Chapter Three

A small valley greeted me as I looked at my new surroundings. The area was covered with trees of different sizes. Their branches and leaves were not like those on the beach. Instead, these were more condensed and with strong and sturdy branches. Various flowers and plants decorated the ground, adding a variety of colors to the scene. I walked along the curved path, taking in the strange, new sights. At the end, I found a small hill which led up to the middle portion of the valley, from which any part could be seen.

In the middle of the raised land was a large tree, the largest of any I had seen before. I walked up to it, filled with awe. Its trunk was huge, and its braches seemed to stretch for ever. Every other tree in the valley was below me from where I stood, as if refusing to reach as high as this tree. As my eyes raked over it, I noticed a small piece of white paper lying at its roots. Excitedly, I picked it up.

Unfortunately, the handwriting was not legible, or it was written in a different language altogether. However, I noticed that it was written in the same style at the letter I found on the beach from which I made my name. I folded the letter and placed it in my pocket. While I had not met any life yet, the two letters which I had found seemed to prove that I was not the only one to come here.

Looking beyond the tree, I found another sign of life among the natural surroundings. On an opposite ledge was a large stone door which I hadn’t noticed before. Walking carefully along a narrow walkway which led to it, I tried to find a way to open it. Touching it with my hand, the door began to move upwards. Suddenly it stopped and returned itself to its old position. Looking at the ground, I noticed a large padlock and chain keeping the door from opening. Though they looked as old as the door, their size would make it incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to break off.

Returning along the walkway, I looked around once again. A glitter of gold caught my eye from another small ledge. Curious, I looked for a way to reach it. There were no walkways leading me to this area, but there were several trees. With a determined sigh, I walked to the edge of the valley and focused on my goal, the small glitter on the other side. With a leap, I jumped off and grabbed onto the nearest tree.