Ethereal

~Marcie~

I shook my head, as if to clear away cobwebs. Everything here had a dream-like quality, and I felt dazed as I turned to Charlotte.

"Well, in every adventure, you have to--"

"Eh!"

Charlotte and I both turned to the goblin. He looked annoyed at being ignored. His appearance was more mushroom-like now, with his wrinkly gray skin. His eyes glittered like goblin gold, and he twisted his crooked fingers together.

"What?" Charlotte said, turning to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, Mushroom. Either shut up or say something useful," I said, inadvertently naming him.

His eyes glittered and he hobbled over to Charlotte, pointing a bent finger.

"Golden hair, Sky-blue eyes," his mouth moved, but the sound came from the trees. It was the same echoing quality his voice had had before, multiplied tenfold.

"In darkest Night the Sun shall rise."

A breeze whispered through the trees, and I shivered.

Charlotte ran her fingers through her hair and looked down at the goblin, confused.

"What?"

"Golden hair..."

"Ok," I interrupted "We get it."

Charlotte looked at me, then back at the goblin. He turned around and muttered to himself.

"Sky-blue eyes, in darkest Night..."

"So...what were you saying?" Charlotte turned back to me.

I gave Mushroom a weird look before turning to her. "Oh. Well, before any adventure, we have to take stock of our supplies."

Charlotte nodded, and reached around for her bag, then turned around frantically.

"My backpack! It isn't here!"

I looked around and realized mine was missing as well.

I shrugged "Notebooks would be useless anyway. But-" I reached into my pocket and pulled out a pen. "One pen."

"One chapstick," Charlotte added, searching her pockets.

"Well, we certainly came prepared." I sighed. "Not gonna lie, I had a ton of food in my backpack. Not to mention--"

Mushroom made a sniffing noise and ran up to Charlotte again, smelling her.

"What are you--"

"Shhh." I watched the goblin carefully. He walked around Charlotte, pausing every now and then, taking in the scent of her clothes.

"Do you know where our packs are? Have you smelled her before, Mushroom?" I said carefully. "

He turned to me with a sideways grin.

"Before," he said, pointing a wrinkled finger. Charlotte and I turned to see the ground move and form a huge hole that resembled a gaping mouth. A wave of stank underground air washed over us.

"Before," Mushroom repeated, turning to us triumphantly. "In Sub-Tërra."

I turned to Charlotte with a grin, and she sighed.

"Well," she murmured, following me into the hole. "Let the adventure begin."