Mia crouched at the base of the old oak tree. Something glowed between the roots — a tiny brass door.
It was no bigger than her hand. Warm yellow light leaked from the crack, and the wood hummed like a sleeping bee.
The door swung open. A mossy path spiraled down into darkness. She gripped the root behind her, then let go.
Inside, the forest shimmered with emerald light. A firefly zoomed in circles and bonked right into a broad leaf.
She scooped it up. It blinked three fast flashes, then pointed its body to the left.
Mia followed the blinking directions — left here, right there. The firefly buzzed on her shoulder when she picked wrong.
On the third try, the firefly zipped ahead and hovered by a silver mushroom. It blinked fast.
Golden lights drifted down from above — dozens of fireflies. The little one zipped up to join them, then blinked back once at Mia.