“De enchantered forest o’ Faylanica!”

     “Enchantered? Oh…you mean enchanted, right?” I wasn’t used to such an accent.

     “Tis’ what I ‘ave ben’ sayin’!”

     “I must be dreaming…” I slapped my hand to my forehead.

     “Sure, tur ye humans dis place mus’ sem’ like a drem’,” he leapt off the rock and took a step towards me. “Sadle’, tis’ cause no ‘umans ‘ave visited ‘ere fer’ two ‘undred an’ fifte’ long years.”

     “I see…” it would still be a while until I understood what was really going on. I was searching for my sister and...had I really just entered into an enchanted forest? It was difficult to believe that I wasn’t crazy. Then it dawned on me. “Am I really the first visitor in 250 years?”

     “O’ course! I ain’t a liar!”

     “Oh…well, you see, the reason why I came is because I followed my little sister into here. So are you positive that no one walked in just before me?”

     “Ay’, no one else ‘as entered.”

     “So then, where did she go?”

     “Er…dat, I can’t exactly say,” he scratched his head. He didn’t realize I was asking the question to myself.

     “Well, you’ve been a big help,” I said sarcastically. “But, if she’s not in here, then I might as well be going.”

     I started to walk towards the archway. Once I left this unusual place, I would never think of it again. I didn’t want people to think I needed to see a psychiatrist. Finding my sister was my first priority.

     The little man ran quickly with his short legs and stopped in front of me.

     “Wait! If I bring ye tur de King, he migh’ ‘ave some answers.”

     “King…? I don’t know…she’s probably back outside.”

     He held on to my hands and had an expression of plea.

     “Please, jus’ come wit’ meh. If de King sees a visitor, he migh’ give dis poor lil’ dwarf a promotion! Meh career depends on ye!”

     I thought about it for a second. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure whether my sister was back outside or not. "Just wait here." I quickly ran outside and the forest changed back to it's dead state. My sister was still no where in sight. I sighed and walked back into the forest and watched as it changed again. "How the hell...?" I shook my head and walked back towards the little man. If I saw the King, he might know where Sarah was. I looked into the dwarf’s puppy eyes and said, “Fine. But you have to promise me some answers.”

     The dwarf began to jump up and down in joy. “O’ course! Thank ye! Thank ye!” he said with a huge grin.

     I rolled my eyes.

     He skipped over to the mossy rock and picked up the book he was reading. The book had a red snakeskin cover and had no title.

     “Come on now lil’ miss!” he called as he began to walk ahead into the forest.

     I began walking and he waited until I was beside him to begin moving.

     “So lil’ miss, what migh’ be yer name?”

     “Laurie Chambers.”

     “Nice ter meet ye Miss Chambers! Meh name’s Forkk.”

     “Oh, nice to meet you too Forkk…I guess.”

     Forkk smiled.

     “Uh…so what’s that book you were reading?” my lame attempt at small talk.

     “Ah…dis ol’ thing? ‘Tis de ‘istory o’ Faylanica it is!”

     “Right, so…then why were you reading it upside-down?”

     “Well, de ‘istory o’ Faylanica is vereh’ sad, so I read it upside-down ter make it vereh’ ‘appy!”

     “Right…” this little man was ‘vereh’ confusing.

     As we were walking, I noticed that the balls of light floating around us were very unusual. They began making little swirls in the air and flew past our faces every so often.

     “What are these balls of light?”

     “Dem? Ah, jus’ fairies,” he said it like it was something you would see everyday.

     “F-fairies?”

     “Ay, perty lil’ things aren’t dey? An’ much nicer dan’ dem’ pixies I say.”

     “Wow, so there are fairies and pixies in this forest? Aren’t they the same thing? What’s the difference?”

     “Not much o’ a difference. Jus’ dat de fairies’ skin is neutral colours an’ pixies are de colours o’ der ligh’.”

     “That shouldn’t be too hard to remember. So, you said you might get a promotion from the King. What kind of job do you have exactly?”

     “Tis’ tur greet anyone ‘oo enters de forest an’ recite de rules tur dem!”

     “Rules? You never mentioned any rules earlier.”

     “I…’idn’t?”

     “No.”

     “Ay…musta’ slipped meh mind…heh…”

     “So, what are the rules?”

     “Ah, righ’. Tis’ ben’ a while since I tol’ de rules. Where tur begin…”

     While Forkk was lost for words, we approached a part of the forest where a village was formed. The houses near us were made of wood and vines and the roofs were round. Off in the distance, there was a beautiful crystal palace with stained glass windows. Closer to the palace, the houses also were made of crystal and it all sparkled in the rays of sun that got through the tall trees. We walked into what seemed like a marketplace full of people that looked just like humans but were extraordinarily beautiful and with ears that were long and pointed.

     “Are these…elves!?”

     Forkk stopped thinking of the rules and stopped in his tracks. I waited until he spoke.

     “Er…yes. Dis’ is de elves’ part o’ de woods. De elf, King Kalire is de one ‘oo gave meh ma’ joob.”

     “So, the elves live in a different area than the fairies and such?"

     “Righ’. Now, lemmeh recite de rules before de King takes meh hed.”

     “Oh right, sorry.”

     Forkk cleared his throat.

     “Firs’ rule. In de forest, any visitor mus’ only stay fer less dan twenty four hours or dey ‘ill become part o’ de woods.”

     “Uh…and what exactly do you mean by ‘become part of the woods’?”

     “Well, dependin’ on wha’ de situation is, ye may turn inter’ one o’ de creatures in ‘ere like an elf, dwarf, pixie, well…ye get de idea. Bu’, ye also may turn inter’ a tree or a piece o’ grass if yer an unluckeh’ fella’.”

     “Oh gosh…” I tried to imagine being a piece of grass and constantly being trampled on. “So, what else is there?”

     “An’ uh…well, when ye leave de forest, ye mus’ not take any part o’ it wit ye. A piece o’ grass or a pebble in yer shoe is fine, bu’ no weapons or furniture. Since weh’ can’t leave de forest, we won’t be able ter get it back ye see? An’ ye will beh banned from ‘ere if ye do. Bu’ if it’s given tur ye as a present, ye may take yer leave wit it.”

     "You can't leave? Why?"

     "Er...I don' really 'ave an answer fer dat..."

     “Oh...ok. Seems fair…is that all?”

     “Lessee…ah! One more thing! If ye enter de elf’s part o’ de woods, ye mus’ stay in only de elf’s part o’ de woods.”

     “Why is that?”

     “Cause righ’ now, de pixies an’ elves are fightin’ wit each udder, an’ de great Goddess o’ the woods, Caelestis, is missin’ so der disagreement canno’ beh solved. Dat means dat any udder part o’ de forest may beh used as a battlegroond or beh pixie territoreh.”

     “What was the disagreement about? Was it really so bad to cause a war?”

     “Ay, dat’s fer de King tur say. I am jus’ a dwarf so no one realleh’ tells meh much. Now, shall weh see de King?”

     “Ah…one last thing.”

     “Hmm?”

     “Is the forest only separated into the elf, fairy, and pixie territories?”

     “No, bu’ from de elf territoreh, ye can onleh reach de faireh, dwarf, an’ pixie territorehs. Ye can only reach de udder parts o’ de forest through de pixie territoreh from ‘ere.”

     “I see. That’s all I needed to ask. We can get going now.”

     “Righ’-ee-o!”

     Forkk skipped down the marketplace most probably thinking about his promotion. I followed. Many fruit, jewelry, armor, and weapon stands were opened up in front of the houses. They were most probably family businesses. As we walked down the dirt streets, many people greeted Forkk and asked him how he was doing. There were also many stares coming my way and people whispering among themselves once they caught sight of me. Even though I knew it was because I was human and not an elf, it still felt somewhat like school.

     When we got to the part of town with the crystal houses, many of the elves had more expensive looking clothes with jewels embroidered in them. We soon came close to a bridge that lead to the castle. The bridge was made of marble and was placed over a river that was used as a mote. We came up to the large wooden doors of the castle where two guards with crossed spears stood. They nodded their heads at Forkk, lifted their spears, and opened the doors for us to enter. Every little part of the castle seemed like it came out of a fairytale. The tables were covered with lace and everywhere I looked I saw vases with the most beautiful of flowers; some that I hadn’t even known the names of. The stained glass windows made the rooms fill with colour and liveliness. A crimson carpet ran down the hallway to an arched doorway that was opened. As Forkk and I walked down the carpet, I could see a golden throne with jewels running along the sides of it and a burgundy cushion for the seat. A man with a large crown was slouching in the throne.

      When we got closer, I could see that the man looked fairly middle-aged; the laugh lines gave it away. His robe was a golden-yellow colour with a brown-spotted white fur laced around the collar, sleeves, and bottom of the robe. A purple silk sash was tied around his waist like a black belt. His curly-brown hair dropped just below the chin. He stared at me with curious eyes and rested his left index finger on his cheek while observing me. Standing behind the man were more men in heavy, silver armour with black and red capes. Most of them were carrying archery equipment on their shoulders except for two who were on the man in the throne’s right side. They held not only bows and arrows, but also carried swords and daggers. Their armour was different from the others also. One of them looked around the same age as the man in the throne. His black hair was slicked back and looked greasy while his skin was copper-toned and his eyes were jet-black. His upper-body armour was more vest-like; his arms were unprotected except for a pair of leather gloves. His black shoulder guards pointed out rather sharply but curled down at the tip. His pants puffed out at the bottom and were overlapped by his long metal boots. Looking at him gave me a shiver down my spine.

     The shorter boy next to him looked around my age. He looked about three inches taller than me and was very skinny. His armour appeared less protective than the unearthly man standing next to him. It was also a vest; with a black stripe down the middle and around the edges, and was cotton, not metal. His cape was pushed over to the side a bit because of his arrow case and around his waist was a brown leather belt with a sword holder. The pants were similar to the other man’s with puffed bottoms but were a golden-yellow colour. His boots were white with the same black stripe as his vest and the top of them were separated into two points. The boy’s face was probably the most beautiful I’d seen yet. His face was long and pale with a small nose and lips. His hair was a dazzeling silvery colour with red streaks the shade of blood. It was long and spiked down and leaned towards the left side of his head. But the most interesting thing was his eyes. They were a dark, crimson colour that showed fear, death, and yet a hint of compassion and longing for love. And for some unknown reason, I felt like I needed to comfort him. The boy’s head was faced forward for most of the time but soon turned slowly my way and just looked at me, with no expression on his face. For a moment that seemed like an eternity, we just stared at each other.

     “Forkk! Why are you not at your post?” the man in the throne lifted out of the seat in rage and I jolted my head in his direction.

     “Yer Majesteh! Yer Majesteh! Please! I bring ye a visitor; a ‘uman visitor dat is.” Forkk’s small hand pushed me forward with great force; almost making me stumble.

     I watched as the silver haired boy's expression quickly changed from nothing to shock. It made me wonder what humans meant to these elves.

     The King sank back into his throne and looked me up and down, “Hmm…yes. I did think that her attire was rather unusual…and foreign. But, don’t the human girls wear dresses and skirts, not pants?”

     “Ay yer Majesteh, two ‘undred an’ fifte’ years ago maybeh, bu’ not now.”

     “Two hundred and fifty years…has it really been that long since we had a visitor? Well, nevertheless, let us have a feast in celebration of our guest!”

     “Wait!” I called out and everyone stared at me. “I-I’m not staying for long. I’m only here because I have some questions to ask. Then I need to go.”

     King Kalire’s eyes narrowed, “How unfortunate. Well then, what is it you have to ask?”

     “It’s…about my sister. I chased her into the forest, but when I got in, there was no sight of her. I asked Forkk here if he saw anyone, but he said he didn’t.”

     “Interesting…” the King took a moment to think to himself. “Well, did you ever think that maybe she didn’t pass the portal to enter Faylanica and that she is still in your realm?”

     “I did, but when I checked back outside, she was no where in sight. Forkk insisted that I come see you, your Majesty,” I regretted coming.

     “Hmm, I see. Mayb-,”

     “Perhaps,” the frightening man with greasy hair spoke up, “Forkk had been distracted by something and had not seen the girl come into the forest?”

     “That’s a possibility, Seldul,” the King’s voice had an angered tone to it from being interrupted, “But what would distract him?”

     “I don’t know…maybe a book or something like that,” Seldul turned his head and stared at Forkk evilly with a smirk on his face.

     The look made my hands tremble and I could hear Forkk gulp loudly beside me. I guess this man wasn’t just feared by me alone.

     “Well, if that is the case, then I suggest you go back to your world to check if your sister has returned. If she has not, then return tomorrow to report and we will form a search team.”

     “Thank you, your Majesty, for your time,” I found that addressing someone as “your Majesty” was not something I was quite used to.

     “Also, it will be getting dark soon. Kethah Barelle, please escort…um, what is your name Miss?” the King had almost forgotten to ask.

     “Laurie, Laurie Chambers.”

     “Yes, Kethah, please escort Miss Chambers to the forest entrance. You now how things can get late at night. And Forkk, I will be needing a word with you.”

     “Aye, yer Majesteh,” Forkk stepped up to the throne looking nervous.

     The beautiful silver and red haired boy that the King had addressed as Kethah Barelle nodded his head and came forward to stand next to me. We then began advancing out of the castle and took the path towards the forest’s entrance-way. The night sky was dark by this time and there were many stars that couldn’t have been seen where I live. I could see the moon’s reflection inside Kethah’s crimson eyes, and it was simply stunning. I couldn’t believe that I was walking next to such a beautiful person. I could see that in the marketplace around us that the people were closing up their stands for the night and were going inside to eat their dinner. I could hear the families happily informing each other of their days. Soon enough, we were on the forest path that leads to the archway where I first entered. The fairies were still hovering around the trees and some were sleeping in the flowers nested on the flowers in the archway, making them glow. We both stopped in our path and I turned to Kethah to say goodbye but I noticed that he was also about to say something. We both stared at each other for a moment and then words finally came from his lips.

     “If you are to come back here to report tomorrow, please don’t come at night time like right now; it can become very dangerous, especially for un-experienced and unarmed fighters. Tonight, we happened to be lucky.”

     “I’ll remember to come prepared if I happen to come back. Maybe I’ll bring a whole bag full of weapons,” I joked.

     Kethah gave a hint of a smile, “Just don’t get too carried away.”

     I smiled back. His voice was very comforting. But that was quite a surprise to me. I hadn't expected him to be friendly towards me.

     Kethah’s face suddenly became sincere, “You know, the King didn’t mention anything about this, but I could tell in his voice that he wanted you to know. He was very excited to see that we finally had a visitor, and would probably be ecstatic if you were willing to visit again, even if you find your sister.”

     “I’ll try to remember that,” I still smiled, “I think I should go now. I guess...maybe I'll see you tomorrow? Um...bye."

     I began walking towards the entranceway but Kethah spoke up once more and I turned.

     “I was...glad that we had a visitor too. Have a safe night, Laurie,” Kethah then turned and strode his way back to the castle, with his back slouched over and hands in his pockets. I laughed a little as it reminded me of Kevin's walk.

     I then took a deep breath and went through the archway. I found myself back in the field that I first entered the forest through. I looked around and noticed that Sarah was still no where to be seen. I paced quickly back to my house to check if she was home. When I got to the doorsteps I slammed the door open and started running through the whole house, checking each room if Sarah was there. I ran upstairs and opened Sarah’s bedroom door and found her sitting on her bed watching the television.

     Sarah looked up at me and said, “Hey sis.”

     “Thank God!” I rushed over to Sarah and embraced her.

     “Ah! Get off of me! I can’t breath!”

     “Sorry,” I smiled.

     “Ugh…what’s your problem sis? Gosh, I’m hungry. When are you going to order pizza?”

     “Oh right. I’ll go do that right now.”

     I went downstairs and took off my jacket and shoes and went over to the phone. After dialing the number, I waited for someone to pick up. I ordered pepperoni pizza since Sarah doesn’t like anything else on hers and hung up the phone. I slouched in the chair and sat there doing nothing.

     “Maybe it really was just all a dream.”