I ran down the block and headed towards the wooded area on our street. I knew if I could put enough distance between me and Greg, I would be able to hide in the woods. My backpack was weighing me down, but even with the backpack I was still faster than my brother.

I turned around once quickly and saw him running after me, his face filled with a rage that made me want to scream again. My heart leapt into my throat when I saw he was closer than I thought. I whipped my head back around and looked to my goal.

I was so close to the forest. Just a few more feet!

I need help, I need help, I thought repeatedly. Someone please help me! Please!

The wall in my mind cracked open a bit more and suddenly a purple and blue cat came running out of the forest towards me. It skidded on the sidewalk not too far ahead of me. Now that I could see the cat in broad daylight, I saw that it wasn’t a cat at all. It was a lynx!

Memories began to fly through the cracks and I remembered days of frollicking and playing with this lynx … a lynx named,

“Sphinx!” I shouted triumphantly. “It’s you!”

The lynx gave a loud Meow! and began running beside me when I caught up to him. Something that looked like a necklace was bouncing on Sphinx’s neck as he ran.

“I need your help Sphinx. We need to find a place to hide.”

Sphinx gave me a look as if to say, Uh yeah what do you think I’m doing?

Greg shouted something indistinct from behind me, making us sprint faster.

When we finally got inside the woods, Sphinx meowed more insistently and swerved. I almost ran into a tree turning to follow after him. Sphinx seemed to know where to go. We ran past many twists and turns around tall oak trees until we got to the one Sphinx was looking for.

As I clutched a stitch in my side, he bowed his head and quickly swiped his paws at the necklace around his neck. Breathing heavily, I crouched and helped it off of him. On closer inspection, I found it was a blue crystal amulet shaped into a triangle. Each end had a green dot, which had a single line that connected to a golden star in the center. I looked up at Sphinx and he began to rub his nose along the tree, repeating the motion over and over. After a moment of confusion, I realized he was miming drawing a door.

“But I could never draw a door remember?” After a pause I asked, “How … do I know that?”

Sphinx put his front paws on my leg and with one paw, clawed at the amulet I was holding, meowing furiously.

“Y-you want me to use the amulet?” I looked skeptically at the necklace. Was he trying to say this piece of jewelry was going to draw a door? That couldn’t be possible. And a door to where?

I could hear Greg’s lumbering steps as he made his way into the forest. We didn’t have much time. We needed to find a hiding place now!

I turned to run, then cried out in pain as Sphinx sank his claws into my leg impatiently.

Greg was getting closer and I didn’t have time to argue.

“Okay okay!” I began to draw the door on the nearest Oak, using one point on the Amulet like a pencil. “But just so you know we might want to start thinking of a plan B because this isn’t going to …”

I trailed off as a light shined through cracks that formed on the tree trunk, following the point of the amulet. I glanced down and saw Sphinx push his way through a smaller door and disappear. I followed his lead and pushed open my door. With a loud Creeeak, it gave way to an opening that blinded me with light.

“Well,” I squinted, shielding my eyes with my hand. “I have nothing to lose.”

Placing the necklace around my neck and closing my eyes tight, I stepped through the doorway and closed it behind me. As I walked further inside, it felt like the wall inside my mind was beginning to fracture.

Memories flooded through and I began to remember everything. I remembered my friends, my power, the Scary Man and the night terrors every night. I remembered that I was the one who had closed the entrance in the first place. But most importantly, I remembered the land they all came from,

“Gladtopia,” I whispered as the blinding light faded away. I dropped my hand and opened my eyes. I was standing in a meadow filled with flowers of every shape, size, and color that you could imagine. The sky was the brightest blue I had ever seen and strange looking birds flew merrily overhead. I looked ahead of me and saw the distant outline of a castle that glinted in the sun and I knew it was the home of King Samuel.

“If the castle is there …” I whipped around to my right. “Then that means the Cirque Clan is that way, to the East.”

A broad smile crept onto my face as I turned to my left.

“And the Dally Clan must be that way, to the West.”

Tears of joy began to form in my eyes as the weight of the memories began to overwhelm me, causing me to fall to my knees.

I was really here. I was really actually and completely here!

“I must be dreaming.” I covered my mouth with shaking hands. “This can’t be possible.” Even though I was overjoyed at the thought of finally arriving in Gladtopia, something still wasn’t right. If I was in Gladtopia … then where was ...

An excited voice sounded from behind me.

“Turtledove?”