For some one she just met and just learned their name, she sure couldn't stop thinking about what had happened.
Or what didn't happen.

Staying away was for the best but she couldn't let it go, it nagged at her mind. She was torn, in a way she knew there was a logical explanation but then again..

She wished she had the courage to go back Chester's house. Other than visiting the garden, she had no good reason. The garden seemed to be in good hands.

The only reason she had was that she wanted proof she wasn't going crazy. What she needed to do was get her hands on that pink apple or bitter apple as he called it.
She was sure if ate some more she could see the beautiful place again, and she could give some to her mom as proof.

The mere thought of actually breaking into a stranger's house was nerve wrecking. If she was caught, Chester's family would chuck her in the nearest jail for burglary.
Chester's little nickname would actually have some truth to it.

She could see the smug look on his stupid face. grinning ear to ear as he watched her get taken away, kicking and yelling about wings and princesses

♥

She chose a rainy day to sneak into his house. She watched them from the Bush filled with nightshade. She watched them leave for the day, Chester lingered around for a half hour before leaving himself.

 Though it seemed as if he glanced at the bush from time to time. Ivey hated when he did that, it felt as if he could see her.

When the coast was clear. She calmly walked up the house. The basement window was still not fixed, so Ivey crawled into the cracked window hidden by yellow roses.

It felt weird to be the house after all those weeks. It still held her grandmother's old furniture. She smiled as she touched her grandma's old piano.
But this wasn't what she came here for. Remembering what she risked herself for she jogged up the stairs and entered the main building.

It didn't seem to different, besides the new furniture and new rugs. It was odd there was no family portraits on the wall. No school trophies or personal touches to make it a home. It felt so unloved and unfriendly.

 Ivey began to have regrets, suddenly the bitter apple didn't seem important as it did when was standing outside.

 She was in a complete stranger's house looking for an apple of all things. She felt so foolish but it didn't stop her from taking a look around.

 When she was about ready to give up she thought she check the most obvious place, the refrigerator.

 Sure enough it was sitting in a blue and white ceramic bowl. Ivey looked a quick look around and grabbed it.
Carefully she ran from the house and into the greenhouse.

 There with the apple, she hid herself behind a few potted plants and took her prize. She hoped it was worth it and she was right about the experience she had the last time.
She so badly wanted it to be real.

She hesitated at first but decided to count to three and take a big huge bite.

Maybe she took too big a bite or because the last time she had  mere slices and not the while thing. Her head spun too fast and her body felt like a thousand needles were stabbing her all at once. 

She wanted to cry but she felt like there was no more water left in her body.

Vision blurred but the sky was a bright aquamarine and the air was as crisp as it was before. She had made it into the realms but she couldn't keep her eyes open. Just she began to lose conspicuous, she felt arms wrapped around her.

A voice plead her to open her eyes but she couldn't, she was too sleepy to anything but sleep.

She caressed the face above her and smiled, "Good night"

"Ivey!" A boy's voice shouted loudly laced with concern.

♣

    Ivey woke up in a green meadow , surrounded by beautiful flowers. Her hair was gently splayed around her, some how her braids were more vivid. Like someone dipped her stands into purple henna. 

She was no longer in her grubby Victoria Secret sweats but now in a navy blue dress. White lace tattoos decorated the skin the showed. On her right ring finger sat a sliver finger cuff.

Ivey tried to pull it off but it wouldn't budge, as if it was permanently sealed to her finger.

"Guess I am engaged after all" she mused to herself.

 Funny that was her very thought, not how did she get here or where was she but she was actually engaged.

That said more about herself than anything else.

Beside her was a pocket watch with a beautiful crest engraved into the sliver.

 Inside the lid was a short message craved hastily, like the person who wrote it was in Sone kind of hurry.

'I found you, now come find me'

That  was easier said then done.

 Though it wasn't a mystery, Ivey had a idea who was the person that wanted her to find him.

If he never told her he had been looking for her for years, he would be a mystery. She knew who she had to find.
Hopefully when she found him, he would explain what this was and maybe tell her what he was hiding.

♦

Everything looked like the country side where her mother grew up. Everything was healthy and green, there was no signs of city life or pollution anywhere.

 It was almost like paradise.

 She was supposed to looking for Chester but she had no clues to where he was or might be. 

He spoke as if she had been here before,  like she knew where she was going. All she had was a fancy pocket watch and new dress. 

A map would've been a better gift.

   After walking for what seemed like hours, Ivey sat down and pouted. She was lost and losing what was left of her patience.

In her mind there was no way she would be able to find him. If only there was a way for her to go back to the real world. She was sure her mom was worried about her. 

Ivey never really went any where other than her grandmother's house. She was more of a homebody.

She opened the watch once more and stared at the face of the clock.

"I wish you were a compass and not a stupid clock"

The watch began warm up, shocking Ivey causing her to drop it. She looked at it with fear.

The watch was no longer a clock, it was now a compass.

 Tying not swear she gawked at the now compass 

"Holy mother" she gasped.

The words Find me glowed intensely now, as if he was commanding her.

Now that her watch was now a compass, she no excuse anymore. She had to find him.

 Though she had some direction, she felt as if she lost something. Something important.

 She wondered what it was but became distracted by the compass hands pointing West.

"It'll come to me." She shrugged the nagging thought away as she began to walk amongst the flower road.