Although the girl left for her journey in the stages of adolescence, her true journey began in the forest when she was still an infant. She had been left there at birth, cold, hungry, and very much alone. In her first moments of life, all she knew was a sense of being lost and unsure. Then, one day, a young couple walking in the woods happened upon the innocent babe. The woman smiled warmly at her, and the man wrapped her in his own coat. Because no one was nearby to claim the child, they took her into their care.
The child was given the name "Elizabeth", and growing up she knew only happiness. Her world was completely carefree. Her parents would have given her the world, but, since they were unable to do so, they gave her large portions of it.
Sadly, this fairy tale of hers had to meet its end. For, although she had been given so much, she wondered why she always seemed to be missing something important. Her family understood what she was going through and soon decided that it was time for her to embark on her journey to find what she sought.
At first, Elizabeth was afraid to leave behind her family and home. "You need not make this excursion on your own. A companion will attend you," her mother said.
As it turned out, another young lady about Elizabeth's age was at the point of her own trip. Her given name was Celeste, and her bright personality was exactly what Elizabeth needed in a companion. Their families did not want the girls to have to make the trek on foot, so horses were provided for the pair. The bridles on the horses read "Mildred" and "Audrey."
Upon their departure, Elizabeth's father handed her a tiny leather-bound book. He told her that it was very important that she keep it safe.
"It will be your guide," he said. "Just follow the instructions inside, and you will find it easier to keep to the path."
And so, with the book in tow, Elizabeth and Celeste left on their journey. They rode for days and days. True to her father's word, the little book proved to be of great assistance.
One day, however, Elizabeth neglected to consult it, and soon the two girls found themselves outside a city. Just inside the gate there was a boy no older than the girls, and he seemed to be napping.
"Excuse me," whispered Celeste, "but could you let us in so we can rest for a day?"
The boy awoke, although he still looked tired and worn. He pulled open the gate to let them in, and as soon as they were within the city walls, he let the gate shut and resumed his nap.
Elizabeth and Celeste crept around him and wandered further into the city. There were weeds growing everywhere, and a putrid stench hung in the air as if no cleaning had been done in quite some time. The town sounded sparsely populated, but the girls could see groups of people scattered about the yards. But no one was doing anything worthwhile. They were either in a deep sleep or in a deep trance. Some were stretched out in hammocks; others were sitting against their house walls with blank expressions. "I think we should leave this place," said Elizabeth.
"But it's so calm," replied Celeste. "It would be very relaxing to spend the night here."
"But we would make better time if we kept going."
"I thought you wanted to rest for awhile."
Elizabeth could not deny that she felt incredibly tired. Still, something deep inside her was telling her that this would not be a good place to stay. She had also noticed that she felt even more tired since she had entered the city and the feeling increased as she went further inside the gate. She felt an urge pushing her to leave, but she knew she could not leave Celeste alone in the city.
Elizabeth pulled out her book which her father had given to her and searched it for instructions. It said many times that wasting time would not benefit her, so she pulled Celeste back toward the gate. As they neared it, the boy awoke again. He gave the pair an odd look and said, "Where do you think you are off to?"
"We decided not to stay after all," replied Elizabeth. "We need to keep moving."
"My name's Wilfred," he said. He stuck out his hand as if they had not already been engaged in conversation.
Being polite, Celeste shook it, and the entranced look covered her countenance. She began to fall to the ground, but Elizabeth caught her. Wilfred reached his hand toward Elizabeth, but she said, "Sorry, I should really take her out of here so we can be on our way."
But Wilfred did not want a negative response. "I'll accompany you to your horses."
"Thank you, but that will not be necessary," Elizabeth answered.
The boy obviously did not want to lose this battle, but he decided that to win would require too much energy than he desired to put forth, so he returned to his napping position at the gate.
Elizabeth carried Celeste to their horses and tried to wake her up. It was much easier now that they were out of the city.
The two set out again, and Elizabeth looked back to the city. She spotted a huge plaque on the wall which read Doldrums. She committed the name to memory, intent on not returning.
Celeste was still much disoriented from her daze in Doldrums, and she desperately wanted a place to stay the night. They happened upon a beautiful little town which bore a sign reading Espejo. The gate was wide open as if inviting everyone in to see the marvelous town. The girls noticed that everyone carried a small mirror, and they would gaze at themselves every so often. They had not stepped more than two feet past the gate when a girl of about eighteen blocked their path.
"Hello," she said, "my name is Narcissa, and am I not one of the most beautiful girls you did ever lay eyes upon?"
Celeste bore a look of absolute disgust, but Elizabeth politely responded, "Yes, you are indeed lovely."
"I know," answered Narcissa, smugly. "You are quite lovely yourself," she added, turning to Celeste. "Quite a lot more lovely than your companion." Celeste looked both pleased and embarrassed. Elizabeth could not believe the audacity of the girl. To be so upfront about appearances seemed unnecessary and very rude.
Celeste murmured a quiet "Thank you," and walked slowly toward the inn. But Narcissa grabbed Elizabeth's arm and held tight.
"You know," she whispered, "I truly think you are the lovelier, but I wanted your friend to feel special. Am I not the most considerate person you have ever met?"
Elizabeth could not decide whether to allow the flattery or rebuke it. She liked being told she was pretty, but she did not like the fact that Narcissa had been as rude as to lie to Celeste and tell her that she was so pretty.
Elizabeth walked to the inn feeling in high spirits about herself. She decided she would buy one of those mirrors the next day.In the morning, Elizabeth woke extra early so she could make herself look beautiful for everyone in the town to see. She wanted them to think just as Narcissa did: that she was much more beautiful than Celeste.
But Celeste was already at the mirror. She's not that pretty, thought Elizabeth, not as pretty as me, anyway. Celeste washed her face and backed away from the mirror. She smiled slightly. Elizabeth, however, spent several hours applying beauty products Narcissa had recommended. When the two girls walked into the new day, Narcissa was waiting for them. Celeste walked a half step behind Narcissa and Elizabeth, who were both vying for the lead. Elizabeth noticed that, whenever Celeste looked at her, she seemed worried. In her heart, Celeste knew that the only way to free Elizabeth from her vanity would be to take her away from the town.
Later that night, Elizabeth could not find Celeste. She soon discovered where her friend had crept off to, though, because she returned promptly with another girl. Celeste introduced her as Arielle. She was a girl who traveled the path Elizabeth and Celeste had been following, searching for those who had wandered from the path. She helped Celeste take Elizabeth from the town, and the three continued on the road. Celeste explained to Elizabeth that she could not bear to see her become like that vain Narcissa.
The girls spent the next few days along the straight, narrow road, and soon, they found reason to rejoice.
About ten miles up the road was a huge gate. It was a pearl color, and a luminescence came from behind it. "This is what you have been seeking for," Arielle informed them. "You are almost to your journey's end."And so, they continued toward their final destination with a quickened pace.
