It was one of those gray days, with the occasional pouring rain and sprinkles in between. No thunder echoed in the vast sky and no lightening split the heavens. It was just damp and gray. She liked days like this and in light of the weather, she went for a walk in the woods behind her house.

Today was absolutely boring; no one was home besides her dog, and her parents were at work. She always walked somewhere, to think, to be slightly entertained. She really didn't know the actual and real reason she went for walks; maybe to just get some exercise, maybe to find that adventure that would never come. Who knew? She knew she didn't.

The girl sighed as the raindrops fell and lightly tapped against her head and shoulders. This somehow comforted her, the small tap-tap-tap against the forest's leaves and plants and weeds. She was surprised to find the mosquitoes weren't out and biting. Maybe it was too close to fall? Whatever the reason, she was happy the annoying, blood-sucking insects weren't there; otherwise she would be too busy slapping herself to think.

She enjoyed the peace and quiet. Usually, at home, her mother was on the phone with a friend or client, and her father was always ordering her around, always pointing out her faults, asking why she can't be better. When she was younger, this troubled her, so she consistently tried to impress her father and she strived to do her best, but he still found things wrong. She eventually gave up and built up a tolerance to the heavy criticism. Her mother would never stick up for her, because she was always busy, but on some rare occasions when she was free, she would scold him for being too harsh. It seemed their dog was the only real thing her dad cared about sometimes.

She let her mind wander, and her jean-clad legs carry her to wherever, her subconscious giving the orders on where to go, or maybe it was fate fairies or the destiny gods her grandmother told her about that decided, only they knew. Her mind wandered to school and seeing her friends everyday, and getting annoying homework and projects, and getting sick of seeing all the drama that people dished out during breakfast. It seemed for lunch they gave nasty remarks on someone else's clothes, and maybe for dinner they sucked up and took money to go buy something 'important'. She thought that all the drama was just to keep everyone alive, to help reassure some people that they are still breathing, and that the Grim Reaper wasn't stalking or hunting them down quite yet.

Her mind turned to clothes, for she felt her feet getting heavier with all the mud and wet, dead leaves her tennis shoes were picking up and clinging on to. She kicked the air hard and unenthusiastically watched the clumps of wet earth fling off and into the underbrush. Her short sleeve t-shirt didn't provide much protection against the cool air, yet she ignored the goose bumps that had graced her arms.

Something told her to stop, and she did. She found herself in what possibly could've the center of the forest that was in the shape of a clearing, and in the very heart was a large oak tree. The branches twisted and turned above her head as she looked up towards the different shades of gray sky. Dark green leaves had blossomed on almost every branch - that she could see, anyway - and were dripping with the teardrops of Mother Nature. The limbs grew to the sides, up far above the other treetops, some bent down, and some just in any direction they could manage. It sort of reminded her of a large and packed city; most people lived where they could afford and just to get by.

Yet, it certainly didn't describe her town. Her town was boring, and very uneventful. Nothing exciting and exhilarating happened there.

Something caught her eye in the dark wet wood of the magnificently huge tree. It was a lighter color, and perhaps that was why it caught her attention. Or maybe it was the shape, for it was shaped like a dragonfly. It seemed imprinted into the bark, like it was somehow pressed into the younger years of the bark. It went several layers down from the wood that was covering the whole tree, and made it look very strange.

Curious, she got closer and let her fingers trace over the light bark. It was surprisingly warm and smooth. She pulled her fingers away and found that they had started tingling as soon as the skin had left the trunk.

Strange... she thought. She felt drawn to the tree. Like it was calling to her, telling her to do something, yet what, she didn't know. She could sense something deep inside her darkest emotions and deepest memories stirring, and it was the most peculiar thing she had ever felt. Her heart raced as another though came to her. Was this the adventure she was looking for?

All at once, her grandmother's favorite story seemed to echo from somewhere, resonating around the clearing.

"I have been told that dragonflies are the smallest form of dragon, yet unlike its cousins, they're skittish and quite fearful of humans. They are full of a rare, ancient, and powerful magic, and, best of all, good luck. It is said that the very day before death claims the poor creatures, they seek a host to transfer their magic and good fortune. These blessed few number of people are believed to become great leaders and they pass down their magic to each generation."

Returning to the present, she found her hand had placed itself on the dragonfly shape. Half of her wanted to pull away, but the other half didn't sense any danger and said to just leave it there and see what would happen. She refused to move it and kept it pressed against the trunk.

Replacing the echoes of the words her grandmother spoke in the past, random words seemed to fill the space. Words like' open', 'turn', 'hand', 'left', and 'key', things having no relation to her current situation.

What do I open? I'm perfectly capable of turning my hand to the left, she thought as she did so. But what does 'key' mean?

Yet then, something dawned on her that deserved a lit up light bulb floating over her head. It was something else from her grandma; a key that didn't open any doors. Her grandmother gave it to her when she was cleaning out an old jewelry box. She said that she had found it when she was a little girl playing in the pond out back. When grandma had died, she bought a shoelace and made a necklace with the key as a pendant and never took it off since.

She removed her hand from the bark, and pulled a long chain that had replaced the shoelace out from under the collar of her shirt and held the dangling tool at eye level. It was the same as it had always been: silver, with two loops on the top of the small handle, and one more on top of those with six carved in stars around them. On the handle were small and delicate lines that she couldn't make out for more than blobs and she couldn't really tell the purpose of.

Letting the key fall back down onto her chest, she shifted her gaze back to the imprint of the dragonfly, and was surprised to see a small keyhole had appeared.

"I wonder…" she thought aloud. With tentative hands, she grasped the key firmly and pushed it into the hole; to her amazement, it fit.

Time seemed to drag on, for the seconds seemed to last for more than it was worth as she slowly turned the key in the lock, wondering if it would unlock something and find its door. A loud and echoing 'shuck!' confirmed the lock had unlocked. All at once, a 'whooshing' sound was coming from somewhere inside the tree. The front of the trunk was opening like a door and she could see nothing inside for there was a blinding white light.

The tree door continued to open wider, and the 'whooshing' was sucking air inside the tree. Shielding her eyes from the light with her hands, she squinted at the tree, amazed. This was definitely an adventure waiting to happen.

"C'mon, don't be shy," a very friendly male voice said from inside. Unable to compress the excitement flowing through her veins, and the accomplishment making her heart and adrenaline race, she stepped through the door of the tree and into the light.

In far enough, the door decided to shut behind her. She had closed her eyes when crossing over, and through her eyelids, it seemed the brightness had subsided. Hesitantly, she opened one eye slightly, and then opened them both widely at the scene in front of her.

She was, no doubt, inside the oak tree, for the bark walls indicated that. Looking above her though, really established the fact. There were still branches above her, all twisting and turning, but what made it wonderful and beautiful was the fact that there were all sorts of the typical mythical creatures: fairies, gnomes, nymphs, elves, and brownies. Yet, there were more creatures that she was less and unfamiliar with. Some had beards, some had fins, and one had the body of a bear, the arms and legs of a monkey, and the head of a goat.

In the very center of her vision, though, at the edge of where the branches began, was a large white face. It looked like a mask, as if it was painted, for its expression never wavered: curious, joyful, and cheery.

Just when she thought it was a decoration, its smile got wider.

"Welcome, Valerie! To the Great Dragonwood Tree! We've got the residential area up top in the branches, as you can tell, and down here, we've got me, the dimensional warlock!"

A confused and shocked look was plastered on her face. How did this thing know her name? What was a 'Dragonwood'? How could the mask talk? And what in the world was a dimensional warlock?

"I'm sure you're very confused right now, and the look on your face practically screams it. So, how about ya float on up here and I'll get some tea ready and I'll explain over a light snack. Sound good?"

Unsure of what to do, she just nodded with her mouth gaping open.

"Mind ya, we may have several interruptions because of travelers trying to get through, but they won't be long." His face turned around and Valerie was surprised to find that, despite looking like a mask, his head had a back.

After a few minutes of staring and wondering the same questions, the dimensional warlock turned back around and apparently was expecting to find her up there with him. His puzzled look gazed down at her and he raised a 'painted' eyebrow. In his hands, or at least, hands that were floating close enough to him and had appeared from nowhere that she just assumed to call them his, was a teapot and a platter of cookies that were still steaming.

"Well don't just stand there looking like an idiot!" he exclaimed, almost impatiently as he set down the teapot and cookies on a table with a purple tablecloth that appeared before him. "Get up here!"

"H-h-h-how?" she stuttered, afraid if he was angered, he would direct his magical wrath towards her.

He rolled his eyes like everyone knew how to fly, and most likely, they probably did. "Duh! It comes naturally, like you actually have wings, or yer actually floating on a pillow of air. Even a bont could figure that one out! No offense, Krys," he added quickly, looking up at the strange bear-monkey-goat creature that was sitting in a dip between one large branch and another.

"None taken," the 'bont' said gruffly, yawning after he spoke.

"Anyways, give it a try! You'll find it's really quite simple."

How on earth could she possibly believe a talking mask? Yet, then again, she did open a door in an old tree and ended up here. If she believed that she actually opened that, which she did, then she could at least try and believe that she can fly. Looking down at her feet, she concentrated hard on an image in her mind's eye of herself floating up to have tea with the dimensional warlock.

A few long seconds passed by as she thought about what she should do. Finally, she felt the support of the marble-looking floor as her feet left the ground. Valerie smiled up at the mask-looking face and he returned the gesture. She took a seat, cross-legged, on a floating pillow in front of the warlock.

"See? I told ya it would work!" he congratulated her. "Now, for intros. I am Oswald, Ozzy for short, the great dimensional warlock! And you, lovely lady?"

She slightly blushed at his comment as she replied. "Valerie Vesper." She was confused by the fact that, if he already knew her name, then why did he just ask it again?

"Ah, the Vespers. A lovely family, they are," Oswald said, looking up and his eyes glazing over. A few silent seconds passed by as Oswald seemed to remember something. As the memory faded, he looked around and saw Valerie staring at him strangely. "Very sorry, Miss Valerie! I was revisited with a recollection of the past. Anyways, I'm sure you're very confused by your sudden appearance here, and the knowledge of me, sey?"

"Uh…'sey'?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Before he could answer, his mouth stretched open hugely and there was a swirling mass of colors and lights inside. Valerie blinked in wonder as two human shaped creatures dressed in black suits and held briefcases with white masks over their faces and black slits for their eyes came popping through. Ozzy closed his mouth and nodded at the two who were floating there, smiling. They were staring right at Valerie, and she suddenly got very self conscious.

"Welcome to the Great Dragonwood Tree!" he greeted and they floated off, up into the residential area. Ozzy turned back to Valerie.

"More apologies, Miss Val! In your language, I believe it is the word 'yes'."

Valerie's attention went from the two who she watched float up into the tangles of branches, and back to Ozzy. "Oh, right. Well, yes, I am very confused right at the moment."

"I will answer all questions but one, and that, is probably the one you're most dying to hear. That question is: 'How do you know my name?' That, sadly, I cannot answer!"

Valerie giggled quietly behind her hand at his dramatic speech. It sounded like he had come straight out of a Shakespeare play.

"Yet, I can answer your other inquiries. Now…shoot!"

"Right…well…what is a 'Dragonwood'?"

Again with the drama, Ozzy gasped loudly, stirring the bont from slumber slightly.

"Why, it is this very tree you are in right now! How could you not know of the Dragonwood Tree!? It is quite famous in your family's history and stories."

She remembered nothing of Grandma's stories about something called the Dragonwood Tree. Valerie frowned, trying to recall if there was. "No…I'm afraid I haven't heard about it…"

"Surely Violet Vesper told you of the Great Dragonwood Tree?" he asked, leaning closer to her.

Each time he said Dragonwood, and each time she thought the word, something moved at the darkest corners of her memories. What in the world was the connection?

"I remember very little and all that is hazy…but I know I've heard of it somewhere."

"Well, that's better. Any other absurd questions?"

"Yes…what is a dimensional warlock?"

This question, Ozzy seemed to take rather lightly, as if he has been asked this a lot. "Dimensional warlocks can send people away to different dimensions and choose where they will be sent to. You see, I have all the universes spread out in my chest. It makes a very convenient map, if I do say so myself."

"Now, please, help yourself to some tea and cookies," his hands poured out some tea from the pot and into a cup sitting in front of her, and then took two cookies and placed them on the small plate in front of her. She took a sip of the tea and immediately she felt a wave of warmth that flowed to the tips of her fingers and toes and she took another drink and relished the cinnamon and apple flavor.

Ozzy looked at her expectantly for a comment or something. She smiled warmly and nodded. "Is the papple and tinnamon right? Or is there too much of either one? Or is there not enough of either?"

She stopped halfway from chomping down onto the delicious smelling cookie. "Pardon?"

"The amounts of papples and tinnamon; are they alright? Or is there something off?" he repeated, still smiling expectantly.

"Papples and…tinnamon? Um…they're just fine, actually…" Was papples and tinnamon the same as apples and cinnamon?

He clapped and smiled. "Oh great! I was afraid they wouldn't be very good…you see I'm running low on them each…"

She took a huge bit out of the cookie and smiled as the appetizing taste gave her taste buds a party. "So…how did you know my grandma?" Valerie asked as she finished the cookie and took another large sip of the tea.

"Oh, we met back a long time ago, when she was about four or five," he explained, taking a sip of his own tea. "She went out exploring behind her house and found the key, and then the tree, and well, you know the rest."

Valerie raised an eyebrow. "I do?"

Ozzy imitated the gesture. "You should." He took a bit from a cookie, and then his expression turned to one of utmost seriousness. "Violet never told you the rest of it, did she?" Valerie shook her head. "She couldn't, could she? She was too ill and out of her mind to remember in the first place."

Valerie's eyes burned with the tears she had vowed not to cry after her grandmother's death. She nodded and placed her hands in her lap. Taking a deep breath, she rose her head up and smiled at Ozzy. "Yeah. She never did tell me the rest of that one."

Ozzy gave her a sympathetic smile. Violet definitely gave us a strong one, that's for sure, he thought.

He suddenly looked surprised at something. "Well, Val, I'm afraid our time here together is done, for you are being called to the Great White Void." Her faced turned puzzled. What was he talking about? "I hope you asked what you needed, because I doubt you'll get any other chances to ask it." He opened his mouth very wide and Valerie was surprised to see a big swirling mass of color inside. Another 'whoosh' sound and she was sucked inside the large hole in the mask.

"Wait a minute!!" she cried, twisting around and trying to stop her body from falling.

"I'll be sending help! Farewell! I'm sure we'll meet again, Miss Valerie!" Ozzy's voice echoed as she tumbled down to the placed called the Great White Void. She was thrown suddenly to the side, and she could see nothing. She could feel some sort of matter brushing past her as she fell forward; she couldn't be certain it was air, for this place was too dark, and very strange. A rush of nausea overcame her in a split second, and she closed her eyes tightly and willed the sick feeling in her head to go away. Valerie held her head in her hands and curled up into a ball, not caring how dumb she looked if anyone saw her. Was this what people called 'being knocked out'?

She didn't get her answer, for the next second, she was blinded by a bright whiteness and she landed with a 'thud!' on her face.

"Nice…very graceful," a teasing male's voice told her.