Gabriella sat on a wooden bench, next to a small shop to rest. The shelter was roughly made from mismatched pieces of wood and corrugated metal sheeting but it gave a small amount of shade, which at least toned down some of the sun. There she bought a small clingfilm wrapped packet of brown, roasted, sugared peanuts and a bottle of cola which was likely to be safe to drink. Although it was warm, the caffeine boost gave her renewed energy and she could move on.

Now that she had the dust covered look of everyone else, Gabriella blended in and didn't get as many startled looks. Surprisingly, most adults had some kind of designer or branded clothing except for some young Muslim girls who wore their head scarves and black clothing. Because of the time of day, most of the younger children were inside the many schools throughout the sprawling city but earlier they had passed the taxi in groups, wearing many different, colourful uniforms.

The people here seemed richer than her and maybe it was partly true. They didn't have to pay so many taxes although maybe the bribes needed for many things were the alternative. This place was always warm so no heating bills to worry about and food grew everywhere. Even the poorest family could supposedly find something to eat if they walked far enough but if they wanted their children to go to school or needed products like soap and toilet paper they had to find the money somehow.

Clean water was another problem but this place was filled with streams and wells so with a simple filtration system it could be plentiful, if they had the money to provide it. Although the city seemed dry, the air was rich with moisture and it rained often. Nature tried to squeeze back in at every opportunity, with papaya trees growing in cracks and banana palms at the road side. Small lizards enjoyed the sun on every wall and brown sparrow like birds hopped in the dirt, with more exotic, brightly coloured ones nearby.

The massive city of Yaounde was built at the edge of a rain forest and was slowly eating its way into the ecosystem with disastrous results but small patches of greenery persisted. Maybe it was because of the rippled shape of the land that many wild pockets clung to some hope, the deep valleys and steep hills were difficult to cultivate or build on. But gradually, even those areas would be consumed by the march of civilization.

Walking through the unfamiliar streets gave Gabriella a much greater insight into the living conditions of the regular people in the city. People got on with their lives, catching a motorbike ride to somewhere or selling trinkets as they walked by. They didn't seem to live differently from people in England. There were no starving children by the road, that she could see. Her mother used to tell her about starving children in Africa every time she didn't eat her veg but here almost everyone looked after them. There were many beggars but there were probably just as many in her local area, especialy since the pandemic.

It wasn't obvious but because of corruption, there was limited access to education and health care, the cities were also being overrun by plastic and air pollution due to European influences. As usual the western world was destroying everything else. The second hand guilt weighed on Gabriella's heart although the unconcerned strangers who walked past, only aimed momentary looks of curiosity towards her. She was only an outsider and couldn't know the whole truth of the situation.

The heat increased as she walked and her water supply dwindled, forcing Gabriella to take a break under some plantain palms. At least the air was clearer here, she was now in the outskirts of the city and there were fewer people. Less traffic stirred the dusty roads, people didn't burn as much rubbish and the beauty of Cameroon felt more vivid.

After walking for nearly three hours, she still hadn't found the place she was looking for but Gabriella wasn't lost. Even without her crystal clear memory, the camera showed her the way. All the unusual photos were gone but the originals were still there and under the shade of the palm she could just make them out, despite the small digital screen. On any other day, Gabriella would switch to a new SD card so she could take more photos but she needed these signposts to find her way.

She was close, there was a path nearby, one Gabriella almost missed. It appeared overgrown and narrow and much smaller than the day before. But the camera never lies, her images were the proof so she knew the place was through here. But strangely, Gabriella also felt that it was definitely the wrong way. She checked the camera and inched forward, to a more intense fear of snakes that might be hiding inside.

The fear made her gasp but she had never been afraid of snakes, so it went against her own emotions, the area was much too shady and damp for them anyway. It must be some kind of trick, a barrier to keep people out. Gabriella desperately wanted to believe that magic was real, she had to, if not the alternative was her imaginative or crazed mind. Could all this be fake? She had avoided the sun when she could and drunk plenty of water, it was approaching midday so the heat could be messing with her head.

But Gabriella refused to believe that she was delusional and kept pushing through the dense undergrowth that seemed to push back. Gabriella knew she was getting close, the plants were taller and more densely packed than before but she recognized a broken branch. Then she saw an area where birds fluttered in the tall plum trees and spotted lizards darted through the leaf litter, along the same paths. But it wasn't just similar, it was exactly the same as yesterday, it was just like a recording. Was she dreaming? Did Gabriella fall asleep under that tree earlier or maybe she was still in her soft, comfortable hotel bed.

She tilted her head and watched the show but it seemed normal, the scene looked real. Two things stood out though. First the animals didn't react to her and took the same paths as if Gabriella didn't exist, even if she stood in the way. If she touched them, they felt like living creatures but only her fingers could tell. The other obvious giveaway was that every seven minutes the whole scene started again in a seamless cycle. While she studied this phenomenon Gabriella had the urge to leave, it was late and someone was waiting for her and perhaps all these defenses would have worked for anyone else.

The problem was, someone was waiting for her, behind that barrier. The longer she stayed, the stronger the feeling, until she had to step forward. Gabriella couldn't see that meadow or the handsome face of the magical man but she knew they were there. Closing her eyes, she strode towards a gap between two trees, halting just in front of it.

Visualizing the magical scene in her mind, Gabriella knew that the gap was false so she stepped to the right, through a tree and walked forward, her eyes still tightly shut. She heard, then felt the crunch of leaf litter under her trainers, change into the swish of knee high grass. Afraid that it would disappear, she kept her eyes closed and knelt on the grass. Her hands felt the stems and flat grass blades of a meadow. The scent of different blossoms and plant sap blended into a rich tapestry, telling her everything and more.

Slowly, she opened one eye while holding onto a bunch of grass stems, hoping they would anchor her here. Gabriella was rewarded by a scene similar to the lively magical image. But this meadow was empty of all birds and animals, although many insects chirped and fluttered around her. With no shade here, the sun began to burn her body, so she scanned her surroundings for somewhere to hide from the midday heat. It was now one in the afternoon and the hottest time of day, Gabriella had to get out of the sun.

With no sign of the village, she headed in the direction seen in her memory. The forest edge looked cool and inviting but didn't feel safe, she could feel something carnivorous watching. Was this another test? This place felt real. It was likely that she had missed yesterday's party, everyone was probably resting now and that was why it was so quiet, if this wasn't a figment of her imagination. Should Gabriella close her eyes again? But the dinner plate sized butterflies were too beautiful to miss and what if everything disappeared.

Gabriella looked down as a massive land snail ran over her foot. The creature would dry out in this heat and she wondered why it wasn't hiding somewhere cool and dark. Picking it up made it retreat into its heavy shell but she decided to give it a lift to the forest edge, ignoring her fear of predators. To most people, a snail was insignificant and disgusting but Gabriella had been moving snails out of harm's way since primary school. It was probably another test anyway, there were no large carnivores this close to the city, she hoped.

Edging closer to some huge mango trees, warily watching for danger, she felt the cool shade wrap her in its healing embrace. The snail seemed to get heavier and grow even larger as she went, forcing her to put it down. Now that she was in the shade it hardly mattered anyway and Gabriella appreciated the snail's help. Needing a break, she opened her bag, which still held one bottle of water. She sipped at it gratefully and leant against the tree trunk. The snail sat nearby, innocently, despite growing to the size of her head.

She tore off a soft grass blade and fed it to the snail but it just hid in its shell. The birds started to chirp and sing in the trees, breaking the silence. Squeaks and grunts from various creatures gradually filled the air, lulling her to sleep. Gabriella's eyes blinked shut for a moment but she wasn't safe here so she forced them open.

Several people jumped back when Gabriella saw them looming over her. Her eyes had only been shut for a second but everything had changed. She pushed herself back against the rough tree bark and scanned the crowd. About twenty people dressed in deceptively simple, patterned clothing, stared down at her. Gabriella almost felt like she had gate crashed a party and was about to be kicked out.

"What is this white doing here? Who let her in?" A short plump woman demanded, staring at each person.

They all looked down and mumbled unintelligibly one after the other. The woman stepped up to an even shorter man wearing white and brown with a white hat. She loomed over him making him shrink back like a melting ice cream.

"It was you, Snail! I knew you were lazy but getting her to carry you back was too much!" she growled.

"I'm sorry Miss Mango, I was frying in the sun and my transformation skills don't work so well when I drink. That party was something else!" He bowed and looked up with a cheeky grin.

"Snail didn't break the barriers, she did it herself. I think she can see us..." a woman wearing a green and orange dress said.

"Yes, that's right. She passed all of them, every single one." A tall, slim man, dressed in grey explained. He looked around to see if they were all in agreement.

"Could this be the girl my boy is interested in? She didn't manage to pass the barriers yesterday so how did she do it today when they were at full strength?" Miss Mango asked an older man, who leant on a stick.

"Ah yes, I remember her. She made it halfway yesterday so technically she was here and our promise to allow our Mango Junior to marry still holds. Remember, you locked poor Prince into the cockerel form so he couldn't tell her. You should know by now that love can break any barrier. Not just these magical ones!"

Gabriella nodded in answer to that comment, making the crowd remember her existence.

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I hope you liked this first peak into the magical village. Please vote and comment if you can, it helps me write more. ( It really does.) Also I noticed this in Cameroon, being white is very rare and I often got called blanch, which is white in French. It's not meant in a bad way, it's basically just a way to gain attention from a possibly rich tourist.

Here is a question, do you think Gabriella is safe here?