Page 39 of With the Potion in the Courtyard

Jessie swung across next, and successfully made it across, to all our relief. Then, we continued walking. Staying focused, as the sun made its way to the horizon. Several times, Robbie checked the map. And, several times, he told us we were almost there, but we continued, no outpost in sight.

The landscape changed. It became a mixture of everything we’d seen so far. Uneven ground, colorful trees, and little critters running in every direction. It was a much-needed break from the bleak dark words and the dangerous flowers.

We were almost at the outpost, Robbie told us once more, this time surer of himself, when a pack of Doodles swarmed us. Their round, colored bodies bounced and wobbled as they closed in. They had big, googly eyes that’d been stuck on with glue, and smiles drawn inpermanent marker.

"Hey, watch it," Robbie said as one smacked a wet kiss on his cheek.

"Oof," Jessie gasped as two squishy arms wrapped around her in a bear hug. "They're kind of cute, but boy do they cling,"

I ducked as another doodle dove at me, its lips puckered. The last thing I wanted was to be covered in slobber that smelled like wax. As I sidestepped the affectionate attack, my stomach churned. I remembered the jerky from earlier and cringed, hoping these weren't the same creatures.

"Please don't let me have eaten one of your relatives," I whispered, dodging another overly friendly Doodle.

"Come on, keep moving," Robbie hollered, pushing through the sea of animated sketches, trying not to step on any of them.

"Sorry, little guys," Jessie said, gently shoving them aside. "We really need to get going."

It felt like an obstacle course designed by a toddler, full of giggles and scribbles. We rolled, ducked, and weaved until finally, we brokefree from the clinging crowd.

"Okay, that was... interesting," I panted, catching my breath.

"Look," Jessie pointed ahead.

There it was. The outpost. It rose from the chaotic landscape with uneven and multicolored walls. We approached cautiously, our hearts pounding from more than just the exertion.

"Let's hope they're friendlier than the local flora and fauna," Robbie said, his hand resting on the door.

"Or at least less clingy," I added with a relieved chuckle.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

We madeour way to the outpost in Doodle. The place buzzed with colors. It was like a little village, with one large structure that reminded me a little of the outpost we’d found, and a bunch of colorful buildings around it. But there was no one in the streets. Was this outpost empty like the last one? No, it couldn’t be. Even though I didn’t see people, I sensed them. There were even clouds of smoke curling out of the chimneys of a few buildings.

I stepped onto the spongy ground. It gave a little under my shoes. It was a strange feeling. The slight bouncing made the whole place feel even more like a fun park.

"Look at this place," Robbie said, his voice laced with disbelief as he gazed around.

"Everything's so... vivid, more so than the rest of Doodle, and that’s really saying something," Jessie added, her eyes wide as she took in the scenery.

The wooden block buildings were haphazard shapes, some skewed sideways without thought to gravity. We walked down a path outlined in a wavy blue marker and with puffy dabs of clay flowers.

"Where do we even start?" I asked, turning to them.

"Let's find someone who can help us," Robbie suggested, scanning the area for signs of life.

"Good idea," I agreed. Jessie nodded, and together, we moved further into the colorful chaos of the outpost.

A group of figures emerged from a house shaped like a misshapen teapot, its surface a swirl of glitter glue. They wore clothes that looked painted on, all stripes and polka dots in clashing colors. They were shorter than us by a foot, and their faces had eyes that were mismatched colors, poorly drawn noses, and uneven mouths. Still, they were people… of a sort. I just hoped they knew our language and could talk.

Suddenly, they turned and spotted us. The entire group seemed to stiffen, the lines of their wavy bodies becoming more prominent. Our little group held still too, waiting, although I wasn’t sure what for.

After a painfully long moment, one of them called out in a singsong voice that was a little higher than any human’s voice. "Hello strangers!" It waved a hand, where each finger was a different shade of neon.

"Hi," I replied, a bit taken aback by their immediate friendliness, but happy at the same time.

The neon orange creature in polka dot clothes called out again. "Welcome to our outpost! We're Peregarnians, and we’re happy to meet new people."

I took a step closer. "I'm Cendi, and these are my friends, Robbie and Jessie. We’re humans from Earth."