Mary Lamb Amazing 16

PROLOGUE

How does one celebrate a sixteenth birthday to remember? Some parents might buy their daughter a huge gift such as a new car, a motorbike or new technology items such as a high end computer to mark this special occasion in an ostentatious manner. A well-to-do boyfriend might extend an invitation to the young lady to dine at a posh restaurant and may even send a big stretch limo to transport her there. He could shower her with flowers and presents of jewelry or other gaudy items. Others might give elaborate gifts of a different irk. It could be a special vacation, clothes, shoes, handbags or whatever extravagant things that the young woman covets. It depends on who you are and where you are. Then there are the ordinary people, who might mark the day with 16 candles on a homemade cake accompanied by perhaps, a small-priced gift or a handmade item. The wonderful part of this celebration associated with the importance of turning sixteen, is that it doesn’t matter how or where it is celebrated, it’s the magic of the day that bears the significance. Who knows what might be on the venue to surprise and delight the sixteen-year-old on  this milestone occasion. Whatever happens, a young woman’s sixteenth birthday should never be ignored.

Mary Lamb’s sixteenth birthday would not entertain any of the above possibilities, but if one could make a prophecy, it might warn of possible imminent danger lurking just ahead, as well the assured promise of mind blowing adventure and experiences.

Chapter 1

LET’S CELEBRATE

We have to leave it to the words of William Shakespeare to say it most appropriately to start our story,

There was a star danced, and under that was I born.

Mary Lamb would become familiar with something different on this day of her sixteenth birthday, a day that she would never forget, one that would exceed all mortal expectations. She would experience the extraordinary, the sensational, an unorthodox day that no ordinary human being would ever even imagine. Totally unaware of what lay in store for her this day, she stared at her reflection in the mirror as she absentmindedly brushed her long blonde hair. A worried look filled the big dark eyes looking back at her. She slowly started to plait her hair, drawing the strands back in sections for a French braid. No, it just didn’t look right. She pulled it apart and brushed it again. This time she paid particular attention to the task at hand. She was fidgety and all thumbs and exasperated that she couldn’t make the braid properly.

An invitation had arrived the night before, brought by a courier mouse who was unknown to Mary. She wondered why Samantha-Anne, the mouse that she had befriended over the years and was the official liaison between her and the world of Maze, did not come instead. The unique inhabitants of Maze, the incredible world located far beneath the surface of the earth, had introduced Mary to their environment and lifestyle when she was a mere six-year-old. However, this was the first time that communication originating in Maze reached her by way of a different courier. Today, the day of Mary’s sixteenth birthday, was Saturday, which meant that her mother would be working at the restaurant until well into the evening, returning home sometime after 8 o’clock. It offered Mary a perfect window of opportunity to go away for the day, to travel to the world only known by her, here on earth, the one human being that was given the privilege of being granted access to the world of Maze. This fascinating world, inhabited by a populace who looked and talked like human beings on earth, was different in most ways than in the world we know as the planet earth.The similarity between the two worlds was minute and the differences vast.

The invitation that was handed to her was written in a meticulous tiny script. It read:

Mary,I would be pleased if you would attend a dinner at my home in honour of your sixteenth birthday this Saturday at 2 p.m. Your first gilt will arrive with Zi. Hope you like it.Affectionately, Wassun.

Included in the envelope was a small packet containing two tiny silver pellets that resembled droplets of water. No explanation for those was needed. Mary knew from previous experience that these were the globules that would change her physical size before she began her journey to Maze. The palest one would reduce her size to as small as a field mouse and the darker one, on her return to the earthly world, would expand her back to normal human size. She had to be transformed to become very small in stature to be granted access to Maze. The inhabitants of Maze were tiny in comparison to human beings on earth, each being no larger than a mouse. Every time Mary had returned to the world of Maze, she had difficulty wrapping her mind around the fact that the population of that world was so small in stature, particularly in comparison to the people on earth, because when she was there, her own dimension was shrunk to the size of the people of Maze, therefore, she just never noticed any difference at all.

She was surprised and curious at the same time, when this invitation arrived. She hadn’t seen Wassun for years since her last trip to Maze. After the episode when she rescued him when she was six and he was aged seven, she had only spoken with him briefly on two other occasions. She did not like to think about that frightening time when she had fallen down the hole in the forbidden area of Maze. She was curious as any six-year-old might be and had entered an area where she was not supposed to trespass. Unfortunately, her burning curiosity landed her in serious trouble more times than one. Her disobedience that time resulted in her tumbling down a black hole that led to a dark damp eerie sub world, located a great distance beneath the world of Maze. Mary narrowly escaped death. She faced huge snakes, monstrous roaches, gigantic spiders and many other deadly episodes that nearly impeded her escape back to Maze and hence onward to her home on earth.

When she did finally make it back, and returned home, she received word that Wassun, the son of Lavia, one of the leaders of Maze, had disappeared. After an extensive worldwide search in Maze, he could not be found. The inhabitants of Maze were certain the only answer was that he had fallen down the dark hole in the forbidden area and that if he was not already dead, he would perish if not quickly found. As a last ditch effort to save Wassun, Mary was contacted to help in the search, since she was the only one who ever returned from the bowels of that sub world. The hope was that Mary could provide some insight into the route that she followed to get out of that sinister under world.

Ironically, Mary’s return to Maze took a bizarre twist. She got lost in the tunnels before she even reached the portal to Maze to assist with the rescue and miraculously met with Wassun in that misdirection. He had not fallen down the hole at all, but rather had tried to follow Mary back to her home on earth, far above Maze, and got lost in the tunnels on the way out. He was in a dehydrated and starving state when she found him, but she had encouraged him to follow her and together they managed to find water and a way back out to Mary’s earthly world. It was an incredible rescue, which resulted in Mary taking care of Wassun by hiding him in her bedroom at home and feeding him secretly. Since he had no globules to transform his size, he remained in his initial size, no bigger than a mere mouse. He only narrowly escaped being eaten by Peewee’s cat, Daredevil. After many problems along the way, Mary finally was able to help Wassun return to Maze. Now, Mary was quizzical regarding the reason for today’s invitation. Since she hadn’t seen him in years, she wondered whether she would recognize him now. She analyzed the invitation again and wondered why he signed it affectionately? She pondered what the mentioned gift might be. She hoped that it was nothing extravagant that would put her in an awkward position to reciprocate appreciation, especially since she thought she would have nothing to give in return. She further cringed at the thought of receiving something that she would have difficulty explaining to anyone back on earth.

She also had another dilemma. What would she wear for such an occasion? She spent very little money on clothing, since her mother struggled to keep the household together with the meagre income she made from waiting on tables in a restaurant in their small town. Mary also worked at the same restaurant part time, washing pots and pans and doing general cleaning. She hoarded most of her earned money in a tin box hidden behind the loose bricks in the dilapidated chimney in her bedroom. The only expenditure she made from time to time was the purchase of some special book. She knew that it was almost impossible for her to follow her dream to go to university in the future, but she stubbornly did not want to let go of that ambition and hung on to the money that she earned, with the thought that it would one day help her pay for tuition or some university related expenses. She rummaged through her closet and opened every drawer in her dresser. Her wardrobe was scant. What does one wear to a social occasion at the home of a world leader? She felt her hands getting clammy at the mere thought of it and nervously glanced at her watch. How I wish I had a sister or girlfriend who could help me with this. Mary mumbled to herself.

She had less than an hour to decide and be dressed and ready for her transportation. She realized  that she was procrastinating and as a result was running out of time. Since she knew that she was going to ride on the back of a Thesalon bat to get from her home to the rocky outcrop in the hilly area far back in the fields behind the house, she surmised that her attire had to be very casual.What to wear? Finally she decided to don her best denim skinny jeans topped with a pale pink lace overlay pullover and a short denim jacket. The jeans were the one relatively new piece of clothing that she owned. The pullover and jacket were purchases from the local thrift store. She wore black faux suede Chelsea boots that were also a thrift store find. She looked at herself in the long mirror and grimaced. Was this satisfactory attire for such an occasion? She had no time to change her mind. She checked her hair again. Mary wore no makeup other than pale pink lip gloss. She frowned at her reflection, not pleased at what she saw.

A knock on her bedroom door startled her and she jumped back. Who is it? she called out. It’s me, Mary. Who did you think it was? There are only two of us in the house at the moment. Are you going to open the door? Mary ran to the door and pulled it open. Peewee was standing there looking rather sheepish. He hesitantly handed her a small box topped with a tiny pink bow. Happy birthday, Mary. I got you this present. He turned to walk away. Mary called out,Wait! How come you bought me a present? We’ve never given each other birthday gifts before. Peewee blushed and mumbled. Well, it’s your sixteenth birthday and that’s kinda special for a girl. Anyway, it’s only a small thing and I don’t even know if you’ll like it. Peewee quickly turned to leave again. Mary said,No, wait! Please stay while I open your present. She examined the small box and looked at the handwritten card. The penned words in the handwriting she readily recognized as Peewee’s, contained this message:

To my best friend Mary. Happy Birthday! With love, Peewee. Mary’s eyes misted and she stole a brief glance at Peewee. He had lived in this house since he and his mother, Debra, moved in approximately ten years ago. Mary was six years old at that time and Peewee had just turned seven. Mary went to school with him, they worked on homework together, ate their meals together, shared secrets and played together as siblings in any family would. They also frequently disagreed and had a number of confrontational yelling matches that resulted in no ill feelings. She thought of him as a brother, one who she cared deeply about. But this with love on the note gave her a fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach. Peewee fidgeted. You going to open it or not?"

Mary looked up at the tall thin lad in front of her. She recalled the time when he was shorter than she was. When he first came to live at her home, he looked like any other ordinary kid to her with no extraordinary features or attributes. Now he towered above her, well over six feet tall. At this moment, for some reason it struck her as odd that she hadn’t noticed before how grown-up he had become. She wondered why she hadn’t been aware until now that he had such intense and mesmerizing brown eyes. The thought flicked through her mind that perhaps the small steel rimmed eye glasses that he always wore had hidden this fact. Now, for some reason, she also noticed his short black hair, especially the way it stuck out in all directions as though it had been shocked. She had a playful urge to reach over and muss it up further, but refrained. She thought, What the heck is wrong with me? What made me think that? Crazy, that’s what I am. She blushed. He was standing in front of her, staring at her, unusually shy, shifting from one foot to the other. She glanced at his clothes. He was wearing a faded t-shirt that may have once been black, but now was greyish, with a ghoulish washed out white design emblazoned on the front. His jeans were torn and faded. And he was barefoot. Mary realized that she was staring at him. She didn’t understand this unorthodox feeling of attraction towards him this morning. She rationalized it in her mind by the fact that this was an exciting day for her, particularly since she was getting ready to embark on a journey to another world, plus the fact that this was the day of her sixteenth birthday. She thought, I’m probably nervous about the trip and that’s what’s making me a bit loopy.

Brushing those thoughts aside, Mary now felt self conscious as she pulled off the tiny pink bow and tore the paper from the little box. She carefully lifted the lid off, her face breaking into a smile, as she lifted out a thin silver chain bracelet bearing a tiny silver heart. The chain, which was very delicate, was the perfect size to carry the dangling silver heart engraved with the fancy scrolled letter ‘M’. Mary examined the little heart. Her smile broadened when she turned it over and saw the engraved initial, ‘P’ in the same script and the same size as the ‘M’ on the other side. It’s beautiful, Peewee. I love it! Thank you so much. She stepped forward to hug him, but stopped herself. Peewee’s face was flushed. Are you sure you like it? Mary beamed at him. Yes, it’s so very nice. I’m going to wear it today and always. Will you put it on for me? Peewee nodded as he nervously placed it around Mary’s wrist fumbling with the clasp. Mary took a deep breath. She had a tingling feeling when he touched her hand.That never happened before either. She didn’t understand this emotion. It irritated her.

The bracelet in place, she pulled her hand away from his and held it up to display the bracelet.Oh, it’s so pretty.Thank you. Peewee looked nervously at Mary. Do you want to go into town for a bite of pizza for lunch today? It’s my treat. Mary frowned. Oh, I’d like that very much but I’ve already made plans to spend the day with a friend. Let’s do that tomorrow if it’s okay with you? A rain check, so to speak. A shadow of a scowl crossed Peewee’s face. Who is the friend that you are spending the day with? Is it anyone I know? Mary smirked at the look of disapproval on his face. No, I don’t think you know this person. Changing the direction of the conversation, Mary asked, This must mean that you got your truck running again? Peewee’s sour expression immediately turned into one of happiness. Yes, I finally figured out what was wrong with it and now it’s purring like a kitten. Mary spontaneously replied, I think you love that truck more than anything or anyone on earth. Peewee glanced at Mary with a startled look. Okay, it’s a date for tomorrow. He said as he hurried out of the room.

Mary stood there, absentmindedly fingering the silver heart bearing the initial M and flipped it over to look at the engraved initial on the back. She said out loud, P. P for Peewee, that’s so sweet. She smiled to herself and shook her head, puzzled at what had just transpired. She pondered what made her react differently to him today. She didn’t like the way her heart beat quickened in his presence and the squishy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had the feeling that what transpired indicated that she was not in total control of her feelings, and she didn’t like it. She questioned what did he mean by saying, It’s a date? Why was he suddenly interested in who she was going to spend the day with? Mary always analyzed things to death. She questioned and pondered and wondered, usually reaching conclusions that were no where near reality. Frequently she would stew over an issue that really had no importance at all.

A tapping on the window pane broke her revelry indicating that her ride had arrived. She ran to the window and propped it open with a piece of wood that she kept there handy for that purpose. A large black bat with a face that had human features was resting on the roof outside her windowsill, furling and unfurling his wings. He stood over a foot high with a huge wing span. His face was pale with eyes, nose and lips that gave the impression of being a human being’s face. Hello Zi. Its good to see you again. Zi was a Thesalon bat from the world of Maze, a special being with very little similarity to the bats on earth, other than the physical body shape with the size being much larger. Thesalon bats played a crucial role in the world of Maze, providing protection and vigilance regarding any intruders or dangers. They were revered as a vital part of society. Zi responded in a deep resonant voice. Hello Mary. Ready to go? We don’t have any time to waste.

Mary nodded as she popped one of the silver globules into her mouth and took a deep breath. She was ready for the reduction in size that transpired when she swallowed the shiny little ball that looked like a droplet of water. She gasped as she felt her body dropping and falling and shrinking. In less than a minute, she had diminished in size from being sized like a human being to the much smaller scale off a mouse. She inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled to orient herself to this diminished state. The motion and rapidity of her change in size gave her a strange feeling making it necessary for her to