iridescent

(1) Three: beige jealousy

"Soooo... What are we supposed to do here? Wait 'til mummy gets home?" Danny received a sour stare from Naomi.

"No, 'course not." It didn't seem like Erwin noticed Danny's sarcasm, "See that mulch there?"

"Uhm... Yeah?" Even Naomi seemed a little reluctant now, "What about it?"

"Could you help me find a mug or cup or glass and the key? Key's supposed to be there."

"You sure? Looks filthy." Danny didn't have to fake disgust.

"You are able to clean up afterwards, are you not?" Erwin seemed annoyed and exasperated, "Come on, just lift some layers of dirt a little allover. It's not hard, see?" He demonstrated. "Oh look, the mug!" The mulch smelled like rotten oranges, looked like rotten oranges and sounded like rotten oranges. He wasn't fond of the idea of testing how they felt.

On closer inspection, the mug was brown and shiny, though it looked as if it had been in the mulch for some time. It was missing its handle and had a tiny chip at the top.

Erwin inspected the ground, "Let's look for the key."

"But what was the clue. You never told us."

Erwin glanced at the couple. Would he tell them? He sighed, "It said, second key; gate to the portals. My friends aren't always good at being cryptic."

Naomi was confused, "But how do you know a mulch is the gate to the portals? What are you hiding?"

Erwin smiled, "You'll see. Now, help me find the key, dreen."

"What bloody language are you speaking, dude?" Danny was cold, tired, stressed and over all agitated, why would Erwin be so weird? Why would everything be so beige, anyway? It was suffocatingly beige, and Danny hated it.

"Hypernean, a misunderstood and unused language, but nonetheless beautiful."

"Sounds like green," Naomi pointed out.

"It may be translated to 'please'."

"Cool."

"Can we just find the key and get it over with?" Danny had almost reached his limits, how can anyone be so difficult?

"Sure, come on." They all began lifting and digging with their hands, and soon Danny felt so dirty he was sure he'd have at least two showers before bed. Naomi found the key in the end, and Danny was relieved to fully stand up and be able to stretch from the hunched position. His hands were greasy and smelled like a zoo. It was hard to be more disgusted.

"Okay, we've found the mug and the key, so we're done. Not so hard, was it?" Danny disagreed vehemently in his mind. Beige, beige, beige. Beige! "All right, who wants to spit in the mug?"

"What?"

Erwin continued despite Naomi's confused stare, whereas Danny was looking at the sunset. It was late spring, the days were warm but the nights couldn't be any chillier. It also made the sun set later, so Danny estimated the time to be around eleven in the evening. Now he just wanted to go home. Did someone talk about spit? Erwin ignored the couple's bewildered looks, "It's magical, I promise." Danny didn't know if Erwin meant it had magical effects or abilities. He believed the lad to be bonkers, anyway.

Naomi volunteered to spit in the cup. When she did, Danny's theory was correct; nothing happened.

"Your turns, Dans."

Danny looked at Erwin, "What'd you call me?"

"Dans. Like it or not, you have no say in the matter. Now, spit in the cup." Danny spat in the cup, wishing to get everything over with as soon as possible.

Then, it happened.

The mulch suddenly sprouted rotten plants, vegetables, and other unknown objects Danny didn't care to find out. Naomi fell backwards and landed on a muddy tyre, whilst Erwin grinned in satisfaction. When the mulch stopped rumbling, the smell of rotten oranges was even worse than before. He glanced at Danny, "Kleii," Erwin stated.

"Pardon?"

"Kleii, or 'special one'. About a seventh of the realm's population is one, but nearly nobody knows it. It's not really useful, unless you're in Dan's situation. Calahn, mate."

"Calahn?"

"Thank you."

"Oh, ehm, all right. No problem, I guess."

"Let's go and give the keys to the rightful owner."

"And that's not you?"

"No, it's my master, Noelle. Don't worry, she'll like you."

Erwin was the first to step inside, and Naomi didn't hesitate to go second, but Danny stood outside the yucky opening of the mulch for a minute, studying it. It looked like the dirt was a monster and had opened it's mouth to let them enter. After the entrance it was too dark to make out what was ahead. Was it a monster? Or was it an actual portal? Danny had never believed in magic, not even when he was a kid. It seemed so unreal that it couldn't possibly exist, but what if it did? What was this grand adventure that Danny and Naomi was at the threshold of? What would happen to the both of them? Would they regret it?

Danny's old fears were catching up with him, the constant hesitation of the consequences. Would it turn out for the better or worse?

Danny pondered of the consequences of ditching Naomi, who was surely safe inside the portal or whatever it was. And Danny remembered her promise of staying awake with him. Would it be better to go home now and start the essay himself, or should he chase after Naomi? She'd probably be mad if he'd ditch her. And Naomi's wrath was never a good thing to have.

He inhaled the smell of rotten oranges one last time, and held his breath as he went inside the mulch-monster.