WONDER ( Twisted Forbidden Tales ) Book Three

Tantric Flower Trap Part Four

ALISSA

Was I hearing things? For a moment I thought I heard Hank's voice inside my head

after he had fallen to the ground. Not thinking too much about it, I had to move fast. Happy had taken the hit for me involving the tampered stew, but the Tweedle twins and Rabia D’Angel didn’t seem all too concerned about it, as several pairs of eyes glared at them in contempt and disdain.

“Oh. Wow! now that’s an unexpected twist. My dear Issa is unwilling to make amends, but as for this fine specimen here. How bout we call it a night and let me and my crew take him off your hands for a while? Hmm.” said Rabia D’angel as she clapped her hands together in glee. At this moment she acted quite like a child in a candy store, but to everyone present, they were livid with her actions in chalking up the matter to a mere fun time.

“Cut the crap D’Angel! What was in the stew? If I have to find out myself, there will be consequences. How dare you say you want to make amends and not start trouble. Explain this then, what did you do to Hap…. my friend?” Elder Shitake asked. He caught his words just in time in his fit of anger. Though his tone sounded calm and rational, the underlining was filled with forceful authority. His aura reached out toward Rabia, but the wards on her suit kept her protected from his magic onslaught.

“You sneaky old man, what's the big deal here? I swear if you ask me, it isn't just Issa Darling that needs to take a load off. How long has it been for you old man? I won’t judge and I could even give you a discount. What do you say? Ha ha ha.” Rabia said her laughter sounding out over the crowd. Building up the already intense atmosphere.

It only made me cringe though, as a shift in the corner of my eye made me move to assist Happy. Another pair of hands reach out to help me lift Happy’s immobile body from the ground. It was Mr. Fly the head of the MuDeath Family clans. The expression on his face spoke volumes, he was livid but also stayed calm during the fallout.

“He’s shifting back, so you need to get him out of sight before they see it.” Mr.Fly whispered low enough for just me to hear.

“You know, don’t you? Mr Fly.” I asked as the crowd closed in on Rabia and her posse giving us a way to leave without any headway.

“I know a lot of things Alissa, like I know you have already figured out what was put in that stew. It just sucks for this poor lad here, who was non the wiser though he sensed something was wrong with it.” Mr. Fly said in a huff, we had taken a path away from prying eyes. Not everyone in the MuDeath Family was bad. It was just some people enjoyed their natures a bit too much, to where they felt they were untouchable.

“I would never forget it, it’s the Tantric Fly Trap elixir. How cruel is she to frame you this way? Knowing the D’ Angel family they will use all means to get you to step down from being the Head. It’s more than just attacking me Mr. Fly, please be careful on your way back or the old man will never forgive me.” I said with true sincerity and concern. Happy had turned back to his cat form, and now I carried him in my arms seeming to be sleeping.

The drugs were taking effect in his system, but for a cat, it was unknown what side effects would present themselves now that he had consumed a hefty amount of the stew. Behind me sat the hidden pathway that led to back to the Mu Gardens and into Mushroom Bay City. I knew Elder Shitake would want me to wait at the Inn for now before heading off to where we should go, but knowing Rabia and with the help of Enzo and Zuri Tweedle she would hold him back while trying to find a way to sink her clutches into Happy and me.

Happy let out a deep contented purr. I sighed as we walked the secret pathway in the night. Elder Shiitake's plan had gone as predicted albeit for Rabia’s appearance which made things all the more easy for him to deal with now, despite her overconfidence. One of the components inside the powder was in the D’Angel family’s hands yet she had delivered herself to Elder Shitake with ease for the sake of Enzo and Zuri Tweedle, who were never up to anything good. This meant even for Rabia they wouldn’t care if her actions affected their bigger picture.

The sky overhead explodes in a riot of color as fireworks light up the darkness. Rockets streak across the heavens, leaving trails of shimmering light in their wake. “What a timely display. Happy, please be okay, you have to be strong now until I find a detox for you.” I whispered. Mr. Fly was clever with the fireworks overhead. It was his signal that he had things under control in MuDeath Village. After all, he was appointed the Head for a reason. His ability to keep a level head in conflicts of any degree was what made many respect and admire him during his lead in maintaining the peace between the two Mu Family clans.

“Issa, hurry! this way.” A shadowy figure stood on the pathway leading to Mushroom Bay City. I knew that voice, it was Mrs. Porcini.

“What are you doing here?” I asked in surprise. If she was here that meant something happened back at the Inn and we could no longer meet the old man there. She was his plan B, there was no telling how many plans Elder Shitake had made. But he was one to always be prepared no matter the outcome, I smiled thinking he was just as cunning as Rabia D’Angel but in a good way of course.

“No time to explain, we can’t take this path anymore, now follow me,” she said her steps moving in a hurry. As soon as we stepped off the path and into the sanctuary of the massive Mu Gardens. The pathway began to close with rapid speed, leaving behind nothing but the Dream Forest on one side and Mu Gardens on the other. Dream Forest had stepped in to lend a hand by giving us a cover. The mystery that was Dream Forest would never cease to amaze me. As I turned to look at Mrs. Porcini in awe.

“What?”

“Shh. Just wait for it.” Mrs. Porcini said holding a finger up to her lips as our eyes stayed glued to watching the other side. My question was soon answered though not a complete one as the sound of several hurried footsteps came upon us from the path we had just left. However, all they could see was the Forest and not the Mu Gardens or Mushroom Bay City.

“How could they disappear that fast if you just saw them? Are you lying to me you i***t!” a voice rang out in between the group of people. Followed by someone being hit repeatedly.

“Ah! Ah! Mistress Web! My eyes didn’t deceive me I saw them, that woman was with Mr. Fly, but I don’t understand how they are gone now.” the man said in a pained complaint. The woman standing in between the group of men finally stepped out to look around her surroundings.

She was a contradiction to her vie nature. The hair on my arms stood on end as I watched her. My hatred for this woman surpassed that of Enzo and Zuri Tweedle. The torture I was subjected to by her hands would forever leave a lingering scar in my heart as well as on my body. Because of this woman, I was roped in because I had naively believed all their lies and because of her I had experienced a painful horror unlike any other will her childlike laughter lived on inside my head for a time, like a reacquiring nightmare.

At first glance, Ultima Web appears as an ordinary teenager, short in stature with a mischievous glint in her eyes. But upon closer inspection, her features betray her dual nature. Her hair cascades in wild waves, a rich mahogany hue interspersed with streaks of deep purple, reminiscent of the gills found underneath a death cap mushroom. Her eyes, deep pools of obsidian darkness, gleamed with an unsettling intelligence, framed by lashes reminiscent of delicate mushroom gills. A petite button nose sits above a pale, almost translucent complexion, dotted with faint specks of mushroom spores.

“Suddenly gone now you say, humph! If that’s the case then the forest is certainly playing tricks,” she said, her gaze sweeping across the forest, but she soon frowned not finding or sensing anything the forest didn’t want her to find. Her lips, painted a rich crimson, curl into a mischievous smirk, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth akin to mushroom caps. Clad in a schoolgirl-type uniform, she blends seamlessly with the youthful denizens of MuDeath village, yet her aura exudes an icy chill.

This was her true self, one she had expertly hidden from me back then, but now she had no reason to hide it. Tension crackles in the air like static electricity as our eyes lock for a moment, a silent battle of wills unfolding between us. Ultima's mask of innocence falters for a fleeting moment, replaced by a calculating gleam that betrays her true intentions. I bristled with unease, sensing the danger lurking beneath her beguiling facade, but let out a sigh as I had forgotten we were hidden so that she could not see or sense me.

“Let’s go, Issa, we should be safe until the old man comes back,” said Mrs. Porcini as she led the way through the Mu Gardens, which was a whole different world in the night than it was in the daytime. I wouldn’t let my guard down no matter what. Deception was Ultima Web’s specialty Rabia would not make her, her second in command if she were useless.

Happy stirred in my arms, and I breathed a sigh of relief. He was alive and didn’t seem in any pain, but one could not be too careful in Mushroom Bay. Though it appeared harmonious on the surface it was far from a friendly place for people like me and Happy. The hidden yet well-known feud between the Mu families was one that the Families that were neutral didn’t want to get mixed up in. Though many had silently and stealthily covered us on the low. I was more worried about the sinister unknowns in the shadows.

Since we couldn’t go back to G Puff Ball Inn, I wondered where we were headed now under Elder Shitake’s plan B. As I had known before Mrs. Porcini was a gem in the hospitality business here. G Puff Ball Inn was just one of her and her husband's ventures.

She purposely was taking the slightly longer route about in the Mu Gardens, the signal she was giving me was clear. Other eyes were on us, these eyes were the ones I mentioned before. The ones in the shadows that moved whichever way the wind blew would benefit them the most.

We walked until we came upon a towering Giant Inky Cap Mushroom. Its sleek black cap, adorned with delicate white speckles, rises high above the Night Mu Gardens canopy, blending seamlessly with the surrounding foliage.

“Come along dear.” Mrs. Porcini said with a smile. It was then I noticed the door nestled within the mushroom's base that first appears as nothing more than a natural crevice, easily overlooked by the untrained eye. With my curiosity piqued, Mrs. Porcini pushed the door open and we stepped inside.

The foyer greeted us warmly, with soft lighting casting a cozy glow. The interior was surprisingly spacious, with ten levels of rooms spiraling upwards like a labyrinth. The staircases led in every direction, inviting exploration. I marveled at the smooth, polished floors that seemed to gleam with an otherworldly luminescence.

“This place is amazing Mrs. Porcini,” I said in awe. I stroked Happy’s fur as he stirred in my arms again. He must have sensed my presence now which was a good sign. At first, he had been tense but now he had begun to relax. It made me wonder again for a moment about the voice I heard in my mind similar to Hank’s.

“Glad you like it Hun, but this is nothing. Keep up, we got to get some food in you after all that stew. Don’t want you to have bad hangups over the festival now, we already barely have you visit meaning we all enjoy your company when you do come.” Mrs, Porcini said as I followed behind her so as to not get lost.

Entering the kitchen we found Mr. Porcini decked out in an apron, I found it well-equipped with modern appliances, yet adorned with whimsical mushroom-shaped decor as I looked around, the scents of a homey meal being prepared to bring me both warmth and calmness. The dining area boasted a long, wooden table surrounded by cozy chairs, in which I made my way to take a seat. I placed Happy gently on top of the table as he continued in slumber. When I moved my hands away I gasped in shock at the amount of black fur in my hands. This was bad, this had to be a side effect of the Tantric Flower Trap Elixir. What should I do? That place could only accessed by the chosen, one of them being Elder Shitake and the other Rabia D’ Angel.

The sound of thunder vibrated through the Ink Cap Mushroom Hideout we were in. The sound of rain falling and the scent of citrus filled the air. Making Mr. And Mrs. Porcini look at one another and smile. As her husband set a plate of food in front of me.

“Eat child. Don’t worry about a thing. This here companion of yours will be just fine.” said Mr. Porcini, his warm and confident smile perked up my downward spirit just a bit. I ate systematically but overall the food still filled my stomach but in a way that was loving and comforting, despite everything that transpired during the festival opening.

“Drink this as well Hun, you will need it on the journey ahead.” Mrs. Porcini said as she set a steaming cup of liquid in front of me. It too carried a scent of citrus like the rain. With the sound of the rain falling upon the Inky Mushroom Cap hideout surface. I couldn’t help picking up the cup and downing the contents. As minutes passed waiting for the old man to arrive I felt a peculiar sensation in the air that soon wrapped over me. My eyes became heavy but I was not afraid, that place did not hold good memories for me but it was also the only way to help Happy for there lay what we needed to detoxify what had just transformed into poison inside of Happy.