Page 26 of Soaring into the Midlife

"Maybe they just like riddles?" Zara asked.

"Or maybe they're just bored?" Kendra shrugged.

"Whatever their reasons, we can't afford to let our guard down." I led the way along the glass path. "Stay close, stay alert, and be prepared for anything."

"Words to live by," Zara said as we continued our treacherous journey through the upside-down world.

"Hey, Hailey?" Kendra leaned in close as we walked. "When we get out of here, remind me to never, ever come back."

"Deal," I whispered back, trying to ignore the unsettling sensation that we were being watched. "Now let's get out of this twisted funhouse before things get even weirder."

The upside-down world continued to have a nauseating effect on Kendra. Her face, pale and clammy, seemed to droop just likeour surroundings. I couldn't blame her, the blood rushing to my head was even makingmesee stars.

"Kendra, you're looking worse." I gave her a concerned glance.

She grunted. "I'm taking a break from skips when we get out of here. No more strange dimensions for me."

"Deal, but let's focus on getting out of here first." I tried to maintain a brave front despite my mounting anxiety.

"Agreed," Zara said. "This place is truly unnerving."

Puppets watched us from glass perches, tracking our every movement like silent guardians. Something told me they held all the cards, and we were merely pawns in their twisted game.

"Maybe we can try reasoning with the puppets?" Yeah, I wasn't too confident in that plan.

"Ha, good luck with that." Kendra scoffed.

"Hey, you never know until you try," Zara said as she looked at the puppets. "Besides, they might be more cooperative now that we've proven ourselves worthy."

"Or they could decide to make us their playthings for all eternity," Kendra said, and we trudged onward.

"Such optimism from someone who's about to pass out." I nudged Kendra gently with my elbow.

"Har-har." She swayed slightly but stayed upright. "Just keep moving, and let's hope this glowing path takes us somewhere useful."

"Here's hoping." I prayed that our luck would hold and that we'd find a way out of this topsy-turvy world before it was too late.

Suddenly, one puppet swooped down in front of us, its mischievous grin even more unnerving up close. Kendra and Zara both tensed, ready for a fight if necessary.

"You've proven yourselves worthy so far," the puppet taunted, "but let's see how you handle this riddle: 'I can be cracked, made, told, and played. What am I?'"

Kendra's eyes widened as she instantly said, "A joke!"

The puppet's expression shifted from smug to stunned. "How did you—?" it stammered before letting out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, you got it right. But it won't save you!"

With that, the glass beneath our feet shattered, sending the three of us plummeting through the air. The puppets cackled gleefully above us as we fell, their laughter echoig.

A swirling portal appeared beneath us. We tumbled through the magical gateway, leaving the chaotic realm of the upside-down world and the sinister puppets behind us.

12

"Okay, ladies, this is not Kansas,"I said as we tumbled out of the upside-down world and into a hall of mirrors that stretched endlessly in all directions. The last thing we needed was a carnival funhouse on steroids, but here we were.

"Hailey, do you see this?" Kendra said as she pointed at her reflection—one where her usually flawless lawyerly poise morphed into a caricature flailing around legal folders like they were ninja weapons. "Is that really how I come across in court?"

"Relax, it's just messing with us," I said, though my reflection showed me juggling vampire responsibilities like a circus performer—brother Luke on one hand, twin sisters on the other, and Jax, my mate, balanced on my head. I had to laugh. Multitasking had always been my circus act.

"Guys, this is weird." Zara stared at her vampy doppelgänger, who was licking a blood popsicle like a kid with an ice cream. "Do I look that clueless?"