Max, Lena, and Fluffy find a strange shining gate under an old oak and step into a forest unlike any they have ever seen.
Max and Lena loved wandering through the woods behind their house, especially when their kitten, Fluffy, padded after them like a tiny shadow.
One afternoon, Max stopped so fast that Lena nearly bumped into him. Under the old oak tree stood something that had not been there before: a tall, shining frame, bright as wet glass and smooth as silver.
Lena reached out and touched it. Her finger slipped through with a soft ripple, as if she had poked a puddle. Before either of them could say a word, Fluffy sprang forward, gave a tiny "meow," and vanished inside.
"Fluffy!" Lena gasped.
"We have to get him," Max said, taking her hand.
The frame shimmered, warm and blinking, and the two children stepped through together.
On the other side, the forest had changed. The trees wore blue leaves. The sky glowed in ribbons of red, gold, and green. The grass under their shoes felt soft and springy, like a blanket.
Fluffy was sitting a few steps away, staring up at a huge golden clock hanging from a branch.
Then a rustle moved through the bushes.
Something bright flashed between the leaves, and Max and Lena froze.