Help with Mushrooms
by Veronica Deardoff
It’s been hours and I haven’t even found a good book to start my research project on! Just like me to wait until the night before to start the assignment worth ten percent of my grade. The library sprawled out around me, the nonfiction section taunting me for not finding a single thing on the use of mushrooms in the ecosystem in the hours I’ve been looking. Yes, I have found a few books, but none of them have been specific enough to the stupid topic I picked. My school computer was still being fixed after I fell down the stairs of my house with it, and my mom took my phone away until I finished this, so I couldn’t even go online for information. I could ask a librarian for help, but I was too worried about being a bother. What was I supposed to do?
I stood to go check the analog clock above the study area to see that it was 5:00. Great, only an hour before this place closes and all I had done was half my topic paragraph. I took a deep breath, deciding I’d just have to look again for a decent book, and when I found a few, I would check them out. That seemed reasonable, then I could go home and get my mom to help me. I scanned the section of science books, running my fingers across the shelf as I passed spine after spine of books that were not what I needed.
Eventually, I came upon the shelf where I had found the other mushroom books. I flipped through a few, not seeing much. I sighed, and grabbed another. This one was titled Mushrooms and the Biosphere, so it might be more promising than the others. Opening it to a random page, I saw the book had been carved out to make some sort of cavity to hold a… necklace? The middle of every page was cut out to form a square space. The necklace itself sat loosely inside, an intricately detailed charm of a mushroom with an orange jewel in the center hanging off a thin silver chain.
What was this doing here? Did someone put it here? Did anyone know about it? I doubt anyone did; I don’t think there are many other people looking up information on mushrooms in a library these days. I looked around to see if anybody else was nearby, and seeing that there wasn’t anybody around to ask about this, I did what any rational person would do and put the strange necklace on.
Suddenly, it was as if a wave rolled over me, knocking me to my knees. I must’ve gone unconscious for a moment, because I woke up to find two bright yellow-green eyes staring down at me. I yelped, quickly crawling backwards to get away from- what even is it? That definitely isn’t a human!
“Hello! Glad you found my necklace!” it chirped.
“What are you?!” I yelled.
“Why, I am a dragon.” Now that I looked at it - her, I think - I realized she is a dragon, covered in moss and vines, mushrooms growing on her. She flapped her wings in the air, and I noticed she was quite tiny, only maybe two feet from her head to the end of her tail. Her brown scales visible beneath the green shimmered in the fluorescent light coming from above us.
“You’re real?” I asked rudely.
“Yeah. You see me, right?”
“What- how-”
“Okay, so that necklace you put on is mine. I’m a forest spirit who is attached to that necklace, and my job is to help whoever puts it on. And yes, I am made of magic. Oh, and my name is Mildew, by the way.” she explained hastily, knowing there would be an onslaught of questions from me.
“Oh. Umm, my name is Cas.”
“Wonderful to meet you, Cas! What can I do for you?”
“Wait, how long will you help me? Just one thing, or anytime I have the necklace on?” I asked.
“I’m sorry, I will help you once and then both me and my necklace disappear to somewhere else where I can be found. Witch's rules.” Mildew apologized.
“Hmmm.” I thought for a moment. “What is the extent of what you can do? Could I ask you to end world hunger or something?” I ventured, now getting over the shock that dragons and magic are real.
“That… would be a really good thing if I could do that, but sadly it has to be something that is in your power to do. It’s more of a thing where I guide you, rather than a genie’s wish.”
“That’s… a little boring.” I judged.
“You found me in a nonfiction book about decomposers. What did you expect?” she pointed out, seeming stressed.
I felt bad. I was asking too many things, though I did want to learn more. “I hate to ask more questions, but how old are you, exactly?”
“I lost count. It can be several years between when I’m found.”
“Are there more of you?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“I need help finishing my school assignment.” I changed the subject.
Mildew perked up a little at this. “Is it about mushrooms?”
“Yeah, actually. Mushrooms and the ecosystem. Can you help me?”
“Of course! I know lots of things about nature!”
“Yes! Come on.” I gestured, heading back to the table I was working at. She flew behind me, seeming as cheerful as she had when she first appeared again.
I sat down, and read Mildew what I had written down already. She nodded as I did, seeming to think of what she could add. I told her my thoughts of what I was going for with the assignment as well. She seemed excited.
“Well, for the first paragraph you could talk about how decomposers fixate nitrogen into a form that plants can use.” Mildew suggested. She continued to spout out facts, give me the sources to cite, and suggestions on how to organize the paper. I was able to finish within thirty minutes thanks to her. I cleaned up and put away my notebook in my backpack while she shelved the books I had been using before. When she returned, sitting on the table, she seemed to decide it was a good time to chastise me.
“Now, you should know you were quite lucky to find me. You likely wouldn’t have had time to finish your work because you waited so long to do it. It is best to always get things done earlier, before it becomes a problem like it was for you today, you hear me?” I nodded. “Good. I’m afraid that this has been my time with you, Cas. I’ll be disappearing soon enough, but I’m glad I got to do something related to plants. I love nature and plants, this was fun for me! Thank you.”
“Thanks, Mildew. You were a lifesaver. I still can’t get over that you’re… real? It’s really cool.” I said honestly.
Mildew laughed at this, to my surprise. “Am I?”
Before I could respond, I heard a noise from the entrance to the room that drew my attention. When I looked back, Mildew was gone, the necklace vanished away from my neck. She was gone.
“Can I help you with anything?” the librarian asked. She must’ve been what I heard.
“No, I’m alright, thank you.” I responded, grabbing my backpack. “Was just heading out.”
“You finished your assignment?” she checked.
“I did.” The librarian nodded and I exited the library. Standing in front of the door, I couldn’t help but whisper, “Thank you, Mildew.”
Guess I finished my research paper after all.
I stood to go check the analog clock above the study area to see that it was 5:00. Great, only an hour before this place closes and all I had done was half my topic paragraph. I took a deep breath, deciding I’d just have to look again for a decent book, and when I found a few, I would check them out. That seemed reasonable, then I could go home and get my mom to help me. I scanned the section of science books, running my fingers across the shelf as I passed spine after spine of books that were not what I needed.
Eventually, I came upon the shelf where I had found the other mushroom books. I flipped through a few, not seeing much. I sighed, and grabbed another. This one was titled Mushrooms and the Biosphere, so it might be more promising than the others. Opening it to a random page, I saw the book had been carved out to make some sort of cavity to hold a… necklace? The middle of every page was cut out to form a square space. The necklace itself sat loosely inside, an intricately detailed charm of a mushroom with an orange jewel in the center hanging off a thin silver chain.
What was this doing here? Did someone put it here? Did anyone know about it? I doubt anyone did; I don’t think there are many other people looking up information on mushrooms in a library these days. I looked around to see if anybody else was nearby, and seeing that there wasn’t anybody around to ask about this, I did what any rational person would do and put the strange necklace on.
Suddenly, it was as if a wave rolled over me, knocking me to my knees. I must’ve gone unconscious for a moment, because I woke up to find two bright yellow-green eyes staring down at me. I yelped, quickly crawling backwards to get away from- what even is it? That definitely isn’t a human!
“Hello! Glad you found my necklace!” it chirped.
“What are you?!” I yelled.
“Why, I am a dragon.” Now that I looked at it - her, I think - I realized she is a dragon, covered in moss and vines, mushrooms growing on her. She flapped her wings in the air, and I noticed she was quite tiny, only maybe two feet from her head to the end of her tail. Her brown scales visible beneath the green shimmered in the fluorescent light coming from above us.
“You’re real?” I asked rudely.
“Yeah. You see me, right?”
“What- how-”
“Okay, so that necklace you put on is mine. I’m a forest spirit who is attached to that necklace, and my job is to help whoever puts it on. And yes, I am made of magic. Oh, and my name is Mildew, by the way.” she explained hastily, knowing there would be an onslaught of questions from me.
“Oh. Umm, my name is Cas.”
“Wonderful to meet you, Cas! What can I do for you?”
“Wait, how long will you help me? Just one thing, or anytime I have the necklace on?” I asked.
“I’m sorry, I will help you once and then both me and my necklace disappear to somewhere else where I can be found. Witch's rules.” Mildew apologized.
“Hmmm.” I thought for a moment. “What is the extent of what you can do? Could I ask you to end world hunger or something?” I ventured, now getting over the shock that dragons and magic are real.
“That… would be a really good thing if I could do that, but sadly it has to be something that is in your power to do. It’s more of a thing where I guide you, rather than a genie’s wish.”
“That’s… a little boring.” I judged.
“You found me in a nonfiction book about decomposers. What did you expect?” she pointed out, seeming stressed.
I felt bad. I was asking too many things, though I did want to learn more. “I hate to ask more questions, but how old are you, exactly?”
“I lost count. It can be several years between when I’m found.”
“Are there more of you?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“I need help finishing my school assignment.” I changed the subject.
Mildew perked up a little at this. “Is it about mushrooms?”
“Yeah, actually. Mushrooms and the ecosystem. Can you help me?”
“Of course! I know lots of things about nature!”
“Yes! Come on.” I gestured, heading back to the table I was working at. She flew behind me, seeming as cheerful as she had when she first appeared again.
I sat down, and read Mildew what I had written down already. She nodded as I did, seeming to think of what she could add. I told her my thoughts of what I was going for with the assignment as well. She seemed excited.
“Well, for the first paragraph you could talk about how decomposers fixate nitrogen into a form that plants can use.” Mildew suggested. She continued to spout out facts, give me the sources to cite, and suggestions on how to organize the paper. I was able to finish within thirty minutes thanks to her. I cleaned up and put away my notebook in my backpack while she shelved the books I had been using before. When she returned, sitting on the table, she seemed to decide it was a good time to chastise me.
“Now, you should know you were quite lucky to find me. You likely wouldn’t have had time to finish your work because you waited so long to do it. It is best to always get things done earlier, before it becomes a problem like it was for you today, you hear me?” I nodded. “Good. I’m afraid that this has been my time with you, Cas. I’ll be disappearing soon enough, but I’m glad I got to do something related to plants. I love nature and plants, this was fun for me! Thank you.”
“Thanks, Mildew. You were a lifesaver. I still can’t get over that you’re… real? It’s really cool.” I said honestly.
Mildew laughed at this, to my surprise. “Am I?”
Before I could respond, I heard a noise from the entrance to the room that drew my attention. When I looked back, Mildew was gone, the necklace vanished away from my neck. She was gone.
“Can I help you with anything?” the librarian asked. She must’ve been what I heard.
“No, I’m alright, thank you.” I responded, grabbing my backpack. “Was just heading out.”
“You finished your assignment?” she checked.
“I did.” The librarian nodded and I exited the library. Standing in front of the door, I couldn’t help but whisper, “Thank you, Mildew.”
Guess I finished my research paper after all.
