III. The Impact of Her

~ Seven ~

The ground was covered with grass, sparkling because of the dew.

Different flowers blossomed on each side of the pebbled path. Majestic trees stood tall, the vines complemented its size. Birds flew freely in the air. Some sang from the trees. A fountain stood in the middle. Its waters slowly cascaded down to the bottom.

Everything was simply breath-taking.

"Well, what do you think?" Laura asked.

"This is... beautiful. It truly is," I answered as I was still taken aback by the beauty before me. "There are no proper words to describe everything that I am seeing."

"And that is just the beginning," she said.

Before I could even turn to look at her, she grabbed my hand and we followed the path. We entered a maze and she just kept moving forward without any hesitation.

~*~*~*~

When we got to the end, we were greeted by a thick curtain of vines.

"Please, don't tell me we're going through there," I remarked.

Laura turned around, confused. "Is there something wrong? Are you afraid of vines?" she asked, almost teasing me.

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Woman, why should I be afraid of mere vines?" I said, which made her giggle. I ranted, "I asked because something that can kill us may be on the other side. I didn't bring my sword with me. I am not risking our lives, especially yours, for a little adventure."

She sighed and stepped closer to me. "Robert, I will not bring you to a place that will endanger the both of us. I am not sadistic," Laura replied as she looked into my eyes, my hands engulfed in hers.

Her assurance gave me a bit of security. Her words were a blanket of warmth, light and gentleness. It covered my body well. She could be seen as frail and small. But her words, her determination was what made her stronger that she knew.

Whenever she was with me, I somehow felt protected by her light.

"Do you trust me?" she asked with a smile.

I kissed her hands. "I always will."

She let go of one of my hands and walked ahead of me. As she disappeared through the vines, I closed my eyes. And after a few steps, we stopped.

"You can open your eyes now," whispered Laura.

Slowly, I opened my eyes... and paradise welcomed my sight.

We stood near a cliff and I saw everything. I was like a giant who was on his afternoon stroll. The sunset beyond us was mesmerising. Its rays perfectly reflected through the clouds that surrounded it. Birds, big and small, soared throughout the skies. Some sang their own melodies. The wind blew gently as it fueled them in their flight.

"Would you like to see something much more amazing?" she asked.

I nodded without a second thought.

She crouched down to the ground, resting her stomach on the grass. I followed her, uncertain of what was to happen. Little by little, we crawled towards the edge of the cliff but still within safety.

"A bit of warning, we mustn't reach out our heads too much. We may fall and it's a long way down," Laura said before we proceed any further.

"Understood," I smiled.

"Now, carefully, look beyond the edge," she replied.

I slowly looked over and saw a mighty waterfall down below. It was surrounded by a vast forest. Its waters headed straight down to a possible river. Mist formed at the bottom of the waterfall. A faint rainbow hid behind the edge.