World of the Whimsical

To say that I was exhausted from my battle with Lahneus was an understatement. I have never gone through so much in so little time. To survive a fight with that monster―let alone win the fight―is nothing short of a miracle. The craziest thing about all of this is that somehow, I was able to wake up the very next morning in spite of everything that happened.

“Simon,” Alice whispered in my ear. “Simon, wake up.”

I slowly opened my eyes. Alice was lying beside me, her face just inches from mine. She gently touched my lip and smiled. Blushing heavily, I asked, “What are you doing?”

“Good morning, my hero.”

“Uh…good morning to you, too.”

How flattering. Though, I don’t really consider myself a hero. All I wanted to do was explore the world with the person I cared about most.

I sat up and started looking around. The morning sun poured into the room, casting shadows of the windowpane onto the wooden flooring. The walls were decorated with vines, and it smelled faintly of rose water. Wherever I was, it was lovely.

Alice sat up with me, stretched her arms, then, leaned really close to me. Her hair and skin glistened in the sunlight.

“Let’s rest for today,” she said. “We had a long night.”

We lay back down. My mind began to stir, and I grew restless. There was obviously a conflict of interest starting to develop. I sincerely hope I’m not trying to catch feelings around here.

What if she likes me, though? How do I deal with that? I care about Alice, don’t get me wrong. She’s also the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. Perhaps I’m overthinking things. I sighed and closed my eyes, then drifted back to sleep.

It was late in the afternoon when I woke up again. The sun was beginning to set in the sky. I looked over at Alice, only to find that she was gone. I started panicking―looking around frantically.

“Alice!” I shouted. “Alice, where are you!?”

There was no sign of her. I cursed under my breath. I was about to run out of the room, but then I noticed a scroll sitting near the foot of the bed, secured by a pink ribbon tied in a bow. I opened the scroll and started reading.

Dear Simon,

I’m currently sitting outside on the porch. I didn’t want to disturb you, as you were still asleep when I woke up. There’s some food downstairs for you whenever you’re ready.

Alice

Relieved, I held the scroll up to my chest and sighed deeply. My heart did a barrel roll. For a second, I thought she ghosted me. This just goes to show you how much I cared about her.

I headed downstairs, where a large marshmallow pie was waiting for me. I snickered a little. Where I come from, this type of pie was bad for you. I never had one from this world, though.

I took a slice out of the pie and ate it. It was perfectly warm and moist, and its sweetness was intoxicating. This was the single most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted in my life.

I took another slice. And another. And another. I was hooked. My taste buds were dancing with joy. Within two minutes, I managed to devour the entire pie, and I was stuffed.

After eating, I stepped outside. The sun was a golden yellow, and I was brushed by a cool breeze. The air was filled with the scent of the nearby forest. I leaned against the porch railing and spaced out while the birds sang their hearts out.

To my right, Alice was sitting in a floating chair with her legs crossed. Her eyes were closed, and she was humming softly. I grew nervous, but for what reason? If my main priority was to explore this world, what’s causing me to feel this way? Was there a possibility that, deep down, I was starting to develop a crush on her?

“Oh, you’re finally awake,” Alice said cheerily. “Here, join me.”

“Okay,” I reluctantly obliged, blushing profusely.

Alice sighed and caressed my hand, and in that soft whisper voice that made me all tingly, she asked, “Are you alright?”

“What…what do you mean?” I asked, raising a brow.

“You seem tense.”

I paused for a few seconds. “There’s something I need to tell you. You know, just to get it off my chest.”

“Come with me. I know just the place.”

Ma’am. Madam! That’s not what I meant! I didn’t―ah, forget it. Why do I even bother. At this point, I’m just going with the flow.

Without saying a word, Alice took my hand, and we started walking from the cottage. She led me out of Enbridge and into the forest. The sun disappeared from the horizon, and the sky gradually darkened.

Eventually, Alice and I arrived at a wooded meadow, deep in the forest. Small white flower petals blew in the breeze, and fireflies flickered all around us. Stars slowly started to appear in the sky. It was beautiful.

“What is this place?” I asked in astonishment.

Alice looked up at the sky and quietly replied, “This is a place that is very special to me.”

“Really? How come?”

“This used to be the only place where I could feel true peace. I could be myself and not fear being judged by others. It was also a place of comfort when I was going through hard times, like when my best friend had moved away to attend the Angel Academy.”

“That must’ve been pretty hard on you. I can imagine.”

“It was.” Alice started getting teary-eyed. “I was all alone in a world that seemed to take everything from me every chance it had. I felt powerless…no one wanted to understand me, and I felt like I didn’t belong…”

“Is that why you tried to leave?”

“Yes…unfortunately…”

Alice turned away from me and began to weep. To see her like this broke my heart. Just goes to show you―everyone’s trying to get away from something. Not everything is as it appears.

“Hey,” I whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay. You don’t have to feel alone anymore. I’m here for you.”

“Really?” Alice asked.

I smiled. “Of course. You’re the best part of this world. For us to cross paths and go on this journey―I feel like it’s nothing but fate. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Simon…words cannot describe how much that means to me. This world feels so much better with you in it. Thank you.”

I was completely unprepared for what happened next. Alice started inching closer to me. I tensed up and held my breath. Then, beneath the stars and among the flowers, we kissed.

The world around us seemed to stop. I felt Alice softly caress my neck. Her lips were soft, and she tasted sweet like honey.

When we pulled apart, I felt all warm and tingly inside. All of the thoughts swirling around in my mind were silenced. For the first time in my life, I felt true love.

“Simon…” Alice whispered. “I love you…”

I whispered back, “I love you, Alice.”