It was completely dark on my walk to the sycamore tree. When I got there, the moon was just starting to rise behind the distant trees. I sat down across from the opening on the side of the hill and stared at it, waiting.
The air was cool but not cold enough to make me shiver, and it was light enough to see the tree but not light enough to make the forest any less frightening. Now that I was being still and quiet, the forest noises crept in around me. I wasn't sure I recognized all of them. Maybe they were all familiar creatures making familiar noises, but just then every sound I heard was magnified into a shadowy menace. I imagined the creatures that would be stalking me, creatures out of nightmares and childhood fears. As far as I knew, anything could exist here, anything at all. Real and unreal were categories that I couldn't describe anymore. Was there any limit to what could be stalking me right now?
As the moon rose, its silver light cast the rest of the world into shadow by contrast. The tree, lit from behind, appeared to glow. Down among the roots, an opening appeared. I was sure that this was it, my way home. I reach between them and felt only dirt again. But the moon wasn't behind the tree itself yet, and I resigned myself to wait at it crept higher in the sky.
Finally, with the moon shining through the branches, leaving shadows of leaves on the forest behind me, the illusion of the opening was complete. It looked exactly like there was really an empty space behind the roots. There was no definite point of change, only the gradual deepening of shadow.
Hesitantly, I put out my hand, reaching between the dangling roots and felt - nothing. There was an opening there! I threw myself down and wiggled under the roots, crawling gratefully into the cave that was next door to being home.
I didn't stay there long this time, I was in too much of a hurry to get home. You know the next bit. As near as I can tell, I wasn't gone long enough for anyone to notice that I was missing. Cassie has a theory that I wasn't gone at all, or at least no time passed. I have no idea how that would work, but I've read books where things like that happen, so I guess it's possible.
