Gabrysia and her kitten Mufka find a strange silver bench deep in the forest, and a glowing pebble wakes up something hidden nearby.
Gabrysia loved the forest behind her house. One sunny afternoon she went there with Mufka, her fluffy white kitten with a tiny pink nose and bright, curious eyes.
The trees whispered above them, the brook chuckled nearby, and leaves rustled under Gabrysia’s shoes. Mufka padded after her, stopping now and then to pounce at a butterfly or sniff a fern. Then Gabrysia froze. Between two old pine trees stood a bench she had never seen before.
It was silver, smooth, and shining, with legs like twisted twigs. Tiny lights sparkled along the backrest, as if someone had sprinkled it with stardust. Mufka darted ahead, tail high, and tapped the bench with one paw. A sweet smell of vanilla drifted through the air, and a soft bell-like chime rang out from nowhere.
Under the bench lay a small purple pebble. It glowed faintly, as if it were waiting for Gabrysia. She picked it up, and the whole clearing flashed with coloured sparks. Mufka spun in a circle and mewed. Then, behind a huge oak tree, something slowly moved. Gabrysia held the glowing pebble tighter and stared at the dark shape creeping closer.