CHAPTER 5: “THE INSPIRED SOLUTION”

        There we stood face-to-face with a white boy with blonde hair about my age. He skipped up to Calla as though she were his mother, and he stomped on the ground, upset.

        “Call!” The boy yelled in a headache-inducing, immature voice. “Your brother’s bugging me!” He threw a small tantrum. Once his blue eyes spotted me, he halted his actions and stared straight at me. “Who’s this?” he complained, pointing me out like I was a burglar.

        “This is ZCN,” Calla said. “She is a friend.”

Her comment did nothing to relieve his contorted face wrought with confusion and jealousy. He crossed his arms and pouted.

Calla turned to me, “This is James. He is staying with us because,” she searched the sky as though trying to find an excuse for his presence, “he seems to have lost his way.”

        “I’m Jamesy, and I’m here because…uh…” He, too, searched around for a good explanation, and I guess he found it by looking at me. “I’m a friend, too.” He found confidence in that statement, putting his hands to his hips and puffing his tiny chest.

        “I see…” I remarked.

        Already, I could tell he was the obnoxious “little brother” type. He couldn’t sound more annoying if he tried. I couldn’t tell if his speech impediment was natural or whether he was faking it, but either way, it bugged me each time he tried to sound like a “widdwe boy.” I couldn’t believe he was my age.

        “Hey, Call? Where’s 5?” I reverted us all to the important situation.

        “Well,” Calla replied, “he is most likely still indoors.”

        As if on cue, 5 peeked his head from behind the door. Quiet as a mouse, he pirouetted around the door, closed it gently, and tiptoed toward us. Standing close to his sister, he smiled, giving me a small wave hello.  

        Mirroring him, I returned the gesture.

        Jamesy shook his head at him disappointedly. “I still don’t understand why everyone thinks you’re so cool. I think you’re just faking it.”

        5 stared at him, raising an eyebrow and producing a bemused and dubious “like you should talk” kind of face.

        “Whatever. I don’t care anyway,” Jamesy brushed him off.

        I hated to change the subject again, but I was getting tired of that kid really fast. I turned to Call, “So, what’s wrong with him? He looks fine to me.”

        “Well…” An answer eluded her again.

        Like a scribe, 5 took out a marker board he was keeping behind him and filled it meticulously with scribbles. After a matter of minutes, he proudly displayed his novella to me:

As you know, I am allergic to incaronsai, the main ingredient in USG solution. When Ima kicked us out of the house, she forced me to drink USG solution, and the incaronsai caused me to lose my voice. I told Calla to find you because I believe you can help me. Will you?

        He spoke more on that whiteboard than he ever did in the air.  

        Naturally, I agreed, though I felt like I was accepting a job for which I had absolutely no qualifications. For a moment, I was expecting the scholarly woman in my head to offer me some advice, but nothing materialized.

        Calla, 5, and I all pondered how we could solve this impossible puzzle, but the thoughtful silence was suddenly broken by two squealing girls.

“Oh, my gosh! It’s Calla, the Leader’s daughter!”

“What, really? Awesome!”

“I told you we’d meet her one of these days!”

“Yep, and we’re sure lucky it’s today, aren’t we?!”

“What’s going on?” I wondered out loud, upset that my concentration was broken.

The two energetic girls sprinted and abruptly stopped in-between Calla and Jamesy.

The taller, skinnier girl had a sun-kissed complexion like me and straight hair in a rosy shade of pink. Her eyes, bursting with youthful energy, were the same color as her hair. Her friend beside her was a bit chubby with a caring, pale face dotted with freckles. Her verdant green hair was chopped short and bound into pigtails that dangled on each side of her head like fairy’s wings. Her eyes mirrored the forest hue of her hair. They both just stood there, hopelessly trying to contain their enthusiasm like jittering wind-up toys.

The pink one spoke up first, her tone highlighted by a subtle valley girl accent. “Hi, I’m Kiki, and this is my best friend, Cassie!”

“Hello!” Cassie joined in.

Before any of us could get a word in edgewise, Cassie’s gaze wandered behind Calla’s imposing frame and scouted a hidden treasure.

“Kiki…” Cassie said, her voice trembling, “Not only Calla’s here…” She tugged on her friend’s sweater sleeve, trying to get her attention.

“What do you mean?” Kiki asked.

“L-look…it’s—it’s…” Cassie said anticipatively, pointing straight ahead and biting her wide smile shut to keep herself from screaming.

Just then, dear, little 5 poked his head out from behind his sister. He was trying to hide from the girls from the very beginning. Though, unfortunately for him, he’d been spotted.

“5!!” The girls yelled instantaneously and began shrieking with girlish delight.

Skittering away like a rat, 5 darted from behind Calla’s purple dress and hid himself behind me, covering his face with my long locks of blue.

Jamesy groaned, shaking his head and clutching his forehead as if to quell an on-setting headache. “I knew it. They would find me here…” he complained under his breath.

Finally spotting the annoyed boy, Kiki crossed her arms and commented to her best friend with indignation, “And guess who else is here?”

“Who, who?!” Cassie yelled excitedly, bouncing all around.

“My annoying cousin!” Kiki declared, motioning towards him.

“Oh. I see…” The girl’s enthusiasm disappeared, replacing her joy with discipline.

Jamesy’s spirits fell, and he filled up with annoyance.

“Well, she did say he left,” Cassie commented.

“Yeah, we did too, remember?” Kiki reminded her, bumping her arm.

“Oh, yeah. That’s why we’re here!” Cassie declared, completely spacey.

“Amazing,” Jamesy shook his head, mumbling to himself. “Of all the places to find me, it had to be here. The one place I thought they’d never find me. Gosh.”

The girls switched gears.

“Oh, Call, we’re your biggest fans!” Kiki fawned, looking up to the tall girl with blossoming eyes.

“Yah!” Cassie agreed breathlessly.

“We’ve always wanted to ask you…” the pink girl questioned sweetly.

“Will you be our friend?” They both begged with puppy-dog eyes.

Completely unsure of how to respond, Calla’s eyes wandered.

The boys stood on the sidelines behind me, shaking their heads and mouthing “No, no!”

But poor Calla had a soft heart. She couldn’t say no. With a sigh, she put on a small, royal smile and replied, “Why, of course. I would love to.”

The two girls practically skyrocketed with joy, shrieking and taking each other’s hands and twirling in circles.

Jamesy yelled in frustration and stomped off to my right again.

5 settled, pulling my hair ever so slightly as though he were managing it for me.

All the while, my head was bursting with pain. I couldn’t get any thinking done with those stupid girls screaming and squealing. It was driving me nuts! This was why, I assured myself, I was better off leaving everyone to the wayside while I saved the day. And people wonder why I’m a tomboy, I mulled, rubbing my temples. At the same time, I was upset that the two didn’t recognize who I was. I mean, I was practically more famous than both Calla and 5 combined.

Once a lull hit my mind, the scholarly voice suddenly returned, ringing in my ears. Go to Fantasy Prairie. I’ll explain what to do once we get there.

I froze, completely stunned. The sound was much louder than it had ever been—almost as though she were standing right there among us.

Calla touched my arm, hoping to comfort me. “Are you all right, My Dear Zeenith?”

Brought back to reality, a rainbow of eyes stared back, anticipating a response. Shaking my head, I explained, “Oh. My ears were just ringing that’s all. Say, Call, I think I can find the solution at Fantasy Prairie. That’s near here, right?”

Calla’s mood perked up. “Oh, yes. Of course. I will show you the way.”

With that, she led me along, but the whole rest of the entourage followed close as though they had latched on and had become our traveling circus.

Fantasy prairie is one of Imaginationville’s Legendary Prairies. The other two are Angel Prairie, the land that I*V City now stands on, and Wonder Prairie, where I live. Calla explained to me that these three prairies are set in memory of the 3 Legendary Angels and that, a long time ago when the Angels walked among the people, they defeated the villains there in grand wars of good vs. evil. I could hardly believe it; real-life angels fighting? That must have been ulta. Fantasy Prairie, a tallgrass prairie, borders the northern part of I*V City. It is famed for housing a plethora of beautiful flowers, plants, and herbs. The voice in my head, who I’d then dubbed “Inner Self,” told me those rare plants would come in handy for concocting an antidote for 5’s unusual ailment. I didn’t quite understand, but I went along with her command, anyway.

The prairie was a welcome retreat; the lofty grasses and flowers swayed in the blustery wind, dangling about like weeping willow leaves. The multitude of aromas transfixed themselves to the air and reminded me of scented soaps and of light perfumes. I was so used to the shorter grass of Wonder Prairie and of all the animals running around. Here was only nature and solitude.

The “new friends” we acquired dangled around the hills, chattering or rolling about as Calla and 5 sat in quiet as though they were pretending to have a picnic. Sighing, I was glad to be on my own at last, and I opened up myself to hear Inner Self’s words. The grasses’ swishing carried me peacefully, and the chilling breeze ran right through me.

Just follow me.

I nodded and went on my way, trusting I would be led to the right place. I was subconsciously taken to a clearing between the towering plants: a magical patch of land that supported only the smaller plants who could not compete with the taller ones for sunlight. I recognized their smells: lavender, mint, rose. It was as though someone consistently tended their own garden among the grass. A hidden garden amid tranquility.

We’ll need one of each, Inner Self instructed. Pick only the petals.

I did so. I got some lavender and some rose petals as well as a big head of geranium. I snapped some mint leaves, too. I never liked mint, but the smell was nostalgic.

Pick some of those grasses, too. Just the seeds.

The top of a big bluestem bumped me in the back. I ran my hand along it and captured its falling seeds. The chill reminded me that soon this garden will be gone, and the grasses will hibernate for the winter. They’ll just be shells that brave the snow and absorb the silence.

That should be fine for now, she said. Follow me.

Wait, I returned. Why is this strange clearing here?

You mean you don’t remember this place?

No? Why would I? 

Inner Self didn’t respond, and I groaned through a headache.

Pick some Goldenrod and Phlox and then come back.

I followed her invisible shadow through the fields, getting drenched in the height and volume of the bountiful plants, and grabbed stuff along the way for our potion. A few petals here, some seeds there, a couple leaves there… it was an experience entirely different than anything I had ever done, and I found myself disappointed when it was over.

Inner Self stopped me in a clearing; I could see the others waving to me in the distance.

        Now, don’t ask questions, but you’ll need to grind all these in a mortar and pestle. I’m going to leave you one by the hill.

        Wait. I returned swiftly. How can you leave me one? Aren’t you just in my thoughts?

        I said don’t ask questions.

        I flinched a bit at the sternness of her tone. Sorry.

        Walking forward, I stopped at the bottom of the hill. And indeed, there was a mortar and pestle bound in marble waiting for me to grind the floral essences to dust. Confusion was not enough to describe what was happening inside my mind.

        Just start pounding things. You like that, right? It’s simple enough, and then you just have to mix everything.

        “OK,” I said aloud accidentally, still pressed to the mysterious object that appeared out of nowhere.

        Sitting, I started to grind everything to a paste. The two obnoxious girls wandered over by me occasionally to check what I was doing. Apparently Calla had explained the predicament to them while I was foraging. Jamesy insisted 5 had “gone completely mute,” and they both got worried. I assured them I was working on a potion to fix the problem, but I wasn’t so confident in the process, myself.

Suddenly, Jamesy spoke up. “Let’s get something to eat! I’m hungry!”

Kiki returned, “Joe’s Pizza is just around here.”

Cassie added, “Yeah! Let’s get some pizza!”

At this, Calla made a silly face much like embarrassment, and 5 stifled a giggle that would never come. I only noticed because I took my eyes from my work, but Inner Self pushed me straight back to concentrating. My arms were already getting sore from all the work, and there was still lots of stuff to pulverize!

After the short errand, Calla returned with the pizza, and the kids practically beat each other up over the slices. Rolling my eyes, I mustered up the last of the strength within me to beat up the remaining petals. A quiet tap on my shoulder and the wafting smell of cheese snapped me out of my determined stupor.

5 was behind me, and he offered me a big slice of the extremely cheesy pizza, keeping his eyes carefully inclined towards my gaze. He’d graduated to looking at my cheeks; I guess that’s close enough to my eyes.

“Thanks!” I said, wiping my forehead and ripping off a bite. As I chewed, something blossomed within me. It was the yummiest pizza I had ever had! There was so much melted cheese, and it must have been a mixture of cheese, for the flavor changed back and forth with each bite like a dreamy ride on the swings. I had finished the slice before I had even realized it!

Focus on your work. We’re almost done.

I sighed as my tummy grumbled, begging for more like it was pounding on the table.

Combining everything together, the bounties of the prairie formed a strange-looking green liquid. The solution was rather thick in viscosity, and I could swear it resembled shampoo more than anything.

Hey, are you sure this is right? I asked Inner Self.

Yes, it’s perfect. You did well.

Ehhh. OK. I was completely unconfident in the end product, but I trusted that she wasn’t trying to make him even more sick, so I just crossed my fingers and rolled with it.

Kneeling beside 5, I handed him just a portion of the solution in a cup from the pizza place. Speaking softly, I relayed, “Here, 5. You should be able to talk again having this. Plus, you’ll be able to use USG powers still. But, I’m warning you…it supposedly tastes really bad.”

Wrapping his fingers around the plastic cup, 5 wore a concerned look. Taking a deep breath, he bravely gulped the whole thing down like medicine. Without a warning, an agonizing scream escaped him.

“Ahhh! It’s horrible! So, so horrible!” He tossed the cup away and shook his arms frantically as he tried to drown the bad taste with the rest of his soda from lunch.

We all sighed in relief. He’d be OK after all.

“Glad you’re feeling better,” I pet him on the head.

“Speak for yourself,” he returned, his face still looking sour.

“We are, too, 5!” The two girls sandwiched him in a hug.

“Help,” he whimpered softly.

“Oh, enough, already!” Jamesy disciplined them like they were his two misbehaving dogs and drug them away by the collars of their shirts.

Calla smiled warmly and took my hand. She didn’t say a word, but I could tell she was exceptionally grateful, and a graceful warmth coursed through me knowing I was able to help someone. It felt so nice to be helpful.

With their boy saved, the energetic girls of pink and of green could not stand sitting around any longer.

“I know!” Kiki shouted, enthusiastically posing an answer to an unasked question. “Since we’re all going on a journey together, we should get our own rooms at Seed Hotel!”

“That’s a great idea!” Cassie agreed.

In I*V, it’s a rite of passage for kids to live out on their own and to go on their own adventures. Kind of like what I did—except definitely not at 7-years-old. But still, I hoped to myself that the girls I barely knew weren’t proposing we were already joining together as some kind of strongly-bonded group.

The procession took form as each kid rose and lined up, walking in a row. I tarried, wondering just why I needed another house of my own—especially one I’d have to pay for.

The little boy sitting beside me took his hand in mine, his warmth stilling the chills of my mind and lazily lifting my eyes from the ground to his soft brown eyes. “ZCN? I…Thank you for helping me.” he posed shyly, blush rising upon his face.

“Sure, 5.”

Smiling, 5 stood and wandered his way toward the others, as though trying to keep a good distance from them. Turning back, he voiced, “Well? Aren’t you coming?”

“Yeah,” I responded, rising from the grass. “I was just thinking.”

I focused my attention to the swaying grasses at my back. I’d hardly been to Fantasy Prairie, but its company felt so familiar in a life-long sense, like I had been there so many times that it was practically my best friend. Did I really know something about the secluded garden—like Inner Self suggested? I longed to stay a while longer, hoping the memories of my stolen life would come back to me. Instead, I pushed away my troubles and accepted 5’s invitation to walk alongside him.

Our walk to Seed Hotel paralleled our walk to the Newcomer Haters’ Hotel. Though 5’s words projected themselves with more clarity and confidence in comparison to our previous talk, they were still few.

Next Chapter: Seed Hotel