The Jeremy Curst Story Part 3

The first step is followed by several more. Jeremy Curst realizes that walking on a floating path is a lot like walking on a regular path. The only difference: he needs to watch the edge or he might loose his balance and fall off.
No one is coming down the path. In fact, there is not even one person in sight right now; just Jeremy Curst walking steadily on the floating path into the strange woods.
As Jeremy walks he notices the trees on either side of him are getting closer together. He looks ahead and sees that it seems to only grow darker ahead. He is growing hungry and is slightly bored with his quest so far. He is only walking straight ahead. It isn't as if there are many options for turns to make when you are following a floating path. He considers jumping down from the edge but as he gets closer and peers down he realizes that the path has raised him higher than he thought. Jeremy Curst decides he will keep going. Jumping feels like something that should only be tried as a last resort.
As he walks a song plays in his mind. It follows the rhythm of his footsteps and soon he finds himself humming along. "March, march, march. Like a tin soldier. March, march march. Tall, brave, and strong. We march, march march. Marching along." The song is simple and he knows it is a song of a child. But it is what comes to his mind and it keeps his feet moving and his stomach patient.
The path makes a sharp curve in front of him and as he rounds the bend he sees a palace rising up in front of him. He hesitates and wonders if he should go closer. He realizes, however, that is really the only way to go. He could turn around, but that would get him nowhere. Gathering his courage he goes up to the gate. It is quiet and the bars of the gate are rusted and cold. Looking through the spaces between the bars, Jeremy Curst sees an overgrown garden. It seems no one lives here now.  He considers leaving but something inside him tells him to push and just see if the gate will open. Jeremy gathers his thoughts and decides he will only push once and if nothing happens he will try to find a way around. He glances around quickly just to be sure no one is watching then he leans his weight against the old metal gate. To his surprise it opens easily. He almost falls a it slams open with a loud clank that echos across the garden. Jeremy tries to gather himself and see where to go next.
"Welcome. Welcome." A strange looking man in a white coat and hat had come jogging down the front steps to greet him. "You can only imagine what we have been going through waiting on you to decide to show up. The king has been very anxious. Let us go in and get you going. Hurry! Hurry!" Jeremy Curst is unable to get a word in as the man scampers back around and towards the door. Jeremy follows obediently even though he cannot figure out what is going on. He is beginning to see that moving forward is more interesting then staying put. So far doing what he is told has not hurt him. He only hopes his future is going to follow the same pattern.
It is important to remember that the person instructions are coming from needs to be noticed just as much as what they are asking one to do. Not all instructions are equal.