THE CREW hadn't said a word to each other ever since they safely landed on the ground.

For almost half an hour, they skimmed over the gnarled treetops, for the cluster of dead trees stretched far wider than they thought. The Tree Guards of the Enchanted Tree kept stretching their skeleton branches in an attempt to pull them back down and punish them severely for being such thieving kids.

Night cloaked in the entire sky. The sun bid its goodbye for the day, and the moon peeked from behind the clouds. They trudged the needle-covered forest floor; the grass was crispy under their feet. Surrounding them were skyscraper trees, so thick and healthy that tiny animals like squirrels, geckos, owls, and birds lived in them. There were even beetles, snails, and frogs hiding in plain sight.

The harmony of scents was ineffable. It felt like they were breathing for the first time, and they never feared what the forest might bring to them. Despite the cold of the dead night, they did not feel alone. There were many kinds of a wanderer with them: big, small, winged, furry, and crawling.

Near treetops, there were flocks of tits playing and chit-chatting. A Siberian jay fluttered near Elsie's right ear, twittering a song to her. She giggled as the bird perched on her shoulder.

"We are always open for more companions, little bird," she said, scratching the bird on its chin. It was said that a Siberian jay must be greeted, for the bird might be a guide in the woods.

Andy huffed and hastened his heavy footsteps. Elsie's smile faded as she jogged to catch up with him.

"Andy, what's the matter?"

But Andy ignored her question. He tightened his grip on his bag's straps, and his head pointed straight ahead.

Elsie, Chip, Hex, and the little bird exchanged glances. None of them knew what to say.

They glanced around. A few colorful mushrooms sprouted at tree roots and between cavities of rocks. Elsie hugged her stomach when it growled. Her mouth salivated just at the sight of those cute colorful mushrooms, but the Siberian jay pecked her cheek and shook his head. So, Elsie could do nothing but pout and ignore her hunger.

"Okay, that's it!"

Andy stopped on his fast and heavy steps and turned around. Elsie, Hex, and Chip jumped back, startled. The jay bird's wings fluttered. He sang a high-pitched complaint, pecked Andy on the forehead, then flew towards one of the trees, disappearing behind its thick leaves.

Elsie, Hex, and Chip looked at each other warily, seeing Andy's dark and immense aura seeping. All the animals from the vicinity scampered around, finding a place to take cover. Some dove behind the bushes. The others climbed the steep trunks of those towering trees. But the three, pinned to the spot by Andy's red hot glare, stood huddled together, shivering.

Andy's cheeks puffed out. His face was purple and twisted from the extreme feeling that wanted to burst free from his chest. There were just too many things he wanted to say and do at the same time. Bruises and scratches littered his body from being flung by that tree, all because of someone's mistake. He wanted to run to his mama to have someone cure his wounds and soothe him to sleep. He wanted to call for his papa to save and defend him from any monsters who would come his way. Unfortunately, he was stuck in this world with careless and unreliable companions.

"Andy?" Elsie teetered on the spot, contemplating if it was safe to come right next to him. In the end, she chose to go to mollify and ease his shivering body. She worried about Andy's ugly bruises and scratches. Some of them might even come as scars if not treated right away.

"Stay there!" Andy extended an arm, stopping Elsie from taking any step further. "Don't come near."

Elsie's shoulders fell. "O-Okay. But you can tell me what's wrong."

And at last, the gate of his tears broke. His cries tore down nature's peace, and the animals peeked from their hiding places, observing in silence.

"It's your fault," Andy said in a muffled voice as he wiped his tear-streaked face with the sleeve of his tattered pajama shirt. "It's because you didn't listen to me. Everything went wrong just because you didn't listen."

"W-What did I do?" Elsie placed her hands on her hips, putting on a brave stance, which was a futile attempt since her eyes were starting to get red too. The animals watching gulped because the girl was also close to tearing up, and there was only a certain level of noise that the forest could take, or else the undisturbed would stir and awaken.

Chip and Hex exchanged glances. Understanding the direness of the situation, the two decided to meddle. And so, Chip wagged his tail at Andy, flexing his adorable puppy eyes, while Hex rubbed himself onto Elsie's legs, purring as to calm her down.

"Yeah? I told you not to touch any of that fruit. You too, Chip," Andy said, making Chip whimper and lay down with his head on top of his paws.

Elsie didn't take his words too well. She let her broom fall on the ground as she clutched her dress tightly around her fist. Her tears poured down her cheeks; some of them were caught in Hex's slick black fur.

"I-I didn't know, okay? I'm feeling hungry. Elsie didn't do anything wrong!" She looked at him in defiance, which only worsened the situation.

Steam blew off from Andy's ears like an overheating engine train. "That's all you're going to say? You're not going to say sorry?"

Elsie crossed her arms as she refused to look at him. Andy's temper fuse blew up.

"You're a bad kid, Elsie. Bad kid. Mama says parents don't like naughty children. Maybe that's probably why your father hates you!"

Andy realized it was probably too much, but it was too late to take back his words. Elsie burst into a sob as tiny drops of tears slid from her eye sockets. "This is my own journey, and I should be in charge. All of you will listen to what I say. If I say no, then no touching of anything. No straying off the original path—" he fished the compass from his backpack "—and everyone must stick together. No one's allowed to do anything until I say so. Not even inviting another companion to join our group, whether an animal or not. I'm in charge!"

Gasps erupted all around them. If Andy had been sane enough to notice every detail in his surroundings, as usual, he would probably think he was crazy. Animals couldn't even talk, let alone gasp. He must have unknowingly hit his head from the incident with the enchanted tree. Now, it wasn't only his wounds he had to worry about. He had to have his head checked fast. But before he could go home, there was a mission he needed to take.

Andy whirled around and started to leave. He expected the three to follow him quickly, but it never appeared to him that he would make someone cry. Elsie sat on the crunchy forest leaves and buried her face between her knees. She started crying, which soon turned into wails. Hex and Chip flanked her side to console her.

"Andy, you're a meanie!" she shouted in between her cries.

Meow, Hex said, and Andy need not guess what that meant. He could easily guess with the way the cat narrowed his eyes at him, tail whipping violently.

"Oh, come on, guys. Get up there, Elsie!" Andy shouted from a distance. Hex hissed while Chip growled. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "So you're all turning against me."

Elsie sniffed and wiped her snotty face with the sleeve of her dress. "Don't worry about me, Hex and Chip. I'm fine." But only a blind man wouldn't notice the pain that took over her face.

A thunder crackled from above, making them jump. They pointed their faces skywards, watching. Up to now, the sky was postcard-perfect, but it was now changing. Clouds began to gather in the atmosphere. The once beautiful starlit black was starting to darken into an ominous nothingness. Large pillows of clouds were forming, blotting out the sparkling silver color of the moon. The petrichor scent of an impending rain permeated the air. Now the animals scrambled about to look for a shelter from the incoming rain.

"Oh, come on, you three. We need to find shelter from the rain." This time, the three heeded Andy's call.

Something was coming. Then, it appeared. Nature's rumble tumbled towards them. They turned and started running. But not fast enough. Fat, clammy arms of the rain enveloped them, lapping at their dry skin, coursing through their pores.

Puddles began plinking as the rainfall became heavier. The roofs of the trees danced with spray, and they could hear the murmuring of the rain, sounding like a buzzing of angry bees. So much rain was falling that the sound blurred into one long, whirring noise. It reminded Andy of the rotor blades on the helicopter.

The four spotted a cave hollow just below the steep slide not far from them. Its outer walls were covered with slimy green moss, and the inside was devoid of any light that could guide them through. But a cave was a much better shelter than the trees. Plus, they wouldn't stay far deeper, just near enough to the mouth to get what little source of light the sky could offer.

They stepped inside the cave—bleak, cold, and completely dark. It was quiet and somber in there, and they felt a chill as the darkness engulfed them. The air was thick with humidity, and it was difficult to breathe. The darkness was so thick it was impossible to see more than a few feet inside. The four huddled together on one corner, shivering and hungry. The heavy rain outside didn't seem to stop anytime soon.

For quite a long time, all of them sat in silence; the rain and their mingling breaths were the only sound they could make.

Not until Elsie nudged the side of his ribs. "Andy," she said, her voice sounding weak. "I'm hungry."

Andy, still a little grumpy about Elsie's reckless behavior, said in a calm yet edgy voice, "Well, it's not just you. I'm hungry too. But what can we do? We won't be able to find proper food in this weather. That would be dangerous."

"Sorry," she said with a much weaker voice before Andy heard a soft rustling sound. Elsie's weight on him was gone as she was now lying on the cave floor to her side.

Andy sighed and observed the rain outside through his wet and foggy glasses. A few more minutes passed, and there was no sign of the weather getting better. He looked where Elsie lay with Chip and Hex. The girl's shallow breathing told him she was still awake.

"Oh, what are you thinking, Andy?" he muttered to himself as he washed his face with his hands.

He got up, already hating the idea of what he was about to do, and crawled towards the mouth of the cave.

"Andy, where are you going?"

But Andy was already out, and the sound of the heavy rain drowned out her voice. The boy scanned the perimeter in the area. Thanks to Aunt Carol's little knowledge of plant gardening, he knew at least some of the edible forest plants he could scavenge.

He tilted his head in the direction of the woods and berry bushes. Andy crawled to each path, soiling his hands and pajama pants. He pulled the drenched bushes apart and begged, "Please, please." He found the familiar blue-colored berries. "Oh, gosh. Thank you." He picked as many as he could and gathered them in his arms. Andy popped a mouthful of some and left just as many for Elsie, Hex, and Chip.

With enough berries to feed them for the night, he decided it was time for him to go back. The rain faded into gentle drops like a musical chime, and the sky's rumble also lessened. Andy sighed in relief. At least there was a great sign of improvement in the weather. For a brief moment, he thought that they might be doomed adventurers, destined to get swept away in a mighty flood. But they need not have worried. The curtain of rain would surely pass over later at dawn.

The cave was only a few steps away, so he broke into a run. But Andy staggered as if his world was turning, the cave warping in his vision. The sounds became muffled like a radio sound in a fading volume, then it all came back again as if the earlier dizziness was nothing but his imagination.

He shook his head and entered the cave. Chip barked and leaped excitedly around Andy's feet when he saw what was in the boy's arms.

Elsie, too, immediately sat up. Her eyes twinkled, and her stomach growled in appreciation as if delighted by the arrival of the berries. But when the girl looked at Andy, her brows creased with worry. He was pale as if he'd been painted with whitewash. Even his lips were barely there. He was also trembling tremendously, but Andy managed to give her a faint smile.

"Eat up, Elsie. Chip and Hex, you too. I'm sorry. It's all I managed to find."

But Andy knew he would faint when his stomach gave out. It felt like his innards were being replaced by some kind of black hole. Nausea crept from his abdomen to his head. Then, he crumpled like a puppet suddenly released from his strings. The berries rolled on the cold, dirty ground, and the world went black.