The ship of wise witty fools traveled down the river of dreams. As it began to pick up speed, the wind blew through Jay Bird‘s hair and Stormie McLeod uttered “I’ve got a bad feeling about this” and as it seemed as it it was going toward the dark circle of a new moon turned out to be some sort of black hole pulling the boat toward them.
“Full Reverse!” cried Shelly Brooks as acting Captain.
“It’s no use. We’re caught in some sort of tractor beam” Stephanie Daniels pessimistically reported.
“At least it’s not an ice berg!” optimistically reported Rowena Cruz Trovada.
“That’s no moon” quipped Laiken A. Thompson.
“Or Luna De Noche!” checked Yumiko Takahashi.
“I am feeling some gravity waves” discovered Amanda Rose Sullivan.
“Einstein was RIGHT!?” yelled Taylor Reed
“Oh NO! So was rapper B.o.B. The Earth is flat as a 4 year old Coke” reluctantly admitted Ilumin Avila.
“Hang on to your butts because here we go!” warned Gretchen Bell.
Novie Bowden, the real captain of the ship, took the wheel and went full steam ahead.
The riverboat launched off the edge of the Earth as the water and air and light swirled about going into the ominous dark circle like a cosmic drain flushing out all of existence. From the inside it seemed like the boat in the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory crashed into Dorothy’s Tornado Ride in the Wizard of Oz!
“I can’t feel my legs” commented Claire Alexander.
“I can’t feel my arms” agreed Heather Wiese
“I can’t feel my face when I’m with you” joked Gavin Perry.
“I think we are out of our bodies” theorized Elizabeth Marshall.
“I think therefore I’m…” started Stephanie Hall
“We are all out of our damned minds!” concluded Ronn Robinson.
“My God! It’s Full Of Stars” quoted Super Spartan Vonda Wilson
The spinning got tighter, the spirals faster and the light brighter until suddenly there was nothing but deafening silence… and then… NOT EVEN THAT!
Some might argue that was the end, unless you understand that every ending is a beginning and every exit is an entrance someplace else.
Meanwhile, someplace else Daniel Huntley Solon was flying through a silent night with his Icarus wings when suddenly a light appeared ahead. He began to slow his roll as the light seemed to get brighter. Thinking it might be ancient aliens he cautiously approached. As he inched closer the light exploded with a bang that sent Daniel falling to the enchanted land below.
Fannie Brito, Britt McEachern Coke, Siobhan Antonioli and Natali Jones pulled out a parachute from an art installation they were collaborating on to catch the falling Daniel. He folded up he wings and rolled off the parachute as they embraced him to be sure he was alright. 
“What is that?“he asked, but the four artistic ladies had no idea. Chandler Kaye and Vanessa Neil came running up to help but all were amazed and hypnotized by this new light in the sky and there was a loud sound since the explosion. Just then a long elegant limousine pulled up and Aimee Ramsey rolled down the window and told them all to get in. They did and the pulled off toward the lights of what appeared to be a nearby city.
The limo left a trail of kicked up dust that was spotted from the camp of dancers and renaissance fair folk. Akai Draco gave the battle cry and rallied the forces and William Riddle trained everyone for combat but in a way that nobody really gets hurt.
“Sound the alarms” ordered Liz Finkle of the Praetorian Digital Guard
“They’re on the move” announced Laura Mccarthy.
“Let’s be smart about this. We will have to be crafty to infiltrate them undetected” led Gregory Lush. “We must do our best acting as well as look our best“.
“That’s my cue” jumped Michelle Lorelei Lee as she rolled out what seemed like miles of garment racks of everything imaginable. Mindy Loll deputized a dozen fashion police as Katie Condry managed the line as everyone got ready to follow the limo’s trail to the city as if they were native that belonged there. Marcus Blake and Kristin McCollum divided them into teams to increase their chances of success.
Before they could pursue the limo the light in the sky exploded again with such an impact there was no day or night, only love and light. Everything looked different until out of it spewed the rain, thunder, riverboats and fairies and fools. Everyone was shocked and awed in the true sense of the words. To say it was a blackhole-tornado-hurricane-earthquake-flood all at the same time would be an understatement.
First was the sound of the thunder. Not that romantic and powerful rolling thunder, but that suck your breath out of your lungs cracking thunder that makes you feel like you’ve just been shot.
Del Alan Murphy screeched like a little girl as Anne Beyer screamed like a grown ass man.
Not that there was anything wrong with either as it was quite an experience. Even the Majestic Merritt Martin would be inspired to document the event through word and video if it were possible, but it were not so simple. Action needed to be be taken right away; from everyone involved.
As the water hit the ground the splash made a wave over a mile high. Marcy Barnes and Evan Figg both anchored themselves in a little oxygen bubble to protect them. Liz Jackson Donegan, Angela Parsons Smith and Abby Rupp warned the nearby communities to brace for impact and as a result saved dozens of lives. Scott Simons and Brande Taylor grabbed their boards and surfed the wave toward the city. Fortunately the “splash down” was not in a very populated area.
Then down came the riverboat with a crash but somehow stayed in one piece. Candice Jones and Rebekah Lynn Bruflodt assisted the crew to their feet and reported the minor injuries to Allie Burdette and Jeff Rogers who tended to them immediately. Philip Bentham made sure they still served Tea on time and Stephanie Rhodes and Marla Jo Kelly were thankful for the dedication to tradition in the face of such unusual circumstances.
Bob Carter looked up and noticed the portal of light began to collapse. As his pointed hand raised to the sky his jaw fell down hoping some word would fall out, but none did.
“How will we ever get back?” quietly pondered Jessica McClendon.
“Why would you want to?” also pondered Cecil O’Neal
“Where are we?” asked Larry Duncan to further the story line.
“Where do we go from here?” continued Megan Mayo
“Forward! No matter the obstacles in our path” marched Samantha Elizabeth McCrocklin
As the portal closed the lights faded to night and into what appeared to be the full moon once again. Brande Taylor suggested they continue with the riverb0at for as far as they could and Kelly Tomlinson and Mark Deffebach played some music to take everyone’s mind off the transformation that just took place. All aboard honored the memory of Charlie Freeman while they contemplated if they was all their birthday being born to this new reality. Or this new dimension.
Ken Panosh lit his cigar and kicked back to enjoy the ride and the riverboat made it’s way along the surface of the new river. Hollee A McMurray and Sharon Spriggs Williams led everyone in birthday dances and festivities. Tana Bales and Ambre Low made everyone their favorite Birthday drinks and Lisa Devine showcased her latest work. Elida Dakoli made everyone feel extra special and before long it was like they had no idea they were journeying into a brave new world.
Meanwhile the limo made it to the city limits before the waves hit. Anita Mahram opened the gates and Andrea Jenkins and Shannon Mikles greeted them. As they all emerged from the limo a team of military like officials surrounded the car in a very organized fashion. However, instead of weapons, they were carrying musical instruments.
“Musical Instruments can be weapons!” corrected Eddie Healy swinging his ax around and breaking the fourth wall while striking a chord cuing Elizabeth Annunziato, James Clayto, Randee Smith Prez and Lori Sundeen Soderbergh all to struck a pose. Then they did a battle dance instead of just rolling in with guns, they rolled in with movement music and emotion. “A much more intimidating weapon in my opinion.” coined Christoph Buelman. Paula Sheppard Coco and Laura Bartlett nodded in agreement.
“Good” said Daniel “Because something otherworldly is here.”
“We better tell the authorities” suggested Arma Fitzgerald.
“Not like this. We need to freshen up” Lori Fomby
“You mean like a Spa Day?” asked Natalie Burkhart rather enthusiastically.
“More like the getting ready to see the Wizard” sourced Ashley W Dane
As the music played, Daniel and the artsy attendees all prepped to meet the authorities.
John McCaa reported on their fashion choices which seemed by the way everybody was getting ready for a date of a lifetime or maybe a wedding made one wonder who the authorities were in this dimension. Not to them of course because this WAS their reality.
The water reached the city and everyone seemed happy about it. Shortly behind the waves of water was Trevor Perry and Alan Dudley leading a team of the dancing fair folk in the mountains. As one glanced back to the city they saw Bryan Lankford leading another such troop with Kat Daddee, AlleSandra Singel and Kathleen DeForest. Since they were making an effort to be stealthy one might imagine they were not a fan of the authorities going on alert.
Back inside the city gates Daniel found himself leading a parade to the central tower. Sandi Scott, Lucia Welch, Gary Teague, Rhiannon Houston, Jennifer Glanton all stood on a float right behind him doing royal waves and confetti and flower pedals showered down from the windows. Lissa Duty met them at the doors to the central tower and allowed Daniel through.
“The highest authority” said Susan risking blowing her cover but Misty just dismissed it as she had never heard Daniels voice before. The elevator literally skyrocketed to the top floor, and when I say literally I mean in the original sense of the word.
That floor was 713 and obviously a tower that tall would have doors that would have to pressurize or de-pressurize before opening. There was a hissing as Daniel walked into this air lock and Susan slipped in behind him.
“I know you.” said Daniel and Susan simultaneously.
shanespeare 