Wishful Thinking

No Problem

As Stephanie continued to walk the air cooled and the land began to change. The ground hardened and there were no more pools of acid. She saw fewer and fewer of those strange plants and insects, and more tall, dark trees with wide trunks and high branches. Stephanie tried to climb one, to see if she could spy what direction the castle was in, but its branches were too high for her to reach and its trunk was too smooth for her acid-worn sneakers to get any traction. When her last attempt ended with her landing flat on her back, she decided that she should probably quit before she really hurt herself. It would be dangerous if she received a wound that prevented her from moving while she was here in this place, all alone.

She stood up and was about to move on when she heard a small voice cry out in alarm. "Help! Ma! Da! Help me! Someone, please!"

Stephanie stopped and looked around. About a couple Yards off, in the shadow of a tree, a small creature was fighting for its life against a carnivorous plant, which shared an uncanny resemblance to Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors, and was using the same kind of vines that had been chasing her earlier. The little creature in its clutches was the size of a pigeon and had wings like a bird, but was definitely not a bird itself. If anything, the creature looked part feline. Whatever it was, it must still be a baby, because it had more fuzz than feathers and it was crying out for its parents. For all she knew this poor creature could be another vicious meat eater, but Stephanie, moved with pity at the sight of a scared child, decided to save it.

She looked around for something she could use as a weapon, preferably something she could throw. Sticks, twigs, pebbles—the only thing large enough to make an impact on Audrey II was a thick log that was too large and heavy for her to be able to completely lift off of the ground. She glanced from the log to the plant to the little creature struggling to stay in the air. There was a slight downward slope in the ground towards the plant. Stephanie gritted her teeth, readjusted the angle of the log, and gave it a strong kick to send it rolling. It bowled straight into Audrey II and pinned the main part of the plant to the ground. Audrey II gave a roaring shriek and the tentacles loosened momentarily. The little creature used that instant as an opening to wriggle free and escape.

It beat the wings on its back frantically as it flew towards her. "Run!" it shouted, passing her to lead the way for their escape. Stephanie didn't have to be told twice. She wanted to be well and truly out of reach before the carnivorous plant recovered and came after them again. They did not stop until they felt that they had reached a safe distance.

Stephanie stood bent over with her hands on her knees and the little creature was sprawled out on its back like an exhausted kitten. They were both panting. "Thanks for saving me, Stephanie," it said after a while.

She was surprised to be called directly by name by this creature she had never met before. She wondered how it knew. She hoped he wasn't some kind of mini spy sent there to distract her with his cuteness.

"I'm not a spy," it said, forming its beaked face in a small frown. "I only read your mind. Everyone from the Forest of Echoes can do that."

'Forest of Echoes?' she thought, surprised once again. She wasn't sure how she felt about having her mind read without her permission. The idea was kind of unnerving.

The little creature cocked its head at her. "Yes, it's the place you're heading towards right now. We're on the border between it and The Carnivorous Swamp right now. And I can't help reading your mind. It's not like I'm doing it because I want to, although maybe it's a good thing I can, since you can't talk," it explained a bit defensively.

Stephanie shrugged. The little guy had a point. It was a lot easier to communicate when she didn't have to constantly stop to write everything down. He looked young, but she wondered if he or someone he knew might know the way to the castle, or if anyone had seen her sister and Hoggle and could point her in their direction.