My entry into Renderosity's 2024 Writer's Contest. Image made in Daz Studio and contrast increased slightly within Photoshop. -- Walking through the woods normally is a peaceful comfort but being lost somehow changes how you feel about it. You notice a growing fog as you walk along. Feeling that means you are going in the wrong direction, you about-face and march determinedly away. And yet the fog grows. Trying several times to avoid the growing fog, you change direction over and over until you finally give up. There is no way to avoid it. It is becoming impossible to see through this fog. As you stumble along, you notice the trees seem to resemble more and more like tentacles rather than tree limbs giving a chill down your spine. Clutching your own arms in an attempt to comfort yourself in a sort of self-hug, you continue to move forward, unsure of where you are going but eager to get out of these strange woods. Your eyes suddenly notice an eerie glow ahead and you pause in mid-step. Something tells you this is not the way out and you're not sure if this glow is of something friendly and helpful or something evil and dangerous. Looking behind you, all other directions are just of endless fog and branches that appear to be moving, twitching tentacles. You decide to make your way towards the glow. The fog is pierced more and more by the bright glow and suddenly you find yourself in a strange clearing of sorts. Markings resembling lava streaks on the surface of a rock that forms up into the shape of a large toad. In front of this strange toad face is a carnival booth and strange but joyful creatures hanging around. Inside this ticket booth is a happy looking ghost who sees you. "Welcome to Strange Toad Land! Get your ticket at this booth. Come and participate in all the fun! Ghosts, skeletons, bats, ghouls, spirits, punk squirrels, funky haired cats, strange owls and spiders. Eerie spooks, crazy parties and shows, fun rides and amazing food. You don't want to miss out! The best part? The tickets are FREE!" the happy ghost belts out. You wordlessly stare back, unsure if you want to get closer. One of the floating creatures nearby waves his hands and explosive magic blows right of them. This makes you jump to the side to avoid the blast. Looking down you notice a funky cat in an apparent standoff with a skeleton dog. Leaning up against the ticket booth is a skeleton with a lantern. Hopefully not another lost soul like you. You couldn't help but notice its bones had gained some cobwebs. "Please join in the fun! We mean you no harm!" two more ghosts belt out, each saying every second word, back and forth in this strange duet. "I-" you start. You're interrupted by an albino bat zipping by your head, causing you to instinctively duck. "Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!" the bat squeaked as it zipped by. You aren't sure if the bat is referring to its haphazard flight around or the fact that it made you duck. "Not a fan of scares to be honest," you blurt out, "Or of bugs for that matter. You said there are spiders around?" "Just the one and I'm not really a spider, I'm actually a chider," you hear a quiet voice say. Dropping down in a slow decent from the edge of the ticket booth is the strangest spider you have ever seen. It certainly appeared to weave webs and have the right amount of legs but the body resembled more that of a chipmunk than a spider. It was actually rather cute. "You're fine. I can handle you," you tell the chider. It seems rather pleased of your approval. "I'd be more concerned about the Meowl," a strange squirrel standing on the ticket booth edge whispers as it clutches an acorn, "It's up there." Your eyes look up at some bird-like cat perched at the top of the booth. It looks at you but doesn't say anything. "I think we have to worry more about Meowl than that two legged critter," the chider snickers. Your eyes twitch. You have never been referred to as a two legged critter before. "Anyways the first show is when that clock strikes the next hour! So get a ticket," the ghost encouraged, "….please?" Feeling better given their carefree behaviour you walk up and accept a ticket. You're not sure who else is attending but seeing their show is probably better than wandering around aimlessly in foggy tentacle like woods. As soon as you take your ticket, the clock begins to strike and the skeleton that was leaning against the ticket booth stirs. It clatters off and comes back with a chair for you to sit on. You thank the skeleton and sit down. The ghosts swirl around, laughing as they go, and pop up a foot in front of you. Pulling ghostly balls out of midair, they start to juggle these spirit balls around between their hands and between each other. The chider does twirling tricks through the air. The squirrel brandishes his acorn in the air with one paw and begins to sing. The Meowl and the bat swirl around dropping sparkles around. The skeleton human and dog begin to dance, with the cat joining in seconds later. And that spirit with explosive magic continues to create explosive magic around the area. You sit back and watch amused. This was for sure better than wandering around lost. As the show progresses on, time passes. Hours based on the toll of the clock occasionally. Despite the fact you like the show you find yourself nodding off because it is late. When you awake, the sun is out, the fog is gone and so is Strange Toad Land. Gone, probably because it was just a strange dream. After all, moving skeletons, ghosts, talking squirrels and other such stuff couldn't possibly exist, could it? You must have fallen asleep exhausted after wandering around lost for so long. You move to get up and that's when you notice that you're still holding last night's show ticket in your hand. -- Inspiration: I love those stories where it sits on the brink between magic and non-magic, the supernatural and the natural, leaving the reader to ponder if it was real or just part of imagination.