From his new location on top of the carpet, Walden took in his new surroundings. Everything looked much different from up there. He saw many new things, but most importantly he saw some other tiny beings, creatures his size. A few were crawling. Others were jumping.
Walden hurried across the top of the carpet fibers which a tiny flea like him could do because each of the fibers stood so close together.
Upon reaching the closest flea, Walden promptly asked, “Are you my family?”
The flea shook his head and jumped away.
Walden jumped over to another flea who was quite a bit bigger than him. “Are you my family?” he asked.
The much bigger flea looked at little Walden with narrow eyes and said, “No, I am not your family.” Then, he hopped away.
Walden asked several other fleas if they were part of his family. After receiving the same answer from each one, he was ready to give up. That’s when a flea who was about the same size and age landed right next to him. “Hi, I’m Febes,” said the tiny female.
Walden smiled and said, “Hi Febes. I’m Walden.”
“Are you new here?” asked Febes. “Did you just break out of your pupa?”
“Yeah, what about you?”
“I’ve been out for a full two days now.”
“You have? Then maybe you can tell me where I can find my family?”
“Your family?”
“Yeah, do you know them?”
“No, but I can take you to where they might be.”
“Really?” Walden smiled and hopped a little into the air, which is what all fleas do when they get excited.
As Walden followed his new friend across the sea of white that seemed to go on forever, he felt safe and happy.
“This area is called Carpet,” said Febes, nodding down at the thick fibers that stood tall and joined together to create the soft surface beneath their legs. “Carpet is easy to walk on, especially for creatures much bigger than us.”
Walden said nothing. Instead, his mind raced. He wondered what kind of creatures Febes had in mind. That terrible, loud sound that he had heard upon exiting his cocoon came to mind. He shuddered.
Febes started moving again. Walden stayed close.
After a few minutes, the two fleas rounded a corner. Walden spied something red immediately. Febes noticed Walden staring at the big red walls up ahead. “That’s called Bedlam!” she announced, smiling. “C’mon! I’m sure you’ll find your family in there.”
Febes arrived first and began crawling up one of the bright red walls. Walden followed right behind her.
As they reached the top of the oval-shaped, fur-lined doggy bed, Walden exclaimed, “Wow! Look at that!” The young flea could hardly believe his eyes. Everywhere he looked, he saw fleas. “My family just has to be here somewhere,” he exclaimed.
“Let’s go!” yelled Febes, starting down the furry wall.
Walden quietly followed his new friend. The instant he arrived at the bottom of the wall he began asking everyone he saw if they knew his family.
“I don’t know them,” said one flea.
“If they’re not here, they’re in Dogville,” said another.
“Thor will be back soon,” said a third one.
And yet another added, “He never stays gone too long.”
Walden turned to Febes and asked, “Who’s Thor? And, what’s Dogville?”
Before Febes could answer, the same frighteningly loud sound that Walden had heard moments after he had broken free from his cocoon echoed in his ears again. It was the same noise that had made him jump for the first time.
Ruff! Ruff!
But this time, he also felt the ground shake under him AND everything grew dark around him.
“Watch out!” exclaimed Febes.
Grabbing Walden’s foreleg, she pulled with all her might. The newly hatched flea came tumbling toward her. In the same instant, something gigantic, furry, brown, and powerful landed right where Walden had been standing.
Febes, still holding onto Walden, yelled, “Come on!”
The pair jumped at the same time in the direction of the fur-lined wall of the area known as Bedlam.
“It’s safer over here,” said Febes as they arrived together at the far edge of the dog’s bed. “Trust me, you do not want to get stepped on by Thor.”
Walden took a few deep breaths. He stared at the giant furry paw that had narrowly missed him. His eyes ran from upward from the paw. Soon, he was taking in the massive beast known as Thor.
Febes explained that Walden was looking right at Dogville. “That’s where most of the fleas around here live,” she said, pointing directly at Thor.
“Why?” asked Walden.
“Well, for starters, Thor’s a great host, and every flea needs a host to survive. NO HOST. NO FOOD. That’s the motto of Bedlam, and it’s one you should never forget!”
Walden didn’t understand. Before he could ask though, Febes was on the move. A couple of hops and then one really big jump.
Walden could hardly believe his eyes. There stood Febes. Atop Thor’s giant hairy foot.
“You coming?” hollered Febes from her perch atop the dog’s paw.
Walden’s eyes grew wide. His jaw dropped.
“C’mon, you can do this!” said Febes, seeing the fear in his face.
Everything Walden did before in order to jump really high flashed in his mind. He imagined himself doing it all again: pulling his legs in and locking them, contracting his muscles tightly, and, when ready, extending his legs rapidly.
The tiny flea did everything again, exactly the way he remembered it. Only, this time the end result left him standing next to his new friend and right on top of the foot of the hairiest giant imaginable.
Febes, however, didn’t stick around. The moment Walden arrived, she turned and started crawling up the giant’s furry leg.
Walden again had a choice to make. He could follow Febes and stay close to someone who knew her way around the furry animal (and who knew where to find his family). Or he could stay right where he stood.
Alone.
Terrified.
And hungry!