I grabbed the large metallic handles and pulled on the heavy door lined in brass with silver. The door opened into a magical room. On the left was a tall fountain made of stacked stone that ran into a wishing pond set along the wall.

Fairies danced in the air, supported by tiny clear threads.

“Ha! Not even close to life-like,” Rose said with an eye roll. I looked at the fairies who looked just like the fairies in the forest.

Real living trees grew inside with other plants and a small pond. Iridescent paint made the walls sparkle and small lights in the ceiling created an enchanting display.

The ground was covered with patches of real grass that outlined the stone walkway leading to the desk. The windows were lightly frosted from the inside, reminding me of the mist that rose from the lake in the evening. The lights cast shadows everywhere I turned and the pictures on the walls felt familiar, as if they were scenes from a past I’d forgotten or a future I would someday know.

There were fairies and magical creatures, elves like those who’d come and gone from the forest, and the unicorns that reminded me of ones I’d played with as a child. I stared at the unicorns for a moment, transfixed by their colorful fur in mint, and turquoise, fuchsia, and black. If I hadn’t known better, I would have believed whoever made these pictures had seen Sorseluna.

I walked up to the wooden counter with Sparrow and Rose and smiled. I didn’t know what to ask for, but in the few hours I’d been there, I’d found out that a smile seemed to help break the ice.

“It’s a magical day at the Enchanted Inn. How may I help you?” the bald man behind the counter said with a smile.

He wore large framed square glasses with a chain that drooped behind his head. His long white beard grazed the collar of his crisp white shirt and sharply contrasted his black jacket and tie. The beard just barely covered the deep scar on his cheek. I thought he resembled old Mr. Lamp in his dress and the glasses. That alone made me feel a little better.

“I need a place to sleep for the night.”

“I see. And will your, err, dog be staying too?” he asked trying to figure out my Sparrow.

I looked at him strangely. “Of course she will.”

“Okay, you’ll have to have a room in our building that allows pets. You’ll love it and so will your, err, dog. It has a wading pool just for pets, a fenced area where they can run and play, and a vending machine with pet treats. Oh, and one for human treats too. There are pet beds inside the room with memory foam bottoms and smaller blankets in case your dog gets cool. There is also a doggie door that leads to a small enclosed yard just behind your unit. Now doesn’t that sound just enchanting?” he asked, peering over his oversized glasses.

“Yes, it does. We’ll take it.”

The bald man printed out a piece of paper and slid it in front of me. “Okay. Will that be cash or credit and I’ll need an ID.”

I stared at him confused. I had cash but I had no idea what ID was.

“Cash please. ID?” I asked.

“Yes. Identification. Do you have a license or your college ID?”

“Oh. I don’t drive. I mostly walk and-,” I was interrupted by Rose’s buzzing in my ear as her hands pulled at my lobe.

“One minute please.”

I walked away from the counter and put my bag on a chair, rifling through it. I reached into the bottom of the bag and pulled out something I’d never seen before. It was a picture of me on a small card that fit in the palm of my hand.

All the information was completely wrong, but it was indeed my picture. It read Amarilla Goldlock. According to the card, I was already eighteen years old and the end of the address was a place called Pikoe Falls, Georgia. I’d never heard of any of those places and hoped Mr. Bald hadn’t either.

I studied the card, amazed at how magical the town was - and even the inn.

“Are you ready Miss?”

“Yes, here it is.”

I walked back over to the counter and handed him the card then I carefully counted out the bills until I’d reached enough to cover the amount on the paper.

He took both with his hand, badly burned but long since healed with skin that would never be the same. He clacked on keys that somehow talked to the thin screen in front of him.

The caged white light dangled from a single silver cord that hung over his head. The light swayed, periodically reflecting off his scalp, which was the same shade of brown that the trees had when they’d been healthy. I imagined hair once grew where the bare skin was. I reached my hand out to gently touch what looked like velvet in that magical room.

As my hand crossed the counter he looked up sharply. “What, might I ask, are you doing?”

My hand retreated to the safety of my side of the counter as Mr. Bald continued to do whatever he was doing, one eye planted on me. I looked at his suit jacket. The name stitched on it Wyzart. Hmmm, I wonder where that name came from. 

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