Chapter 23

Chapter 23

          On the count of three Nixie and I pushed off of the hundred foot high oak and found ourselves practically flying.

“Woooo hooo!” I yelled smiling the biggest smile I ever have in a long time.  The wind blasted up against my face as I felt the crispness of the wind slightly sting my skin.  My hair quickly became un-braided as I felt my hair tie snap against my back and get whisked away in the wind.  I closed my eyes knowing, and truly knowing with all my heart that for once in my life I was finally free without the pain I once felt.  As I continued to glide on air tears rolled down my face.  Tears of happiness knowing how my mother would have loved to hear about this adventure and that there really are fairies and trolls and anything she could fantasize! She always dreamed the impossible, never letting go of her inner child.  However, as quickly as it started, I opened my eyes at the sound of Nixie calling my name.

“Annabelle! We’re going to hit the water! Hold on!” she yelled.

“Okay!” I yelled back tightening my grip on the leaf.

We both gently glided down against the water, turning our leaves into boats.  We both laid down in our leaves, relaxing as we floated down the stream in nothing but beautiful silence. 

“Nixie?” I whispered.

“Yeah?” she replied.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

“You’re welcome,” Nixie replied with a small smile on her face.  As we floated along things were going through my mind a hundred miles per hour.  Things like how was I going to get home? Was my dad okay? Would I be okay? My thoughts were soon interrupted by a sudden and loud rustling in the cattails in front of us.

“Uhhh, Nixie? What’s that?” I asked nervously, sitting up.

“I don’t know…,” she replied.  As we drifted closer with Nixie in the lead the noise got louder and louder then it happened.  A grey blur shot out of the reeds with a screeching noise, and in the blink of an eye Nixie was underneath the blur and plunging into the water.  With a loud shriek I heard Nixie scream.

“Annabelle!” was the last thing I heard before splash!