The birds chirped merrily as the gentle breeze swept through the whispering trees. Warm sunlight kissed Zoey's cheeks, beckoning her sleeping mind to stir. A leaf danced lazily from the tree above her and fell upon her forehead. Beneath her, she could feel soft, cool moss cushion her back from the hard ground and surface roots. A smile full of pure peace crept into her face.

Zoey didn't lay undisturbed for long. The soft sound of sniffing filled her right ear, annoying her like a buzzing fly. She flicked away the sound to return to the peace. It returned just as quickly. A moist nose touched her ear, and her reflex kicked in. She jumped up, shoving away fur. A quiet yip proceeded from the creature.

Sitting hardly three feet away from where she had lain, a bundle of bright orange-red fur trembled in fear. As Zoey stared curiously at the creature, its pointed ears cautiously lifted up. Two deep dark eyes followed. Zoey shifted, and the fox immediately ducked its head back into the fluffy red tail with a black tip.

"Hey, it's okay," Zoey assured, slowly reaching out a hand for the fox to sniff. "I didn't mean to frighten you. It's okay."

The fox replied kindly to her coaxing. It sniffed her hand, keeping its deep dark puppy eyes fixed upon her every move. When it finished sniffing, it tenderly bit Zoey's hand and uncurled from a ball. Tail and all, the fox was less than two feet long and barely half a foot tall. The tiny creature gazed intensely at Zoey as it continued to gently gnaw on her hand. She smiled warmly at it and stroked its ears with her free hand. A bond had already been formed like those between dog and owner.

"Now what should I call you...?" Zoey mused.

"I was given the name Orrick," answered the fox.

Zoey stroking ceased. Her hands began to tremble as she rose from her knees. Her face greatly betrayed her shock and fear. "Did you... just talk?" Zoey questioned between ragged breaths.

"It is not that uncommon," Orrick said, cocking his head slightly. "We are in the Southern Reaches after all. And I doubt this is the only gathering on Adela."

"Adela!?" she cried, running a hand through her black bangs, her mind fixated on that name. "A-Adela? She's... it's a place..." Her mind raced for more logical explanations, but the more she contemplated the thought, the truer it felt. Adela was a place that her father and uncle frequently visited. "Adela..."

"Yes, and to be more precise, you are currently in a region of Calcasia," Orrick added, bewildered at her confusion.

Zoey fell onto a clump of moss. That name... it was like hearing déjà vu. Calcasia... That was also in her father's journal, but she recognized it better from his stories.

"Daddy, where did all your adventures happen?" once asked a very gullible Zoey.

"They happened in another world, and the country was Calcasia."

"Were there people there?"

"Oh yes! People, and talking animals, and creatures that can change their appearance, and dragons, and men with wings, and women with fins, and all sorts of other beings! Calcasia has much to offer and many fantastical stories to share."

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"Daddy, when I grow up, will you take me to Calcasia?"

A pained look entered her father's eye, and he answered, "Of course, my little raven. Of course I will."

"It's... it's true," Zoey breathed. "His stories, this place is real. Talking animals... I wonder what else..."

She looked up to see Orrick sitting on his haunches, his head still cocked curiously at her. "This is all real, right?" she asked. "I'm not just dreaming this?"

"Shall I bite you harder?" Orrick stated. Zoey offered out her hand, which he proceeded to bite hard enough to draw blood. Wincing at the pain, Zoey laughed and cried and growled all at the same time.

It was real. She wasn't dreaming. Her mind wasn't playing tricks on her.

What an idiot!

Zoey grimaced at her own gullibility, berating herself for not recalling that lucid dreaming was a thing. Feeling pain was hardly proof that she was awake. The tears overtook her other emotions. Zoey cried from shame, from guilt, and from grief. Shame that she could mentally create an entire new place simply from the guilt of not completing her task sooner and the grief of losing her dear father.

Orrick pawed up into her lap and nudged her hands away from her face. "Why are you crying?" he asked.

Zoey brushed the fox's soft and fluffy fur, replying, "It's nothing. I'm just a little shocked, that's all." She didn't have the heart to tell this beautiful creature that her mind had made him up. As she stroked her new pet, her eyes shifted down to the clothes she wore.

She wore a sky blue, knee-length linen dress. A black leather belt wrapped around her waist, and attached to the belt hung the Sword and scroll she had found in the attic. Soft leather boots covered her feet, and a dark fur cloak rested upon her shoulders. Zoey stroked her hair, noticing that it was tightly pulled into a braid. The oyster-shell necklace she usually wore also hung in its usual place on her neck.

After examining her new outfit, Zoey then turned her attention to the surrounding area. The wooded land veiled the sunlight, allowing the grass and moss to grow in an abundantly rich green. Hidden birds whistled and warbled from their perches in the treetops. Flowers of all shapes and colours popped up among the lush green ground covers. The air smelled like fresh rain, and a light breeze fought against the moderate humidity, creating an overall temperate climate.

"Where are we?" Zoey asked.

Orrick quickly answered her with "Just north of the Southern Reaches. I would say about a day's journey before the Silence strikes. But I am unfamiliar with what is in the opposite direction: the human lands. I dare not venture far from the Southern Reaches."

Zoey stood and brushed herself off. Half muttering to herself, she said, "My brain has really kicked into overtime creating such a vibrant world. I guess the best bet is to find more human civilization. Might as well play out the dream for as long as it lasts. Too bad it's not completely lucid..."

"What are you saying?" Orrick questioned. He clearly heard everything she murmured, but he could not understand what it all meant. Zoey replied with only a head pat and sad smile.

"Let's go find a city or town or highway or something man-made," the girl said. "Now how to get out of here..."

"Follow me!" Orrick yipped, bounding away. Zoey attempted to follow, but the Sword on her hip suddenly swung between her legs. She tripped, jumped back up, and made a second attempt, only to meet the same result. With a low growl, Zoey examined the blade and its sheath. She managed to unhook it from her belt and, carrying it in hand, proceeded to chase after Orrick.

After a five-minute jog through the woods, Zoey and Orrick emerged into warm and bright sunlight. With their backs to the forest, grassy fields and rolling meadows stretched forth for miles before disappearing into the hazy horizon. Orrick bounced out into the grass, jumping up at a butterfly that escaped his snatch.

"Where now?" Zoey asked her new companion.

The fox sniffed the air several moments before answering, "Forward, I suppose. I have never been this far from home." His tail lifted from the ground, expressing his glee at exploring new territory, as he waded through the grass.

"Well, as the saying goes, nowhere to go but up!" Zoey proceeded to trek across the vast land before her, each step making her less certain that this world was all in her head.