It screamed. The mushroom screamed. The loudest, longest screech I've ever heard erupted from its non-existent mouth, shaking the entire floor. The shelves in the library-forest trembled violently, sending the books hanging from the tree branches flying across the room. The books whizzed overhead, the fragile paper of their pages-turned-wings rustling with each flap that propelled their frantic flight. Somewhere in the computer lab, a computer fell with a resounding crash, shattering into little pieces of plastic, metal and electronic components that scuttled into the infinite corridors.
When the mushroom's screams turned into quieter sobs, I turned to Daniel with a scowl.
"What on earth is wrong with you? Why would you lick the poor thing? Would you like to be licked by a stranger?"
"He asked me to!" Daniel defended.
I rolled my eyes and pushed him out of the way to crouch next to the bawling mushroom, consoling it with some water from the bottle I carried with me. The mushroom's tears turned into giggles as it soaked up the liquid. Satisfied with the happy mushroom, I returned the bottle to my bag and resumed my search for the elusive classroom.
I questioned the books, the trees and the computers for directions to Ms. Dai, to no avail. The trees thought she was in Fairyland whilst the books argued she was sailing the Seven Seas to the background music provided by the computers. As a last resort, I returned to where Daniel was crouched, petting the mushroom; it seemed the two had made up.
"Daniel, where's Ms. Dai's classroom?"
"I have no clue. I'm headed there as well, but the library won't let me out. It says I don't have the clearance to access her classroom."
If students don't have clearance, maybe the teachers do, I thought as I wandered over to the check-out desk, apologising when I accidentally stepped on a scurrying microprocessor. The teacher behind the desk jolted awake when I rang the bell to grab his attention.
"Hello, Mr. Levin. I have a class with Ms. Dai, but the library won't let me out", I complained.
He shook himself awake and replied, "Is that so? You'll have to ask the guardian for clearance then."
"The guardian?"
"Of the library", he elaborated. "The library won't let you out unless you get permission from the guardian."
I glanced at the clock swinging off a vine over Mr Levin's head. It was already 6 am; the class would be over in an hour.
"Where's the guardian then?"
"I don't know", he shrugged.
I harrumphed, returning to the books and trees— the computers had returned to the lab to mourn their shattered comrade— inquiring of the guardian's whereabouts.
"He's in the trees", squawked the books.
"He's in the books", rumbled the trees.
With a sigh, I returned to the mushroom once more, disheartened by the endless search I had embarked on.
"What's wrong?" it asked.
"I have to get to Ms. Dai in an hour, but the guardian's nowhere to be found."
"I can help!" the mushroom exclaimed, bouncing on its stem in excitement.
"Truly?"
"Yes! The guardian's gone on a holiday, and it asked me to watch the library while it was gone."
"Then you can let me out of the library!"
It nodded its cap eagerly and asked me to check my bottle.
The once empty bottle was now filled with a liquid that was both every colour and none. I don't know how I knew what to do with it, but I gulped the strange liquid with fervour, and in the blink of an eye, I was in front of Ms. Dai's classroom, with the required assignment in my palms. Beside me stood Daniel in a ridiculous, rainbow uniform, looking as disoriented as I felt.
"How did you get here?"
"The mushroom ate me then spat me out here", he replied, astonished.
I looked down at my watch to see it was 11.23 am, just in time to turn the assignment in.
Smiling and sending a silent thank you to the mushroom, I pushed open the door and stepped into the lost-but-found class.
The End
ns216.73.216.48da2
and then Add to home screen.