The Search

Electric fairy lights danced on darkened streets. Constantly changing color, the lights criss-crossed beneath the stars. One instant they would hover just above eye level, the next they twirled around street signs. At no point did their motion stop.

I knew better than to watch them. They were only a distraction, meant to keep me lost until sunrise. Even as a light source they were undependable; they moved so quickly that any details of my surroundings were visible only in flashes. Not that I had much choice in the matter; they also sucked power from any street lights, torches, or cell phones within 500 metres.

As I approached an intersection I stooped down, looking for any clue to my route. The signs all looked normal, so I started checking at the base of the stop sign to my left. Half-feeling along the ground, my hand touched something springy and moist. I looked closer; it was a short, softly glowing mushroom. I turned and kept going. As I walked, I started seeing mushrooms at all the intersections. I followed them through the city, into the park, and down a gravel trail. 

I rounded a bend in the trail and emerged in a grassy area. In the center of what should have been a clearing rose an enormous stone castle. The gravel path gave way to squares of smooth granite. The further I walked on the road, the more distinctly I heard talking and singing, and clinking glasses.

At the end of the road was an enormous wooden door. In front of the door stood a single man, wearing chain mail and armed with a rapier. He held up his hand for me to stop. "What is your name? What business have you here?"

"I request an audience with the ruler of the castle."

He smiled, but his eyes glinted strangely. "Only the wise may enter. Only the worthy will find what they seek. Tell me this: what gains only by loss?"

"A hole."

"What can be found but never bought?"

"Happiness." I shifted uncomfortably. A test of riddles was only to be expected, but these seemed too simple.

"What sees only by hearing?"

I paused a moment before replying, "A bat." At least this was one I hadn't heard before, but it was still suspiciously easy.

The soldier bowed as the door swung open. "And who shall I say is here to see our queen?"

I remained silent. Speaking my name now was the surest way to disappear without a trace. Was this the real point of the test?

The soldier began to fade into mist. "Wise indeed, but are you worthy? You may enter, but you will need to prove yourself to leave."

I took a deep breath and strode through the door. I found myself in an immense hall with a single stone chair at the end. Presumably this was the throne room.

"Welcome to my castle, traveler."

I flinched. The woman with the crown, scepter, and frilly dress was not in the room moments ago, so hearing her speak surprised me.

She gestured and a table full of meat, pastries, and cheese appeared from nowhere. "You must be worn from your journey. Refresh yourself and restore your strength."

I curtsied, gritting my teeth and ignoring the smell wafting from the food. Here was yet another way to disappear without a trace. "I thank you for your hospitality, but I am afraid I have pressing business."

The queen smiled and leaned back in her throne. "Oh? And what could be so pressing that you cannot eat first?"

"I am searching for a child who went missing. A young boy from the city ran away a few days ago, and his parents asked me to find him. I think he might be in this castle."

The smile remained fixed on the queen's face. "A young boy? There are many of those among the pages and servants. A runaway could easily lose himself among them. Very well. You may search among them until sunrise, but if you cannot find him you must stop looking." 

Before I could blink the hall was filled with boys. All of them seemed identical down to their hair and their freckles. That wouldn't be fair, though; one of them had to be slightly different. Finding that difference before sunrise would be the hard part.

As I walked through the boys, they parted in unison, falling back into place behind me. I quietly tried to pull out a copy of his photo. To my chagrin, it looked blank. I put it back in my pocket and focused. There must be some detail that could help me find him. I paced forward, checking their clothes, their faces, even their tans. Everything seemed the same.

I frowned. Checking every boy for some small detail would take too long. On a whim, I ran toward the middle of the room. Just as quickly, the boys moved out of the way and fell back into formation. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of them trip. I turned, ran, and grabbed his wrist before I lost sight of him. "This is him!" I shouted.

The castle disappeared into mist around me. The first light from the sun was just visible over the field. I looked down and saw that I was, indeed, holding the missing boy. I held him close as we sat in the middle of a circle of mushrooms. His parents would be glad to hear I had found him wandering in the park.