Jenny opened her eyes. She was no longer in her room. The ceiling was criss crossed with roughly hewn beams, and the walls were made of stacked logs. Is this a cabin? Jenny thought. A bit on the nose for a company named Cabin. There were no rooms, no toilet, not even a sink. One end of the ladder rested on the cabin's wooden floor, but the other end terminated inside another fully assembled VRGo puzzle that was attached, upside down, to the ceiling of the cabin. Is this how they invite all their visitors? Jenny thought. Seems a bit convoluted.
Outside, a brisk wind rattled the single door. I wonder if someone is going to meet me here or if I should have a look around. The smell of mildew permeated the room, and something else. Wet dog?
Aloud, she said, "I'm here, now what?"
Jenny climbed down and bent over to retrieve her duffel bag. As she did, her black hat fell off and passed through Sally's ethereal form. It landed near a pile of glowing rags. Glowing rags? The pile stirred, and a furry white ear peeked out. The pile rolled over, and Jenny saw that the ear was attached to a creature with a round Pomeranian face and enormous eyes. The glow was coming from the fur that covered his entire body.
"Oh!" Jenny jumped back.
"Heather leaving," the strange creature said as he stood up.
"What?" Jenny cocked her head. "Did you just say something?" No, that's silly. Dogs don't talk...and they don't walk on their hind legs.
"Yes, Heather leaving." He backed toward the door.
Is it a talking dog, or a human with a furry condition? She noticed that a chunk of one of his large fox-like ears was missing. "No, stop, please."
He stopped.
"Your name is Heather?"
"Yes." His long ears bobbed as he nodded. "Heather Bibtwit."
Jenny shook her head. "I'm sorry. I've never met anything like you before. What are you?"
"Heather is Alfur."
"What is an Alfur?"
"Alfur is Heather."
"Clear as mud," Jenny mumbled. "Well, Heather, it's nice to meet you. My name is Jenny Tripper."
"A pleasure." The little creature clapped his hands to his sides and gave a small bow of greeting. At his full height, he reached Jenny's belly button.
"Heather leaving." Heather turned and walked toward the door.
"Wait, where are you going?"
"Home," the little glowing man continued.
Maybe this is some sort of test from Cabin. "Wait, don't go." Jenny rushed forward and grabbed Heather's small, wiry arm. As she did so, her mother's amulet swung loose from her shirt.
Heather stood transfixed by the brass amulet. His long fox-like ears lay flat against his back. "Jenny have food?" He looked up at Jenny expectantly.
"Oh yeah. Sure." Jenny blinked at the abrupt change of subject, but she was willing to play along if this was part of her Cabin initiation. She opened her bag and presented the package of raspberry Lamingtons.
Heather grabbed for them.
Jenny jerked the box out of his reach. "First, I need you to answer some questions."
"Yes, yes." Heather licked his lips.
"Can you take me to Lin?"
"Yes, yes. Jenny lucky Heather here. Forest dangerous place. Give Heather food. Heather take Jenny to Lin."
"You can have one now"—Jenny pulled the lid off and held out one of the coconut-covered morsels—"and one more after we find Lin."
"Yes, deal, deal. Give, please."
Jenny dropped the Lamington into his outstretched hands.
Heather gobbled the snack with his fox-like jaws and licked his hands clean. "Mmm, good." Bits of coconut and raspberry clung to the glowing fur around his mouth, which he cleaned with a long pink tongue. "Come, come." He walked to the cabin door and swung it open.
Jenny followed him outside. The smell of moss, wood, and decomposed leaves filled her nose. Ancient, colossal trees swayed and groaned. The base of a single tree was as large as the cabin. Ferns and bushes were the size of cars. A spiral of branches formed a dense canopy that created a permanent night. No clear paths led through the thick underbrush, and besides the cabin, there was no sign of civilization.
"Wow, this place is prehistoric."
Movement caught Jenny's eye. A butterfly the size of her hand fluttered through the air. Then a dragonfly the size of a bird. What a strange place for a megacorporation to send me. I expected an office building, maybe a park in a city, but not this. Thank goodness Heather was here to guide me.
"This way." Heather took a path that Jenny had not seen at first glance. If it hadn't been for Heather's glowing fur, she would have lost him in these dark woods. The Alfur hopped through the dense underbrush, somehow managing to avoid the thorns that snagged Jenny's duffel bag and jeans. While Jenny had to climb over shrubs and under branches, Sally walked through them.
It was dark. The light of the day failed to penetrate the dense canopy. After several minutes of hiking, Jenny stopped to catch her breath. "Hold on." The moss that covered the trees and earth absorbed her voice like a sponge, making her feel small and claustrophobic. "Can we take a break?"
"Yes, Jenny."
Jenny sat on a large root and inhaled the forest's earthy aromas while she rested. She wished that she had thought to bring a water bottle. "Heather, what makes you glow?"
"Alfur glow." Heather shrugged. "Alfur eat glowing food."
"Where do you find glowing food?"
"In cave."
"Why were you sleeping in the cabin?"
"Cabin safe." His eyes followed a moth the size of a dinner plate fluttering nearby. "Forest dangerous."
"If it's so dangerous, why would you come here?"
"Big, juicy bugs." Heather leaped into the air and caught the moth in his mouth. He snapped his jaws shut, crunching the large insect in meaty bites until he swallowed it. He mistook Jenny's horrified face for jealousy and said, "Jenny have next one."
"No. Thanks." Jenny's stomach roiled. "I hate bugs, especially the flying kind."
Heather shrugged.
"Ok, I'm ready." Jenny got to her feet. To her frustration, Heather led them deeper into the forest as he rushed after every insect he saw, which was quite a few. She wasn't accustomed to long hikes through the woods, and the muscles in her legs began to burn. "Are you sure you know where you're going?"
"Yes, yes, Heather take Jenny to Lin."
A stream had been growing louder as they walked. Soon, it appeared through a break in the undergrowth. The water babbling over stone, the smell of damp earth, and the rustle of the wind through leaves reminded Jenny of happier times with her mom. On the edge of the muddy bank, a giant frog watched then with its big wet eyes. Warty growths covered the mottled brown skin on its back. It let out a loud croak, then it stood up on stubby hind legs, revealing a soft white potbelly and flabby chins.
"Did you see that?" Jenny pointed. "That huge frog stood up on its hind legs—" She turned and caught a glimpse of Heather in the dark woods as he chased after a large, furry moth. "Wait!" Jenny ran after him and stumbled into a spiderweb. Spitting the sticky silk from her mouth, she called out Heather's name, but he didn't hear her. She charged recklessly into the undergrowth, and a slender, thorn-covered vine grabbed her black jeans. By the time she freed her herself from the thorns—earning several blood-oozing scratches—the Alfur's glow was nowhere to be seen. She ran to where she had last seen him, calling his name, but the dense moss absorbed all sound.
The forest seemed bigger and darker than before. She called Heather's name and scanned the dark woods for anything that glowed. Jenny kept walking until she found a narrow path free of undergrowth. Why didn't we use this?
Jenny stumbled over something soft. The wind seemed to hold its breath as she looked down. A lump formed in her throat. It was a man in a gray uniform with half his head crushed. She gagged at the smell and the sight of his misshapen purple face. Yet she didn't run. Instead, a morbid fascination drew her closer. Blood had congealed in his black hair and pooled onto his collarbone. I wonder what happened to him. The blood looked wet and fresh, but a few green flies were already buzzing around the wounds. It looks recent. Seeing another human, even a dead one, gave her some relief. But what if whatever killed this man comes back? She looked around, aware of how vulnerable and alone she was. Didn't Heather say this forest was dangerous? Gnarled branches seemed to reach down for her, and the air grew stale.
Jenny looked to Sally, who seemed brighter and more detailed than ever in this forest. Sally motioned for Jenny to follow. "Do you know where to go?" Jenny asked with relief. Sally nodded. Jenny shrugged and followed her ghost into the dark woods. The thick undergrowth made passage difficult for her, but not for her ethereal companion.
After an hour, the trees transitioned from giant evergreens to groves of fruit and nut trees. Jenny's throat had grown sore and dry from breathing through her mouth, and her stomach was cramped with hunger. She had the Lamingtons, but she'd gladly trade the sweet cakes for a drink of cold water.
Soon, Jenny had her wish as Sally led her down to a stream. A thick fog concealed the opposite bank, and a distant tree line formed a jagged outline against the fog-cloaked hills. Jenny picked her way down smooth gray stones to the stream's edge. There, she drank from the clear water to relieve her dry mouth and throat. After wiping at her chin with the back of her hand, Jenny dug through her bag for her Lamingtons. As she devoured the treat, she watched the fog crawl across the water. She washed the Lamington down with more water as Sally crossed the stream and entered the fog.
"Wait for me!"
Jenny put her food away and followed her ghost. Her duffel bag bounced against her hip as she hopped across the stones. Thunder cracked overhead, and cold raindrops found their way to Jenny's warm skin. That's when Jenny realized that she had lost her hat. As they climbed the hill, she mentally retraced her steps. That's right, I dropped it back at the cabin.
Sally beckoned Jenny forward toward dark, square shapes that emerged from the fog. They crossed a field of wild grasses to a floor of cobblestones. Jenny grew more miserable as water ran in rivulets down her back and into her jeans. She picked her way over a crumbled wall to a scattering of ruined buildings crawling with vines and moss. Remnants of rooms lined the inner walls. At one end of the courtyard, a rusted lattice portcullis hung within a gatehouse; at the other end was a grand cathedral. Its large doors promised a treasure of secrets to explore.
Jenny could feel the history of this place. She looked around in wonder at the enormous stones and imagined what life had been like here. Water gathered into streams on the ground and rushed to a large square hole in the middle of the courtyard. Sally sat on her heels and watched the water spill into the dark depths of the drain. Jenny walked over and crouched next to her ghost companion. Every detail of the ghost's face was distinct.
Suddenly, a feeling of helplessness and intense loneliness crashed into Jenny like a tidal wave. She felt lost, both physically and mentally, and she struggled to maintain her hold on reality. "What am I doing here?" She looked at Sally. "Why am I here with you?" Jenny's eyes filled with tears. "Why can't I see my mom instead?"
Sally reached out her hand. Jenny took it and gasped. It felt solid. Sally grabbed her and pulled her into an embrace. Jenny collapsed into Sally's arms as the dam on her emotions exploded. Hot tears flowed down her cheeks, and a strange numbness spread through her body. The air grew dense, more like water. Circular waves moved languidly out from the depths of the drain. A wave hit her, and the world spun.