"I don't believe you." Adam says taking off his shoes and setting them safely in the shoe cabinet near the door.
"I know that's why we need to talk!" Patricia exclaims, her hands shaking in the air at him.
"Please just give me back my key and leave, I don't want to hear it anymore Patty" Adam scoffs walking past her to his bedroom.
"Adam!" Patty chases after him before her foot catches another pair of shoes strewn about lazily on the carpet. "Ow ow ow!" Patty cries out holding her foot.
And twirls around falling to his knees to look at her fresh. He holds up her leg and pulls off her sock. "Hmm... it's just bruised Pats."
"Bruised or not, it hurts!" Pats pouts, looking up at him with her big baby blue eyes. With a sigh he pulls her up into his arms and carry's her off to his bedroom.
"You're lucky I'm nice." Adam scoffs setting her on his bed. "You've got a knack for accidents." He wanders off before she can reply.
Patty had always had a large imagination. She had many stories and "saw" many things. At some point it all sounds like silly ramblings of a delusional girl.
This time though, Patty would prove what she saw!
Adam came back into the room with a ice pack and pressed it against her big 'ol purple bruise.
"Adam just this last time, please listen to me." She pleads with him, leaning towards him.
"Your puppy eyes worked the last three times but I'm done Patty." He averts eye contact. Knowing full well she'd win if he gave her the chance.
"Adam come on now." She says gently, lifting his face up to look at her. He flinches, as her bright hopeful face comes into his view.
"Ugh" he leans back against his wall. "You win every time, it's not fair.
"We take walks all the time anyways, it's just a new trail." Patty's eyes glimmer.
"Yah yah." Adam mumbles.
—
At around noon the next day Patty and Adam set off for their mysterious journey (casual hike). Their neighborhood was real close to a National park. So naturally it was easy to find trails and trails of lush forest green.
Patty took a ride of Adam's back, point him down all different directions. He had a sturdy build so it didn't exhaust him too much.
"It's down that path!! That one!" Patty shrilled pointing exaggeratively down a barely beaten down path.
"You gonna murder me Pat's?"
"Ah yes, I've finally lost it just like your mom said. Now I'm a super evil serial killer!" She laughed into his neck hugging him to her chest closer.
"You sure are enthusiastic."
"Why wouldn't I be? I may finally prove im not crazy."
Adam doesn't respond to this, he just lets out a soft sigh, move past branches and tall grass.
"See?" She points.
There's a clearing at the end of the path, with a tall thin tree in the middle. A fruit boring heavy on one of its branches.
"See. A star fruit." She smiles, leaning her cheek against his.
"Starfruit aren't magical Pats. Though it is a wonder to find it out here..."
"No no Adam." He lets her down and she jauntily limped over closer to it. "Star fruit have 5 peaks but they're round and dull in color. This fruit is shaped like an ornament."
Adam stands next to her staring at the lonely fruit. "You're right. So odd." His brows are furrowed trying to figure this anomaly out.
"Adam look there's a mushroom circle too."
"Is that something significant?"
"It's said that they're fairy portals and stepping into one would send you to another world" Patty looks back at him, holding out her hand. "Travel to another world with me Adam?"
He takes her hand and follows her into the center of the circle.
"No different world Pat's" Adam says as they hold hands.
"But this fruit is still so strange." Patty says touching the fruit lightly. The fruit began to glow bright and the world around them rapidly fell dark.
Patty gasps stepping back and into Adam's arms, her eyes shut tight.
"Patty... we- we're" Adam looks around them. Bright lights of all colors flashed around around them. The two stumble a little out of the circle in shock and the sound of a passing train makes them jump.
"Are we in a subway?" Patty chirps looking all around them.
"It really was a portal..." Adam's focus is lost, replace by a buzzing in his ears under-shadowing the clunk clunk clunk of the tracks.
"It's so loud? Where are we? I don't- this isn't what I wanted?" Patty's voice is hoarse and she backs up into Adam's chest, pulling his arms around her.
"The circle is gone too. And the fruit..." he mumbles. "It'll be okay Pats... wherever we are..." he whispers down into her ear.
"Adam, I'm sorry..."
"It's okay."
"Oh but... what's that?" She perks up, lowering his hand from her eyes. "A basket?"
"What?"
"Where the circle was. There's now a basket." She moves out from his arms and picks it up.
"A- a map? Some uh ew..." she holds up a wet box of matchsticks "what a welcome gift"
"Does the map show us where we are?" Adam asks walking behind her and looking at it over her shoulder.
"The Astral D-Line Express" Patty says aloud, brushing her finger over foreign glyphs. "This isn't English, why can I read it?"
"Who knows Pats... Let's get out of the station first." He says, ushering her up the station's stairs.
"Hellllooooo" a high pitched chirpy voice squealed accompanied by the sound of flapping wings as they came out the top of the well. Both of them jumped backwards, nearly falling down the stairs.
A small pink fairy fluttered infront of them, whisking back and forth excitedly.
"What are you...?" Patty asks.
"I'm Elvira! A concierge of the universe." The fairy exclaims whisking her arms back and forth.
"The universe?" Adam asks, stepping in front of Patty.
"Yes. You stepped into one of the many portals of the multiverse. I'm here to help you travel safely and securely!" Elvira shouts with a confident little salute.
"Why are we in the middle of the woods?" Patty peaks her head out from behind Adam's back.
"Follow me to my village, I'll tell you all about it there." Elvira says, leading them off into the woods.
—
I'll continue this another day :D these short stories are kinda fun
