Page 28 of With the Potion in the Courtyard

I ducked, but then had to leap to the other side, as a tree nearly crushed me. We got separated as we darted between the trees, but none of us were quite able to get to the other side of the trees. My stomach twisted. We were going to get hurt.

Nearly stepping on one of the whistling stones, I had a momentary break from the trees. The creatures seemed to know enough to at least not destroy the source of their music, but Robbie and Jessie weren’t so lucky. They were ducking and diving, panting and looking exhausted, in the center of the trees. I didn’t know what to do to help them.

"Can you stop them?" Jessie asked me, dodging another tree.

"Stop them?" I asked.

"The stones from singing. Maybe if they stop, the trees will stop dancing!"

She was right!

Looking at the stones, I tried to think of a way to quiet them. First, I just tried to pick them up and roll them over, but they wouldn’t move. Not even an inch. When I put my hands over one of them, the melody quieted, but not enough. Then, I had an idea.

Focusing, I summoned flowers from my fingertips and stuffed them into the whistling stones. The music halted, and the trees slowed their dance until they stood still, like regular trees.

"Nice work," Robbie complimented.

"Thanks," I said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Let's find Jaylyn."

We pushed through the stillness of the forest, the silence a stark contrast to the previous cacophony. I led the way, scanning the landscape for any sign of Jaylyn. The trees, now motionless, cast long, twisted shadows across our path, making the vibrant ground beneath us appear like a patchwork quilt.

"Any idea which way?" Robbie asked, breaking the silence. His face was set in a determined frown, eyesconstantly moving.

"Let's follow the river," Jessie pointed to where the colorful water snaked through the land. "She might've used it as a guide, especially since now it’s curving in the same direction my wand pointed."

"Good thinking," I said. We adjusted our course, keeping the multicolored flow on our left.

As we walked, the terrain changed underfoot from the texture of clay to something that crunched like dried leaves. Small creatures, drawn with bold strokes, skittered away from our steps, their laughter-like chirps fading into the distance.

"Look at this," Jessie said, crouching to inspect something half-buried in the clay-like soil. It was a scrap of fabric, the same shade of purple as Jaylyn's favorite hoodie.

"That's hers, right?" Robbie asked, his voice a mix of hope and worry.

"Definitely." I knelt beside Jessie, a surge of energy coursing through me. "She's been here. We're on the right track."

"Then let's not stop now," Robbie said, and we moved on with renewed vigor.

Every so often, we'd find another clue, a footprint, a strand of black hair caught on the jagged edge of a paper maché rock, a smudge of charcoal on the ground that looked suspiciously like a handprint. They were breadcrumbs, leading us deeper into Doodle.

"Jaylyn," I said periodically, hoping for a response. But the only answers were the echoes of our own voices.

"Stay sharp," Jessie said as we navigated around a cluster of bright-colored bushes. "We don't know what else is out here."

"Or who else," Robbie added with a glance over his shoulder. His usual humor was nowhere to be found, replaced by a protective alertness.

As the sky above us began to darken, shades of blue giving way to streaks of deep purple, our pace quickened. We had to find Jaylyn before night fell completely.

"Over there," I pointed toward a flicker of movement among the trees ahead. My heartleaped. "It could be her."

We raced toward the spot, dodging pastel wildlife and leaping over roots that seemed to squirm back into the earth as we approached.

"Jaylyn," Jessie's call joined mine as we closed in.

But it wasn't Jaylyn. Instead, we stumbled upon a clearing where the ground was littered with pencil stubs and eraser bits. In the center stood an unbelievable creature, its body a swirling mass of glitter and glue.

"Whoa," Robbie said, momentarily distracted by the spectacle.

"Keep looking," I pulled their attention back to our search. "She has to be close."