Hours passed as Jacob wandered through the forest, the squirrel lost quite soon after he followed it through the trees. The endless expanse of forest and familiar looking places took him in circles until he found himself exhausted. His mind wandered to his drawing and the world he created, wondering what he would do if he was there.
"This is never ending," he groaned. A giant mushroom ahead caused him to light up. He rushed towards it to inspect it, before plopping down to lean against it and rest a little. His eyes closed, ready to daydream and take a nap.
"Hey!"
The voice snapped Jacob awake, his body jolting as he looked around desperately.
"Hello? I don't know where I am and I don't mean any trouble! My father is the king and I'm lost! Can you bring me home? My father will reward you!" he shouted, still not seeing where the voice came from.
"A king? Yes, a king," the voice mumbled. Jacob's head snapped towards it as giant mushrooms appeared from the shadows and trees, their strides confident and strangely stable for their bodies. "What would your father's name be?"
"You-you're a-a-aaaaa-"
"Go on kid, spit it out," another mushroom encouraged.
"A mushroom!" His heart pounded from his chest and he rubbed his eyes, blinking a few times and staring in disbelief.
"You don't say! And you're a human. We've never seen one of you in real life before," the mushroom replied.
"Oh, oh this must be a dream. I'm just dreaming and these are my characters," Jacob mumbled to himself. He stood and wiped the dust from his pants before leaning against the mushroom he had sat by. "Mushrooms can't talk!"
"Well, we can!" the mushroom shouted, sending Jacob sprawling forward in surprise as he stared back in disbelief.
"Nooo, no, this isn't possible."
"I assure you it is! My name is Eldoria," the first mushroom spoke again, smiling warmly. "And these other two are Celestri and Dave."
"Dave..." Jacob blinked, trying to process the name.
"Oi kid! What's wrong with that?" Dave snapped.
"I mean, nothing really but your friends have cool mythical names and you're just Dave. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you, I was just surprised!"
"Well offense taken!"
"Ignore him," Celestri encouraged, "he's always grumpy like this. Now, tell us your name and your father's name."
"Jacob. My father is King James."
"Jacob?" Dave scoffed. "So much to say about my name and yours is just Jacob?"
"Dave!" Celestri and Eldoria snapped in unison.
Eldoria shook her head. "Again, ignore Dave. Where was it you were going?"
"Home, to the castle. I got lost but I think it's north-"
"You can't go north!" Celestri interjected stepping between Jacob and the direction he spoke of. "North of here is nothing but evil! You don't want to go there. The creatures are horrible, pure evil!"
"I've never heard of that before and I think my dad would have said something. Besides, I need to get home and I don't know any other way to go! My parents are probably worried about me and they're going to be so mad." Jacob sighed and wrapped his arms around himself. The sky was already beginning to darken, and fear began to set in.
"We understand. But night is coming and I assure you the north is dangerous," Dave spoke, his tone gentling. "Spend the night and try to find your way home at sunrise. There's a lot more danger at night, and if they find you, you're, well - dinner or a toy."
Jacob gulped and hugged himself tighter. Eldoria moved closer to him as though to shield him from Dave's realistic but terrifying truth. "But don't worry. You'll be alright."
A nearby rustle in the forest made Jacob jump and he hovered closer to Eldoria, catching the slightest movement going away from them as they began their journey forward. Unease filled the boy and a small breeze made him shiver. He continued to keep close to his new mushroom companions, but as the path progressed, he found himself in awe. The plant life became more vibrant and a variety of majestic animals he'd never seen peered from sides of the path. His steps slowed and he stopped, amazed and curious as he began to step towards the edge.
"We can't stop here and mustn't go off the path!" Celestri quickly instructed, Jacob hesitating before returning to the little group.
"We still have a long road ahead and we don't want to be too far from home when it gets completely dark out. It's not safe on the paths either," Dave clarified for him.
Another shiver ran through Jacob and the walk continued. Exhaustion burned through him as they strode on for over an hour, covering four miles at a walking pace that left the boy wanting his bed. His eyes felt heavy and his legs dragged. Suddenly, the mushrooms came to a stop, Jacob bumping into them.
"Watch it!" Dave snapped.
"Why are we stopping?" Jacob ignored Dave this time and looked between Celestri and Eldoria.
"We're here," Eldoria smiled.
"Here? It's just trees and bushes!" Jacob stared into the empty trees and forest, his shoulders slumping in defeat.
"You have to look closer," Celestri encouraged. "Our world was created by magic. Magic flows through the city, but one must believe in the world to see it. It's what keeps us safe."
"I do believe or I wouldn't be here!"
"If you believed, you would see it," Dave sighed, impatiently starting to walk forward.
Jacob closed his eyes and took a deep breath. How could he believe it? Any of it? Still, he forced himself to relax, allowing his mind to imagine what it must look like, full of life and colors and all the creatures he could imagine. As he opened his eyes again, the city began to unfold in front of him. He gasped, his face lighting up.
"It's amazing! Where is everyone?" He looked around, stepping into the city in excitement of his new discovery.