Kelsey's Adventure

An Ordinary Day

This story starts as many do, with something ordinary.  No “Once upon a time” or “Happily every after”.  Just a plain, old, boring, nothing special, same as always, ordinary day…that turned into an extraordinary adventure!

Kelsey began her day as she always did on the weekend.  She woke up around 9am with her tummy telling her it was time to feed it.  

She flops her legs out the side of her bed, feeling with her toes for her fuzzy slippers.  Then willing her body up off of the bed she let out a loud yawn, stood up, and walked downstairs to get some breakfast.

Kelsey sat at the table, eating her favorite cereal and wondering what she might do today. 

Should she read one of her favorite books?  Maybe she will play with her dolls.  She could do some chores…ha.  No, Meredith, Chavonne, Callie, and Kyla will be coming over today.  They always get together on Saturday. 

Kelsey finishes her breakfast, brushes her teeth, combs her hair, gets dressed, and then plops down in her beanbag chair with her iPod waiting for the girls to show up.  

Soon there is knock on the door.  It’s Chavonne and Callie.  A few minutes later Meredith is at the door.  Finally Kyla shows up…late as usual.

“Come on,” Kelsey calls to them all.  “Let’s go outside.”

“Let’s play hide and seek,” suggests Callie.

“Don’t we always play hide and seek?” asks Meredith.

“Yeah,” replies Kyla, “But we love hide and seek.”

“Kyla, you’re right,” Meredith says “Come on.  I’ll count first.”  She runs outside with the others following her.  “Alright, don’t go past the edge of the park,” Meredith hollers as everyone starts to run to their hiding spots.

Kelsey starts towards the park.  She always finds a great hiding spot in the park.  As she gets there she 

sees Kyla has already hidden herself there.

“7…8…” Kelsey can hear Meredith getting closer to 10, she better hurry and find a hiding spot.  She runs towards the woods.  If nothing else she will hide behind a tree. 

“9…10…Ready or not here I come” yells Meredith.

Kelsey looks around frantically for a hiding spot.  Where can I hide….where can I hide?  She thinks to herself.  She hears Meredith  holler as she finds Kyla.  

Kelsey sees a dense vine covered area. 

It looks kind of spooky, she thinks.  As she contemplates whether or not to go into the vines, she hears Meredith getting closer.  She ducks into the vines, hoping there are no spiders.  

Kelsey backs deeper into her hiding spot as she sees Meredith approaching her.  

As Kelsey steps backwards one last time a root catches her foot and she stumbles backwards.  “Whaoooo!” She yells as she falls backwards and crashes into something hard behind her.

“Kelsey?” asks Meredith.  “Where are you?”

Kelsey stays quiet.  She feels behind her.  Her hands run across something that feels like a handle and a keyhole.  

She starts to turn around to see what she fell into when Meredith pulls the vines back from Kelsey’s hiding spot.

“I found you!” Meredith cheers.

Kyla peaks around Meredith’s shoulder. “Are you alright?” Kyla asks.

“Yeah.  I just tripped over a root and bumped my head against this…” Kelsey trailed off as she looks at what she has fallen against.

At first glance it looks like the tree has a door handle and key hole sticking out of it.  As Kelsey looks closer she can see the outline of a door.  The entire door is made of bark, the same as the tree’s bark, with jagged edges at the top and bottom, rather than smooth edges like a normal door. 

“What is that?” asks Kyla.  “Is…is that a door?”

“I think so,” says Kelsey.  “Pull the vines back so I can see it better.”

Kyla pulls the vines back revealing the old bark door.  Kelsey feels the handle; a circular ring clamped in the mouth of a lion.  Her fingers run across the keyhole.  Slowly she wraps her fingers around the handle and pulls.

“Don’t do that!” Meredith exclaims. 

“Why.  It’s not like it’s going to go anywhere exciting.” Kelsey says.  “Besides it’s locked.  See.”  She yanks on the handle again to show Meredith.

“Whatever…come on out of there,” encourages Meredith.  “That is definitely spider domain.”

Kelsey crawls out from behind the vines, looking back at the strange door, wondering where it might lead.  It’s probably not even a real door.   I don’t see any hinges, she thinks as Meredith runs off to find one of the other girls.  But what if it is a real door.  What if…

“Come on Kelsey,” Kyla breaks in.  “Let’s go back to the house and wait for the game to be done.”

“Yeah…yeah…sure,” Kelsey says, looking back at the vines and the door that they hide.  Another day.

A Treasure Found

Another day came and went, and another, and another, pretty soon weeks had gone past without Kelsey returning to the strange door.  That didn’t mean she didn’t think about it…but every time she wanted to go back to look for it, something came up.  Schoolwork, sports, family; there was always something.  At some point Kelsey forgot about the door and what might lie beyond it.  That changed on an ordinary Tuesday as she walked home from school with her friends.

“Come on Kelsey,” Meredith hollered “Stop dawdling.” 

“What are you doing?” Dana asks.

Kelsey is looking up at the treetops, the sun flickering in the leaves, and the blue sky beyond.  It is beautiful.  What would it be like to be able to fly through those trees?  To soar through the blue sky, Kelsey thought.  She shook her head, snapping out of her daze as Dana questioned her.  “Oh just looking at the trees and the sky.”

“Well, catch up,” Dana says.

Kelsey begins running towards the group of girls walking in front of her on the path.  Suddenly her foot catches on a bump in the pavement.  She looses her balance, tipping forward.  Oh…this is going to hurt. 

Her running gets more spastic as she careens towards the edge of the path.  Arms flailing wildly to help her catch her balance, Kelsey stumbles forward one last time, and falls on her hands.  

Kelsey’s backpack flips up over her head, spilling its contents down the side of the path.

“Oh NO!!” Kelsey moans, getting Dana’s attention.  Dana breaks from the group, as they stop to see what happened, and walks back to Kelsey.  Dana bends down to help her pick up Kelsey’s books, pens, and other school supplies.

Dana smiles and shakes her head, “Kelsey…you are kind of a klutz.”

Kelsey smiles back, “Yeah.  Only I would be able to fall over my own two feet.”  She picks up her book and notices a few items down the embankment. 

She slowly steps down the embankment. Her foot slips and on to her bottom she goes.

Dana calls down to her, “Kelsey!  Are you okay?  Be careful.”

“What is going on?”  Meredith yells back to Kelsey and Dana.

“I’m being a klutz!” yells Kelsey as she leans forward to pick up the pen, notebook and phone that are on the ground near her.  

She puts them in her backpack and starts up the embankment, leaning on her hands for stability.  I am not falling down for a third time!    Slowly she climbs up the embankment.   “Ow!” She exclaims in surprise, as something pokes into her hand. 

Kelsey lifts her hand away from the object that poked her.  Her eyes widened as she looks at an old skeleton key.

“Kelsey!  What is taking you so long?” Dana enquires, “We’ve got to get to Meredith’s house soon or her mom will start to worry.”

Kelsey quickly grabs the key, shoving it into her backpack, and climbing up the embankment.

“Sorry.  Something poked me.” Kelsey explained.   “Sorry guys!” She shouts to the rest of the group as she brushes herself off.

“Come on”, Dana encourages.

Kelsey pulls her backpack on and Dana and her run to catch up with the group.  The group begins to walk along the path again as Kelsey and Dana reaches them.

“What the heck happened, Kelsey?” asks Kyla. 

“I fell, and my backpack spilled all over, and then I fell again, and…it was crazy.  I’m such a klutz,” Kelsey says with a smile.

Callie smiles and comments, “That’s our Kelsey.”  The girls all laugh as they walk.  They start talking about what they will do today when they get Meredith’s house.  Kelsey is not listening though.  She’s thinking about the key in her backpack.  For the first time in a month she is also thinking about the door she stumbled on while they played hide and seek.  What if this key opens the door?  It can’t!  We are nowhere near the place we played hide and seek.  But…what if it does?  It’s got to be the key for that door!  It’s got to be!

What's Behind Door #1

Kelsey wanted so badly to leave from Meredith’s house right as she got there.  She knew that if she did the others would want to know why…and she had no good excuse.  Plus she had to get her homework done, and it was nice to work with other people.  So she laid on the floor and did her math as Callie lay next to her.  They were both in the same class.  Callie was done first with her math problems.

“Callie, did you get 12 for number 3?” Kelsey asked.

“Yep.” Confirmed Callie, “Are you done with the rest of the problems?”

“I have two more,” Kelsey sighed “Can we go over the answers when I’m done?”

“Sure.” Callie sat up and began to put her math book back in her backpack.  Chavonne, Meredith, Kyla, and Dana were at the table doing English homework.

Kelsey had an English assignment also, but it wasn’t due until Monday.  So she had a few days to get it done.  She had a history test that she had to study for tonight though.

Kelsey finishes her math problems and turns to Callie.  “Okay…all done,” she says.   She and Callie go over the problems, both of them talking it out if they had different answers.

Once they had finished with the math problems Kelsey packed her things in her backpack, looking in to make sure the key was still there.

“Where are you going?” asks Meredith “I thought you had a history test to study for.”

“I do,” Kelsey says “But I think I’m going to study at home.  Just having a hard time concentrating today.”

“Okay” says Meredith, not thinking much of it.  The girls give Kelsey hugs good-bye; she shrugs on her backpack, and heads out the door.

I’ll just swing by the tree.  See if the key fits that door.  She thinks.  Then, back home to study.  Real quick!  No big deal.

She starts walking a little quicker along the path to get to the door.  As she gets to the spot her heart starts to beat faster.  I’m so nervous.  What am I going to find?  What if the key doesn’t work?

Kelsey spots the tree with the vines growing on it.  She sprints towards it, stopping a few feet from the base, tossing her backpack off her shoulders, and pulling it open as it hits the ground.  She rummages through it.  Where is it?  Where is it?  

She starts to panic as she can’t find the key.  Then…ah.  There you are.  She says to herself as she pulls the key out of the corner of her backpack.

Kelsey She pulls the zipper closed and throws her backpack onto her back. 

She squeezes her hand closed around the key, making sure it doesn’t fall out.  She creeps towards the vine covered tree, her heart racing.  She moves the key from her palm to the end of her hand, grasping it so that it is ready to open the bark door.  With a deep calming breath she pulls the vines back from the tree…and steps back in shock.

“Where’s the door?” she says out loud.  She begins to pat the tree with both hands, feeling her way around.  Looking for the edges of the door, the handle, anything.  How could it just disappear?

Frantically Kelsey searches the face of the tree, but there is nothing.  She lets the vines swing back into place as she steps back.

She looks at the tree, then looks around, then back at the tree.  Is this the right tree…or is it that one over there?  Or could it be that one over there?  I don’t remember all these trees looking so similar.

She decided to try the nearest tree.  She sprints to it, key still in hand.

Flinging the vines to the side, she sighs with disappointment as there is just bark behind them.

She runs to another tree, with the same result.  And another.  And another.

Suddenly she is back where she started.  She whips her backpack off, throwing it on the ground, frustrated that she can’t find the vine covered bark door.

Kelsey let’s out a long sigh.  I don’t understand.  Where could the door have gone? She drags her feet as she walks over to the tree.  Plopping herself down on the ground she sighs again, and looks around.   I know that we were right here when we played hide and seek.  I know it! 

“I know it!” she says aloud as she grabs her backpack.

Looking up from the ground she sees something in the distance.  She squints her eyes as something flashes light.  Kelsey begins walking towards the flashing light, cautiously at first.

As she gets closer she sees that the light isn’t flashing, it’s moving.  Squinting again, Kelsey sees that the light is an orangish color as it moves behind the tree, then comes out to the side, then back behind the tree.

She walks a little faster, but doesn’t run, afraid that she may scare the light.  How are you going to scare a light?  Kelsey thinks.  How does a light move?  Slowing, Kelsey starts to creep towards the light.  It goes behind the tree again.  Kelsey runs the few feet to the tree nearest to the light and hides behind it.  She peeks around the trunk, waiting for the orange light to come around the other tree.  But there is nothing.  Slowly she creeps towards the other tree. 

Her heart pounding, she puts her back to the trunk of the tree.  I’ve got to see what that light is.  She thinks as she whirls around the trunk to see…nothing!  No orange light.  No vines.  No door.  Kelsey huffs, shaking her head, about to give up, when she sees it.  There behind the tree that she just peeked out from is another tree, covered with vines.  A flash of light comes from behind the vines.

Sprinting towards the tree, she throws the vines back to reveal the brass handled, bark, door.

Into the Unknown

Without hesitation Kelsey thrusts the key into the lock and turns it.  There is a click as the lock disengages.  

Taking a deep breath, Kelsey grabs the brass ring and pulls.  

Dust and dirt fall from the door as it swings open.  Cool air hits Kelsey in the face, forcing her to release her breath.  Oh my gosh…oh my gosh…OH MY GOSH!!!!

Squinting to see through the darkness, Kelsey creeps forward into the unknown, wishing that the orange light would appear to guide her or at least light up the darkness.  Wait, she thinks, I have my cell phone with.  She takes her cell phone out of her backpack, turning on the flashlight app, hoping that it will shed enough light on the darkness.   She turns the cell phone away from her face towards the tree’s tunnel.  

Smooth wood with moss spots the round walls of the tunnel.  Kelsey takes a few steps further, nervous about what may be ahead of her.  Her cell phone illuminating the five feet in front of her, but not much more.  How far does this thing go?

Slowly she creeps forward, taking in the tunnel around her.  Her foot snags a root and she stumbles forward.  Before she can completely fall on her face, she catches her balance and is able to right herself.  She looks down at her school shoes and thinks; These are not the best shoes to go exploring in.  Actually this outfit is not very good for exploring.   

Bringing the cell phone up in front of her, Kelsey peers into the darkness in front of her, hoping to see anything other than the walls of the tunnel.   Her phone does not shine far enough ahead though to see anything.  

That seals it.  Kelsey turns around and heads towards the door.

“I’ll come back tomorrow, with better exploring gear, and more time.” She says to herself as she reaches the door.  Kelsey closes the door, making sure that it is locked.  

She lets the vines swing back, concealing the door once more.  As she walks away, she stops mid stride.  What if I can’t find this place again?  I may not have some weird orange light to lead me to this spot.

Quickly thinking, she takes off her pink headband and ties it around the vines.  

Taking her cell phone out she begins to photograph the surrounding area, making sure that she photographed the scenery, so that she would be able to find the tree again tomorrow when she came back to door.  

Click. 

Click. Click.  

Click.  

Looks good!  Kelsey checks her phone.  I’ll be able to find this place tomorrow…no problem!  Putting her cell phone into her backpack, she heads back home, dreaming of what might be at the end of the tunnel.  I cannot wait to see what is in there!   I can’t even imagine what the orange light is!  Oh…tomorrow cannot come quick enough!

On to the Next Day

Tomorrow came, bringing strong rainstorms with it.  Kelsey sat in her classroom looking out the window with a disappointed face.   Why does it have to rain today?  There is no way I can go to the door when it’s pouring like this.  This is such a…

“Kelsey!  Kelsey!” Chavonne interrupts.  “Come on.  Class is done.” 

Kelsey sweeps her book, notebook and pen into her backpack, joining Chavonne as she leaves the classroom.  “Sorry…I was totally thinking of something else”, Kelsey explains.

“What were you thinking about?” Chavonne asks as they walk down the hall.

“Just daydreaming.  Wishing it was nicer outside.”

Chavonne laughingly says, “Aren’t you always daydreaming?  I don’t know how you are such a good student with all of the daydreaming you do.”

Kelsey smiles. “I’m just that talented.  I’m off to English for my test.  See ya!”  She waves and heads into her English class. 

“Bye!” Chavonne says heading down the hall towards her next class.

Kelsey sits down in her seat, takes out her pen, and readies herself for her test.  The class goes quickly as does the rest of the day.  Kelsey’s afternoon is filled with homework.   The rain doesn’t stop the entire evening and continues into the next morning.  That Thursday, school drags on.  As the day goes by and the weather gets nicer, Kelsey begins thinking about the door again.  She dreams of the wonders that she might find beyond the tunnel, as she eats lunch with the other girls. 

Meredith gets up from the lunch table.  “Kelsey, are you coming to soccer tonight?”

Oh no…I completely forgot about soccer practice!   Kelsey’s heart sinks, “Yeah, of course I’ll be there.”

Kelsey muddled through soccer practice, running the drills, playing scrimmage, but not really participating at full capacity.  

Afterwards, she packed up, went home, did her homework, and then it was time for bed.  Friday was another rain filled day.  Kelsey’s prospects of getting to the door before the weekend looked horrible.   Since the weather would not cooperate with her plans to explore the door, she made plans with Kyla to go see a movie. 

She had a great time with Kyla, and the movie was pretty good, but what she was really excited about was the stars that she saw when she came out of the theater.

Please be clear and dry tomorrow!!! She thought as she said good-bye to Kyla.  While she lay in bed, waiting to drift off to sleep, she checked her phone to see what the weather was going to be for Saturday.  

A sun above “Saturday” appeared on her phone, creating a huge smile on Kelsey’s face.  How am I going to sleep?  I am so excited!  Tomorrow I’ll finally see what is down the tunnel!

Her thoughts whirled around in her head.  

Thoughts of the orange light and what it might be, where the tunnel is going to lead, what adventures is she going to have?  Even with all of her excitement, she finally drifted off to sleep, but her dreams continued to contemplate what her day tomorrow may entail.

Finally…I See the Light!

Chirping birds woke Kelsey early Saturday morning.  Kelsey shot out of bed, brushed her teeth, brushed her hair, putting it in a ponytail, ate a quick breakfast, grabbed her hiking backpack, and ran out the door.  Her feet barely touched the ground as she ran towards the forest and the hidden door. 

As she got to the edge of the woods she slowed down, walking to make sure that she didn’t trip over anything.  It was easier to spot her pink ribbon also, if she wasn’t running.  She surveyed the forested area, but did not see any vines or her ribbon.

Taking out her cell phone she flipped through the photos she had taken of the forest.

Looking back and forth between her phone and the forest, she finally recognized a spot and began walking in that direction.

As she came around a tree she saw the vines with her ribbon tied onto them.

Her first instinct was to run, but she knew that she was a klutz.  The last thing I want to do today is fall on my face, get hurt, and have to go home without ever even getting to the door. 

She walked…but briskly, reaching the vines quickly.  She pulled the vines back as far as she could, stepped into the tree, and placed the key into the lock.

For one second the key didn’t turn.

Kelsey wiggled it, and heard the clink as it pushed all the way into the lock.  She turned the key, pulled the door, and stared into the dark tunnel for the second time.

Kelsey could barely breath.  This is it.  Today I finally find out where this door leads.  She takes her flashlight out of her backpack.  The flashlights beam pierces the blackness of the tunnel for thirty feet and then is consumed by the darkness.

In that thirty feet Kelsey sees only the wood walls, with moss spotting it every so often.  Watching her step, she begins her journey into the tunnel.  Every step further into the tunnel only revealing more tunnel and darkness.

Stepping over a large root, she glances up again to see where she is going and spots the orange light far off in the distance.

It pulses like a heartbeat, but stays completely still right in the middle of the tunnel.  Kelsey shines her flashlight in that direction, but the light doesn’t even come close to reaching that far.  Even so, the orange light disappears further into the tunnel.  Kelsey follows suite, watching where she steps as she goes.

At one point she looks back at the light from the door, now a small square of light no bigger than her thumb.  For a moment Kelsey fears how deep the tunnel goes.

What if I get lost down here?  She takes out her cell phone, noting that she still gets a signal.  Okay…that’s good.  

She slides it back in her backpack and continues down the tunnel.  It is amazingly straight, no curves or bends, just straight. 

The orange light appears again, a little closer than last time.  Hovering in the middle of the tunnel, pulsing, it makes no sound.

As Kelsey gets closer and the light hasn’t moved, she thinks maybe she’ll actually get close enough to see what the light is.  Just as this thought finishes in her head, the orange light moves away and then turns to bright white light.

Wait…that light is getting bigger.  That’s the end!  That’s the end!  Kelsey picks up her pace, not running, but going as quickly as she could, making sure she didn’t face plant.

The light was so bright she could not tell what lay beyond the tunnel.  After what seemed like an eternity, she reached the opening, the end of the tunnel.  She squinted, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the bright light.  What she saw was beautiful.

Kelsey's Adventure Begins!

A field of tall grass rolled away from her in small hills, shinning like gold in the sunlight.  It sways back and forth as the gentle breeze moved over it in waves.  Beyond the grass, trees covered the horizon.  Great, beautiful trees, with limbs outstretched towards the blue sky above them.  Kelsey imagination had painted this place with strange creatures and plants, but it was really very similar to home.  Except that she had come from a wooded forest and was now standing in a sea of grass.

Suddenly there was a rush of air from her left and the orange light pulls Kelsey out of her daze.  She looks up and beside her is a little fairy, her wings flapping quickly behind her.  

The fairy is surrounded by an orange glow.  She has a cloth orange dress on with brown stripes on the skirt.  Her brown hair held back in a braid with a ribbon.  Her wings shimmered in the sun.

“Hi!” came a small high voice from the fairy.

“Hi!” Kelsey excitedly replies.  “You are the light I have been following.” 

“I’m not a light…I’m Elita!  I am one of the fairies that live here.”

“One of the fairies!” Kelsey exclaims, “There are more of you?”

“Well of course there are, silly goose.”

The little fairy giggles at Kelsey and glows a little brighter orange.  She flutters to and fro, never really staying still.  She reminds Kelsey of a hummingbird, darting back and forth, then hovering mid air.

“I’m Kelsey,” she says, putting her hand out to shake.

Elita zips up to Kelsey, hovering close to Kelsey’s hand.  Stretching out her tiny hands, Elita puts one hand into Kelsey’s hand, another on the outside.  Kelsey squeezes Elita’s hand so softly, not wanting to hurt her tiny, delicate hands.

Slowly moving her hand up and down, Kelsey shakes Elita’s hand, the fairy moving her whole body to shake.   Her hands feel like silk.  I can barely feel her touching me!  Kelsey thinks as a large grin spreads across her face. 

Smiling back at Kelsey, Elita says “Welcome to Trillatia! It is so wonderful to have you here!  There is so much I want to show you. ” Elita starts to flit around, “I’ve got to show you the plains, and the Fallen Forest,…oh and the Brinden River…” She trails off, noticing Kelsey’s overstimulated facial expression.

Giggling, Elita tells Kelsey, “Come on.  Let’s first start with my house!”

With the field in front of them, Elita leads Kelsey through the tall grass.  Can this be real?  Am I really following a fairy?  Did I really just come out of a tree trunk tunnel?!  Wait!  The tunnel!

“Elita, Are we going very far?  How am I going to find my way back here to go home?” Kelsey frets.

“He he!” Elita giggles “Don’t worry.  I’ve gone through the tunnel to your home.  I know where the tunnel is.  I’ll just bring you back here!”

Thinking about this, Kelsey is a little uneasy.  She still isn’t sure why Elita lead her to Trillatia.  Is Elita friendly?  Can I trust her? 

“Are you coming Kelsey?”

Kelsey smiles at Elita and starts towards her, “You bet I am,” Kelsey says, pushing these thoughts out of her mind.  They walk through the grassy field, Elita always flying ahead, then waiting for Kelsey to catch up, before darting ahead again.  I wish I had wings. 

Kelsey stops as Elita disappears into a field of yellow flowered grass.  Elita pops back out of the flowers.

“Come on!”  Elita petitions. “Don’t worry.  My home is just beyond this field.”

Cautiously, Kelsey edges forward, her stomach filled with butterflies.  Her thoughts go back to whether or not she can trust Elita.  She has got to be good…she’s a fairy!  She seems so nice.  I’m sure she wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.  Then her thoughts changed direction.  What are the girls going to think when I tell them about this!  Pushing the first few flowers to the side, Kelsey eases her way into the dense foliage of the flowered grass.

Elita shows Kelsey Her Home

From a distance Kelsey hears Elita calling to her, “Kelsey, are you coming?”  Before Kelsey could respond, she brushes aside another bunch of flowers and reveals Elita fluttering in front of her.  Elita moves to the side, revealing a forested area with a small grove of trees in the middle.  Strange colorful flowers, almost like lilies, grow around the trees bases.

A squirrel gathering nuts, stops, stands on its hunches, and nibbles at the nut it has in its front paws. 

Birds call to each other and swoop from branch to branch. Kelsey has never seen such brightly colored birds before.  Butterflies, flit around, landing on something, then flying away as quick as they had landed.  The forest creatures pay no attention to Elita or to Kelsey.

“Come on”, Elita encourages as she flies towards the grove of trees.  As she gets to the middle of the grove she hovers there waiting for Kelsey to catch up. 

Awestruck Kelsey’s head turns from side to side, taking in everything she sees.   She is amazed at how calm the animals are.  The squirrel looks up at Kelsey as she passes.  She thinks about reaching out her hand to pet the squirrel, but Elita calls to her right then.

“Hey.  I don’t suppose you have some wings hidden in your backpack,” She giggles at her own joke.  “I’m kidding.  Can you climb trees though?”

Turning to Elita, Kelsey has a broad smile on her face, “Can I?  I may be kind of klutz on the ground, but I am part monkey in the trees!”

“Monkey?  Why would a key be in a tree?”

“No….a monkey.  It has a long tail.  It can climb trees.  Ooo…ooo…ahh..ahh…”Kelsey trails off as she dances around like a monkey. 

Elita wrinkles her nose and furrows her brow in a quizzical look.  “Never mind.  Yes, I can climb trees.”

“Good!  Then you can come see my house!”

Now it’s Kelsey’s turn to look perplexed.  “Your house?  Where is your house?”  She asks looking around the grove.

Elita flutters in front of Kelsey, getting her attention, then flies up.  Up on the tree’s trunk is a little house, perfect for a fairy. 

The trees bark is thick, creating great hand and foot holds, making it easy for Kelsey to climb. Colorful lilies surround the base of the tree.  As Kelsey approaches the tree Elita warns, “Don’t touch those!  They will put you to sleep for a very long time.  We let them grow around the roots of our trees to help protect us from our enemies.”

“Very smart”, Kelsey compliments.

She shrugs off her backpack outside the ring of lilies,

walks over to the tree’s base where it splits into two, grabs the bark with her hands, wedges her feet in some cracks, and starts climbing. 

Nervously, Elita buzzes around Kelsey as she climbs up the tree. 

“Oh”, Elita frets, “I wish you had wings!”

Me too.  Thinks Kelsey as she looks for her next hand hold. 

She curls her fingers into the crevices formed by the tree’s thick bark, glad that the tree has grown natural holds for her to climb up, since there are no branches below Elita’s house.

Probably safer for her that way.  Things can’t easily get up the tree.  I wonder what things would want to get to her? 

Her thoughts wonder as she effortlessly climbs, all the while Elita flicks back and forth, fretting that Kelsey may fall.

Finally Kelsey grabs on to the branch closest to Elita’s house.  She pulls herself up onto her belly, then sits up on the branch.  

Elita hovers in front of her front door, which is a round piece of wood with a little door cut out of the middle in a half circle.  Her house is made from an old log, round and solid.  On either side there are  round windows with round wood casings around the outside and sticks as muntin bars The roof is made of a large pink rose turned upside down.

Kelsey looks at Elita, "It is a beautifully wonderful home!"

Elita giggles at Kelsey, “You want the grand tour?”

“I’d love it!” Kelsey smiles and says. 

The Story of the Fairies

Elita opens the round front door and even though she is tiny, she has to duck to fit in the door.  Kelsey gets as close as she can on the branch and peers in through the window.

Elita is standing in the middle of the tiny house.  There is an itty bitty bed across from the window, made of wood, with a leaf as a blanket.  Near the window is a round log table, with sticks as legs, and a chair, made of sticks, sitting with it.  On the wall a few pictures were hung, most of the little frames were filled with the faces of Elita’s fairy friends.  That was all.  Very simple, quaint, and beautiful.

“This is my house!  Here’s my bedroom,” she explains as she walks to her bed.  “This is the living room slash dining room,” now standing by the table and chair, “and…that’s about it!”

“It’s wonderful!” Kelsey says.  “Who are the pictures of on your wall?”

“Oh, those are my friends.” Pointing to each photo, Elita tells Kelsey their names, “That’s Ilsa in the red, Annalisa is in the green, Kasillia; who can be a little strict, is in the purple, and Linnea is in the yellow.”

“Wow…can I meet them?” Kelsey asks.

“Ummm…” Elita squishes up her nose with a questioning look as she joins Kelsey on the tree branch.  “They might be a little afraid of you.  Actually, they think you might eat them.”

Kelsey makes a disgusted face, sticking out her tongue, “Blah.  There is no way I would eat anyone.  That’s crazy!” Kelsey throws up her hands.  “I bet if they meet me they won’t be afraid of me.”

“Yeah…I’m not so sure of that yet.” Elita replies hesitatingly,  “I’m the first fairy in many, many years to have contact with a human.   Fairies and humans lived together in Trillatia.  There are old legends that talk about humans collecting all the fairies.  Then something happened and the humans left to your world.  A few of them returned, using the key to come through the tunnel, just as you did.  Eventually they forgot all about Trillatia.  And the fairies were told stories to keep them away from the tunnel.  Stories of horrible, large, beasts, that hate fairies with all of their hearts.”

Shock and sorrow cover Kelsey’s face, “What happened that the humans left?”

“I don’t know,” replied Elita. “None of the great books say anything about it.  There are stories about humans and fairies being together, then the rounding up of all the fairies, then the next thing is about the humans leaving through the tunnel.”

Kelsey shakes her head.  Suddenly she looks at Elita with realization in her eyes, “It wasn’t a coincidence that I found the door or the key, was it?”

“Not really.”

Before Elita could say anything else, Kelsey asked, “Why aren’t you afraid of me?”

Elita fluttered away from the branch she had been sitting on with Kelsey.  

With her back towards Kelsey, she answered, “Well…I’m kind of…an outsider!” She turns towards Kelsey.  “You aren’t the first ‘dangerous’ creature I have befriended.  There was the haverstide, the beecal; that one was a bit nasty, the pikrat,” Elita paces back in forth in the air as she continues talking, “the grunkin, the towanin; ohh, fire and fairies do not go well together, but the ragalbeast, that’s the one that got me kicked out of the fairy village…”

“There is a fairy village?” Kelsey exclaims, almost falling off the branch she is sitting on.  “I want to see…I want to see.”

Hesitating Elita replies, “I don’t know….”

“Please.  Just a peak.  We don’t have to go into the village.  I just want to see it!”

“Alright.  But just a peak!” agrees Elita.

Kelsey swings down on her belly and hurriedly climbs down the tree.  

Elita right next to her, fretting that she has no wings and may fall.  Kelsey makes it to the bottom of the tree, grabs her backpack, and asks, “Which way?”

“Follow me.” Elita darts ahead as Kelsey runs after her.

Kelsey Meets the Fairies

Elita leads Kelsey through the woods.   Flying through the terrain with ease, she hovers every once in awhile to let Kelsey catch up.  

They come to a log, where Elita stops, hovering with her face just above the edge.  Joining her, Kelsey follows Elita’s gaze.

Below them in a grove of trees, much like the one that Elita lives in, fairies of all colors flit around, carrying on with their daily lives.  Kelsey’s eyes widened and her mouth falls open. 

“This is Delphi Hallow!  Home of the fairies.” Elita says.  Kelsey peers over the log, taking everything in that is happening in the grove.  

There is a green fairy sweeping out her little porch.  Another is carrying a flower up to her house.  Still another chases after a butterfly.  There must be 20 fairies down there.  

"Let's get a little closer," Kelsey pleads.

"Ummmm…" Elita petitions, as Kelsey steps over the log.  "I don't know if that is a good…" Elita trails off as Kelsey hollers.

"Woah!" exclaims Kelsey as her back foot catches the top of the log, tipping her forward, causing her to loose her balance and begin somersaulting down the hill.  Head over heals she tumbles down the hill, rolling again and again.

Finally, Kelsey ends up on her back, looking up at Elita, who is hovering over her, saying something.  Other fairies have gathered in a ring around Kelsey, staring, pointing, sharing nervous looks with one another.  

Elita finally starts to make sense. “Are you okay?”

Shaking her head, Kelsey slowly stands up, making the ring of fairies surrounding her back up, gasping.

“Yeah.” Kelsey groans.  “I am such a putz!”

Elita again has a puzzled look on her face “Putz?”

Before Kelsey can reply, a commotion from the fairy ring draws her attention.  A fairy, Kelsey recognizes from Elita’s pictures, wearing purple clothes, with a purple glow around her, pushes through the crowd and zips up to Kelsey and Elita.  “You can’t be here!” pointing at Kelsey.

Kelsey Meets Kassilia

“Kassilia, I brought her here,” Elita interjected, flying in front of Kelsey. 

Kassilia closed in on Elita, hovering almost nose to nose.  She points her finger at Elita.  “What are you thinking?  It might hurt us!”

“She won’t hurt us.”

Kassilia’s brow furrows, “Won’t hurt us? Won’t hurt us!?  It is probably going to eat us!”  At this some of the fairies that have been hovering around the commotion dart behind the nearest trees.

“Come on Kassilia,” Elita calmly replies.

“How do you know it isn’t going to eat us,” Kasillia goes on. “You don’t know why it’s here.” Turning to the fairy crowd, “It could be here to capture us all!”

“It,” Kelsey interrupts, “is not here to capture any fairies.  It does not eat fairies.  It will not hurt you!  It has a name!”  She paused and stepped towards Kassilia.  “My name is Kelsey,” she said stretching out her hand.

Kassilia fluttered backwards, the crowd gasping, as Kelsey stuck her hand out.  

Elita rolled her eyes at Kassilia, let out a sigh, then landed on Kelsey’s hand.  Kelsey’s heart stopped.  Elita’s little feet tickled Kelsey’s hand like down feathers walking across her palm.  She is so light.  And so beautiful.  Kelsey thought.

“Kassilia you are so paranoid,” Elita says, glaring at Kassilia.  “Look she is not going to hurt me.”

Darting forward, Kassilia grabbed Elita by the wrist and pulls her out of Kelsey’s hand.  “Are you mad?  She could squish you.  You know the legend.”

Pulling Kassilia’s hand off of her, Elita scowls and says, “She is not going to squish me!  Ugh! You have to trust more Kassilia, legend or no legend.”

Kelsey speaks up, “I promise that I won’t squish, hurt, or eat anyone.  Girl Scouts honor.”  Kelsey holds up her hand in the Girl Scout salute.

“See she isn’t going to hurt us…she just promised!” Elita says smiling.

“Ummm." groaned Kassilia. "I don’t like the situation, but I’ll let It..”

“Kelsey!” Kelsey interrupted.

“Fine… Kelsey" Kassilia glares at Kelsey, but continues, "can stay, but she has to stay at your house, Elita, and It…I mean she, can not come in to the middle of Delphi Hallow.” Kassilia protests.

“Oh Kassilia..”

Kassilia cuts Elita off, “Don’t you ‘Oh Kassilia’ me.  I don’t think she should be here at all, but I’ll trust you Elita.”  Elita smiles and starts to turn towards Kelsey.  “But if she does anything to harm any of the fairyfolk, I am holding you responsible!”

Elita rolls her eyes.  “Don’t worry!  Everything will be okay.” 

“It better be!”  Kasillia huffs, pushes through the crowd and flies away.

Immediately the crowd comes alive with chatter.  A smaller fairy flutters forward, sticking out her finger, she pokes Kelsey’s arm.  Kelsey barley feels it.  The fairy giggles and flies away.  Another fairy circles Kelsey, making notes on a small pad of paper, all the while muttering to herself.  Elita stays by Kelsey’s side, letting the other fairies acclimate to the new, strange thing that calls itself Kelsey.  The crowd starts to thin as the fairies curiosity starts to dwindle.  One, dressed in yellow, stays, looking at Kelsey with amazement.  She flies up to Kelsey’s eye level.

“You are amazing!” the little yellow fairy says.

“Well…so are you!  You are Linnea correct?”

The yellow fairy’s eyes get as big as saucers.  “Are you psychic?  Please tell me you can read my mind.  That would be so cool!”

Kelsey giggles.  “I can’t read your mind.  Elita has your picture up in her house.”

“Oh right.  Psychic.  What was I thinking?  Silly Linnea!  Of course Elita showed you the picture.  Oh my gosh I’m such a goof.  I’m rambling…Hi I’m Linnea.”

“Kelsey.” She stuck her hand out.  Linnea took a finger in her hands and shook, flying up and down as she did.

“We better go,” Elita says, “Before Kassilia changes her mind.  And if she sees you here she will get really mad.”

“Alright.  Better go.  Bye Linnea!” Kelsey waves.  Linnea waves back at her, as do some of the other fairies.  

Following Elita out of the grove, Kelsey looked back over her shoulder to make sure that what she had seen was real.  Linnea was still there fluttering her wings to stay above the ground, waving at Kelsey again.  Most of the other fairies had started to disperse.  The morning’s excitement was done.  It was time to get on with their days.

Kelsey Meets Elita's Friends

Kelsey was in a daze as she walked back to Elita’s house.  How can this be real…I mean I want it to be real.   It’s the most awesome thing that has happened to me in my entire life.  I just can’t believe that it is real…  Kelsey snapped out of her daze to Elita waving her hands inches from her face.

“What?”

“I was just asking if you wanted to eat something when we got back to the house.  Of course we’ll eat down on the ground, so you don’t have to climb the tree.  Plus my house just doesn’t fit guests of your size.” Elita says smiling.

Kelsey gives Elita a what are you trying to say? look while responding, “I am starving!  I have a lunch in my backpack we could share.”

“That sounds good,” Elita agrees.  “I’ll get a few things and we can have a picnic!”

When Kelsey and Elita get to the house, Elita shows Kelsey a good spot to have their picnic.  Kelsey begins arranging things for their picnic as Elita flies off to get some more to eat.  

Cautiously, from the outskirts of the tiny grove, the animals watch Kelsey taking things out of her backpack.  

A light aqua colored bird, like a sparrow, landed on Kelsey’s shoulder.  It surveyed the situation, chirped a few times, then flew away, apparently satisfied with the job that Kelsey was doing.

Finishing the picnic set-up, Kelsey looks around the grove again.  There is a little garden area, surrounded by fence, with small green plants coming out of the ground in neat, but not quite straight lines.  Tiny tools lean up against the tree nearest to the garden. 

I wonder what is taking her so long?  Kelsey thinks to herself.  She hears the soft flutter of wings behind her, turns around and finds, Linnea there with one of Elita’s other fairy friends.

“Hello, beautiful Kelsey!” Linnea welcomes.

Kelsey blushes.  “Hi. Linn…Oww!

Another fairy darts to the right after pulling on Kelsey’s hair, coming around her shoulder.  Kelsey looks to the right, but the fairy darts around her back to the left.

The fairy that had come with Linnea speaks up. “Illy cut it out!”

“I just wanted to touch the human!” Illy protests.  “It’s not everyday that you get to see a live human.”

“Ignore her.  I’m Annalisa,” the fairy that came with Linnea says.  She is in a light green outfit, has beautiful blonde hair that is up in a bun, and there is a light green glow around her.  Annalisa extends a hand to shake.  As Kelsey reaches out to shake, Illy glides in and grabs Kelsey’s hand.

“Oh wow…you’re hands are huge!  But soft.”  She rubs her check against Kelsey’s palm.  Kelsey pulls her hand back, which makes Illy flutter backwards.

“That really tickles!” Kelsey laughs.

Illy rushes up to Kelsey yet again, this time going to her right arm.  Picking it up a little she exclaims, “Uh…where are your wings.  Are they back here.”  Flicking Kelsey’s hair to the side, Illy looks for evidence of wings.  

Satisfied that there are none there, she turns her attention to Kelsey’s shoes.  “These things are weird.” She says as she pulls on the laces untying them.

“Hey!” Kelsey protests, bending down to tie her shoe.  Illy flies right next to Kelsey’s face.  She puts her face right up next to Kelsey’s eye.

“Ooo…look at those pretty eyes!”

“Ilsa! Stop it right now!” barks Annalisa.  “Leave her alone.”

Ilsa backs away from Kelsey, flies down, grabs her hand and begins shaking it.  “I’m Ilsa, but everyone calls me Illy.” she says still frantically shaking Kelsey’s hand. 

“Well hello everyone!” Elita welcomes, giving Kelsey a chance to pull her hand away from Illy.  “It looks like I better get a few more plates.  Would you guys like to stay for lunch?”

“Yes please” Linnea replied.

“That would be wonderful,” Annalisa answered.

Illy was now over examining Kelsey’s backpack, digging deep into it, looking for unknown treasures.  Elita notices and scolds her, “Illy…get out of there!  Do you want to stay for lunch?”

“Can I sit by Kelsey?”

“Yes, you can sit by me,” Kelsey says with a little reluctancy.

As Kelsey sits on the blanket she has laid out, Ilsa swoops in and sits on Kelsey's leg.  She can feel  Ilsa’s wings touch her as they slowly beat.  Ilsa looks up at her with a huge smile on her face.  

Smiling back at her a little uncomfortably, Kelsey notices that Ilsa’s glow is gone.  She looks over at Linnea, who has just sat down also.  No yellow glow, no light, just the slow beat of her wings behind her.  

As Elita and Annalisa land and then sit, their glow first dims, then disappears completely.

Kelsey’s face must have shown her shock, because Elita began looking over her shoulders and down at her body.   “Is there something on me?  Did my dress rip?”

“No…your glow…it’s gone.”

With a look of relief, Elita smiles very softly, then hops in the air and flutters her wings.  Her orange glow immediately comes back.  “We glow when we fly,”  She explains.

“Most of the time.” Annalisa interjects.   Before Kelsey can question her, Elita answers the question that Kelsey is thinking.

“We can…kind of turn it off when we need to.”  As Elita hovers in front of Kelsey her glow suddenly disappears, except it doesn’t really.  Kelsey sees that there is still a glow near the base of Elita’s wings, but just a small light, barley enough to see in the shade of the trees.  Elita descends to the blanket and sits down.

“Wow!  How do you do that?”

“We have…” Ilsa begins, but Annalisa cuts her off.

“It’s for protection.” Annalisa turns to Elita as she lands. Under her breath, barely audible to Kelsey she says, “We don’t know if we can trust her.  She is a human.”

“I can hear you…”sings Kelsey.  Annalisa looks around as though caught in a horrible act. 

“I just…ah…”Annalisa stumbles through her sentence.

Kelsey puts up her hand, “Don’t worry.  I get it….Elita told me a little bit of the stories you’ve all heard.”  Kelsey looks at each one of the fairies as she continues, “I promise I am not going to eat you…”  Illy giggles “Or try to catch you…or….or hurt you in any way.  It was many, many years ago, and I am not the same human that hurt the fairies back then.”

Annalisa hangs her head, ashamed of what she has done, “I know…it’s just…it’s scary to see something from the old stories.”

Elita pipes up, “Does she look scary?”

The other three fairies shake their heads.

“Right!  And when have I ever been wrong about the character of someone?” Elita finished.

“Aren’t you the one that brought a grunkin into Delphi Hallow?” Linnea asks.

“Yeah…but..” protests Elita.

Annalisa continues where Linnea left off, “Oh…and what about the time you brought those brilten babies?”

“They were so cute and cuddly.” Protests Elita

“Yeah until they grew up and tried to eat us!”  Illy giggles.

“Hey that was…”

Annalisa cuts her off “And don’t even get me started on the ragelbeast.”

“Oh come on Annalisa.” whines Elita.  “Not the ragelbeast story.”

Illy laughs, as does Linnea.  Kelsey says, “Well I think if I am going to be compared to these creatures, then I have to hear the story.”

Linnea and Illy clap and giggle, while Elita flops down and pouts a little.  

Annalisa starts to tell the story of the ragelbeast, as they all listen intently.  Elita even smiles and tells some of the story. They ate and laughed.  Illy poked at Kelsey a few more times as the meal went on, but finally satisfied her curiosity for that day.  Annalisa forgot all about her fear of Kelsey as the fairies took turns telling stories.  Most of them about Elita and the crazy situations she got herself into. 

Kelsey Says "Goodbye" to Her New Friends

As Kelsey sat with her new friends laughing, and eating her meal she realized how at home she felt here in Trillatia.  This made her think of her home, back beyond the tunnel and a bit of panic touched her.  I should get back.  They are going to worry about me if I don’t get home by the afternoon.

“What are you thinking about?” Illy probed.  “You look concerned.”

“Illy!” scolds Annalisa.

Giving a look to Annalisa that is both questioning and a little annoyed at the same time, Illy responds, “What?  She does.”  Turning to Kelsey, “I’m right, aren’t I?  You are worrying about something.”

Kelsey smirks at Illy.  She is very observant.  “I was thinking about my family and friends.  I was thinking I should probably get back to them before they start worrying.”

Illy giggled, “Oh, they won’t be worried about you.”

Elita interrupted giving a what are you thinking look to Illy, “What she means is…time is different here.  They won’t know that you have been gone as long as you have been.”

Kelsey looks at Elita trying to understand what she means.  Thinking, Elita tries to explain it again, “The time here in Trillatia goes by much quicker than it does back at your home.  I don’t know exactly how much quicker, because I have never been in your world long enough to notice.”

“But, it doesn’t feel like time is going any quicker.” Kelsey says, not quite believeing that it can be true.  How can time be different here? Wait that is the thing I can’t believe?  Not the fact that I am discussing this concept with four fairies!!!  She giggles at the thought.

Illy begins to giggle with Kelsey.  Ignoring both of them, Annalisa explains, “Of course it doesn’t feel like time is going faster…you’re here!”

“You won’t be able to tell the time change until you go through the tunnel,” Elita explains.

Kelsey is still a little worried, “But you aren’t sure of the time difference?”

Shaking her head Elita says, “No, I’m not sure how much of a time difference there is.  Sorry.  Do you want to go back?”

“I think so.”  Kelsey timidly replies.  “I don’t really want to…I mean I’d love to stay here with you…”

“Hey what about me?”  Illy interrupts.

“Yes, of course I want to stay here with you too!”  Kelsey smiles, “But if I don’t go home I could get in trouble and not be able to come back here.”  Kelsey turns to Elita, “I can come back here, can’t I?”

“Of course you can.  You are always welcome to visit.”

“Umm…” Annalisa interjects, “just stay out of Delphi Hallow.  You don’t want to be on Kassilia’s bad side.”

“She has a good side?” questions Illy.

Linnea gives her a look, “Illy, be nice.”

Kelsey smiles.   Oh I don’t want to leave.  But, I can come back tomorrow.   Her thoughts are broken as Elita stands up and hops into the air. 

“Come on, I’ll take you back to the tunnel.” Elita says.

Kelsey stands up, and puts on her backpack, as the other fairies get to their feet and take flight.  They hover around Kelsey, waiting to say goodbye.  Kelsey goes first. 

“It has been wonderful meeting all of you and sharing stories with you.  I can’t wait to tell my friends about this.”

Annalisa rushes up to Kelsey, shaking her head as she flies.  “No. no. no!  You can’t tell anyone about us!”

“Annalisa is right.” concurs Elita, “You are wonderful, Kelsey, but I’m not sure that we can handle more humans yet.”

Kelsey nods, “You’re right.  It would just be so awesome for them to meet you all.”

“Maybe someday.” Linnea says.

“Well…I better go.  I’ll see you again.”  Kelsey waves to Linnea, Annalisa and Illy.  

They wave back, then Illy darts forward grabbing onto Kelsey’s leg.

“Make sure you come back!”  she says looking up at Kelsey almost on the verge of tears.

Kelsey smiled and pat Illy on the head.  “I will.  I promise.”

Kelsey turned towards Elita and gave her a little nod, to tell her she is ready to go.  

Kelsey Goes Back Home

Elita begins flying through the forest towards the tunnel.  Kelsey looks back at her three new friends and waves one last time.   I wish I could always stay here, but I need to get back home.  At least for right now.

They wave back, Illy blowing her a kiss.  Kelsey smiles, turns around and continues walking, as Elita waits for her to catch up.

“Elita, Why did you bring me here?”

Elita continued flying, but slowed so that she stay even with Kelsey as she walked.  She didn’t imedeately respond to Kelsey.  Kelsey was about to say something when Elita finally responded.

“I found the tunnel one day as I was exploring.  Just out chasing birds and squirrels like every other ordinary day.  I’ve probably been by that log thousands of times.  For some reason, that day I went into it.”  Elita stops and hovers.  Kelsey comes around to the front of her.  

“I flew into the tunnel, my curiosity making me go further than I knew was safe.”

I know that feeling.  Kelsey thought as Elita continued.  “When I finally made it to the other end and saw the door I was so excited I didn’t think of what the consiquences might be, I just opened the door and went through it.” 

Elita finds a log and sits on it, her glow dimming as she sits.  Kelsey joins her there.  

“Your world was not that different than mine.  Squirrels chased after each other, birds flew from tree to tree, even the land looked similar."  

"I flew through the forest, until I came to the edge and saw my first real live human.  I was so scared I flew right back to the tunnel, through the door, slamming it as I went through it.  As I did, something fell onto the ground.  It was the key.”

Kelsey stared in awe at Elita, fascinated by the story.  Elita looked at the ground, “I took the key and brought it back to my house, vowing to bring it to Delphi Hallow.  But I didn’t."  

"Because my curiosity got the best of me…and I went back to the tunnel and went out the door.  Over the next few years I checked what was outside the door, explored your home, but never for more than an hour or so.”

Elita flutters off of the log.  Kelsey gets up and follows her as she begins to slowly fly forward again.  “I was in the tunnel the day you fell against the door.  I watched you through the keyhole.  It was then that I decided that I wanted to meet you, bring you here.”

“But why?”, Kelsey asks again.

“Elita smiles as she turns to Kelsey, “I am not sure.  I just wanted to see you up close.  As I watched you over the weeks after you found the door, I couldn’t believe that you would hurt me, or the other fairies.  I just wanted to find out for sure!”

Kelsey giggles and notices that they have come to the tunnel.  “So I was another one of your animals basically.”

“I guess.” Elita says, “Are you mad?”

“Are you kidding me?  I am so excited to be here!  And to meet you and all your friends.”

Elita smiles, relieved that Kelsey isn’t mad at her. She starts into the tunnel. 

“Let’s get you home.”

Kelsey follows Elita through the tunnel, Elita always in front of her lighting the way.  They walk in silence as they traverse the tunnel.  

Maybe I should just stay.  What if Elita is right and time goes much slower in my world.  It may be only a few minutes later than when I left.  Maybe…

She sees the light from the open door, pulling her back to reality.  Elita stops and hovers next to her.

“This is where I leave you.” Elita says

“I’ll come back tomorrow.” Kelsey says to her.  She waves, Elita waves back, and then she walks through the door.  

The day is still bright here.  She closes the door, locking it, and then begins walking home.    

What a day.  I so want to tell Kyla or Meredith or Dana about it!  But I won’t.  Oh I can’t wait until tomorrow!  Kelsey skips a little as she gets to the path, thinking of her day and all that may lie ahead for her and Elita. 

“I’ll be back tomorrow!”