Twilight was settling in, casting long shadows across the forest floor. Enyd's flashlight flickered as she walked, and the familiar feeling of being watched crept up her spine. She tried to shake it off—indeed, no one was out here but her. But as she ventured deeper into the woods, the silence became heavier; the sounds of nature—chirping birds and rustling leaves—seemed to vanish, replaced by an eerie stillness.

That's when she saw it.

At first, it was just a flash of colour—a deep red that stood out starkly against the muted tones of the forest. Enyd stopped, squinting in the dim light. Ahead, nestled within the underbrush, was a small figure. A creature, no larger than a house cat, sat curled up inside an orange bucket. Its fur was orange, a warm auburn, and atop its head was a red dome cap dotted with white spots, resembling a toadstool mushroom.

The bucket it sat in was familiar—orange, with a grinning jack-o'-lantern face painted on the front. The smile on the bucket's face seemed almost too broad, its eyes too bright in the dim light of the woods.

The creature blinked at her, its yellow eyes gleaming with a strange intelligence. For a moment, Enyd wasn't sure if she should run or stay. Her legs tensed, but the creature didn't move. Instead, it tilted its head and purred softly—a deep, rhythmic sound that vibrated through the air. Enyd found herself stepping closer, drawn by the soft hum of the creature's presence.

 It was only a cat in a bucket, wearing a cute mushroom hat. I wonder whose cat it was cause there is no way the cat would put a mushroom on its head on its head.

"Hello," she whispered, her voice ringing in the quiet atmosphere.

The creature blinked at her, and to her surprise, a soft voice spoke near her shoulder, " Hello, little girl."

Enyd jumped back and looked around, trying to see the source of the voice, but there was no one there.

The cat yawned and stretched in that jack-o-lantern bucket.

"I am Voifi and this," the voice said, and to Enyd's surprise, the little cat patted the bucket before the voice continued ", is Mesmer. You are a long way away from home, little Enyd."

Enyd squatted down to look hard at the little cat. Could the voice have come from this creature?

The cat, on the other hand, continued to watch her. Something about its eyes, the way they gleamed with an almost playful energy, made Enyd feel both welcomed and uneasy. The cat, who Enyd decided to accept was the source of the voice, lifted a paw and patted the side of the jack-o'-lantern bucket as if inviting her to look closer.

Enyd eased herself closer to the bucket, her heart pounding.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, half-expecting no answer. But Voifi only blinked, and the world around her seemed to shift as it did. The trees grew taller, the shadows more profound, and the path behind her seemed to disappear into the gathering gloom.

Enyd stood up slowly, realising with a sinking feeling that she was no longer on the same path she had taken into the woods. The trees around her had grown impossibly thick, and the light had faded faster than it should have. She spun around, her breath quickening as she tried to find her way back, but the woods had changed. The familiar landmarks—the twisted tree, the hollow stump—were gone.

Voifi purred again, this time louder, drawing her attention back to the bucket. Mesmer's jack-o'-lantern face seemed to glow faintly now, its eyes twinkling with a mischievous light. Voifi stepped out of the bucket and padded toward the deeper part of the woods, pausing to glance back at her with an expectant look.

"You're looking for a bit of magic, aren't you? Be warned, everything comes with a price," The voice said as the cat continued to wait for Enyd to make a move.