With one last glance at the flickering shadows, cast by the fireplace upon the wall in the dining hall where
her family waited for their beloved daughter, Rosella turned and stepped into the shimmering mirror…
Immediately she was met by light and a force of wind that threatened to blow up her long red skirt had she not
the modesty to catch it in her tiny hands, keeping it intact while she was hurtled through space far away.
Rosella had to keep her eyes squeezed shut to be safe from her long braids that whipped wildly like attacking
snakes. And as she fell sideways through the long warp, she questioned her rash decision to step through the
mirror. Wouldn’t her family worry? Didn’t they love her very-very much, and would worry sick about her
sudden disappearance? The logic was outsized by Rosella’s big heart, and admittedly, curiosity for adventure
again.
Just when she felt she had rationalized her decision to step through the portal, the shimmering lights and chaotic
winds came to a halt, and Rosella felt quiet suspension, if only for a moment. She then dropped, in a not so
graceful fashion onto a mildly cushioning bed of moss and cattails.
As soon as she gained the wind back in her lungs, Rosella crawled up onto her knees, rubbing her sore fanny
with a grimace. “How very unladylike” she chirped while turning her nose up in mock royalty. Getting to her
feet, she felt a tiny prickle on the bottom of her foot, “ouch!” she yelped in the surprise that comes from an
unexpected feeling of pain. Looking down, she saw that she had stepped on a small broken reed growing up
out of the damp green moss. “Oh dear, where are my shoes!?” asked Rosella, wiggling her white stocking
feet. “I must have lost them coming through the portal. Now I wonder where they have gotten to?” Taking a
gingerly step away from the poking reed, Rosella looked up from her feet and glanced at her overall
surroundings.
The humid air hung in an almost visible fashion. Moss covered everything it could grow on, which was just
about every rock and many-legged tree in the muck rich area around the bewildered princess. Crickets, frogs,
and many unknown creepy crawlies filled the silence with their unnerving dialogue. Yes, Rosella was back in
Tamir, back in the swamp of Tamir for certain. It seemed as though it had grown even more wild and sinister
looking since her last visit, if that was possible. Now where were her shoes? Was it even possible to find
them in this place? Could she safely go on without them? The only certainty Rosella had was that she needed
to get out of this creepy place! It was time for Rosella to make a decision. Will she…