The day was sunny with clouds passing across the azure sky. At a beautiful beach, serene with coconut trees and vegetation, lush with wild trees and interwoven vines, a waterfall with crystal clear waters cascaded over a high mountain, crashing continually into the river to join waves that consistently washed onto the shore where Amber was lying face up and out cold. As the water from the waves bathed her, she stirred and following a cough, regained consciousness, her eyes fluttering open to meet the open sky with birds flying over it. Amber squinted at the brightness of the sky because the sunshine was at war with her gaze. Then she managed to sit up and looked around with a wince as gradually, she recovered from her ordeal. Aware of the waves sweeping over her, she scooted farther from the shore to avoid the incessant splash of the water. She wondered where she was and how she had gotten there. She remembered trying to scramble up the dock outside Isis’s home when she had felt a h

In Amber’s home, Miriam, the Queen, and her maid were seated over a fairly large dining table that was full of assorted desserts. The three were eating with two guards standing by. Miriam had paused, looking momentarily lost and so with arched brows furrowed in concern, the Queen looked at her and she forced a smile. “My Queen, may the guards sit down?” Miriam asked. “They are used to it Miriam” replied the Queen. “They do have time to relax.” Miriam’s face was expressionless. Nevertheless, the Queen turned to the guards. “Have a seat, now will you?” “Our duty to the throne is to stay alert my Queen” replied one of the guards. “And the King will be displeased.” The other guard added. The Queen looked back to Miriam and smiled as though to say I told you so and Miriam resigned with a nod as if to say fine, I get it and then she took in a deep breath. “I am overwhelmed by your presence here. It is a privilege. Thank you so much for the food and everything.” The Queen reached a c

Still standing before the door of the bungalow, Amber had collected herself. She peeked through the half-open door and into the darkness of the space before her. “Hello” From somewhere inside the darkness, a woman’s voice spoke to her, balmy and sonorous. “Tell me, who is the enemy of the dark?” Amber was startled into taking a few backward steps. She finally paused, thought for a few seconds, and brightened. “Light” she replied and at once, light illuminated the dark space. Tentatively, in awe, Amber pushed open the door to reveal a fairly large room with a fish-shaped aquamarine-colored swimming pool that looked like it was a natural formation from a rock. Amber stepped inside and looked around in fascination. Along the walls was one door with a sculpted image of a shark on it. The walls were decorated all over with the actual shells of different sea and land creatures. Several terracotta flower pots with different varieties of flowers growing out of them were positioned around

Inside room three, Amber and Mermaid were seated at the dining table with covered plates each in front of them. They opened their plates and Amber gasped at the sight of what was inside her plate. What she found was potato peels neatly diced. Looking from her plate to Mermaid’s she found potato meat in hers. Why would Mermaid eat the potato insides and feed her the peels she wondered, eyeing Mermaid who in turn was observing her closely. “Eat,” Mermaid commanded and Amber shook her head in refusal. “You must eat so that you can be strong. Your mother did not tell you that?” “My mother never fed me potato peels,” Amber said simply. “I don’t know what you take me for but I eat potato meat just like you” “I won’t tell you to eat again,” Mermaid said impatiently and for the first time, Amber lost her patience. “I never asked to be here” she retorted, annoyed at the situation. “Will you punish me if I don’t? Would that be right?” Mermaid sighed. “I won’t punish you. And that’s becaus

The day was bright and fair in Underland. Mermaid and Amber stood before door three inside the corridor. Mermaid opened it and stepped inside, Amber coming to stand beside her with a gaping mouth in her surprise at what the room held. Not that it was particularly strange but it was unexpected because they were inside a room full of stacked boxes of varying sizes and colors that ranged from tiny to the biggest. The biggest was about 50 by 30 inches while the smallest was about 10 by 10 inches. The boxes were simple and plain, the kind that could blend anywhere, except for the mermaid drawing on top of the boxes which could probably set them apart. “This is the room of treasures” Mermaid explained. “You will pick only one and that, you will return home with” “Conditional?” “Yes, because there is a way to open any of them. Counting from the day of your return, you will open it on the seventh day. Only the patient and obedient will be blessed. Now, make your choice.” Amber scanned th