In the forest, the trees were so tall, they seemed to reach the clouds. The dark, damp, misty quiet around them gave the forest an eerie feeling. There were animals in the forest; deer, elk, squirrels, and chipmunks, and in the evening a rabbit might cross their path. They were convinced that larger animals must be there as well, as they came across scat that announced the presence of bears and, possibly, mountain lions. They carried long pointed sticks to protect themselves. Justin, Jake, and Elan kept to narrow paths left by migrating animals. The paths were soft, cushioned by a pine needles and leaves. Along the paths were ferns, some as high as the boys were tall. They had been walking for weeks living off the bounty of the forest and what they were able to carry with them. The fish were plentiful in the streams they crossed, and it was easy to spear them with their sharp sticks. The days were getting shorter, the nights cooler, and rain came more frequently, usually in the form of a heavy mist that nevertheless soaked them deeply.
"How much farther do you think we have to go before we reach home?" Jake asked.
"I don't know?" Justin responded. "I believe if we are walking in the right direction, we will eventually get there."
"If the ocean is to our left, and the mountains are to our right, and we haven't strayed too far east, we should be headed north. " Elan concluded. "The sun comes up in the east over there." He pointed to his right, "therefore those mountains are the eastern mountains."
"Great," Jake said irritably. "That is all correct, but how far do we have to go before we get home."
"I don't know," Elan returned. "Don't be so impatient. Just put one foot in front of the other and have faith that you will eventually get to where you are going, as long as we are walking in the right direction."
"Patience?" Jake sighed wearily. "Patience?"
"Yes," Justin chimed in, "you won't get there any faster if you become impatient, and you are wasting energy by agitating about it. It makes you unhappy and annoys those around you. Instead of fussing about the time you feel you're wasting by having to be patient, enjoy the time you get to spend in this strange forest. You may never be here again. Take a big breath, let it out slowly, and refocus your attention on walking and the beauty around you."
"Not easy," Jake mumbled as he took a deep breath as suggested by his brother and looked around. The forest was beautiful but forbidding.
They continued to walk, and the morning was soon spent. The sky darkened; the air became cooler. It wasn't long before rain began to fall in a fine mist. They covered themselves with their canvas blankets and walked on. The sky became darker and the rain increased. No longer a mist, drops fell steadily. The path took them through dense foliage. The long green fronds of the ferns bent by the weight of the raindrops as the water ran off them onto the ground. The birds had abandoned the sky, and the moss, on the north side of the trees, seemed to glow in the dim light. The patter of rain, though soothing to the ear, made them wet and uncomfortable. The forest became all the more dark and even more forbidding.
"Jake and Elan," Justin called to get their attention. "Do you see that?" He pointed to an exceptionally large redwood tree, in the middle of which, at ground level, there appeared to be a door. "Do you suppose that is someone's home?"
The door was smooth in contrast to the roughened bark of the tree. They saw this as an opportunity to get out of the rain and hoped that someone was home. They walked quickly up to the door and knocked. A round disc in the middle of the door covered a peephole. They heard steps behind the door. Then, the disc seemed to magically slide aside, and the boys assumed they were being watched.
