Babes In WENNLand, Part 8

“Let's round up a posse!” Maple added. “I want my poor sheep back. They must be so scared, especially little Woolie.”

“But that could take forever!” Alan complained.

“We'll need a lot more help to track down Barnaby and find the sheep,” Mr. Eldridge explained. “We need good, strong men, who aren't afraid of anything. And if we can't find them, we'll just gather up some of the citizens of Toyland.”

They all walked out the door. “I could get Jack and Jill,” Maple started. “Gil, maybe you could find some of the musicians. And Wee Mackie Winkie, the town crier. He's scared of his own shadow, but when you can stop him from taking off, he's pretty good in a fight.”

Lisa didn't like this. It could take hours to find all those people. They didn't have hours. Scott could be in that scary forest already. Even if there were no trolls or monsters there, there might be bears, or giant falcons. He might be in a bear stomach even as the adults argued!

“This is dumb.” Alan grabbed Lisa's hand. “Come on, sis. We'll find Scott faster than they could. We don't need a posse. We just need each other.”

“Alan, I don't know.” Lisa shuddered at the dark woods just outside the gates. “The adults say the woods are full of nasty monsters. And even if there are no monsters, it's still dark. We might get lost.”

“You're such a wet blanket.” Alan was already skipping ahead. “Think of it as an adventure!” He frowned. “Besides, we need to tell Scott he's not banished anymore and that Mr. Barnaby is a big old phony.”

Lisa played with her ruffled apron. She finally sighed. “You're right.” She took Alan's hand. “You stay with me. I don't want us getting lost, too.”

They made their way quickly through the gates and down the meadow, to the edge of the tangle of trees and dense brush. Lisa gulped. Something moved in the undergrowth. She thought she heard an owl hooting. “It looks spooky in there.”

Alan squared his thin shoulders. “I'm not afraid of anything!”

Lisa nodded. “We have to do this. For Scott and Miss Betty and Grandpa.” She squeezed Alan's hand tightly, and the two of them stepped into the forest.

The Forest of No Return was a gloomy place, filled with shadows and dark corners, even in the daytime. Spider webs that glistened like tinsel hung off the branches of very tall old trees. Squirrels and chipmunks leaped over their heads, chattering as they gathered nuts. Lisa felt like Hansel and Gretel, trying to follow a bread crumb path the birds had eaten. The trees loomed over them, twisted and intensely deep green.

“I don't like this, Alan.” Lisa squeezed her brother's hand. “I'm glad you're here.”

“And I'm glad I have you, sis.” Alan squeezed her hand, too. He leaned closer to her. “These trees are really big, aren't they?”

Lisa gulped. “Yes, they are.”

Alan jumped. “What was that noise?”

“I think it was just a bird.” Lisa pulled Alan closer. She heard what she thought sounded like howling, and the trees rustling. The squirrels must have been chasing each other.

Alan looked around. “Do you see Scott anywhere?”

“No.” Lisa sighed. “Maybe we should go back. It might be better to have the grown ups...oh, darn!” Her dress had snagged on a bramble bush. As she turned around to get it off, she felt someone tap her shoulder. “Alan, was that you?”

“What, sis?” She looked up with surprise as Alan trotted over.

“Did you tap my shoulder?”

Alan rolled his eyes. “I wasn't anywhere near your shoulder! I was looking for Scott in the bushes.” He made a face. “Maybe you're right. Maybe this is just a wild...” Lisa heard more rustling as Alan's eyes got wide. His mouth fell open in shock. “Lisa, watch out!”

It was too late. A skeletal hand scooped Lisa into its powerful grip. Lisa found herself face to face with...a tree! A tree with a rough, jagged face in it, like a wooden monster. She screamed and struggled, trying to get away.

“What are you doing here, little human?” it hissed. “The Living Trees of the Forest of No Return do not permit outsiders.”

“I came to find Scott Piper!” Lisa insisted. “He was banished from Toyland by Mr. Barnaby, but he's really innocent.”

“No one who is sent here is innocent.” The tree just squeezed her harder. “Only criminals live here.”

Alan pounded on the tree. “You leave my sister alone, you big old bully!”

The tree grabbed him, too. “You stop that, little human.”

Alan twisted and turned, trying to get loose. “Let us go! We're just looking for Scott Piper!”

“You'll never find him,” sneered a pine with rusty, greenish-silver needles. “You humans won't be going any further. We will crush your bones, like you humans crush our wood for your...” it shuddered “...terrible fires!”

Lisa looked up as a distinctly human figure crashed through the brush. “What are you doing with those poor kids?” Lisa wanted to cheer when Scott Piper ran out, brandishing a thick log. “Release them at once!”

A maple hissed this time. “They trespassed on our property, Piper. They're not criminals. They're much too small to be criminals, and they're certainly not a bird or a squirrel or a Dark Chocolate Bat.”

Scott swung at the trees with the log, but there were too many of them. A willow finally wound its long branches around Scott's arms and legs, pulling him to the forest floor.

“What are you going to do with us?” Lisa asked, feeling very nervous.

“We're going to feed you to the trolls,” snarled the ancient oak. “They'll make short work of all of you.” It looked down at Scott, who was desperately trying to break free of the strong willow limbs. “Including you, Piper. The small human tells me you're not a criminal.”

“No, I'm not.” Scott wiggled his arms and legs around in attempt to push the tree limbs from his body. “I never stole the sheep, or the toys. I haven't stolen anything in a year! Barnaby is behind this.”

“Yeah!” Alan yelled. “It's like in 'Sam Dane, Private Eye.' He wants to frame you and get you out of the way.”

Willow dragged Scott towards her. “It means you're an outsider, too. You don't belong here!”

Lisa thought they were all done for, when she heard...whistling?

She looked up to see a small, middle-aged woman walk among the trees. She held a wicker basket on her round arm. She was plump and sweet-looking, in her colorful flowered dress and purple paisley scarf and red sash and long gold hoop earrings. A gold necklace on a thick chain with a big pearl pendant on the end bounced against her bosom.

The oak put another limb down in front of her. “State your business here, human.”

“I'm just passing through, Oak. I'm collecting cocoa truffles to sell at the Christmas Festival.” She gently pushed his limb away. “I wish you wouldn't carry on so.”

A slender maple tree looked surprised. “You know who we are?”

“Of course I do! All gypsies know about the Living Trees.” The woman frowned. “Oh my, but it's dark here! I'll never be able to find any truffles if I can't see where I'm going.” She drew a match from her basket and struck it against the handle. It ignited, giving off a small, soft flame.

The Living Trees gasped in horror, drawing as far away from the woman as they could. “Put that out, human!” shrieked the oak. “It could set the entire forest ablaze!”

The woman took Scott's log and set the end on fire, making a torch. “I'll take this away if you release your prisoners.”

The oak quickly set Lisa and Alan on the ground. The willow unwound its limbs from Scott. He kicked them away and hurried to the gypsy. She held up her torch, pushing it toward the trees, as they hurried away.