Lily sat on her woven mat beneath the largest baobab, her eyes fluttering as she tried to stay awake through her grandmother’s tales. The world felt heavy and strange, shapes shimmering at the edges of her vision. Suddenly, the rustling leaves above whispered her name, and she felt herself drifting, falling deeper into a dream than ever before.
Unable to resist, Lily stepped forward, drawn by the soft radiance. The air inside was cool and swirling with motes of light—each one a memory, a song, or a secret. She blinked, and suddenly the world expanded, the inside of the tree unfolding into a sprawling savannah of floating islands and rivers running upside down.
The tortoise bowed with regal grace. Oba the Tortoise, wise and patient, spoke first. "Welcome, child, to the Land Between Waking and Dream. Here, stories live and old spirits dance. You must find your way by following the tales within you."
Efe the Bushbaby, leaping from branch to branch, added, "But beware, not all stories are kind. Some will try to keep you here forever!"
Lily wandered in awe, her senses overwhelmed by laughter and music. A sly trickster spirit, clad in a robe of woven rainbows, blocked her path and challenged her to a riddle. "Answer, and you may pass. Fail, and you’ll become a shadow in this place."
"What grows without roots and dances without feet?" Lily pondered, remembering her grandmother’s stories. "It is the wind," she replied, and the trickster bowed, vanishing in a swirl of laughter.
Lily peered into the pool, seeing her village, her grandmother, and herself—each layered in stories and hopes. Oba the Tortoise spoke softly. "To return, you must remember who you are and the tales that shaped you."
Lily felt warmth in her chest, understanding that her journey was not just through the dream, but through the heart of her heritage.
Lily opened her eyes beneath the ancient tree, the village stirring in the pink light of morning. She smiled, feeling the echoes of the dream—a land of wonders and wisdom—alive inside her. Rising, she hurried to her grandmother, eager to tell her own story at last.
