Today was a good day despite how gloomy the cloudy sky was making it out to be. I was finishing work and starting to leave as my boss came over. "Hey Reed, are you leaving now." "Yeah I thought I told you I have school today."

"Ah, that sounds about right. Did you end up going through all the paperwork for the new client."

"I just finished, actually. It was nothing particularly special, just a simple prenuptial. I left my report on your desk."

Fantastic, i will leave you be then and give that a look over. Have a good day."

"You too, boss."

School was just as simple. It was just reviewing the homework due today, and all my experience interning for the law firm has prepared me for almost all of what my masters degree could send at me. It felt so liberating to head home. All I had left before heading home was to refill the gas for my dinky little four-door sedan.

I pulled into the station and started filling up right as it finally started to pour. After I had gotten out, and when i was inputting information into the pump, a loud crack and bright flash suddenly hit me like a truck. I felt myself move but couldn't feel the direction with how busted I assumed my ears were until I felt still.

I lay there for a moment to catch my breath before noticing the distinct texture of grass under me. My head was still swimming from whatever had happened. I sit up a bit and notice the most fantastical sight I had ever seen in my life. Surrounding me was a towering forest dotted with luminescent fungi as big as people. I was flabbergasted for a few moments, just taking in the wondrous sights around me before realizing one simple fact. I had no idea where I was.

After getting up, something felt a little off. Everything was so big and fantastical that it all felt like a dream. Wander over to a nearby small stream that i could hear meandering through before noticing a discrepancy in my reflection. I looked ... young. No where near my mid twenties. The little facial hair I grew to distance myself from the most basic of white male looks having completely disappeared and is instead replaced with a much more obvious visage of youth. It looked like i was back in high school.

I was broken out of my momentary confusion by a small bit of movement in the corner of my eye. I quickly shift my vision and notice a spider large for its species covered in fuzzy yellow fur and looking back at my curiously. I remember, vaguely, seeing a creature like ti before but I couldn't remember and the small spider didnt give me a chance to ponder and further before throwing out a small crackling web from its body directly at me. Acting completely on instinct, I jump out of the way. The yellow devil chitters a bit and moves around before preparing what looks to be another attack. It finally dawns on me how dangerous it is when i notice how the undergrowth where the previous web landed has been slightly charred. I quickly scramble away from the small clearing as another web has landed right where I had been laying on the ground moments before. As a few more small spiders notice the disturbance made by its fellow, I quickly make my exit encouraged by the noises I hear behind me.

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Having made enough distace feeling a little calmer, I hunker down and take a deep breath after such a stressful experience. Pondering what I might do, I take a good look around me at the surrounding forest, and after not noticing anything, I give an almost whispered "hello there." After giving the forest a moment to respond, I continue a litte louder, "is anyone around, I promise I'm harmless." The ambient forest noises feel almost deafening before I feel an even deeper calm layered over whatvI am feeling and a small cone with a pink puff peeks over a root just 10 feet away. Having heard the squeak that came with the creature announcing its presence, I stand stock, still staring at it before giving another tentative hello. To my suprise, the creature immediately responds with another magical sounding chirp and moving a little closer. Whatever weird calm I felt has been layered with a unique feeling of confidence that feels right and a lot of curiosity. Infront of me is one of the weirdest creatures I have seen in my entire life. It is a pastel pink and blue that does a surprisingly good job of blending into the dark and glowy environment of the forest. Shaped like a conical birthday hat it uses tiny feet to waddle nearer to me. Feeling slightly embarrassed for the amount of fear I had been feeling moments before a lean forward and reach a finger out to the foot tall creature. It then reaches out to touch my finger with floppy bits on the side of its head where ears might be on a human. After it touches me it quickly retracts its feeler and makes another weird noise while moving a little from side to side before disappearing in a flash of purply-pink light.

After the shock of its apparent teleportation passes I notice a felty feeling appear on my head. Reaching up to feel I touch the feelers of the pink creature before they suddenly fall to the sides of my head and almost feel like they are holding on tight and whatever feelings of calm, confidence, and curiosity is replaced with a feeling of calm and comfort that serves to make whatever has happened feel bearable.