Lotte found herself in a terrible situation. How would she get home? Her family won't be expecting her yet, but how long before they came to look for her? Would anyone be able to find the mysterious well? She sat down in despair, realizing the consequences of her curiosity were the opposite of what she had imagined. "What am I going to do?" she cried softly. The diamonds glittering above, and the brook rushing before her, she decided to look for anything that could be of use to helping her escape the pit. Frantically she began scouring the ground, the trees, the plants. Beginning to lose hope during her search, she sat down under a tree for shade and rest.
She leaned back against the tree, looking up for the answer she knew she wasn't going to receive. The limbs were heavy with a flowering fruit that smelled sweet and ripened to a peachy coral. Grabbing her pail, she picked a variety of fruits from the nearby trees and sat down to feast. " I have food and water," she thought to herself, "and it doesn't look like I will have to worry about storms to keep sheltered from. I have all everything for survival, but what I really need is to be with my family." Leaning back against the tree again she saw a shadow that startled her.
Lotte jerked from her spot and crouched by the tree trunk, holding onto it for balance. There, along the side of the diamond cloaked side of the pit, was the entrance to a cave. "That wasn't there a moment ago," she mused. She reached down for her pail, placed a few more pieces of fruit inside, and decided she should take the detour while it was available to her. "I've come this far," she gulped, "maybe this is a way home." Clutching the handle of her pail, she cautiously stepped into the cave. As she traveled within the light from the diamond pit fainted until suddenly she was encircled in darkness. "H-hello!" Lotte called out into the nothing. Fear overtook her as tears began to swell her eyes. "Can anyone p-please help m-me?" She looked around, hoping something magical would appear as it had before.
Magic had never scared Lotte before, but then she only experienced it through the stories shared with her. Was this even magic? Could she be caught in a trap? "Please, I just want to go home!" she announced, trying to find courage to face what inevitable terror was waiting for her inside the cave. " "I want to go -"
"Home!" a voice screeched! With a jerk Lotte felt someone, or something, grab her hand. She let out a scream just as a tiny man turned her around to face him, holding a lantern in his hand. His face looked worn and wrinkly. His hair gleamed like silver threads. His expression was cheerful despite Lotte's scream, and his body was round and squat. He was no bigger than a small child learning to walk, but he looked wiser than his height appeared.
"Who are you?" Lotte asked, trying to sound brave.
"I'm Poe," the man replied with a smile that framed his large teeth. "I'm the keeper of the cave. I'm here to help you on your way." He stepped back and bowed politely after his introduction. Lotte watched in amazement. She felt relieved to have found someone, especially someone willing to help, but Poe was a stranger. Lotte was taught not to trust strangers.
"How am I supposed to believe you're here to help me?" Lotte questioned him. "I'm lost and alone, and this is a very strange place that I've discovered. How do I know I can trust you?"
Poe laughed a jolly laughed, and looking up at Lotte with crystal blue eyes he said, "It is my duty to help those who are traveling, because their destiny is important to our future."
"Destiny?" Lotte implored. "You mean I'm stuck in this case because of my destiny?"
"Yes," Poe answered confidently. "All who pass through this cave is on a magnificent journey. It is my duty to guide you to your next destination."
"Where am I going?" she said sarcastically. "Why would a girl like me be chosen for a 'magnificent journey'?" she mocked.
"You are the only one able to complete this task. Our world needs you Lotte." Poe's tone was grave, and his words made Lotte shiver.
"Your world? What is happening?"
"Our lands are diminishing. They are gradually turning into the dust of your world, where there is no magic. Walk with me, Lotte, we have little time to spare."
Lotte clasped her pail and followed Poe down the cave. The air was cool. The lantern cast light along the cave walls where jewels of ruby, sapphire, and emerald glimmered.
"Tell me about your world," Lotte inquired.
Poe cleared his throat and began, "Magic used to reside in all worlds, even yours, until it was banished underground. Your ancestors thought the magic would destroy their homes, their lives. They did not know how to handle the magic, they often misused it for their selfish wishes." Lotte listened eagerly, "Who banished the magic?"
"A deceitful Queen claimed the magic for herself. She is the one who separated our realms. Only when she did, she separated herself as well. She was trapped in your land where the magic could no longer exist. And she died many years later, telling no one of her secret."
Lotte began to feel a breeze as she listened intently to Poe's tale. She noticed plants began to spot the ground and trees began to appear alongside the cave walls.
"That's good, isn't it?" Lotte replied. "The evil Queen could no longer use the magic."
"Yes," Poe responded, "but with the Queen's passing, the magic being forgotten, our world is turning into dust. When those who believe in magic cease to believe, the magic fades away until there is nothing left." The landscape had changed drastically now. Lotte found herself immersed in a forest unlike the one she called home. The trees towered above with leaves of blue and orange. The ground was covered with them, making the path look like a sea of leaves. "What am I supposed to do about it?" Lotte demanded. "I'm not magical. I know nothing of magic!" She was beginning to think she must have hit her head during her fall earlier; this could not be anything but a dream.
Now that they were out of the cave Lotte was able to study Poe more closely. He was indeed old, and his hair stood atop his head like strands of silver thread. His clothes were regal, and hinted of his importance. He stood as high as Lotte's knee. He paced back and forth, as if he wasn't quite sure how to answer Lotte's questioning. After several moments of silence he looked up and said, "You must first look inside to find the answer to your quest. I can assist you no more. The next leg of your quest must commence straight away. Time is running out!" He bowed and in a flash of light vanished along with the cave entrance. Lotte found herself along yet again in an unfamiliar place. "This can't be true," she whined, and sat down to her fruit to contemplate what she would do next.
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