The path led them beneath the shade of tall oaks, where shafts of sunlight painted the ground in gold. Birds sang, and the air smelled sweet, like honey drifting through the leaves.
Hazel skipped ahead, her hoodie bouncing, her hands clasped behind her back. "See? Not scary at all! Adventure is just… walking, but with more trees!"
Mina shuffled along, clutching the hem of her dress like a lifeline. "I still think this is suspicious. Why would a mysterious glowing path appear out of nowhere? That's how people disappear forever in stories."
Liora tilted her head, her pale hair glinting. "Then it's fortunate we aren't just people. We're us."
That sounded wise, but Hazel was too busy gasping dramatically at a bush. "Berries!"
She dove forward, hands grabbing handfuls of plump, red fruit. With no hesitation, she shoved them in her mouth. "Mmm! Juicy! Sweet! Mina, you have to try!"
Mina froze. "Hazel! You don't even know if those are safe! What if they're poisonous?"
Hazel shrugged, cheeks puffed full. "Then at least I'll go happy."
Liora knelt beside the bush and plucked one, rolling it between her fingers. She examined the leaves, the smell, the shine. Finally, she popped it into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully.
Mina gaped. "Not you too!"
"They're fine," Liora said simply.
Mina threw her hands in the air. "Unbelievable. I'm surrounded by maniacs."
But when Hazel held one out to her with the most pleading puppy eyes imaginable, Mina's resolve cracked. With a groan, she took a tiny bite.
And her eyes widened. "Oh… oh no. They're actually delicious."
Hazel smirked, crumbs of berry juice on her cheeks. "Told you."
The three of them ended up sprawled in the grass, stomachs full, berry juice staining their lips and fingers. Hazel had managed to get some on her hoodie, Mina's hair had berry bits tangled in it, and Liora, as usual, somehow stayed spotless.
They lay there laughing, giggling at nothing, the world spinning just slightly from overeating. For a moment, it almost felt like their old lives—simple, safe, cozy.
But then, a rustling sound came from the trees. A shadow loomed, and the ground seemed to tremble beneath heavy footsteps.
Hazel sat up, licking juice off her fingers. "Uh-oh. That's not the sound of berries."
Mina clutched her sleeve. "What if it's a monster? What if it's huge and hungry and—"
The bushes burst open.
Out stepped… a squirrel.
A very, very large squirrel, taller than Mina, with eyes glittering like amber. Its tail swished like a banner in the wind, and in its tiny paws it carried a wooden staff decorated with acorns.
The girls froze.
The squirrel pointed its staff at them and squeaked in a deep, commanding voice:
"Who dares eat from the Forest of Nutwood without permission?"
Hazel gulped, berry juice still smeared across her face. "…Mina, I think we just committed berry theft."