*****
Benji had the dream again that night. The one where he was chasing after his mom, but Mom turned into Sarah and Tyler was a wolf. He woke up only a few hours after falling asleep. The image of Sarah and the red wolf disappearing into darkness was branded in his mind. He hated the dream. It left him with the coppery taste of adrenaline in his mouth.
It was midnight. Benji had already packed hiking supplies and his map of Black Rock into a big black and red backpack. When he fell asleep, he was planning on leaving at first light. After being woken by the dream, though, he decided earlier was better. He couldn’t sleep anyway.
He didn’t try to be stealthy. Instead he was quick. He rummaged through the pantry until he found some granola bars and cereal to stuff into his backpack. Filling his canteen made him think to check for bottled water, too. He found some cases under the sink and added as many as he could carry to his supplies.
At first, he tried to leave through the maze. It was the safest way through the tree line he could think of. The statue wouldn’t open the way for him though, no matter how many times he kicked it. Instead, he hurried around the garden and entered the woods on the outside of the maze.
Benji’s path was carefully marked on his map. The route was long, but he figured he had good chance of reaching the farthest mountain of the Three Sisters before tomorrow evening. If he hurried. With this in mind, Benji’s pace was as near to a jog as he could get without tiring himself too much. The terrain was relatively flat so far and he covered ground quickly. He passed a shimmering lake near dawn and stopped to rest.
Benji didn’t get too close to the lake. Glowing water probably didn’t signify anything good, but it was interesting. The gentle waves did much more than reflect light, they shined like they were made of light. Benji was grateful for its illumination in the early darkness of the morning, but he didn’t need to get side tracked by his own curiosity. He had somewhere important to go.
After his short rest, he continued more slowly and followed the lake north. A few yards from where the lake turned west, Benji stopped in a clearing. The far side of the little meadow was lined with a grove of black trees.
On the map, the trees were labeled simply Black Forest. Benji took the time to look them up in his handbook. According to the book, the trees absorbed every speck of light for food. Like some sort of extreme photosynthesis. That’s why they looked so dark even in the bright sunshine.
Benji figured dark trees were way better than risking an encounter with trolls or that wacky wizard that like turning people into frogs and swans. Those were his alternatives if he tried to skirt the forest. Before continuing though, he took a swig of water from his canteen and decided to eat something.
Benji was tired. His burst of adrenaline wore off hours ago. At first, he’d been extremely cautious. He wasn’t sure what kind of animals lived beyond the tree line. But after seeing nothing more exciting than a marmot (which looked weird, but was actually a native beaver-like creature and not supernatural at all), he relaxed a little.
His plan was reckless, he thought munching on a granola bar, but Benji didn’t care. Why else would he have been introduced to a world without boundaries, where anything was possible? He would go to Thana, the sister who saw death, as she seemed like the least dangerous of the three. He’d get her to bring his mother back. And when he came back with Mom in tow, his family would wonder why they hadn’t thought of it first.
He wasn’t sure how to get Thana to help him. Maybe since she saw death so much she would want to bring someone back to life. Or maybe he could do something for her. He didn’t have anything of value with him. It wasn’t like Grandpa left piles of gold around for bargaining with powerful Immortals. Then again, maybe he did. Benji hadn’t actually checked. With his breakfast finished, Benji stuffed the trash in his pack and headed towards the black trees.
The closer Benji got, the odder the trees looked. They had dark gray trunks and pitch black leaves. He couldn’t see anything at all past the first row of trees in the grove. As he approached, he stepped under the shade of an ashen branch and was startled when the light dimmed. It was like walking at night. He needed to go northeast through the trees to reach his destination. He pulled a flashlight out of the backpack and checked his compass before walking into the woods.
Benji was immediately surrounded by blackness. It was like someone blindfolded him. He couldn’t even make out the tree trunks anymore. Benji flipped his flashlight on and it glowed brightly for a moment before fading slightly. The terrain was easier to make out in the dim illumination, so he kept his heading and proceeded forward.
His flashlight began to diminish severely and he shook it. He checked the batteries before leaving, Benji even had extra. The light should be fine. As soon as the thought left his head, the light went out. He couldn’t see. Nothing. Darkness enclosed him once again.
Benji shook the light again, but it didn’t change anything. There was still no responding beam of light to cut through the pitch. He felt chilled in the dark and suspected the trees didn’t just absorb light, but warmth too.
That was it, Benji realized, looking down at the black space where he supposed his hand gripping the flashlight would be. He was so stupid. If the trees absorbed light, they would absorb his flashlight beam. He turned around. Crap. He couldn’t see the way out of the forest.
Getting desperate, Benji turned the flashlight off and then on again. The beam flared suddenly, but after a few minutes went dark again. He could do this, Benji thought. But he needed to hurry. He wouldn’t be able to change the flashlight battery in complete darkness and it was sure to run out eventually. Maybe even more quickly than normal thanks to the light sucking trees. He turned the light on again.
This time he started running when light briefly illuminated the forest. He kept pace at a steady jog, hopping over roots and trying to watch out for obstacles. The light vanished quickly, but as soon as it did, he stood still and turned the flashlight off. When he powered the light again, he repeated the process, running until it went dark. Repeating the stop/run sequence was tiring and the unnerving blackness was starting to creep him out. Did anything live in these trees? He hoped not.
Benji couldn’t keep a handle on his bearings, and had to use a few bursts of light to check his compass. The third time he did this, he started to get worried. The initial flashes were getting dimmer. He didn’t know how these trees worked, but they were draining the battery power along with the light. Benji had to keep going and get out of these woods fast.
He was out of breath and had a stitch in his side after who knew how long in the woods. They didn’t look very big on the map. Benji couldn’t even get the light on his wristwatch to work at all. Soon the flashlight would be useless, too. By this time, the flashlight could manage maybe two bursts of light before it gave out.
When the forest went dark again, Benji’s breathing echoed unnaturally loud. He had to be at the far edge of the grove by now. He flipped the light on and ran. Nauseous and slightly dizzy, clutching the pain in his side, he ran as fast he was able.
And broke out into daylight, just before the flashlight went dark again. Benji collapsed forward and puked up his breakfast, heaving and trying to breath. He had to admit that was terrifying. Gasping on the ground, Benji looked back at the tall ashy trees. What would it have been like to get stuck in there? Stumbling around in the blackness? Benji shuddered. Maybe he’d risk the trolls on the way back.
When his breathing settled, Benji heaved himself to his feet and checked his map and compass again. The run through the dark forest caused him to veer a little to the west. That was why it had taken so long: he was running at angle instead of straight through. His watch told him he’d been running for over an hour. Ugh. He still felt sick.
Benji rinsed his mouth with water from his canteen. He didn’t think he could stomach any food at the moment, so he walked on as soon as he felt able. The sun was getting high by now. Grandpa, Aunt Rachel
and Uncle Matt were probably aware that he was missing. Hopefully, they wouldn’t come after him until later in the day. If luck was with him, they wouldn’t be able to figure out where he was going anyway. Benji didn’t leave a note.
After another hour’s walking, Benji spotted a flat rock on a grassy knoll ahead of him. Stopping to eat and get a significant rest sounded like a good idea. He was making good time, but his energy was waning after all that running. Heading for the big stone, Benji nearly tripped over a smaller one jutting out of the ground. He did a little hop before catching his balance, but when he turned forward he nearly fell again.
Hovering in front of his face was a tiny man with transparent veined wings like large sails. He was about six inches tall and dressed in ragged brown pants, but no shirt. His dragonfly-esque wings flapped in annoyance.
“Why do you trespass here, human?” the little man asked. He said ‘human’ the same way Sarah said cockroach; like it was disgusting.
“Uhh . . . ,” Benji stuttered. It took him a minute to come up with a response. The little guy had his arms folded and was glaring pointedly at Benji. “I didn’t mean to trespass,” he said finally. “I’m just trying to get somewhere.”
“Somewhere like here, eh?” a second voice asked from behind Benji. He jerked around to see at least twelve small people flying behind him. Some were women, some men, some old, some young, but they all looked vaguely threatening and very unhappy.
“No, no,” Benji shook his head. He must’ve accidently walked into the Fairy Ring. He didn’t think he was that far west, but apparently he was. The only fairies in the sanctuary were limited to the Fairy Ring, a ring of stones marking their territory. He meant to avoid it. Fairies, he learned, were not exactly nice beings. “I’m trying to get to a mountain a few miles from here. I didn’t mean to trespass, honest!” Maybe they were just paranoid. He had to try to calm them down and talk his way out of this.
“I think he’s lying,” a girl fairy said from his side. She was very pretty, wearing a black and green dress and had colorful butterfly wings. She flitted up and down around him in agitation.
“I’m not lying,” Benji protested. “I didn’t even mean to step inside the ring. I—!” He was trying to explain, but the pretty fairy interrupted him.
“Huh, likely he’s come to pry more treasure out of us,” she said. “Isn’t that what all humans want?” The question was met with hearty agreement.
“Could be innocent,” an older, white whiskered fairy suggested.
“Of course he’s not innocent!” exclaimed the girl fairy. “Being human is all we need to convict him! They’re takers, imprisoning us and stealing what’s rightfully ours!”
“I don’t want anyone’s property!” Benji yelled desperately. “I’m just passing through!”
“Not very likely that human who is not the Keeper would venture into the ring,” the old fairy mused.
“A trial! A trial! We should convict him rightfully!” a tall broad fairy in a leather tunic was shouting. Many of the other winged people echoed him. Benji began to get the sense he was in serious trouble.
“You can’t convict me if I’ve done nothing wrong,” Benji tried to reason.
“Standing here is wrong enough,” an unseen fairy shouted. Again, others agreed loudly. The crowd had grown. There were now more than fifty fairies surrounding him.
“There’s no need for a trial,” the pretty fairy called out. “He is guilty as sure as he’s standing. We should strike now before he decimates us all!”
Before Benji could lodge another protest, the fairies were in an uproar. They all started shouting for a punishment, some even called out for his death. It was time get out of here. Fast. Benji spun around intending to run, but the fairies were swarming the edge of the ring. He couldn’t go back the way he came. Making a quick decision, he charged in the opposite direction, running deeper into the ring. He hoped the other side wasn’t very far.
Fairies clouded around him as he ran, like a plague of colorful locusts. He hit a few, crashing through the ones blocking his way. In retaliation the winged mob began to zoom in close. Their little fists pummeled his face and pulled his hair. He felt them tugging on his backpack and his clothes. Fairies might be small, but they were plenty strong.
The grass he was running over turned to rocky soil, then to a rough forest, but Benji had yet to cross over the stone ring. He tripped over a root, falling forward. His palms scraped the ground and he could hear and feel part of his backpack and t-shirt being torn away. Benji scrambled up quickly, batting fairies out of the way. At this point he didn’t care if he hurt them, he just didn’t want them to hurt him.
He kept running even though the exertion was beginning to make him feel weak and ill. A stitch throbbed in his side and Benji’s throat was dry from his labored breathing. How long could he keep this up? The fairies already wrecked his clothes and probably his bag, too. He really didn’t want to find out what they could do to him if he held still.
Benji jumped over a small brook and crested a stony ridge. Finally, he could see the line of curved stones in the ground. He pushed himself forward in a burst of speed and leapt over the boundary of the ring. He stopped abruptly and nearly fell over, hunching with his hands on his knees and trying to breathe.
From upside down, Benji saw the mob of fairies still raging at him from inside the boundary. Some of them were waving strips of his shirt and pants. One even had a handful of his hair. They buzzed insults at him like angry flies. When Benji felt more capable, he put as much distance between himself and the fairy ring as he could before collapsing against the trunk of a smooth, pale tree.
Holy cow!! Who knew fairies could be so brutal? He never meant to go through the ring in the first place. But after the trippy dash through the forest, he simply forgot to look for it. He forgot he was even supposed to be looking for it. That was dumb, he knew, but he’d have never taken fairies for bloodthirsty pirates.
Benji took stock of his attire and hefted his backpack around for a look. His clothes were ripped here and there, but nothing too bad. His pack was in the worst shape. All the front pockets were shredded or torn off completely. His compass and several granola bars were gone. He would have to ration what he had left if he wanted to make it to Thana’s and back home. On the way back, he needed to account for Mom, too. He hoped she wouldn’t mind eating light.
Cool water from his canteen soothed his throat. For the first time since sitting down, Benji became aware of his surroundings. The sun was past its highest point and shadows began to lengthen in the forest. Funny shapes for shadows, he thought, curiously examining the round, bulbous patches of dark. Like mushrooms, he thought. Benji gazed upwards in wonder. They were mushrooms.
The tree he was leaning against wasn’t a tree at all. It was a huge mushroom, at least as tall as the manor. Smaller mushrooms were dispersed between a few fir trees and oaks. Tiny white and yellow mushrooms littered the forest floor. Benji was sitting at the base of the largest one in this vicinity, although he could see some just as big further north.
A check of the map revealed Benji was at the edge of a Giant Mushroom forest. Since he lost the compass, he relied on the position of the sun and known landmarks to guess his position. Using the binoculars, he scrutinized the skyline above the trees and giant fungi.
Two mountains rose in the distance. They were the first of the Three Sisters. The third must be hidden. That was the one he needed: Thana’s mountain. If he followed the edge of the mushroom forest until he hit the base of the closest mountain, he could skirt the first two of the Three Sisters to reach the third.
Benji was closer than he previously thought, but he figured he deserved a chance to relax after all that running. Scratches and bruises were making themselves known on his face and hands. They ached and stung like bad paper cuts. His palms were dirty with blood and grit. Benji rinsed his injuries with bottled water as best he could, regretting his lack of a first aid kit.
&nbs
p; When his breathing was back to normal, Benji stood up and stretched. He was so sore! His muscles were cramped from sitting. He tried to loosen them up a little before slinging on his backpack and heading towards the mountains. Benji limped along for a few paces, but soon felt stronger. Still, he kept his pace slow. He didn’t think he needed to hurry as much anymore since he was so close.
At some point, the path to the mountains would veer west while the Giant Mushrooms continued north. Until then, Benji kept the mountains in his line of sight and hugged the outer edge of the mushroom forest. It was slow going, but after the exertion of the afternoon, Benji didn’t mind.
The sun was sinking behind the first mountain when he turned west. The mushrooms were larger on this side of the forest. Some had to be at least five stories tall. There was no telling how wide the caps were. Benji couldn’t even determine their colors anymore. He could only look up into the murky white and brown undersides.
The turning point was as good a place as any to make camp, Benji thought. The mushroom caps would keep the ground dry in case of rain and the ground here was soft with fungi. He was so tired he could sleep on a rock without a qualm, but Benji was grateful he wouldn’t have to. He leaned against the trunk of a nearby mushroom and slid slowly to the ground. Could the mushrooms be eaten? Benji didn’t want to risk it. Instead, he shoved the straps of his pack off of his shoulders, ready to take stock of his supplies.
There was a faint and strange noise coming from Benji’s right. He stopped, his hand poised above the backpack zipper, to listen. It was a sort of nickering sound. Like something very large clicking a very large tongue against its teeth. It got closer and Benji scrutinized the dusky forest in front of him. The light was fading and he could only see white stalks and a few small trees.
Benji thought he saw movement further inside the mushrooms. He squinted, trying to see into the shadows. Benji’s plans for making camp were temporarily forgotten. Did he know of something that lived in the mushrooms? He didn’t think so. At least, he couldn’t remember anything.
Benji relaxed despite the persistent clicking noise and was getting ready to open his backpack again when he saw the mouse. It wasn’t just any mouse. It was huge. It was bigger than Uncle Matt’s F150. Heck, it was nearly as big as a school bus. Ears like satellite dishes were flicking this way and that, listening intently. It’s light, murky colored fur helped it blend in with the mushroom stalks, which is why Benji hadn’t seen it at first.
Benji watched the hulking creature in fascination. It actually looked pretty terrifying with its long, sharp clawed feet and big black eyes. Currently, it was clawing out underside portions of a mushroom cap and eating them like cheese. There was something he should remember, Benji thought. It was something about a giant mouse. The memory eluded him as he watched the mouse from a distance. It probably wasn’t important. Since the mouse was obviously a vegetarian, Benji didn’t think he had anything to worry about. On the other hand, maybe he should look for a different place to camp.
When Benji stood, thinking it was good time to leave, the mouse abruptly pointed its snout in Benji’s direction. Its front teeth stuck out over its thin lips. They looked long and sharp and glistened yellow in the twilight. Benji couldn’t move. He suddenly remembered what he knew about giant mice. The mouse in front of him raised up on its hind legs and hissed at him. Did it think Benji was a threat? It’s mouth opened wide, screeching emitting from deep in its throat. Then, to Benji’s abject horror, the thing belched a great plume of fire. The heat reached his face, and Benji, abruptly released from his frozen state, turned and ran.
Giant mice, Acridian Mice, ate mushrooms. And breathed fire. For the third time that day, Benji hoped he was fast enough and went racing through the forest.
*****
Chapter 25: Big Bad Wolf