“You humans are so easy to fool”

“She seemed creepy to me.” Taeyeon whispered to Yoona as they struggled through the forest. The branches were all hanging loose, hitting their heads now and then and the spade like leaves sharp as knives.  Yoona could feel her skin being cut by the little contacts. She nodded at the girl who was herself getting covered in tiny scratches. 

“Don't worry...we will return as soon as I meet Yuri.” Yoona consoled her who was in a mess by now, her hair bun now loose and messed up, the pin already lost, her half torn dress all dirty with the crimson soil.  She looked tired by all the running as her face was dirty too.

Yoona giggled seeing her friend like that, just a little time ago she was treating herself with desserts and whatnot and now she was here lazily following behind Yoona even though she had nothing to do with it all. But she couldn't control it and Yoona burst out laughing out loud. Taeyeon gave her a questioning look. 

“What did you find so funny out here in this weird tree hub that you’re laughing about?” she asked with a frown. 

“You look funny.” Yoona laughed without shame and Taeyeon's mouth went agape. She glared at Yoona for long before pointed a finger to her hair. 

“And you have weird slime on your hair.” she came back and Yoona paused. She slowly slid her hands up in her hair, just to feel something wet. She dragged it down, only to see a weird snake with two split heads that hissed at her. 

“Aah!” she yelled as she threw it away and hugged Taeyeon who was equally terror stricken. 

“Ouch…” the right head spoke. 

“You did not have to throw us that hard! Not like we bit you or something of that terrifying sort…” said the left one in annoyance. The girls both stared weirdly at the speaking snake with separate heads. 

“We were just fascinated by perfume of your hair. May I ask which oil do you use?” the right one asked. 

“No oil, I use Sunsilk.” Yoona answered with a rather 'what the hell?' face.

“Is it new oil that came out in the merchandise, Natasha?” the left one asked to the right head and she shook her head. 

“I have no knowledge regarding that Natalia.” she said and Taeyeon giggled. 

“Oh what similar names. You two twins?” she asked and Yoona face palmed herself inside her head. 

Just how more stupid can you be, Taengoo? 

“It’s not oil. It's a shampoo.” Yoona answered and now it was the snake's turn to be confused. Yoona had no idea how to explain them what a shampoo or a conditioner or a general bath product is so she kept mum.

“Are you two not from the human world?” Natalia asked and Yoona nodded.

“No wonder. It must be a mechanic of your place.” Natasha chimed and then the two of them split up and shape shifted into two perfect girls.

Yoona and Taeyeon's eyes bulged out as they saw the snake turning into separate bodied girls similar to a human except they only had one eye each on their faces.

“A pleasure to meet you, we are the snuke twins Natasha.” the right one said first.

“And Natalia.” the left finished. At this Yoona re-evaluated everything and realized Taeyeon was right after all.

“Er… you mean snake.” Taeyeon said and they shook their heads.

“No snuke.”

“But it's snake.” Taeyeon argued and just then Yoona nudged her by the elbow.

“In SoshiLand, it's snuke. Got that?” she said with a gritted smile “umm twins, could you tell us the direction to the right village?” she asked.

“But there are two villages to the right.” Natasha told her. 

“Uh no, the right one.” Yoona said again.

“But there are two right ones.” Natalia told her this time. Yoona thought hard, trying to remember the name of the weird trees. 

“The one before two Sherwood trees.” she said and the twins exchanged glances.

“You mean Shelkwood?” Natasha asked and Yoona face palmed herself inside her head again. 

“Ah yes.” she said and they started thinking deeply. 

“The green Shelkwood or maroon?” they asked again and Yoona's head was already spinning.

“The one that leads to the corn juice fountain.” Taeyeon spoke instead and they finally understood for a moment and then their o shaped mouths joined back into thoughts.

“The upcorn or downcorn?” they asked, and Yoona was about to kill herself this time. 

What is this place even? she thought.

“The upper one I guess...” Taeyeon nodded, rubbing her chin. 

“Oh I think she means Swollop the village.” Natasha said to Natalia and she nodded. The girls, who had no idea of what's going on, just stared at them plainly.

“It is just around the corner. Walk a little further and you will see two signs, follow the one that says 'Swollop' and there you are.” Natalia smiled, seeming creepy with just that one eye of hers. Yoona nodded with a cheeky smile as she dragged Taeyeon and headed forward without wasting much time with the cyclops. 

“I'll definitely send you Sunsilk as souvenirs!” she said as she ran.

“See ya again snukes!” Taeyeon yelled, waving at them with joy, as they did the same.

It had been only a short while when they came to a stop and saw two wooden arrow boards pointing to two opposite ways, but both in the right.  One read 'Swollop' while the other with big curvy handwriting read 'Visteria Garduns'. Yoona and Taeyeon quietly followed the one they were supposed to, curious of what both places would be like. Suddenly the twisted trees were reducing along the way as the pink sky above them was becoming visible.  The soil turned orange along as well as they headed forward. The path was well formed now, a broad yellowish stone block path made with short fence on both sides, seemed like a welcoming village. There they saw unique flowers along the way with wide open petals, all neon in colors, and butterflies that had gems instead of patterns on their fluttering wings. The grass was short and trimmed, well cared for. 

“Do you smell it too?” Taeyeon asked, her eyes closed in pleasure. 

“Smell what?” Yoona asked, trying the smell herself.

“Food!” Taeyeon chimed now as she pointed towards a small shop in vision not far away.

Yoona narrowed her eyes for a better look, only to see not just one, but many shops in two rows on opposite sides. It was a market.

“I'm hungry.” Taeyeon said as she pouted towards Yoona. 

“But we don't have any money and we don't have SoshiLand's money to be exact.” she said.

As much as she was starving too, she had a reason. She saw Taeyeon pout again and because always it melted her, she thought to give it a try at least.

“All right but I hope we don’t end up tagging ourselves as 'eat and run'.” she sighed and Taeyeon jumped in joy, grinning widely.

They had just started walking towards the market when they heard weird noises like that of squirrels. Both turned around together, to see a group of pink raccoons (really tiny) running in their direction and carrying shopping bags and boxes. Yoona and Taeyeon were surprised to see the weird raccoons because they were definitely some sort of servants and just then they saw a really tiny - not short - but tiny in stature woman walking behind them, wearing a gold dress and heavy pearl bracelets in both wrists and a heavy pearl necklace. She was definitely someone really rich and spoilt as by her way of walking and the way she kept her head high. And she had a face. 

“Yoona. I like her hair.” Taeyeon said as she stared at her.

Indeed, her hair was fluffy and bouncy and larger than her face in general. The raccoons were passing by them while the girl stopped, clapping her hands and the raccoons froze in their places like being hit by a freeze ray. She looked at Yoona and Taeyeon back and forth, maybe trying to recognize them.

“Are you new here, peasants?” she said and both of the girl’s mouth parted in shock.  The woman circled them, judging hard. "Whose clothes did you steal?" she asked. Taeyeon was about to speak with offence when Yoona stopped her. 

“We are sorry to bother you...please let us pass by peacefully.” she said with a gritted smile. She wasn’t a person who apologized that easily but the current situation wasn’t one to pick up a girl showdown fight.

“Yoona, why are you being so polite to her?”  Taeyeon whispered.

Yoona smiled meekily at the woman and nudged Taeyeon with her elbow “You dumb? Do you want us to get into trouble with someone completely unknown in this place? What if she arrests us? Just see how rich she looks, I'm sure she has connections.” she scolded her in a whisper too.

“Well, since you both are new you should be informed about me if you already aren't, you insolent maidens.” she said and stood back to her place “Lady Soonkyu. Treat the name with honor. I am the third granddaughter of the fourth richest man in SoshiLand. My family has provided this Kingdom with great wealth for generations, even the land you are stepping on is under my property. My father, one of the twenty handsomest men in the Kingdom had built Swollop with great care and passion, making it the fabulous market central it is today—” she kept on going but none of the two paid any attention.

“All right you are rich and stuff but I'm really hungry right now so please excuse me.” Taeyeon finally spoke as she started heading for the shop. Lady Soonkyu's mouth parted in disbelief as she glared at Taeyeon rush ahead of them in a hurry.

“She can’t read situation well…” Yoona chuckled nervously and bowed and rushed behind Taeyeon before the fuming tiny lady would lash out on her.

“That was really stupid Taengoo!” Yoona scolded as she f