When Mona sensed his presence as he squatted down to sit next to her, she glared at him and plucked a flower before bringing it close to her nose. "You are upset with me," he just uttered.
"How can I be upset with you, Mr Ken? I mean you brought me to the best place ever, I should be grateful because it's the best gift I've ever received." She told herself more than she to Mr Ken.
He stared at her for a while before offering her the pink-blue fruits. "You are hungry," he uttered and she looked at him.
"Took you too long to notice," she accepted the fruit and ate, after swallowing she smiled at him.
"The fruit makes you happy even if you are miserable," he told her and rested his back on the tree behind them. "We don't have much time,"
"Why? We just got here," she told him.
"True, the time here is slower, so slow. It might be midnight if we spend too long here,"
"Wow!" She was amazed. "Are you sure we are not in heaven?"
"No, heaven? No one can fathom how heaven looks. Even hell," he told her.
"Why?"
"Everybody thinks heaven and hell are where God and Satan live but. . ." He shook his head. "It's just an assumption. If hell was for punishment, why would the devil stay there?"
Mona nodded thoughtfully and stared at him suspiciously, "how. . ."
"Someday Mona, someday you will know how I know all this." He stood up and handed her the remaining fruits. "Eat up quickly because we are leaving soon."
Mona growled and followed him to where he was going. She ate the fruit as quickly as she could. While he brought out a sack from his backpack and began to pluck the good fruits.
Mona saw the water that looked like milk, just as she felt the grasses, the trees, the flowers. She wanted to feel the water too.
'Someday huh?'
'Yes, so. . .' Kenny replied as he plucked the fruits and tossed them in the sack.
'It is obvious you want a future with her, is she a young spirit?'
'Yes, eighteen years,'
'Wow! So young and so. . .'
'so what?'
'You two look good together, just look at her curves'
Kenny glanced behind him to see her planting her hand into the water but didn't miss out on staring at her curves as she squatted. He dropped the sack and tiredly approached her. "Mona," pleadingly he called her and she looked at him. She wanted to stand on her feet and talk to him but she was pulled back by the water.
"Why didn't you ask me before touching the water?"
Mona worriedly stared at him. "Is it dangerous? It's not letting me go," her face expressed lachrymose.
"It's not dangerous, it wants to play with you but doesn't understand that you can't survive underwater." He told her.
"What am I going to do?"
"Tell it you don't want to play," he said simply.
"Huh? Will that work?"
"No harm in trying," he shrugged and went back to plucking his fruits.
"I don't want to play!" She yelled at the water.
Mr Ken slapped his forehead, she was so dumb! The place laughed in his head. "You shouldn't have yelled at it, now it would get angry at you," he said.
The water did release her but threw stones at her immediately after Kenny spoke. The man just rolled his eyes and stared at the trees that were looking at the scene between his girlfriend and the water.
'She is not my girlfriend!'
'Then why are you so worried? why did you bring her here?' replied the place.
'I wanted her to see my place,'
'Really?'
Kenny stared at Mona to see her running away from the water but he reached wherever she went.
"Just apologize to it Mona, politely." He mentioned and she stood still.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I won't yell at you ever again!" Her eyes were closed as if she was praying.
Sooner, she felt her body being drenched. She had to gasp and smile at the water. "No longer upset," she wiped her face and looked down when the water settled back to its place. Mona saw more of the pink stone and went down to touch it.
"Mr Ken, can we take this with us?" She asked.
The man checked what she was talking about and saw it was the pink stone.
"No," he tied his sack and decided to leave but the trees asked for kisses. 'Seriously?!' he glared at the four trees one by one.
'You know what we can do if you don't do so,'
With an exhausted look, he kissed the trees one by one and said. 'You satisfied now?'
'Not really, until I see you kiss her'
'What?! My student! Don't test me,' he left the trees and approached Mona who was staring at the pink stones as if they were diamonds.
He took her hand and lifted her to her feet, urgh! She was wet.
"We are going? What about the stone?"
"Do you want to be cursed?"
"No," she shook her head.
"Then, forget about the stones, they bring nothing but bad luck. Let's go," he tugged her along and she followed obediently.
"I don't want to leave," she muttered and he stared at her damp body before cursing the water.
Mona continued her pace away while he went to grab a leaf from a tree to dry her body.
"Mona, wait!" He called her back so Mona stood still holding her shoulder bag.
Firstly, he scanned her from head to toe and smiled inwardly before approaching her. "This will. . ." He lost his stance and fell on her. Mona landed on the grass with the man on top of her.
Mr Ken groaned and tried to rise to his feet but couldn't because of what the place was doing to him. He couldn't lose his stance, this. . Urgh!
'What's wrong with you?'
'If you don't kiss her, you are going nowhere' the place threatened.
Mr Ken grunted and stared at Mona who looked uncomfortable with him on top of her. It was ridiculous!
"Mr Ken," she called out.
"I'm sorry but I'm stuck for now," he said through his gritted teeth as he stared around as if he could view the particular owner of the voice.
He drifted his gaze at Mona to see she was staring at him and when his gaze landed on her, she looked away. Wait, she was enjoying this?
'Yes, don't forget how she feels for you,' said the place.
'I know but what is wrong with me?' Kenny couldn't draw his gaze off the girl who was shrinking in his arms. 'My, my, your eyes have turned red and your pupils are bigger. What do you expect me to think Ken-ny'
'My eyes?' Mr Ken was surprised.
Mona lifted her gaze to behold the change of colour in his eyes. It was sparkling emeralds before but now it was gleaming fiercely in red, not a red as blood but it was red.