WONDER ( Twisted Forbidden Tales ) Book Three

Familar Stranger Part One

HANK

Three days had passed, spending my time there in the cabin with Alissa. Surprisingly, these few days have been the most peaceful days I have had in a long time, even though I’m still a cat. This woman named Alissa had a few secrets of her own, it seemed. In all, my curiosity wanted to discover those secrets and discover her. Constant thoughts that I have met her before are fluttering in and out of my mind. The way she does things, talks, and acts makes it clear that she isn’t from here but another world, but that is the elusive answer to my many questions.

I desperately needed to find a way to turn back to my original self, but I had yet to find out how. It was a good thing that I had taken a good survey of Alissa’s cabin. The place was quite rustic and out of place here, but somehow it still fit just like her. The small rustic-style cabin had a warm and cozy atmosphere that I hadn’t felt in a long time.

The walls were adorned with rough-hewn wooden planks, bringing a warm feel to the place with her added personal touches. The sturdy handcrafted full-sized wooden four-poster bed was quite comfortable and more than I expected. The bedding is cozy and inviting, with its red plaid sheets, a thick duvet, and an assortment of comfortable pillows. Nearby, a weathered wooden nightstand stood, housing the modern-day switch lamp on top.

A rugged wooden dresser with mismatched drawer pulls sits against another wall across from the bed. This is where she grabbed her nightshirt before heading to the bathroom that was behind the door next to it. A very familiar cape hung on the coat rack on the other side, but I didn't think too much about it for now. Alissa had gone out for a moment, leaving me alone.

I wondered where she had gone to and even if she was safe, I couldn’t do much like a cat and that fact bothered me quite a bit when I thought of Alissa out there by herself. I knew I had no right to think like this, considering she had been taking care of herself alone for some time.

Familiar footsteps approached the door entrance, followed by Alissa’s return. A basket hung on her left arm and was filled with various things. The packsack was on her back and it looked full as well. She must have stopped at the market to get some food and necessities for us. She took off her shoes at the door only to slide her feet into a pair of gray plush house slippers. She sat the basket down on the table. They walked up to me, still lounging on the bed. She scratched behind my ears and it felt amazing. The ginger, lemon, and honey scent wafted from her again, almost making me drool. I couldn’t get too comfortable in this cat's body, but Alissa was making things hard for me.

“My cute little kitty,” she said. I meowed at her annoyingly and she laughed. Getting up, she headed back to the table to sort out the goods. A knock came at the door, halting her movements and putting me slightly on edge. Did someone follow her back?

“ Who is it?” Alissa asked, even as she looked through the peephole of the door.

“ It’s me Haku.” said a boy's voice on the other side. Alissa smiled, unlocked the bolt lock, then opened the door. A young boy about eighteen years old walks inside and Alissa promptly closes the door and relocks it from the inside.

Taking a deeper look at the boy that had entered, his presence intrigued me, piquing my curiosity. His skin possessed a natural bronze hue, accentuated by the silver streak adorning his spiky, snow-white hair. His eyes, pools of obsidian, held a depth that seemed to pierce through the darkness, reflecting the wisdom and determination that dwelled within him.

The long, tapered ears atop his head twitched with anticipation, attuned to every sound of the night. Beneath a strong, defined nose and a pair of full lips, there lay an expression of quiet confidence, softened by the warmth of his smile.

Despite the regal robe draping his toned and athletic frame, he moved with agility and grace, the fabric flowing behind him like a stream of silk. The robe, reminiscent of a Samurai's attire, bore hues of deep indigo and gold, adorned with intricate patterns that shimmered under the cheese-shaped moon's gentle touch cascading through the parted curtains of the cabin’s lone standing window.

Our eyes met for a moment. But his expression did not change at the sight of me. His eyes showed intrigue and curiosity just as I had at the sight of him, but he didn’t let his demeanor show and turned back to focus on Alissa, who stood at the small kitchenette counter nearby.

“What’s up, Haku? I haven’t seen you in a while,” said Alissa as she headed back to the table to finish sorting the goods she bought.

“True, I’ll make it up to you next time. I am not coming as a friend this time but as a client,” Haku says. His expression changed suddenly, making him look nervous and conflicted about something. Stopped Alissa’s motions to sort her things again. Her look turns from friendly to serious as she looks at Haku. She motions at the other chair at the table.

As he walked forward, I could see, strapped to his back, was a sword of extraordinary craft skills gleaming in the dim light, its blade forged with ancient enchantments that hummed with latent power. At his side, an odd-looking stopwatch, pinned to his robe, ticked away the moments with an otherworldly precision, its purpose known only to him and the royal acquaintance that he served.

I was familiar with many royal families in my time. So it didn’t surprise me that they would have some sort of reigning power ruling here in a place as strange as this one. What piqued my interest were his words about being Alissa’s client. I felt like I was about to uncover something big here.

“Have a seat then,” Alissa said, quickly putting the goods away. Coming back with a glass of water and a small bowl of water for me. She places it on the floor for me to drink, then heads back to the table to take a seat across from Haku. She folds her hands in front of her and sets them on the table, waiting for Haku to finish speaking.

“My friend has gone missing. Just like the others without a clear trail. I’m really worried. He would be the fifth one in three days, Issa. I need your help with this one. Can you help me?” he asked. The glass of water shook slightly in his hand as he picked it up took a big gulp and then set it back down.

“I see,” she said. Leaning back in her chair, she placed a hand under her chin as if contemplating things.” You know I won’t help just because you asked and the fact that we are friends. I need to know everything that you are not saying, Whitey and don’t leave anything out from the beginning to the end.” she said with a stern expression.

“I understand, Alissa, so here’s what I know. It's like this……” Haku began from the beginning, finishing when he noticed his friend had gone missing. Listening in as well, my cat senses picked up on something that made me feel that something about Haku’s story wasn’t quite connected. Just who was this person that was so important for him to ask for help for Alissa to find? I don’t know if Alissa noticed this, but she agreed to help him anyway. I listened intently while they sat there together. They devised a plan that would minimize casualties because the clues that Haku discovered led to a place that appeared to be quite dangerous.

In this cat form, I couldn't do much right now, but there was no way she was leaving me behind. They agreed to take no shortcuts and would use the best route called the Dream Forest here. I frowned, thinking it sounded ominous even though the name was not. After the hiccup I experienced, I couldn’t take anything in this place too lightly at all. Just what kind of work did Alissa do that deemed her worthy of doing this kind of thing?