by Leah Day
“It’s a little bit further than we thought. Or you thought. Now I think. That’s confusing. Anyway, the trees open up after three more hills. Just a few more big rocks to climb over. Hey, maybe I could help? Maybe I could get bigger like Patch and fly you over there?”
“Let’s not push your stitches, Sunshine,” Mally said. “You’re perfect the size you are right now. Just try to stay a bit lower so the trees block your light. We don’t want Menda to know where we are.”
Mally continued to whisper. Darkness pressed around them and the beautiful landscape that had once been so open and inviting was now lost in shadow. She felt strangely exposed, as if Menda was looking down from the mountain room right now and could see the little bird and know exactly where they were.
The water fabrics rushed faster past her legs as it flowed from two densely wooded hills. Mally had to pull herself up the slope using the trees on either side of the stream for help.
She tried not to think about thread monsters lurking in the darkness, just outside of Sunshine’s glowing light. She couldn’t help jerking her hands away quickly whenever she touched something too soft. In the dark, everything felt like Menda’s spider webs.
They made it up a particularly steep hill and the ground leveled out slightly. The stream Mally was wading in became deeper and a breeze blew her hair back from her face, bringing with it a soft, swishing sound.
She could sense something moving in the darkness ahead and froze, her hands gripping her bookbag straps. Ms. Bunny was trembling and Patch had just gone completely still, only his tail twitching against her back. “What is that? Sunshine, what’s moving?
“Oh, this is my favorite part! I wanted it to be a surprise!” Sunshine flittered off, her light bobbling upward and Mally had to fight the urge not to call her back. She craned her neck and could just make out the faint outline of a waterfall cascading down a high cliff.
“That is so beautiful. Oh, I wish I could see it properly,” Mally whispered. The dim light didn’t do the area justice as all the fabric colors were faded to a murky gray. Long strips of fabric and thickly spun yarns flowed down the rock face. But unlike a real rushing waterfall, this cloth version made only a soft rustling sound as the fibers slid against one another. Mally waded through the stream and grabbed a thick tree branch to swing herself up to the bank.
Sunshine hovered low, illuminating a rocky cliff face next to the waterfall. Mally reached for a protruding bit of rock and found the surface easy to grip. The fabric squished lightly under her fingers, but it wasn’t as soft as the rest of the quilt. Grandma must have painted the fabrics here. Mally thought as her hands scraped lightly on the rough texture.
Patch jumped off her shoulder and climbed up the wall easily, his sharp claws digging into the fabric. Once he reached the top, he bent down and snagged Mally’s bookbag. He was surprisingly strong for his new tiny size and helped pull her up the rest of the way.
They sat at the top of the waterfall and caught their breath. A faint rumbling sounded in the distance and they all turned their heads to look in that direction.
“Is that coming from where we came or where we’re headed?” Mally asked.
“It’s impossible to tell,” Patch said, climbing back onto her shoulder. “The faster we get to the tree, the better.”
“It’s just a bit further now!” Sunshine chirped. “Come on! Come on! Don’t sit there and worry about those silly snarlie things! Just around that bend and you’ll be able to see the Great Tree!”
“Really? We’re that close?” Mally scrambled to her feet and followed Sunshine through the forest. She wished yet again she could see this area properly. The texture of each tree she touched was unique. Some were covered with thick yarns and others pieced from silky fabrics. She could feel decorative stitches and funky rough textures that made her wonder how fabric and yarn could be altered in so many ways.
Sunshine’s light dimmed as she flew around a particularly large tree and Mally followed quickly. She stepped between two massive trunks and found the bird perched on a low branch.
“There it is! There it is! I found it!” Sunshine called, pointing an orange wing at a faint light in the distance. Mally took a quick step back as she registered where she was standing. They were back on the edge of the clearing.
The Great Tree rose majestically in the middle of the field. The tree crowned the top of a hill, making it look bigger than it really was. Large roots spread gracefully out around the base, and there was no doubt about it – someone was living inside. Faint light spilled from a large window at the base of the trunk, casting a yellowish glow over the ground.
The sight of the glowing window was enough for Mally. “You see! I bet Grandma has been living in the treehouse this whole time! If only we had stopped here before! We might already be home now.”
“Not necessarily,” Patch muttered in her ear. Mally glanced over and saw his ears were pulled back tight to his head as he stared at the Great Tree intently.
“And if you hadn’t come the way you did, you never woulda made me!” Sunshine said, spinning around their heads.
“That’s a very good point, Sunshine. I just want to get Grandma and get back home. I’m so tired of the dark.” Mally shivered, her eyes trailing over the vast expanse of sloping land separating them from the Great Tree. The ground rose steadily in small hills up to the tree’s roots. Each mound had a potential to be a ripped trap set by Menda. Her eye caught on another light in the distance. “What is that?”
Everyone turned to look at the strange rectangle glowing brightly in the sky.
“That’s the Open Door,” Patch said. “It’s set up high, I think mostly so no one wanders into it by accident. You can usually see it from the middle of Quilst.”
“That’s perfect,” Mally said. “We’ll pick up Grandma, then fly straight to the Open Door. Easy peasy–”
“Lemon squeezy!” Sunshine finished with a twirl and Mally laughed.
“Let’s just hope this path is long enough to get us there,” Ms. Bunny said, tugging the Nature Path out of the bookbag. It fell to the ground with a heavy thud. It was amazing to see how many scraps she’d managed to piece together in such a short time. Patch jumped off Mally’s shoulder as she bent down to find the ends.
She handed one end to Sunshine and said, “Fly straight to the Great Tree, but when you feel us tug, drop it and come back.” The bird grasped the fabric in her stitched claws and dutifully fluttered off into the dark field.
Mally gripped the other end with both hands as darkness enveloped them. Ms. Bunny curled against her neck, the soft fabric of her ears tickling Mally’s chin. Patch circled her legs, pacing restlessly. Soon they would be running across the field, and Mally couldn’t help but imagine finding Grandma standing on the other side, her arms opened wide in welcome.
But the field was vast, and their makeshift path had been stitched on a time limit. Mally’s heart sank as the patchwork pulled tight. Sunshine had only reached the middle of the clearing and her bright light illuminated a steep hill they would need to climb to reach the Great Tree. At least fifty feet separated the end of the path and their goal.
“It’s not long enough,” Ms. Bunny announced. “This isn’t going to work.”
“It will work! We’ll get to that point, and then Sunshine can pick up this end of the path and spin it around to reach the tree. Or we’ll call to Grandma and she’ll figure something out.” Mally gave a tug and the patchwork fluttered to the ground.
“I don’t think we should do this, Mally,” Ms. Bunny said quietly. She jumped onto a nearby tree and scrambled up to peer through the branches. “Patch, is the Open Door surrounded with traps like the field?”
“Not that I know of. This area is one of the worst,” he said as Sunshine returned. It was a relief to be able to see again, but Mally didn’t like the look on Ms. Bunny’s face. She was gazing up at the Open Door, twi
sting her ears between her paws, clearly forming a new plan.
“No! Don’t even think about it,” Mally said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m not leaving without my grandma! We have to at least check and see if she’s here.”
There was a moment of total silence while Ms. Bunny stood staring at the Open Door. Her little shoulders rose and fell with a deep sigh. Eventually she climbed back down, but her face was drawn with worry as she let go of the tree and brushed out her dress.
“Okay, we’ll do this, but I want a promise from everyone here.” She looked particularly at Patch as she spoke, “Whatever happens in that field, I want you to promise you will help Mally reach the Open Door and get home safely.” She held out her paw to shake.
“You don’t need to–” Mally protested, but Patch interrupted her.
Taking Ms. Bunny’s paw, he said, “I promise, rabbit. I’ll see her safe.” They shook and for once it seemed like they were on the same side.
Sunshine dove down and planted a wing on top of their shaking paws. “Me too! Me too! I want Mally to get Grandma and get home! Now are we going to do this or what?”
“I’ll go first.” Patch stepped onto the path and padded lightly up the patchwork. As Mally watched, he stopped and swiped at the landscape. A ripped bit of fabric flipped back, revealing a dark slash in the landscape. Patch bounced lightly on the path and Mally sucked in a breath. But the patchwork didn’t budge. Even with huge basting stitches holding it together, it was enough to protect them from the rips in the landscape.
“I’d say it’s working,” Patch said quietly. “Let’s go slow.”
Mally waved Ms. Bunny to go next. “I’m the heaviest, so I’ll come last.”
“Just be careful, dear,” Ms. Bunny said, giving her leg a squeeze before following Patch. She wobbled a bit on the uneven ground. Sunshine hovered over the little doll and illuminated the path which rose steadily up the hill to the Great Tree. The patchwork had unfortunately bunched up in places as it fell to the ground and occasionally dipped down out of sight, probably where it spanned the ripped gaps in the landscape.
It was also very narrow and Mally wished they’d pieced it just a bit wider as she took her first step. It felt like balancing on a balance beam. Darkness surrounded her as Sunshine bobbled away, following Ms. Bunny. Mally held her arms out to both sides and took one careful step, then another.
It was agonizingly slow. Mally kept her eyes trained on her feet. Sunshine’s light dimmed as her friends drew ahead, nearly at the end of the path. She wished she could break into a run and race across the field as fast as she could. Anything would be better than this slow, scary walk balancing over gaping pits in the dark.
A breeze blew across the field, carrying a strong smell of cloves. Mally breathed in deeply and for a second it felt like she was back in Grandma’s house. She’s got to be here, she thought. Grandma must be in the Great Tree and we’ll find her and go home.
But the wind wasn’t blowing from that direction. Mally stopped dead as she realized the scent was coming from the forest at their back. Her friends drew further ahead as she squinted into the gloom.
Her eyes adjusted slowly to the dark and she could just make out a strange luminescent shape partially hidden between the trees. It didn’t quite fit with Grandma’s stitching or appliqué. It was nearly as tall as the trees twenty feet above and glowing a dull red color.
Without warning, the ground began to shake. Mally wobbled, swinging her arms around wildly to keep her balance. She quickly crouched down, gripping the path with both hands as the boom of thunder sounded in her ears. Another shape rolled up beside the first and Mally’s brain finally connected the stitches. Snarls.
Time slowed as a third thread monster joined the others, filling the air with its awful noise as it moved into position. Memories of the mountain room filled Mally’s mind. Thousands of threads, hundreds of yards of fabric must have been ripped apart to make these creatures. How? Where had all the fiber come from? It looked like half the quilt would have to be ripped to shreds to make something even half the size.
Reddish orange threads swirled across their bodies, casting a strange crimson light over the landscape. The colors finally clicked and Mally realized what Menda had done.
The sun. This was all that was left of the sun.
Chapter 7 - Path to the Great Tree
“Mally! Run!” Voices shouted urgently from behind, but she couldn’t move. Her mind had gone blank, her eyes fixed on the monsters.
The snarls had stopped moving and seemed to be waiting for something. Their eerie red light shone over the field, bathing the landscape in the color of blood.
Something pressed against Mally’s side and she jerked away with a shriek.
“It’s just me!” Ms. Bunny said. “Come on Mally! We have to go!” The little doll tugged on her shirt, trying to pull her to her feet.
But Mally couldn’t move. “The sun. Ms. Bunny, that was the sun. How are we ever going to fix this?” Tears filled her eyes as all her newfound hope slowly died in her chest. “There’s nowhere to hide, Ms. Bunny! What are we going to do?”
“One stitch at a time, dear. Stand up now!” Ms. Bunny spoke in a commanding voice that cut through the fog of fear in Mally’s mind. “Get up and walk to the end of the path!”
Robotically Mally followed her orders. She stood and swayed, suddenly lightheaded. The path seemed even narrower than before and she couldn’t see through the tears streaming down her face.
Ms. Bunny climbed up Mally’s back and into the backpack. She pressed her paws to Mally’s shoulders and spoke directly in her ear. “Patch is learning how to use his wings with Sunshine. All you have to do is get to the end of the path. You can do this! Now move!”
Mally bunched up her sleeves in her fists and rubbed her eyes clear. The Nature Path stretched out ahead of her, rising gently up the hillside. In the distance, she could just make out Patch flying, actually flying through the air with the wings she’d helped stitch. The sight gave her a tiny surge of hope and she took one step.
Her shoe sank into a dip in the path and she wobbled wildly to one side. But she didn’t fall. Spreading her arms, she caught her balance just in time. She took another step, then another.
“You’re doing great! Just keep walking.” Ms. Bunny patted her shoulders comfortingly. “Can you speed up, Mally? Just a bit?”
She tried walking faster, her heart hammering in her chest. “How are we going to get out of here? We’ll never be able to hide from them. Even if we make it to the Great Tree, what will happen then? Menda is going to capture us again and–”
“Don’t give up!” Ms. Bunny interrupted. “We will get through this! See how great Patch is flying?” Mally looked up to find Patch soaring around the Great Tree. Sunshine flittered by his side like a giant lightning bug calling instructions.
“Good! Good! Good! Now beat your wings really hard to fly up, up, up! Like this! Wheee!” She demonstrated and shot straight into the sky.
Patch followed suit and Mally laughed in delight as his scrappy patchwork wings cut through the air. For a few seconds she forgot about the monsters at her back and the traps filling the landscape ahead.
But her joy was extinguished almost immediately.
A deafening roar nearly knocked her off her feet. Mally sank to her hands and knees on the path as the ground trembled.
The snarls were moving.
“Don’t look back! Don’t look back!” Ms. Bunny shouted as Mally’s head turned. “Get up and walk, Mally! Just one step at a time. Just keep walking.”
“I’m so sorry, Ms. Bunny,” Mally whispered, tears pooling in her eyes once again. She didn’t trust her balance on the shaking ground, so she crawled, gripping the patchwork tight in her fists. “I never meant for any of this to happen. I just wanted to find Grandma and fix everything.”
“I
know, dear. I know.”
“I didn’t listen to you! I’m so sorry. Do you think Grandma is in the Great Tree? Do you think she’s here?”
“I doubt she’d be able to ignore all this noise, Mally,” Ms. Bunny said gently. “I don’t think she’s here.”
“So this was all a trap?” But her words were lost as a great rumble of thunder split the air. This time it didn’t stop. The sound went on and on growing in volume until she had to stop and clap her hands to her ears.
Mally couldn’t help herself. She turned to look back.
The snarls had rolled out of the forest to the edge of the field and were changing shape. Eight ropes, thick as tree trunks, stuck out from their bulbous bodies. The deafening rumble was the sound of thousands of threads splitting and twisting and braiding together.
They were growing legs.
“Spiders! They’re becoming spiders!” Mally cried.
“It’s time to run, Mally!” Ms. Bunny tugged hard on her hair, pulling her attention away from the monsters. The doll shouted directly in her ear, “You will STOP crying and RUN!”
Mally had never heard Ms. Bunny scream before. The sound was so terrifying she immediately obeyed. She shot to her feet and ran.
The path curved up the hill and Mally swung her arms to keep her balance on the narrow strip of fabric. Her tears dried on her cheeks as the wind pressed against her face. She pounded up the Nature Path, no longer worrying about breaking through the patchwork.
Bright light flashed in her eyes. “Mally! Mally! Mally! I taught Patch how to fly! He’s really good!” Sunshine’s high voice chattered over the snarl’s continued rumble.
A huge shape loomed overhead. Patch was back to the size of a pickup truck, and his new wings had expanded to nearly twenty feet across.
“Arms up, little Maker!” He roared.
Mally stopped running and threw her hands in the air. She stretched up on tip toe, trying to make herself as tall as possible.
“See!? Everything is going to be fine! Let’s fly home!” Ms. Bunny shouted, and Mally felt her slide down into the backpack and pull the zipper shut.
