!”
“What?” she asks in shock. “No! Of course I didn’t kill her. My goodness, Penny, I was helping her, not hurting her. Just like I did for the Aquaria I put in her place, here.”
“Yeah, about that… are you going to explain how that is possible?” I ask, calming down from her reassuring words. I mean, she could be lying, but I believed her for some reason.
“I’ll tell you, but first you have to assure me you’ll follow her.”
“Of course I will. Why do you think I’m here? She is my only family, and I’m hers. Where she goes, I go.”
“She’s your family?” she asks in surprise.
“Yes, please tell me where she is. You have no idea how hard I’ve been looking for her this past year.”
She seems to be assessing me for a minute before she speaks.
“Okay, the truth is, Ria and yourself were actually born in the wrong world. Well, your souls were, that is. You both belong in a realm called Dyconia. It could be the reason you two have been so close, you feel that pull to someone else from your home.”
“Whoa, this is some serious sci-fi fantasy stuff here.”
She nods. “Yes, I am aware how it sounds. But it’s true. And while you two were born here, the two souls meant for the human world were born into identical bodies in Dyconia.”
My eyes widen at the mention of identical bodies. Was that like a doppelganger?
“That girl, who looks like Ria…” She nods.
“Yes, she was born in Dyconia, but belongs here. It’s my job to switch you all back.”
“But, why now? Why didn’t you bring me over a year ago with Ria? Or years ago?”
“Ah, good question, but one I can’t really answer, I’m afraid. All I can tell you is that you’re each sent when it’s meant to happen.”
“And it’s my time now?”
She smiles at me before a grimace takes over her face and she places a hand on her stomach for a moment, before schooling her expression again. “Yes, it’s your time, Penny.”
“You okay?”
“Just some indigestion. Now, let’s get you ready. There are a few things you need to know before you get there.” She stands and I jump up, following her to a tall cabinet on the far side of the room, beside a door I didn’t notice before.
“I get to go now, as in right now?” I ask eagerly, looking at the door.
“That’s right.”
“Is this the way?” I ask, grabbing the door handle, but it won’t open.
“Hold your horses girl, sheesh! Yes, that’s the way out of the Enchanted Veil, but I haven’t opened the doorway yet.”
“Holy smokes, this is so cool. You know I once jumped out of a plane, but somehow this is so much more exciting! Can you show me?” I point to the door. When she simply stares at me, I start to beg. “Pleeeease?” I whine, placing my hands under my chin and pouting at her.
She gives me an unamused glare, but she can’t hold it for long before a smile takes over.
“Fine, stand back.” She places her palm on the door and a burst of light flows out from her hand, then through the cracks, bright enough to make me shield my eyes.
When I sense the light recedes, I glance back and see the door is softly glowing.
“Whoa,” I whisper, as if talking too loudly will make me wake up from this cool dream.
She grabs the handle and yanks the door open. Ahead I see a large stone wall on the right, and the beginning of a forest on my left. The trees look similar to ones I’ve seen, but different somehow. Taller maybe?
“Wow…” I trail off as I step towards the door, drawn by this amazing sight. I know this shop is located on a busy street. The only thing behind it was probably a smelly alley.
“Penny, wait!” The smell of pine assaults my senses and I step forward to take in more of it.
“This is amazing!”
“Penny, get back here, I need to tell you some important things first.” I realize I’ve crossed the doorway now, and look down to see my shoes pressing into the dirt.
I glance up at the woman who led me here. “Where can I find Ria?”
“I’m not exactly sure, but I have to tell you a few things, come back in before someone sees you.” I glance around. Now I’m here, I’m not eager to cross back over. What if I can’t get through again?
“What’s your name?” I ask her, wondering why it’s her job to switch us around like this.
“My name?”
“Yeah, I don’t want to keep referring to you as ‘that girl’ in my head.”
She huffs and crosses her arms, glaring at me. “Come back inside and I’ll tell you.”
“Tell me and I’ll come back inside.” Am I lying? Maybe.
“You can call me your fairy godmother.”
I raise my eyebrows in surprise as I stare at her. “My fairy god—”
“There you are, child!” A new voice has me turning my head towards the forest. A woman at least twice my age is gesturing for me to follow her. It’s only now that I notice the canvas tents erected throughout the forest. Is this a campsite?
“One second, I just have to—” I stop what I’m saying when I glance back and see the doorway back to… my fairy godmother, is gone. Maybe other people aren’t allowed to see it. Do people here know about the human realm?