The room Winston led Gramps and Abby into glowed with a dozen different hues, red, yellow, orange, all illumination, again, derived from plant life, a lounge. Several people sat around in chairs that seemed to grow out of the floor.

     As the four of them crossed the room, something emerged from the floor, stopping their forward progress.

     That "something" became a beautiful woman.

     She smiled.

     Abby gasped. "Oh my..."

     The woman looked like she'd been sculpted out of a maple tree.

     Her movements were graceful as she stepped forward to hold out her hand to Gramps.

     He refused to take it, refused to touch her. 

     "You're an Adam," she said.

     "Once upon a time."
     "Once an Adam, always an Adam."

     "The Fours tell you that?"

     The woman held out her hand to Abby next. Abby took it. 

     "And you're Patty's mother," she said. 

     "Her name isn't..."

     "I know. Her real name is Alison Dawson."  

     "And you are...?" Gramps asked, although he already knew the anwer.

     "I am Mother Naturia," the wooden woman replied.  

                                                    CONTINUE