Dorian The Explorer

  Dorian pushed through the thick jungle bushes with a bright smile on her face.

“Come on, Boots! We have to get to Rainbow Mountain before Swiper steals the Crystal Map!”

Beside her, her cheerful monkey friend clapped excitedly as they crossed a wooden bridge over a roaring river, sang to open a mysterious gate, and followed a trail of glowing arrows through the forest. Every time they faced danger, Dorian turned toward the trees and asked for help, waiting patiently as if hundreds of invisible friends were answering her.

At last, Dorian reached the top of Rainbow Mountain, where Swiper was waiting with the Crystal Map in his hands.

“Swiper, no swiping!”

She shouted three times. Swiper groaned, dropped the map, and disappeared into the bushes. Dorian laughed and hugged Boots as fireworks exploded across the sky.

“We did it! We did it! Hooray!”

She sang, spinning happily beneath the colorful lights. Outside the small padded room, two nurses stood watching through the narrow glass window. Dorian was alone, sitting on the floor with her arms wrapped around empty air, occasionally talking to someone who wasn't there. One nurse quietly turned to the other.

“She’s having one of her mental hallucinations where she thinks her name is Dora the Explorer again. At this rate, I don’t think the medications and treatments are helping.”

Inside the room, Dorian suddenly stopped smiling and looked toward the door. Then she whispered to the empty space beside her,

“Boots... they can see us now.”