The Great Hunt for the Allicorn

It is said that the sightings are rarer than Bigfoot. The last one alleged to have occurred almost 40 years ago. No clear images have ever resulted.  And so we did not know if today we were searching for signs of an allicorn, or merely chasing after a tall tale.

Our guide was 40 inches tall, 40 pounds soaking wet, with a gap in her mouth where her baby tooth, the first one to have been taken away by the tooth fairy, had previously resided.

She had a patch of pink in her hair as she understood that allicorns were attracted to that color. Our hike up the mountain was relatively steep, for it was believed allicorns resided deep in enchanted forests, far from the hustle and bustle that cluttered our existences.

We were seven on our expedition. And we were alone, except for the magnificence of these woods. No other humans to be found remotely within the boundaries of our adventure.

We were well stocked with supplies for we knew not how far or wide our journey would take us. Water, sandwiches, bars and various and sundry other snacks weighing down the backpacks of the two sherpas, part of this coterie.

Within but a few minutes of commencing, our fearless leader spotted the first evidence of what she (and thus we) was convinced  was part of something magical. There were small rocks on the path with a strange shimmer, almost a glow to them. We were informed this could only have been left by the allicorns.

Up and then further up we went. Yellow markings, circular in shape, dotting the landscape with regularity. Sure signs we were getting closer.

One of the others in our entourage, purporting to be the mother of our guide, studiously taking notes of each of our findings. For posterity, of course.

We came upon a stream (allicorns having a particular affinity for them) and followed its course ever higher. Then we came to a beautiful waterfall, where nearby, strange footprints were in abundance. There, in a gathering of damp, almost muddy rocks covered by fern, or moss, or something quite similar, were tracks clearly belonging to a most unusual creature. Its distinct markings unlike any we had ever encountered. 

And then our fearless leader announced with great excitement she had spotted an allicorn on the other side of the waterfall. For real. And though none of the rest of our group could claim to be eyewitness, there was more than ample surrounding proof that what she had seen, she had seen. The specifics of what had appeared before her left to the depth of our own imaginations.

Soon in fact there would be corroboration. At the tippy top of our route there was a large pond. And wouldn't you know it, one of those assembled, the very knowledgeable and astute uncle of the allicorn finder, had now located two baby allicorn swimming about in the shallow water. For sure these were allicorn because none of us had ever seen anything, anywhere as striking and wondrous as these two.

Our time in the enchanted forest ended soon thereafter and we headed back to a world populated by human beings, where allicorns never tread. But if one day soon you find yourself deep in a mystical land, by a stream and cascading waterfall, keep your eyes peeled and your ears open for something that exists not only in the minds of children but in the dreams of all of us. For there you may well discover an allicorn just awaiting your arrival.