I never really liked the night. It always scared me, for as long as I could remember. The door to my room has been open every night with a crack of light shining on my sleepy face, for the past thirteen years.
If you must know, I’m Timothy Jay Gurtz. Silly name? No duh. My last name has been a social burden for me every year I’ve been in school. Sounds like a mouth wash brand. Maybe I’m destined to make mouth wash when I grow older. Who knows? Since I believe in destiny, that very well may be the case.
Most of my life, when I was scared or nervous, I made up stories. I probably had a hundred or so tales crammed in my head, all about worlds and places I’ve never been. Just something I’d thought I’d share, since it was an important part of my life.
Anyway, back in the real world, it was a dark and stormy night. I usually hate stories that start that way. No imagination to them at all. But it truly was dark, darker than usual, and it was raining as hard as it ever was at my house. The moon and all the stars seemed to be on holiday, and I had all the lights on in the house. Every last one. My mom was out for the night, and my dad had been dead for three years. So I was alone. Alone and with the only thing guarding me a poodle in the back yard. Her name was Snuffles. Don’t look at me, I didn’t name her. She used to be my sister’s, but she had since moved out. Now the damn dog just sleeps and eats us out of house and home.
I was sitting in the den, a blanket over my head, and watching a quiet T.V. I was terrified I won’t lie. I started telling myself a story I was making up for a little while. It was about a brave warrior fighting a curse put upon him by an evil wizard. So far in the story he had fought dragons and monsters trying to find a cure. Currently he was in the vile swamp of Norch. He ran into three gnomes that took him in from the cold… Then the phone rang. I don’t know what it is about phones, but they always make me jump when they ring, especially on dark and stormy nights. Tonight was no exception. I answered. It was my mom, asking me to feed the dog. She must have forgotten, as it wasn’t usually my job to feed the mutt. I agreed, since I didn’t like to argue with her.
I stepped outside noticing that the rain had stopped, but regardless my hands were still shaking, spilling some dog food from the dish. I had a flashlight; the only one in the whole house, but it was slowly dying, and I couldn’t find any batteries. I walked to the doghouse cautiously. The dog was a wimp; I wasn’t afraid of her. But since we lived in front of a huge forest, I feared that a bear or even rabid raccoon might have been watching me. I decided to put it out of my head. The doghouse wasn’t far (Although when you’re scared, everything is a mile and a half away), and I just had to place the dish down and dash back to the house.
The dog was sleeping, as usual, but got up and barked when it saw its food coming. I tried to shush it, for fear of a deer being spooked and galloping out of the bushes, sealing my doom, but the dog was stubborn as she was stupid. I threw the dish down, cursing at the damn mutt, but the dog kept barking. That’s when I noticed that the dog wasn’t barking at me. Whatever got her riled up was behind me in the forest. For what seemed like eternity I debated whether to turn around or not, fearing that my deer fantasy might have been breathing down my neck, but I gathered my courage, and turned around.
Thanking the stars, I saw that it wasn’t some deer or bear, but simply a faint light coming out of the trees about maybe three miles away. Although we lived on a large hill, in a clearing, I couldn’t see over the trees properly to see what was causing the light. It seemed to be flickering, like firelight, but the light was greenish in hue, so the fire idea was put out of my head.
I didn’t know what to do. I got my curiosity from my dad’s side, and all my life I’ve been almost adventurous in my search for things I didn’t understand, even if it involved things that scared me.
I decided, against all my best judgment, that I’d go in search of what was causing the light. It was only a few miles away, and I could take the dog, which at least would bark if some impending doom were upon us. So I picked up the dog, whacked my flashlight for a better glow, and started off.
I knew the forest fairly well, as I’d go adventuring through it when I was younger. But I had never gone as far as where the light was, and even if I had; everything is different at night. I might have well been exploring the jungles of Peru it was so different-looking (Does Peru have jungles?).
The flashlight was actually pretty helpful. Sure, it flickered and was probably ten times brighter with proper batteries, but had I been walking in total darkness I would have turned back.
Just then, Snuffles growled. At first, I wasn’t worried. She’d bark if it were something dangerous, so I assumed a squirrel was annoying her in the trees. But the growling persisted; even got louder. I asked her what it was, as if she could answer, but she just stared through the trees to my left. I turned, and tried to shine my flashlight at the mystery animal or object, but my source of light decided that it was done for the night, and switched off. I whacked it repeatedly, but it was no use. The thing was dead. And I was at least a half a mile through a forest I didn’t recognize.
I was so preoccupied with my flashlight situation that I, for a second, forgot about the mystery beast in the bushes next to me. That all changed, for in the midst of my semi-panic, the bushes rustled.
I jumped ten feet in the air, it seemed. But before I could make heads or tails of what the heck it was that made me practically wet myself, it dashed out of the bushes, and sped right by me, the wind of it’s haste blowing me over. It was the strangest thing in the world, and here’s why: I felt the monster zoom right by me. Had it had fur or scales, I would have felt them against my jacket. But I didn’t see a thing. It might as well been a gigantic gust of wind that blew me over, but I knew in my gut that it was some invisible monster that caused my fall.
I was down, but not out. I still had my dumb dog, and since she stopped growling, and was stupidly digging next to me in the dirt, I assumed the threat was gone.
So I had to decide. I could try to go back home, but it was so dark that I’d most certainly take a wrong turn and get lost. Then I though of the light. That was something tangible that would guide me to something or other… maybe a party, or some bug-light from an RV. They might even have a phone, to call my mom and tell her not to worry. Sure I’d have to sleep with strangers; maybe even outside, but at least I wouldn’t be lost in the woods.
So it was decided. I’d go toward the light and see what fate dealt me. I started off into the woods once more.
My flight to the eerie green glow in the middle of the forest wasn’t impeded much more that night. Snuffles had to piddle twice, and I dropped my flashlight fumbling with her (I still had to carry her), breaking it. Other than that, I made it to the green glow without much trouble.
Since I truly had no clue what was the light was, I decided to get on all fours and crawl through the foliage to see what it was. I crept on the ground, getting muddy and wet, and peered through the leaves.
If I told you exactly what I saw, and you believed every word, and had the same picture in your head as what I saw that night, you might even scream right here, right now. For what I saw was the strangest thing any boy or man or woman has ever seen.
First of all, it was a campfire. It was a large campfire, maybe more suitably described as a bonfire, as the flames were at least ten feet tall. But the people sitting around it were the strangest part of all, for the firelight seemed to reveal them. As hard as it is to imagine, had the firelight not been there, they would have been invisible. So, in essence, the firelight flickered and flicked their image as the fire danced over their bodies. It would be assumed that the backs of their bodies would be invisible, had I seen one of them from the back, but they were sitting in a semi-circle all facing me.
The campers were not human. Not even alien, as this story would make a great Weekly World News front-pager. I guess what you would call them would be creatures of fantasy, but no storybook had ever described these creatures.
The first, and largest, was what you might call a giant, but he was only about ten feet tall, and I was sure that most giants I had read about were at least fifty. The weird thing about this character was that his head was no bigger than my fist. His shoulders were like two beach balls on his bulky frame, so his head was quite out of proportion. From what I could see of his head, he had the biggest sloping forehead I’d ever seen, and three hairs protruded from his thick skull. He was what you’d assume to be the idiot of the bunch, if you grew up watching Bugs Bunny cartoons. He was mostly naked, aside from a tan loincloth practically thrown over his privates. He was sitting Indian style, a giant club lying next to him.
The second creature was the smallest (About a foot high), and probably the most bizarre. His body was that of a human, green in hue (Although they all had a greenish glow, naturally) and spotted with what seemed like pimples. His head floated above his body, almost like a balloon with no string. His head was that of a purple steer, which suggested that the head he wore was not his own. He was standing, as if determined to be as tall as he could amongst his companions.
The third was most certainly an elf. The ears and clothing was the kind of thing that would make Tolkien blush. But the eyes were so large, almost bug-like; you would think that he wasn’t always an elf. The eyes were purple, and quite human looking, but they protruded from his head so frog-like that ‘human’ would be the last word you’d use. He was lying on his back, looking at the stars (Which was weird, because there were none).
The next monster was something that suggested a tyrannosaurus rex, except only maybe six feet long. The legs of this beast were grasshopper-like, and his eyes were reminiscent of a snail or slug. His tail curled in a chameleon fashion, only upward, and was covered with thousands of seemingly sharp scales. He was sitting, if you’d call it that, as his legs would make it hard to sit in any fashion.
The last character rivaled the giant in size, but was most certainly shorter. He was yellow, and the only way to determine that was the fact that he gave off his own sort of glow, that seemed to be on a dimmer switch, as it was a smaller glow than the alien fire’s. He looked like a yellow ball with extremely lanky arms and legs thrown on. His nose was so long and large it was almost cartoon-y, and his smile was so jolly it worked it’s way up to where his eyes would be, had he had any. He was sitting back, with one knee up, practically giggling to himself with glee.
I didn’t know what to do. This was the end of the line, and I wasn’t sure if these creatures were hostile or not. I decided to listen in on what they were saying (They seemed to be having a light conversation; something I overlooked at first) and see if they seemed dangerous or not.
“I don’t care what you say, this place it lovely.” Said the frog-elf.
“You would say that, wouldn’t you? You’re the only optimistic one in this bunch.” Grunted the giant.
“I tend to agree with him; this is like my forest back home.” Piped in the steer man.
“Oh do shut up. You know that’s your head talking. You’ve never been near a forest in your life.” The giant said.
“Well this steer has, and so have I, in a way.”
Well that was shocking. This green, pimpled creature evidently stole heads! That seemed dangerous enough, but I decided to listen more.
“We’re only visiting, anyway,” Croaked the grasshopper rex, “We’ll be out of here by morning.”
“It was fun, though, wasn’t it?” Giggled the ball man, “All those weird creatures we saw… so amazing!”
“Well, I’ve had enough.” Groaned the giant, “If it were up to me, we’d leave immediately. This place gives me the creeps.”
“We know you’re afraid of humans,” Said the grasshopper rex, “But you had to come; the king wouldn’t have it any other way. You’re the strongest in our world.”
“Don’t mean to be a bother,” Said the frog elf, “But if we’re to keep our mission secret, we’d best put out this fire.”
“What are you getting at?” Said the giant.
“There’s a human boy watching us in the bushes. I suppose he’s heard everything. Fetch him, would you, Sunny?”
“My pleasure,” Chuckled the ball man, evidently named Sunny.
The elf saw me. Which was odd since the whole conversation he was looking at the non-existent stars. Sunny got up, and walked toward me. I would have ran, like Snuffles was doing right then, but I was frozen in my tracks. As he walked away from the fire, he became invisible. He grabbed me by my collar, and sat me down in front the fire.
While the fire made these creatures visible, as I looked down at my body, it seemed to make what it saw of me invisible! Shocked and confused, I sat rooted on the spot, staring at the fire.
“Well, introduce yourself, you silly human,” Said the steer man, “Or is it polite in your world to sit there gaping?”
“I-I’m Tim. Timothy. Timothy Jay Gurtz.” I stuttered.
“Well, Tim-Timothy-Timothy-Jay-Gurtz, what brings you here on this fine night?” Said Sunny.
“What? Oh, no… it’s just Tim. Tim is my name.”
“Alright ‘Tim’, why are you here?” Said the steer man.
“Well, I saw your campfire from my house and got curious.”
The group gasped, minus the elf.
“I told you not to make it so big,” Sighed the frog elf, still looking at the invisible stars.
“Oh don’t worry, my house is the only one within miles. I doubt anyone else saw.” I said, “And anyway, what about you guys? What are your names? And if you don’t mind me asking, what are you?” I was gaining courage, as these creatures seemed to be friendly.
“I am Knix.” Said the giant, “I hail from the north, in the valley of the Pinheads. I am the leader of my tribe, and the tallest of all Pinheads.”
“And I am Engytook.” Said the steer man, “I am from the tribe of purple Steermen that rome the evergreen forest of the south.”
“You’re head’s talking again.” Grunted Knix.
“Sorry,” Apologized Engytook, “While my name is Engytook, I am not a Steerman. I am a head-thief from the east desert of Knob. Like all of my kin, I steal heads and keep them until they rot away, then steal a new one. But don’t worry. I’ve been instructed to keep away from human heads on this mission.”
“I am Tik.” Said the frog elf, still staring up at the sky, “I am from the changeling tribe in the west. While I appear elfish, alas, I am not. Human eyes cannot conceive my true form, so I chose an elf for this mission.”
“And I am Taken.” Said the grasshopper rex, “I am a Tikinort also from the east, although my home resides in the swamp of Norch.”
“And finally,” Giggled the ball man, “I am Sunny. I am the sun of our world. While I am on this mission, it is eternal darkness in our world. But I needed to come. It was of the utmost importance.”
“What is your mission?” I asked Sunny.
“To explore all the known and unknown worlds of our time.” Said Sunny suddenly seriously.
“You wouldn’t understand.” Snorted Knix.
“I would to!” I said, “My people have explorers just like you. Although there aren’t very many left, as we’ve discovered most of our world, they do exist.”
“Whatever.” Grunted the giant.
“Tell me,” I said, “Why can I only see you in the firelight, and the opposite for me?”
“Well,” Said Tik, “In your world we are perceived as imaginary creatures. In fact, every imaginary friend for your children is one of us. This is a magical fire that shows us, for even our own kin cannot see each other in this world. While talking and relaxing, we prefer to see each other. As for your disappearance, I suppose you are imaginary to us, and thus invisible in our visible fire, but no human has ever ventured to our world, so it would only be a guess.”
“What is your world?” I asked.
“Nivek.” Said Taken.
“How far is it from here?” I asked.
Engytook laughed. “You couldn’t venture to our world if you tried. Humans are forbidden by every law, written and unwritten. We can travel between worlds through warp pipes, but again, humans are not allowed nor able to travel that way.”
“I’d like to go.” I said.
“Well, we’d love to take you.” Said Tik, “A human child would be quite the trophy for this mission, but again, you are not allowed. Only a royal decree from the king specifically telling us that a human would be allowed would let you go with us.”
“I see.” I said.
Just then, the fire swirled, and danced thirty feet in the air. It turned purple, orange, and then green again.
“A message from the king!” Exclaimed Taken.
The fire rested once more, and the face of a man appeared. He was old, and withered, but he seemed to have magic in every fold and wrinkle in his face. His bushy eyebrows covered his eyes, and his hair was snow-white. His lower lip was curled to suggest a pout, but I assumed this was the norm for his mouth, as his domineer was quite serious. On his head he wore a silver crown, studded with what seemed to be amethyst pieces. When he spoke, his voice rang like a silver bell, deep and beautiful.
“Where is the one who has seen more than he should?” Boomed the king.
“He is here, my lord!” Stammered Engytook. And with that, he shoved me in front of the fire.
“Come closer, my boy, my eyes aren’t what they used to be.” Murmured the king.
I took a step forward, quivering with fear. Such a kind looking man would not harm me, I knew, but such a powerful looking man was one to be feared nonetheless.
“What is your name?” He asked.
“Timothy Jay Gurtz. Just Tim.” I said.
“Well, Tim.” Said the king, “You have been selected, nay, demanded by every subject in my kingdom to come to our world and visit us. For we have all been watching you for many a year, and this mission, though the men who led it did not realize, was to find you and bring you, such a interesting and wonderful young man, to us.”
“Wow.” Was all I could say.
“Would you come to our world and teach us the ways of your storytelling?”
“I don’t know. Would I be able to come back? I would miss my mother…”
“Yes, of course. And she’d never know you were gone. For every second in your world, our world ages a hundred years. You would never be missed.”
“Then, I guess,” I said, looking back at my new friends, from Tik to Engytook, “I guess I’ll go.
The group around me cheered. They would get their trophy, and be heroes in their world.
“Then step into the fire, my boy.” Said the king.
I took one last look at the world around me, and stepped into the fire, not knowing what wondrous and amazing adventures await me…