Reading Between the Lines

Chapter 22: Easy

I know it sounds ridiculous, but I'm not seeing things. There are people literally walking upside down on the ceiling, shopping, and even eating! How do they-

Oh, wait. I forget where I am constantly. OF COURSE, THEY'RE WALKING UPSIDE DOWN. This is the only place where it's possible.

Why am I still surprised?

"It's called Mystic Row because it's powered by magic! This gold path has magic, and it's gravity-resistant for everyone who lives here," Tusharika explains nonchalantly, suddenly walking up to the path and raising her leg up to put it on the path. She immediately changes angles and puts her two feet on it, letting her stand horizontally as I continue watching her in horror. She turns her feet around to face me, looking up from her end so that she can look directly at me.

"AAH GET OFF!! I can't watch!" I close my eyes with my hand. My worst fear is that she's gonna fall directly on her face, and falling like that into marble like that is enough to possibly split her head.

Sam just takes my hand off my eye, and I look at Vinnie just trying hard to not laugh at my panicked face.

"See? Other people are going up there too," Sam points to a couple who hold hands as they walk up the path, walking up towards the shops.

"How are those people not dying up there? Doesn't your blood, like, rush to your head, and won't it crush your organs? Why aren't they dead?" I panic as Tusharika walks back to the ground to come next to me.

"MAGIC!" all four of them say at the same time.

"Sorry, guys. I'm out. That looks fucking terrifying," I back away from the wall gradually.

"Aww, no. Don't worry, it's completely harmless. The path's magic manipulates your vestibular state so that your body's internal orientation remains the same even when it's not right-side up."

My brows purse together as I give Vinnie my "really confused and done with life" face.

"You won't realize you're upside down." OHHH.

"But what if I die? I'm not from here!"

"Not at all."

"Since you're human for now, I have to do a spell on you so that the path's magic works on you too. It'll take just a second." Tusharika steps towards me and touches her sea-green Soulstone for a second. Her eyes immediately glow the same color before she chants something to herself in Latin. 

I can barely make out what she's saying, but I do hear the words "Supernatet", "Volans", and "Lux". I think that means float, fly, and light. Energy beams that match her Soulstone's colors come out of her palms, and she puts my hands on my shoulders. 

But I honestly don't feel anything. I thought I'd feel lightheaded or even a bit dizzy, but I feel okay. Just a bit queasy from seeing this path that ends upside down.

"Okay, finished!" she steps away from me, her eyes going back to her signature sleek dark brown.

"You won't feel anything because I did a light spell on you. But trust me, it worked." I look at the path, still scared as anything.

I reluctantly walk towards it, taking my right foot and putting it on the initial curve. As I put my foot on it, a little white aura pools from my feet, so I look back at the others to see if that's normal. Divya gives me a little nod and gestures for me to keep going.

Okay, now the other foot. I need to make a will in case I die today. 

I thought that gravity would make me fall backward, but as I put pressure on my right foot, nothing happens. In fact, my foot stays. It stays enough for my body to tilt as I put my other foot on the path, but even with my screams, I actually stayed on the path.