WONDER ( Twisted Forbidden Tales ) Book Three

Mad Lab Part Two

“If you say so kid, now back to the other thing, what did you find out during your fightback at the club,” said Alissa. She shrugged her shoulders, not taking Haku’s previous tone to heart. With a sigh, Haku appeared relieved, as she hadn’t dwelled on the clues he found leading to Heartland Palace implementing the queen.

“Okay, so it turns out three of the guards were not just Tweedle lackeys. I spotted on each of their right arms a black crow tattoo, and you know what that means.”

“Morse and Chester Crow are involved. But don’t they work for the place as well? If I’m not mistaken, they are your Queen's confidants. Things are not looking too good for her right now, despite your protest, Haku,” Alissa said as she gave him a deep look.

Where were my eyes deceiving me just now or did I spot a bit of blush on Haku’s face? It seemed he had a thing for this so-called queen. It piqued my curiosity to want to meet her all the more. Haku wasn’t the type to hang around bad people, from what I can tell so far, so who and what was this queen that drew absolute trust in her from him?

“Even though it may seem so, I have to correct your words just now, Issa. Morse and Chester were never the queen's confidants but more like spies for that wicked, disgusting woman. Everything the queen has suffered started with her and once we find my friend and the others, I want to help the queen end those deadly rumors.”

“Sounds like you had a plan in mind for some time now. Would this queen of yours be grateful to you after all your hard work?” Alissa teased.

“Stop it okay, it's just we’ve known each other for a long time before she was forced to be royalty. She never wanted any of this. All she wanted was to search for someone, but that woman deceived her with lies. Therefore, here we are now,” Haku said with a sigh.

“Well okay then, I found some helpful goodies on my end too, but I need to head to the lab for a while first. Morse and Chester are known for trafficking various things across the wonder portals here, but my Mad Bandit cap hasn’t picked up on any active signatures on the portals that were always penned until now.” Alissa said.

Her words made me uneasy. Was the elder portal not the only portal that disappeared that day? If so, how was I supposed to get back home? That meant the mastermind who hand-landed with us had no way back either. This news was both good and bad for me. At least I wasn’t the only sitting duck and my chances of catching him skyrocketed once I returned to my original body.

“Hey, what's this?” Haku asked in surprise. As we looked where he was gazing. A very familiar-looking letter stood out underneath the boot-covered foot on the pathway back into the Dream Forest. Haku bent down to pick it up, both he and Alissa letting out gasps of slight shock at all three of our names glaring back at us in glowing silver-black ink on the envelope.

Haku and Alissa both looked at one another as if coming to an understanding about something, then returned their sight to the envelope in Haku’s hand. From the look they shared alone, I had gotten the answer to a lingering question as of late. The two of them must have received letters of their own from Delia’s spell. Then again, I couldn’t weed out the counterattacks of Talia and Snow. If so, just what were the hidden missions they were tasked with aside from the one involving Haku's missing friend and the missing citizens here? If only I had a way to contact my people back in my home realm. But I had long-lost my special tool gadget belt and armband on the transformation into this cumbersome cat form.

“Let’s head to the lab first before reading this. Enzo trail cut off right around here. He most likely went into hiding. Unfortunately, it’s a place my Mad Bandit cloak cannot detect. My guess is it has something to do with that person back at the Elder Portal. Anyhow, let’s head out.”

With that said. Alissa bent down and picked me up in her arms. Haku pocketed the letter and fell steps down the forest pathway beside us. The pathway, dappled with moonlight filtering through the thick canopy above, stretched out like a ribbon of shadows, its edges barely discernible in the dim glow. Tall trees loomed on either side, their branches reaching out like ghostly fingers, casting eerie silhouettes against the backdrop of the night sky. I looked up at the sky from the sudden slot of shining light from the moon.

Another wacky willful sight assaulted my eyes with a popcorn-shaped moon that hung low, its surface bathed in a soft, buttery glow. Its irregular contours seemed to dance in the night, casting strange shadows upon the forest floor. First, there was a tree in the clearing, now a moon. Was Dream Forest sending some sort of message? And why, in the form of popcorn, I was already near my breaking point tonight. Even after the hefty subsidence Alissa had prepared in this cat form, I seemed to be more ravenous than when I was human.

But it wasn't just the sight of this peculiar moon that captivated my senses; it was the scent that wafted through the air, an aroma so enticing, so intoxicating, that it seemed to draw me in to get ever closer to it. Worry came over me at the thought that something was about to go wrong. How could Enzo disappear so fast? There was only one reason I could think of and that was that he had help. Was it the mastermind? Or those Crow people Haku mentioned?

Either one was no advantage for us. My intrigue began to arise at the thought of being brought to Alissa’s lab. If lucky, I could help out with the investigation of the powder and henceforth find a reverse antidote.

The air was getting thicker with the scent of damp earth and pine, mingling with the intoxicating aroma wafting from the popcorn-shaped moon hovering above as we walked further through Dream Forest.

As we ventured further down the pathway, the surroundings seemed to shift and morph around us. Trees twisted and contorted, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers grasping at the night air. Shadows danced along the forest floor, casting strange shapes and patterns that seemed to move of their own accord as I found we came to a stand at the threshold of a hidden grove just outside the Dream Forest we traveled through.

“We’re here. Haku, you are ready to do the honors,” Alissa said. With a nod, Haku stepped forward, taking the stopwatch attached to his cape and holding it in his hand. A distorted vision of the hidden grove. The stopwatch began to make a sound of ticking time as if counting down to something. The ticking became louder and louder until suddenly, click, Haku stopped it. And the distorted vision before us began to sort itself.

Inside, the scene was straight out of a fairy tale. Moonbeams from the popcorn moon danced upon the forest floor, illuminating a carpet of wildflowers that swayed gently in the night breeze. Fireflies flitted about like tiny lanterns, casting their soft glow upon the scene. And there, at the heart of it all, stood a quaint cottage, its windows glowing warmly from within.

The Dream Forest was two-toned light because it was neither dark nor light. It adjusted as it saw fit, completely surviving on the things that helped it to thrive. Enzo was able to hide inside this forest just as Alissa, like the Mad Bandit, contained a hidden cottage there. Was this the lab she spoke of?

“Welcome to the Mad Lab Happy!” Alissa said upon crossing the threshold, the cozy interior of the cottage unfolded, revealing a surprising spaciousness. I jumped out of her arms and onto the floor. This didn’t look like a lab to me, but knowing Alissa, there was more to this place than what one saw when first entering.

The living quarters exude rustic charm, with rough-hewn wooden beams overhead and worn flagstone flooring underfoot. In one corner, a plush bed beckons with its inviting embrace, draped in layers of hand-stitched quilts and soft linens. A canopy of ivy vines cascades from the ceiling above, lending a touch of whimsy to the sleeping alcove.

Nearby, a small but well-appointed bathroom boasts a claw foot tub, its brass fixtures gleaming in the warm glow of candlelight. The kitchenette, though compact, is well-equipped with a cast iron stove, a copper kettle, and an assortment of mismatched pottery. A small table and chairs, worn but sturdy, offer the perfect spot for intimate meals shared by two.

Haku and Alissa took their seats at the table, and Haku took out the letter he had pocketed, setting it on the table and bringing me back to the clue I had almost forgotten about in my curiosity about the lab. With a meow and nuzzling my head against Alissa’s leg, she lifted me with one hand and placed me on the table near the letter.