Star Date #36

Right! Can you get me out of here?

I was standing in front of Chief, having taken a little time to heal my busted face and broken ego. Nurtured by the topless women of the tree folk that all felt really sorry for me and thought I was so brave and selfless to let my love interest go like that in favour of her happiness and showed their affection to me by getting a little too close to my face with their breastesses every time they were cleaning the cuts on my face. And I don’t want to sound like a pervert but this is my story so I might have stayed there a little bit too long, indulging in the attention and soft, silky feeling of their supple, supple breasts. I’m still a man goddamnit.

Sure! You’re really ready to leave?

I’m really ready to leave. I have to get back to my world, living my life, figuring stuff out for myself instead of hiding away in a magical forest, numbed by the intoxicating effect of magic little liquor snakes.

And topless tree ladies! Chief added cheerfully.

Those helped too. I admitted smilingly.

Allright then, let me open up a portal for you.

Thanks, thanks for everything. You don’t know how valuable this time here has been for me.

Yeah I do.

Yeah I know.

And with that he opened up a portal home for me. Through the glass like rippling of space and time I could see the busy little intersection in front of Knijn bowling where my adventure had started. That all felt so very far away even though it had only been a couple of days. Still, not a bad run for one date to go on for over 72 hours. A bit sad I didn’t get laid though. Ah well, can’t have everything.

That last bit I said out loud for some reason and Chief heard me. Well actually, he replied and started to remove the stone amulet he always wore around his neck and held it out in front of him.

I knew I was supposed to accept it so I did. Although I really didn’t feel like taking a stone trinket with me from this journey, no matter how intricately carved. I loved the gesture, don’t get me wrong, I’m just not the type for sappy souvenirs.

It’s magic, he said, as if hearing all my thoughts out loud. You’re kidding, I replied. Still wholly convinced it was just an ornamental piece of neckwear.

No, I’m not. It’s actually magic.

What does it do?

You know the Hopper?

Oh do I.

Well this is basically the same. Only it does it in a way less complicated way without all the high tech machinery and hypermatter power cells. This one just works on cosmic frequencies, like crystals.

Please don’t tell me you believe in that.

Please don’t tell me you don’t.

You’re probably right, again, as always.

I am, but don’t take my word for it, here, try it.

And with that he closed the portal again and looked at me as if it was only a matter of seconds before I would open one up for myself.

Remember when I told you how to use the Hopper?

Yes.

How to mentally sync to a location and then what buttons to press?

Yes.

Okay, well this is basically the same thing only here you just touch the dragon’s eye.

With any finger?

Yes.

Okay.

And so I tried, again. To picture the location where I wanted to be going. Not go, be going, that was very important. I wasn’t supposed to summon the location, I wanted a doorway to it. I had to mentally will a place into existence that didn’t exist. A place between here and there, a threshold, a gateway, a portal. Close your eyes and think of home didn’t cut it here. It was keep your eyes open and see the way home opening up before your eyes. And so I did. And then I touched the dragon’s eye and boop.

A portal opened. And a tear ran down my eye. I did that, myself, strength, perseverance, willpower. Oh yeah and a super magical dragon amulet. Gotta have that also.

I hugged Chief, a big hug, a meaningful hug. A hug that said everything without having to say anything. I knew I didn’t anyway, he understood, he always did. I looked back, waved at the tree people, winked at the one girl I particularly liked, she blew a kiss at me and then I stepped through.