Jessica then pointed to a large striped canvas tent located slightly off of the main midway of the Pleasure Island Carnival. A wooden sign was stuck into the ground next to the tent's entrance. The sign read "Nature's Gifts," with the text formed by carved vines accompanied by the outlines of crudely carved forest animals.
"Come on" she encouraged, grabbing me by the hand and pulling me into the tent. The inside was dim and filled with incense sticks, cheap bamboo boxes imported from China, "healing crystals," and all kinds of bric-a-brac that one would typically find in a New Age gift shop. A busty young brunette seemed to be minding the store and looked up as we entered. She asked if we needed anything but Jessica brushed right past her with me in tow, headed toward the back flap of the tent. "Please mam, the back room is off limits right now. It's presently occupied by Miss Julie and a client! Please don't go back there!" pleaded the girl. Jessica and I marched forward regardless.
I fully expected Jessica and I to find ourselves outside the tent and back in the Pleasure Island Carnival District as we made our way through the rear canvas flap. I should have guessed, however, that there would be something magic about that place. The moment Jessica and I walked into the shop's "back room," we actually found ourselves in a lightly wooded glade. It felt miles away from Pleasure Island and although I knew it was nightime on the island, it looked like the early morning in this place with the dewdrops on the verdant ferns sparkling in the sunlight. "Beautiful, I muttered." "It is," agreed Jessica. "I'm not sure I understand it," she continued, "but we're still on Pleasure Island. It's just before the carnival was created and all the rest of it got built up. Passing through the back of the tent leads us through some kind of time vortex or something; I keep meaning to ask Circe about it but I always forget when I see her." I made a mental note to bring it up to Circe, if and when I ever met the famous lady.
In any case, the morning air was crisp and clear. Everything was pretty quiet aside from the chirping of birds. In the distance, though, I thought I could hear two people talking. It was difficult to make out what was being said but it was obvious that one was female and the other sounded like my friend Tom, although somewhat higher in pitch than I remembered.
Jessica and I walked quietly through the forest toward the sound of the couple's voices, with the foliage growing denser and the ferns growing larger with each step. Finally, I moved aside a particularly gigantic fern that was blocking our path, only to reveal a small clearing. I was astonished, however, to see...