Cailin and Nina trudged through the shrubby mushroom forest, once they had finally reached Absolem's dominion. Absolem was surrounded in swirls of smoke, as he smoked his hookah. He looked up slowly from his hookah, once he saw Cailin and Nina.
"Who are you?" Absolem asked.
Cailin was a little shy. She studied Absolem's behavior.
"Oh, my. Another stupid girl," Absolem said.
"I beg your pardon?" Cailin said, in an offended tone.
"Who are you," the caterpillar said again.
"My name is Cailin," she said, quietly.
"And what have you come to me for, Cailin?" Absolem asked.
"I'm lost. I don't know these woods,... and I've shrunk 30 times my size," Cailin struggled a little to say.
"Stupid girl," Absolem said.
Cailin sighed. She knew that she wouldn't be getting much help from him. The mouse sure was right about Absolem being grumpy, and he was rude, at that. "If you would be so kind, Mr. Caterpillar, do you know how I can bring myself back to my normal size?"
"Of course I know how you could get back to your normal size, Stupid Girl," Absolem said, casually.
Cailin looked upon him, expectantly. "Well, can you tell me?"
Absolem sucked in a puff of smoke, and then blew it all out into Cailin's face. Cailin coughed, while pushing the smoke away.
"No," Absolem finally said.
"Well...why not...?" Cailin asked, now beginning to get a touch of exasperation.
"Because, you're going to have to figure things out in life for yourself, Stupid Gilr," Absolem said, while taking in some smoke.
Cailin was angry now. "I'm not stupid!" she yelled. "What is wrong with everyone here?! Many of you people have been very rude to me! The only one that I've passed by, who actually cared for helping me, is this little mouse right here!" She pointed to Nina. "There's no reason for you to call me 'Stupid Girl!' There's no reason to not tell me how to get big again! Well, now you had better not tell me how to get big, because I might just come back and squash you!"
Absolem was shocked. No one had ever treated him with such disrespect before. He just sat there, stunned. Not knowing what to do or say.
"So is it fun, being so grumpy all the time?! I highly doubt you have any friends!" Cailin said. Then she walked over to the mushroom that he sat on looked at the hookah that he was smoking. "Hmph!" she said, as she walked passed and knocked it over.
The hookah fell off the mushroom, and hit the ground, still releasing smoke from the pipe. Cailin glared at Absolem. "Stupid Caterpillar!" she yelled. "There! How do you like being called 'stupid' for no reason?!"
Cailin stomped off, leaving Absolem in great confusion and hurt. No one have ever back sassed him before. He was the wisest in all of the Mushroom forest. But he had chosen the wrong time to be critical. Cailin was on the verge of tears every second of the day, and she had very little patients for Absolem's behavior.
Cailin sat beside a big mushroom, crying. Nina came and sat beside her. "It's all right, Cailin. We'll find a way to get you big again," she said, soothing Cailin's arm.
"Well...I'm not used to being small! And...and...I miss my father!" Cailin sobbed.
"We'll help you find your father. Don't worry."
Cailin glanced over at Nina. "Thank you," she said, softly.
"For what?"
"For being there for me. No one else has been."
"Aw, well, I'm not one to like being mean," Nina said, blushing a little. "But you do have some feistiness in you, Girl. I could do with some of that," she giggled.
"Oh," Cailin said, with a sigh. "I'm actually, not really that feisty. It's just, I've been having problems lately. I'm usually not that brave."
"Oh," Nina chuckled a little. "Well, I'm sorry for you're situation. But I promise you. We will find your father, and there is a way to make you big again. But you should try out being small for once. It can be rather fun, you know?"
"Really?" Cailin said.
"Yes! Do you want to play around a bit? I'll show you some fun things we can do."
Cailin thought for a moment. "Well, I don't see why not. I'm not accomplishing anything, just moping around wishing I were big again, so yes! I will!"
"Great! We'll have such fun!" Nina said, clapping her hands. "Let's have some fun!"
...
Cailin followed Nina over to a very large mushroom. "This is my clubhouse," Nina said. Nina found the entrance, and hopped in. Cailin did as well. There were steps and tunnels everywhere. Cailin gazed upon the clubhouse in awe. "Wow..." she said. "How did you...make this?"
"With my little mousy tools. Mushrooms are soft and spongy. They're very easy to carve into," Nina said.
Cailin walked up the steps. "Where does this lead to?" she called out. Nina came running up the steps after her.
"All the way to the top!" Nina said.
"All the way?! How long did it take you to make this?" Cailin said, with amazement.
"It took me a while. But I have help. I have lots of little friends here."
After a while of climbing, Cailin could finally see the end. There was light at the top, and she was determined to get to it.
Cailin poked her head out of the top of the mushroom, and she could not believe what she saw. From miles away, Cailin could see many mushrooms and many lands. She was outstandingly fascinated. The mushroom forest really was amazing. "Oh...wow..." she said. "It's so...beautiful..."
"Isn't it?" Nina said, climbing atop the mushroom head. Then she sat back and relaxed. "It's the perfect place to watch a sunset."
"Oh, a sunset. That would be beautiful." Cailin gazed out once more. "If only Father were here. He would find this astonishing. It might actually be something to cheer him up."
"What's wrong with your father anyway?" Nina asked.
"Oh,...well...he's just...always so," Cailin sighed. She was fumbling on her words. "I suppose he's always a little glum. My mother died when I was a baby, along with the rest of my clan. He's very bitter from that."
"Oh," said Nina sadly. "I'm sorry about that. So...you've never met your mother?"
Cailin shook her head 'no.' "Never," she said, sadly. "I wish, more than anything, that I have though."
"I'm sorry about that," Nina said.
Cailin smiled at Nina. But she had a tear in her eye. "Thank you," she said.
For a while, the two just sat atop the mushroom head, chatting, and enjoying each other's company. Cailin told Nina more about her life. She told her how her father forbade her to leave her cottage. She told how she had to run away, and she even told about the little hidden treasures she found in her father's personal box.
After a long while, the sun started to set.
"Oh, here comes the sunset," Nina said.
"Oh, good!" Cailin said.
"I love the sunset!" Nina said, bouncing up from her spot. Then she began bouncing up and down on the mushroom head.
Cailin watched Nina bouncing with entertainment. "Wow! Those are really bouncy!" she exclaimed.
"They are, I know. Give it a try," Nina said.
Cailin stood up. "All right," she said, and she began jumping up and down. "Oh!" she laughed with excitement. "Oh, this is fun!"
"I know!" Nina said, doing a little cart wheel. "Ooops!" she said, catching her skirt as she fell. "I have to watch my skirt!" she said.
"I wonder if I can jump to the next mushroom!" Cailin shouted.
"Be careful, Cailin! You might fall!" Nina called, as she saw Cailin jump from one mushroom head to the other. "Oh, well you made it!" Nina called out, and she took off after her.
The two jumped across the mushrooms very far and very fast. They were losing breath from their laughs, when suddenly, the collapsed, still giggling.
They sat up. Cailin fixed up her hair and dress. "You , know? For getting lost and being so afraid this whole journey, it sure did turn out to be fun," she said.
"I'm glad to here that. You looked like you needed a smile on your face," Nina said.
After the two watched the sunset, they climbed back down the mushroom, and back into the forest.
"What are we doing now?" Cailin asked.
"Oh, well..." Nina thought for a moment. "Oh! I know!" Nina ran over to a very large leaf. She broke it from it's steam and grabbed a stick as well. Then she walked it over to a nearby river. "Let's go sailing!" Nina said.
Cailin smiled. "Wow. I never realized what fun it was to be small," she said.
"I told you," Nina said. Then she set the leaf in the water and climbed aboard. "Come on," she beckoned.
Cailin stepped onto the leaf. Nina began to paddle the leaf as a boat. Cailin dipped her hand into the water. She tasted it. "Oh, yum. The water is so fresh and cold!" she said. Then she took a little more.
As the evening was getting darker, the glow bugs were starting to come out. They swarmed around the little river, drifting over. Cailin watched them in amazement. She had never seen glow bugs before. One came and landed on her arm. "Hello," Cailin said, softly.
"Hello," the little glow bug said. "I've never seen you in these woods before. Where have you come from?"
"I come from Snud. Beyond these woods. I've never been here before. It's actually quite lovely here," Cailin said.
"Oh, well enjoy your adventure," the glow bug said, and it flew off.
"Good bye!" Cailin called.
They continued on their way.
"Where are we going?" Cailin asked.
"This stream leads to the Tulgey Wood." Nina said.
"What's the Tulgey Wood like?"
"Well, I suppose you'll see," Nina said.
