I tried to suppress another shudder as I slumped into a booth at the back of Kimble's, a little indie cafe where Nia and I liked to hang out. Then after a sip of my small pumpkin spice latte I pulled my phone out to check yet again to see if she'd texted me back yet.
She hadn't, just like the last twenty times I'd checked over the past few minutes. I shuddered again just then, and I wasn't able to hide that one. I just hoped if anyone saw it they'd assume I was just shivering. It was chilly out tonight, and I really wasn't dressed for it with just my big hoodie overtop of jeans and a t-shirt.
Then again if anyone was looking my way, they'd probably be more interested in the black eye and the split lip. Just keep up the tough-guy act, I told myself, and everything will be fine. Don't show fear, don't let anyone know how scared or sad or shook-up I really felt inside. And no matter what do not start crying in the middle of the damn cafe.
I had another sip of my latte while I silently repeated that mantra in my head, and after the fourth time my phone finally buzzed with a new text. I tried not to act too desperate as I picked it up and checked, then let out a deep sigh of relief. It was from Nia, and she was still in town.
"Still here, getting ready 2 go tho. What's up, u ok? Where r u?"
My right leg started bouncing with nervous tension as I tapped out a quick reply. "At Kimcaf. Not ok. Can I come over?"
"I'll meet u there 2 mins," she texted back.
I'd been hoping to see her in private, but the cafe was better than nothing. So I tried to focus on my pumpkin spice while my leg continued its nervous bouncing, until at long last my best friend came in through the front doors.
She paused at the counter to get a large double-double, then as she headed my way her eyes widened when she saw my face. She dumped her backpack on the other bench then sat down right next to me. And in a soft sad voice she asked, "What the hell happened to you?"
"My dad happened," I mumbled. "He finally found out I changed my major from the 'manly' Forestry Technician course he suggested to the 'pussy bullshit' Conservation Biology program I wanted to take with you. And of course he was drunk, again. As usual."
Nia scowled as she had a sip of her coffee. Then she grumbled, "That man deserves to be in jail. You know if anyone else did that they'd be arrested for assault."
"Yeah I know," I sighed. That was never going to happen though, and she knew it. Not as long as my dad was a cop, and all the other cops around here were his buddies.
After another sip of coffee Nia slipped an arm around me and delivered a little side-hug. "I'm sorry you gotta deal with that crap, J. And I really wish there was something I could do to fix things."
"Thanks Nia," I sighed as I leaned into the hug.
I was already feeling a lot better just from seeing her, but having that extra bit of contact went a long way to helping calm me down. Unfortunately not even a hug from my best friend could make all my problems go away. There was a slim chance she could help though, which was the real reason I'd been so desperate to talk with her.
So after a half minute or so I finally sat up and asked, "I was wondering... I don't feel safe at home right now, but I don't have anywhere else to go. And I know it's a long-shot, but I was hoping maybe I could crash at your place for a few days? I figured since you were heading out of town and all..."
The look on her face told me the answer even before she opened her mouth.
"I'm sorry J," she sighed. "If I wasn't sharing the place with a roommate then absolutely. In fact I'd be telling you to pack up your stuff and move in. But Ivy's there, and you know how uptight she gets. If I let you crash there a few days while I was away she'd never let me hear the end of it."
I tried not to let on how disappointed I was as I nodded slowly, "Yeah I get it. No worries."
Nia had another sip of her coffee, then she almost seemed to be studying me while her expression took on a sort of distant thoughtful look. Or more likely she was just staring at the shiner and split lip.
Then out of the blue she suggested, "You should come with me tonight."
"You want me to come to your parents' place in Ottawa?" I asked in surprise. "I don't have any spare clothes or anything. And I can't go back home to pack. I want to avoid my place for as long as possible."
She shook her head, "I'm not going to Ottawa. Look, you trust me, don't you J?"
"Of course," I nodded. "Best friends forever, I trust you with my life."
"Then come on," she stated as she got to her feet. "We should have done this ages ago!"
I had no idea what she was talking about, but I recognized that 'do-or-die positive energy' vibe she suddenly had going on. It's the same one she got whenever we were about to do something really amazing, or incredibly stupid. And her track record in the ten or eleven years I'd known her was about fifty-fifty, between incredibly amazing and amazingly stupid.
She slung her backpack over one shoulder then grabbed her coffee, while I took my latte. Then the two of us exited the cafe and set off on foot towards the north end of town. We were mostly quiet though, just sipping our drinks as we walked together. At least until our cups were empty, then they both ended up in the nearest recycling bin.
"Uh, Nia? Where are we going?" I asked after another minute or two.
She flashed me a smile that was two parts nervous and three parts excited, "I'm taking you somewhere really cool. Someplace your dad will never find you. And we can stay there all weekend if you like."
"It's also a place I should have taken you earlier," she admitted. "After high-school graduation would have been perfect, but..."
She didn't even need to finish that sentence. I still remembered how upset she was when her folks decided to pack up and leave town. Her mom got a great job offer in Ottawa, and just like that they'd sold the house and were getting ready to move away forever.
Nia didn't want to leave though. She didn't want to have to say goodbye to me and her other friends. Plus she'd already been accepted into the local college, same as me, so we could attend together. And she hated the idea of moving away from the town where she'd grown up. So she begged and pleaded, and finally convinced them to let her stay behind.
"Hold on how far are we going?" I asked when I realized we'd actually left town completely. We were still heading north, following a walking and cycling trail that ran alongside the river.
Nia shook her head, "Not far. Only another kilometre or two."
I turned to stare at her, "That'll take us to the south end of the lake. I didn't think there was anything there but swamp."
"Yeah," she nodded. "You'll see. Like I said, trust me on this."
"Alright," I sighed as the two of us continued walking.
We continued walking for another twenty minutes or so, then the trail turned off to the left while my friend guided me to the right, into the woods alongside the river. We kept going through trees and bushes and stuff, like actual night-time woodland hiking for another five minutes or so, before she led me through a strange winding detour between a couple larger trees. From there it was just another few meters when things opened up into a bit of a clearing. And sure enough we were literally in the middle of the swamp.
I could see puddles of stagnant water here and there, and there was a faint smell of rotting vegetation and general dankness in the air. If not for the chilly October weather we'd have probably been swarmed by mosquitos.
"Ok I give up," I stated with a frown. "Why are we here? This isn't cool, it's cold. And damp. And smelly."
Nia gave me a hopeful look as she responded, "Just hang on a sec, you'll see in a minute."
"Now here," she added as she held out a battered old tin cup. "Drink this. There might be some slight side-effects, but everything will make sense afterwards."
I blinked in surprise, since I was positive her hands were empty just a moment earlier. "Wha... Where'd this even come from?"
Rather than answer my question she stated, "You need to drink it all before it starts working, and it's easiest if you just chug the whole thing in one go."
I stared at her for another couple seconds before finally taking the cup from her. Then I gagged when I saw what was inside, "Ugh! Nia this is swamp water! What are you trying to do, poison me?"
She gave me an apologetic look, "I know it looks gross but it's fine. Honest."
"Look I'll even go first," she offered. "So you know it's safe."
That's when I realized she was holding a similar cup. Hers was just as dented and battered as mine, but where the one she gave me was covered in rust spots hers actually had some greenish muck clinging to the side. In fact it looked for all the world like she'd just pried the thing up out of the damp swampy dirt, except I'd been facing her the whole time and she never once bent down. Which left me wondering where the hell she got these two cups from.
And for that matter I still didn't understand why she wanted me to drink swamp water. Or how any of this was going to help me avoid my dad, or why she'd dragged me out here in the first place. But before I got the chance to ask about any of that stuff she actually drank her cup of murky water.
"Seriously?" I grimaced as she gulped down the whole thing. "I'm surprised you could do that without gagging."
She gave me a firm look, "Now you know it's safe, so go ahead and drink. Chug it down, then I'll explain everything."
"But -" I started to protest, but my friend cut me off.
"Drink," she stated. "Trust me ok? It tastes fine, and it's safe, and it'll help."
I frowned at the murky liquid again, "Didn't you say something about side-effects?"
Nia sighed, "Yeah some people have a minor reaction the first time they try it. Nothing bad though, usually just a bit of dizziness or a light headache. And seriously, the benefits totally outweigh any of those little issues."
"Look," she added as her expression became serious again, "I guarantee you'll be safe. This will help you avoid your dad, for as long as you want. I want to say more, but I can't until after you drink it."
"I just..." my voice trailed off as I sighed.
The whole situation felt weird and surreal, almost like a dream. I trusted Nia though, I'd known her more than half my life and I was positive she wouldn't mess with me. Or at least, I was positive she wouldn't intentionally do anything to put me in danger. And she seemed completely serious about this, whatever this was. Not to mention she was completely fine after drinking the water, so maybe it was ok after all?
After another few seconds waffling back and forth I finally nodded, "Alright fine. I'll drink it. But then you better tell me what this is all about."
"I will," she stated.
I took a few deep breaths then brought the dirty old cup to my lips. I tried not to inhale so I wouldn't have to smell the stuff, then did my best to gulp it all down in one go. Which turned out to be fairly easy, since the liquid tasted just fine. In fact if I'd had my eyes closed I might have almost thought it was one of those vitamin drinks. The flavour was very mild, but pleasant. It was hard to place exactly, but it left me thinking about berries and flowers. Like strawberries and roses perhaps.
"Ok that was strange," I stated as I lowered the cup. "It didn't taste anything like I was expecting. What -"
Just then I spotted some flickers of light and movement out of the corner of my eye, and my heart rate spiked as I quickly turned to look. For a split second I was worried it was my dad, I could easily picture him and his cop buddies out here searching for me with flashlights. But when I looked there was nothing, just more swamp.
Then it happened again. Another glimpse of light and movement, but this time it was to my right. And I was positive I heard voices too. Except when I turned the other way it was the same as before. No lights, no people, no noises.
"You're starting to see things?" Nia asked softly.
I focused on her again and nodded, "Yeah. What did I just drink?"
She took the empty tin cup from me then replied, "It's mostly just bottled spring water, with a little bit of fairy wine mixed in."
"Right," I rolled my eyes, "Fairy wine."
There was another flicker of movement and light, only this time instead of one side or the other it came from all around. And the voices were louder too, for just a moment it sounded like the inside of a bar. Like with the din of conversation, clinking glasses, that sort of thing.
Another wave of anxiety passed over me and I looked to Nia once more. "Is 'fairy wine' a nickname for some new drug? Because my dad will literally kill me if he finds out I did drugs."
"And what happened to those cups?" I added when I noticed her hands were empty. "Where'd they even come from in the first place?"
My friend gave me an apologetic look, "Just try and stay calm and ride it out, ok? It's always a little rough the first time the veil parts for you, but it'll only take a minute or two. Then you'll see what I mean."
"What are you..." I started to ask, but my voice trailed off as the voices returned.
Those flickers of light and movement were all around again too, and this time when I turned to look they didn't go away. And that left me even more uneasy, as I started to feel like I was standing in the middle of some sort of phantom bar. Then I felt a little wave of dizziness pass over me that left my head spinning.
"I think those side effects are kicking in," I commented. Then I coughed and cleared my throat before adding, "Why's my voice sound funny?"
Nia sounded worried as she responded, "Uh-oh."
"What do you mean uh-oh?" I demanded as I spun around to face her again. "What's uh-oh?"
Then my eyes widened as I stared, "Why do you look taller? And what's going on with your ears? And your hair?"
I'd been exactly ten centimetres taller than her for the last few years, ever since we both stopped growing. Except now she looked at least that much taller than me. Even more bizarre was the way her ears seemed to have stretched out. They were long enough to poke out through her hair now, and the tips had narrowed to a point.
Meanwhile her hair had changed too, from its usual short brown messy bob to jet-black and silky smooth. It was still short though, ending a few centimetres above her shoulders.
"I'm totally hallucinating now," I mumbled as I stared wide-eyed at my best friend.
Even her face seemed slightly different, like she was still her but even prettier than normal, as if her skin was becoming more fair and flawless. It was like she'd transformed from her usual scruffy tomboy self to some kind of magical princess right before my eyes. Speaking of, that's when I literally saw her eyes change. One moment they were their normal hazel, the next they were a brilliant amber.
"What the heck?!" I yelped as I stumbled back a couple steps from her.
That's when I felt the ground shake slightly, as if something heavy had just thumped into it behind me. At the same time an impossibly deep low voice rumbled, "Oops, watch your step there pip-squeak."
I let out another little yelp as I spun around, and found myself in front of what I could only describe as an absolute giant of a Sasquatch. He was standing directly behind me holding an enormous mug full of beer in one hand, because of course he was.
He was so big I didn't even come up to his hairy waist, while his hands looked large enough that one of them could wrap all the way around my head. His beer mug was the size of an entire pitcher, and the ground literally shook as he politely side-stepped around me then continued on towards a table a dozen meters away.
Another wave of dizziness passed over me as the rest of our surroundings finally came into focus.
We were still in the swamp, the night sky was overhead and the trees and water and stuff was all still visible. But instead of soft squishy mud the ground was covered in flat cobbles and stepping stones. And there were booths, tables, and chairs all around. Most of which were occupied, by people that weren't quite people. And everyone was enjoying drinks and conversation, like it was totally normal to have an open-air bar in the middle of a swamp.
More details came into focus as I continued to stare slack-jawed at the scene that somehow appeared around me.
The furniture was all made of wood or stone, while the drinks were mostly served in glass cups or bottles, and the plates and bowls were carved from wood. I didn't see any plastic, and there was very little metal. The other oddity for a bar was the lack of any TVs or video screens. And nobody seemed to have their phones out. In fact the only lighting was from candles or old-fashioned lanterns, on the tables or hanging from the trees.
Finally I took in the patrons. Maybe half of them seemed sort of normal, but not quite. They looked a little too slim or slender, and they all had long pointy ears and seemed strangely attractive. Even the guys, and I'd never been attracted to other men before. And that was just the people that looked kind of human. The rest were things I'd only ever heard of in stories, or games or whatever.
Like the giant Sasquatch guy who was talking to a couple literal bear-looking dudes. Or the dozen tiny fairies flitting around in the air, giggling as they flew circles around a lantern. Or that young woman sitting a few meters away, the one with cream-coloured hair and cocoa-coloured cat ears and the long furry cocoa tail slowly swishing back and forth while she stared at me like she'd just spotted dinner.
"Nia what the fuck is going on?!" I squeaked as I spun around to face my friend again.
I immediately let out another little yelp when I realized my best friend had grown even taller while I wasn't looking. She seemed to tower over me now, my eyes weren't even level with her chest. I probably looked half-panicked as I craned my neck up to meet her gaze, only to find her looking down at me with a worried expression.
She sounded nervous again as she asked, "So remember when I said the side effects are usually pretty minor? Every now and then someone has a stronger reaction and... Just don't panic, ok J?"
"And hey," she added with an optimistic smile, "Try and look on the bright side? At least there's zero chance your dad's going to recognize you now."
By that point I didn't even know what to say or how to react, so I just stared wide-eyed at her until she grimaced.
"Here," she said as she offered me a big ornate hand-mirror that seemed to come out of nowhere. "See for yourself."
I didn't even care anymore where the mirrors and tin cups were coming from. I reached out to take it, only to discover my hoodie sleeves were hanging down miles past my hands. It actually took a few seconds of fussing around to pull the cuffs up far enough to expose my small delicate fingers. Then I discovered the mirror was heavy enough I needed both hands just to grip the thick dark wooden handle.
Only then was I finally able to raise the old-style looking glass up so I could see what had happened to me, and why my best friend was acting so nervous.
And there, reflected in the polished glass surface I found myself staring at the cutest and most adorable little mouse-girl I could have ever imagined.