Chapter 10

We Went Over The River And Through The Woods, But We're Not Going To Grandma's

My feet burned and ached as we continued to trudge towards Elmwood Forest. I never realized how far away the forest was from my neighborhood. It always felt like the forest reserve was practically in my backyard, but it definitely wasn't when you were walking there. To make matters worse, I didn't have my books or my music to keep me company. Obviously, Raven, Spindler, and Theodore were there, but they made terrible company. Raven never talked and was constantly scribbling in her black journal. Theodore was always complaining about something or another. Spindler...well Spindler wasn't half bad. I didn't mind being with him at all.

"Are we there yet?" Theodore asked.

"Of course not," Spindler replied. "You asked about five minutes ago, and we aren't much closer to the Elmwood Forest now than we were then."

"I was hoping I could talk your uncle into joining the teddy bears when they take over Blackwald," Theodore said.

"Good luck with that," I said sarcastically.

We continued to wander down the hiking trail, although my feet were still protesting. The trail was gravelly and dull, and I was still dripping wet from my accidental swim. My stomach growled, begging for food. I looked up at the sky, and saw that the bright blue sky was exploding with color. Maybe the sunset would make the others notice how late it actually was. For the first time on my journey, I wanted to go home.

"Can we stop for a while?" I asked.

"Why?" Raven asked. "We'll be there in an hour or two."

It suddenly dawned on me that neither Raven nor Theodore needed to eat. I glanced at Spindler.

"You heard Raven," he said. "We'll be there soon."

I hoped Spindler would have a little sympathy, but apparently he didn't. I continued to trudge on towards the Elmwood Forest.

Spindler fumbled through his bag. "If it's necessary for your survival, I have a few granola bars." He pulled out a granola bar and gave it to me.

I took the granola bar and unwrapped it. "Thanks Spindler," I said. I ate the granola bar, which was bland and flavorless, but it was better than nothing.

I wandered down the trail and saw something glowing purple. I walked closer and looked back briefly. None of the others seemed to notice. I walked deeper and deeper into the woods, hoping that I wouldn't get lost. The tall pine trees quickly shrouded my view of the trail as I approached the object.

It was a stick. I had wandered into the woods for a stick. The stick was about the length of a ruler and was perfectly straight. I picked it up to take a closer look. The stick was light brown and slightly pointed. It appeared to be engraved with twisted designs, although I wasn't quite sure how that was possible. I stared at the stick for a while, unsure what to do with it.

I prepared to cast the stick back into the forest. What did I need a random stick for? It wasn't big enough to use as a walking stick. I extended my arm to toss it towards the nearest tree when something totally unexpected happened.

A stream of purple rushed out of the stick. It hit the tree and consumed it in a fiery purple blaze.

I ran away from the burning tree, amazed that the little stick I was carrying could do such big things. I stuffed it in my bag, hoping nobody else would realize I had it.

I found the trail again, but Raven, Spindler, and Theodore weren't there. I looked around frantically, but nobody else was on the trail. I ran further down the trail. Luckily, I found the others there.

"Where were you?" Spindler asked. "You know that if we lose you now, the quest fails."

Oh, right. Spindler was only keeping me around because I was supposedly needed to help him return to Blackwald. I liked to think that Spindler and I were friends, and I dreamed that we were more than that, but when it came down to it, Spindler and I were acquaintances and nothing more.

"Yes, Spindler," I said. "I'm aware of that."

"Are we there yet?" Theodore asked again.

"Actually, Theodore, I think we're here," Spindler said, gesturing to the sign nearby. It read "ELMWOOD FOREST PRESERVE: NO TRESPASSING."

"I think we might need to break that rule," I said.

"I don't mind that," Raven said.

"Well, we're here," Spindler said.

I took a moment to look around. I looked back on the practically endless stretch of trail I had just conquered. I looked down on my soaked shoes and the gravel below me. I looked up at the sky, where the bright colors that had been there earlier were fading into a dark and lonely night and a silver waning moon. Finally, I looked ahead, into the mass of trees and bushes that the trail led into.

"Let's go," Spindler said simply.

I took my first step into the Elmwood Forest.