“Have a seat,” Werrien said.
Kristina sat down beside him and just as she did so, the crystal began to warm up again. She took it in her hand to look at it. The colors were swirling around, just like before.
“What’s happening with it now?” Werrien asked.
“The colors are swirling.” As Kristina spoke, the colors began to change. “Wait a moment; I spoke too soon. It’s turning pink.”
“May I see?”
Kristina showed him the crystal. “It will be turning red soon, won’t it?”
Werrien didn’t answer but instead gazed out at the sea.
“What an awesome view,” Kristina said.
“This is the place I come when I want to think.”
“I can see why.”
Werrien pointed toward the northwest. “Far beyond the sea is where I come from.”
“What’s it called?”
“Tezerel.”
A cool breeze blew by, bringing with it the scent of the fragrant flowers.
“Werrien, what would happen if I took off the necklace?”
“Well, it’s quite simple; you wouldn’t be able to go home.”
“What if I took it off and then put it back on later? Could I stay longer that way?”
“I’m not sure, so it’s probably best not to take the chance.” Werrien’s blue-green eyes narrowed at her through his wind blowing bangs. “Besides, why would you want to stay longer?”
Kristina’s pale-blue eyes became glossy and she quickly looked back out to the sea. She wanted to tell Werrien that he was the best friend she had ever had and that if it weren’t for her family at home, she would much rather stay in Bernovem. But she just couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Werrien heard a faint humming sound, and he looked over his shoulder to see two small, glowing balls of light coming toward them. “Looks like we’ve got visitors.”
It was Clover and Looper. They flew up to the rock and landed on it in front of them. “He wants to speak to Kristina and says it can’t wait,” Clover said.
“What is it, Looper?” Kristina asked.
“Oh, not me, it’s him down there.” Looper pointed to the ground at the bottom of the rock.
Kristina looked over the edge of the rock to see Raymond sitting at the base of it. “Raymond, is everything okay?”
“I never got to finish what I wanted to say to you earlier at the table.”
“Oh, that’s right. Let me come down and get you.” Kristina jumped down from the rock, and then picked up Raymond and handed him up to Werrien. Then Werrien helped her up again, and they both sat back down. “So, now that you have my undivided attention what is it you want to tell me, Raymond?”
Raymond swallowed. Then his eyes shifted back and forth between Werrien and Kristina.
“Well, what is it?” Kristina asked again.
“I’ve been offered a chance to stay on in Bernovem with Retzel’s family.”
Kristina chuckled. “No way, Raymond!” She was surprised he would even ask.
“I thought it was a stupid idea,” Raymond said gloomily.
Seeing Raymond downhearted made Kristina sad as well, and she thought about him having to go back home to his cage. Then she thought about him not being able to talk like he was able to in Bernovem. He could have such a better life here, and he’d definitely have more freedom—and he could live with a very loving family. “I guess it’s selfish of me to want you to come home,” Kristina said softly. Retzel and his family were now walking through the grass toward the rock. “Raymond, I can’t think of any reason for you to come home with me, other than my own selfish ones.”
“Loving me isn’t selfish,” Raymond said quietly.
“No, it’s not Raymond, and because I love you, I have changed my mind. You can stay here—if that’s what you really want.”
Raymond’s face lit up. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, Raymond. Now don’t ask me again, or I just might change my mind.” She picked up her pet and hugged him gently. “Well, I guess you’d better not keep your new family waiting.” Raymond looked to the meadow and saw Retzel and his family waiting for him. “I’ll take you down now.” Kristina scooped Raymond up in her arms and brought him down from the rock. “I guess this is good-bye.” Tears filled her eyes.
“I’ll always love you.” Raymond’s teeth chattered as he began to get choked up. He turned away and headed to his new family.
“Wait! Come back,” Kristina called after him.
Raymond turned around and made his way back through the tall grass. “I thought you might change your mind.”
Kristina knelt down and picked him up again. “I don’t think you’ll be needing this.” She removed his necklace. Then she put him back in the grass and watched as he ran happily toward his new family. Very soon after, Looper and Clover flew down from the rock.
“Well, kid, I wish we didn’t have to leave so soon, but we do need to get back or our father will start to worry,” Looper said.
“I’m sure going to miss you,” Kristina said to him.
“And I’ll sure miss you.” Looper tried not to cry.
Kristina turned to Clover. “Hey, listen, Clover. I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for all the times I irritated you.”
Clover looked a little embarrassed. “I think it’s actually me that owes you an apology,” she said softly.
Kristina held her hands out, and Clover and Looper each landed on one. “I’ll never forget you two,” she said.
“And we’ll never forget you, either,” Looper said.
“How could we? You’re famous in Bernovem,” Clover added.
Kristina smiled humbly. Then Clover and Looper lifted up off her hands. Just before flying away, they encircled her head, leaving what seemed to be a crown of sparkling dust to fall all around her. She watched as Retzel, with Raymond on his shoulder, and his wife and child disappeared into the tall green grass, followed by the fairies.
Werrien helped Kristina back up on the rock. “That was very kind of you,” he said.
“What was?”
“Letting your best friend go.”
“I think it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
Werrien smiled down at her.
Kristina felt goose bumps on her arms.
The crystal suddenly warmed up again, and this time there were no swirling colors or even a light pink color. No, this time the crystal had reached its final color, a deep, dark, rich red.
“Werrien, you’re my best friend,” Kristina whispered as she embraced him, but just as her arms encircled him, he disappeared into thin air.
~~~
Jingle, jangle went the familiar and annoying sound of the alarm clock. Kristina reached her hand out of bed and gave it a good whack. Then she stuffed her head under her pillow and dozed off again. A few minutes later, her squeaky old door opened, and her mom, poked her nose into Kristina’s bedroom.
“Hey sleepy-head; you need to get up. Your grandma Ursie will be here in less than two hours, and I really want the place tidy when she arrives.”
Kristina pulled the pillow off her head and sat up abruptly. Holding her covers up to her neck, she stared at her mom with a wild gaze in her eyes.
“Must have been some dream?” her mom said.
Kristina swallowed nervously and shifted her eyes quickly to Raymond’s cage and then back to her mom. Raymond’s cage door was wide open, but luckily her mom didn’t notice.
“You look a little pale. Maybe you’re coming down with something,” her mom said.
“Actually I don’t feel very good. My stomach’s upset and my throat hurts.”
“Alright. Why don’t you just sleep a little longer. I’ll have to get your father to do the vacuuming.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Kristina lay back down and pulled the covers over her head.
Her mom shut the door to her room, and Kristina waited for the sound of her footsteps to disappear. Then she felt her neck. There was
nothing hanging around it, and she was not wearing the elegant fuchsia and moss-green gown she had on in Bernovem. No, it was just her old sweater and the same old pants she had worn on the last day of school. She threw off her covers to find just what she had suspected—miss-matched socks. She looked at the floor beside her bed and saw her old sneakers. Was it all a dream? She looked over at Raymond’s cage with its wire door wide open, and her stomach churned. Her heart pounded faster as she got out of bed and went over to it. “Raymond, are you in there?”
Raymond always came out when she called his name, but this time he didn’t. She looked inside his wooden house, but it was empty. Did Raymond stay on in Bernovem, or did he only escape from his cage? She was so confused.
Next she looked for the hatbox that Miss Hensley had given her. At first she couldn’t see it anywhere, but then she spotted it on the floor next to her dresser. She quickly opened it. Inside, there was the little leather sack. She untied its tassels and looked inside, but it was empty. Then she noticed something she hadn’t noticed before. In the corner of the hatbox was a small, tarnished silver ball, the same size as the ball she had found before. But unlike the other one, this one had a seam, and there was a clasp on the seam to open it. She lifted the clasp, and as the tarnished ball slowly opened, a tune began to play. Inside the ball were two tiny figures—a blond-haired boy and a blond-haired girl—standing on top of a rock, turning in time to the tune. The boy was dressed in the same clothes that Werrien had worn to the party, and the girl was dressed in a fuchsia and moss-green gown. The crystal necklace around the girl’s neck shimmered brightly.
Get a sneak peak at the sequel!
www.victoriasimcox.blogspot.com
1
The summer horse-camp experience was not turning out the way Kristina had hoped it would have. The fact that she went along with Davina Pavey, the seventeen-year-old girl with the maturity level of a twelve-year-old should have been a big enough red flag warning her not to go, but it wasn’t. In this case, the flag could have been the size of a barn door, and it still wouldn’t have mattered, because Kristina’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Kingsly, were the ones who made Kristina go in the first place. They were tickled pink, to say the least, when their daughter was invited by Davina’s parents to go with Davina to the Tranquil Trails Horse Ranch, to participate in a weeklong stay at a teen-girl riding camp. Unfortunately, the Kingslys just happened to overlook one minor detail; Davina and Kristina could hardly stand each other.
After checking in at the camp’s front office, Kristina was unpleasantly surprised to meet up with one of the most annoying girls from her last year’s ninth-grade class, Hester Crumeful. Hester’s family owned the Tranquil Trails Horse Ranch and so Hester spent her summers there. Davina knew Hester from school as well, and they were quite happy to see each other. Kristina, on the other hand was hoping that they would have remembered each other from Bernovem but there wasn’t the slightest hint that Davina or Hester recalled the magical land. Even so, Davina was thrilled to find out that Hester was the ranch owner’s daughter, and from the first moment they greeted each other, Davina and Hester bonded together like lint on sticky glue. The fact that both of them really didn’t like Kristina only brought them closer together.
The first evening, there was a “get to know each other” marshmallow roast. It was scheduled for two hours, but about forty-five minutes into it, Davina and Hester disappeared from the campfire, leaving Kristina, who had not yet made friends with any of the other campers, standing alone by the fire. Having had her fill of marshmallows and not really feeling like introducing herself to the other girls, Kristina decided to call it a night. I’m kind of tired anyway. She headed up the dirt road that led back to her cabin. Besides, I want to be well rested for tomorrow morning’s first horse-riding lesson.
She arrived at the cabin and noticed that the light was on and the cabin door was ajar. Davina and Hester were sitting on the floor, thumbing through a book. They seemed captivated by it. Must be very interesting. She watched from the doorway as Hester threw her head back, giggling—and that’s when Kristina caught a glimpse of the book. No way! She cringed. Not my private diary! She flung the door wide open, and Hester and Davina looked up at her like two thieves caught red-handed in an expensive jewelry shop. Hester quickly shoved the diary in front of Davina.
“Hey! Why are you shoving it in front of me?” Davina snapped.
“This was all your idea!” Hester retaliated.
Kristina marched in between them and snatched up the diary. “What the heck do you two think you’re doing, going through my private belongings?” she shouted.
Hester and Davina stood up.
“You left it out in the open, so we just figured that you wouldn’t mind if we looked at it,” Davina said with a smirk. “We’re all friends, right?”
Kristina’s eyes narrowed and she shook her head. We’re not friends! “It was on my bunk, in between my pillow and my backpack. I hardly call that being left out in the open.”
“I think the real issue here is that you may need some serious help,” Hester said. “That stuff you wrote in your diary ...” She laughed and snorted. “Like I said, you need help.”
Peeved off, Kristina glared at Davina and Hester.
Davina twirled her finger by her temple, gesturing to Hester that Kristina was crazy.
“What was the name of her fantasy world? Bernysville or something bizarre like that?” Hester mocked.
“What about the part where she meets a prince?” Davina goaded. “What was his name?”
“Prince Wiener or something like that,” Hester said giggling.
“Figures it was her who meets the prince,” Davina said.
“His name is Werrien. And he didn’t befriend either of you because you’re both such bone-heads!” Kristina said.
Hester sneered at Kristina. “What about the part where that smelly rat she used to have—Raymond or whatever his name was—he goes there as well, and can talk like a human.”
“Very immature.” Davina chuckled.
Davina and Hester continued to ridicule Kristina, but their voices began to grow distant, and memories of Bernovem began to fill Kristina’s mind. It had been two years and five months since she’d been to the magical land, and she still hadn’t figured out whether it was a real place or just a peculiar dream. There were times when even she began to think of herself as crazy.
“Oh yeah, and the worst thing about what she wrote,” Hester laughed, “was that you and I were there!”
“Who gave you the right to put in your diary that we were in your psychotic world?” Davina crossed her arms. “Actually, since she wrote lies about us, I should take her diary and throw it in the campfire.”
Hester’s eyes squinted. “Or better yet, I’ll take it and make copies of it and give them to everyone in her classes next fall.”
Behind her thick glasses, Davina’s eyes lit up, and she leered down at the diary.
“Wait!” Kristina clutched her diary tightly to her chest. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll forget you guys ever snooped through my diary and let all of this go if you promise me that you’ll tell no one about this.”
Davina grinned at Hester. “What do you think, Hes?”
Kristina’s stomach cramped up as the other two girls stood there, taking their sweet time thinking about what she’d said.
“Hmm…” Hester looked Kristina up and down. “All right, I guess we have a deal.”
Hester and Davina gave each other a high-five, which Kristina found annoying, and then, as if the kerfuffle that had just taken place was no big deal, they raced out of the cabin, leaving Kristina alone again.
Kristina angrily shoved her diary into her backpack as tears began to well up in her pale-blue eyes. She was so sick of Hester and Davina and decided there were no meaner people on Earth than the two of them.
She changed into her pajamas and brushed her teeth. Then, as she was putting her toothbrush back in her pack, her ha
nd felt a little leather pouch. She took it out and untied the gold tassel that held it shut. Inside it was a small, tarnished silver ball—the gift that her teacher, Miss Hensley, had given her two Christmases ago. At home, every night, Kristina would click open its small latch, and then place the open, silver ball—which was also a music box—on her night table beside her bed. Then she would get into bed and watch as inside the ball, the figures of a girl and boy (who looked just like Werrien and her, standing on a rock) turned to an unknown tune.
She placed the silver ball on the night table beside her bunk and got into bed. As she lay on her hard mattress, staring at the boy and girl turning in circles to the tune, her thoughts drifted to Werrien, the teenage boy she had met in Bernovem—actually the true prince of the land. When she’d first met him—boy, had he annoyed her with his sarcastic remarks. But as time went on, she could see that he had a kind side as well, and through their adventure and near death experiences, he actually became the best friend she had ever had. The longer she was away from him, the more she longed to see him again. If Bernovem is real, I wonder how Werrien is doing, and if he is living in a palace now, instead of in hiding with Leacha. She smiled. She was such a kind, old, gnome woman and cared for Werrien like he was her own son.
Her thoughts drifted to Taysha and Lisheng—the horses. I wonder if they’re doing well and if they’re living with Werrien.
She pictured Raymond in her mind, the pet rat she used to have. She really wanted to believe that Raymond had stayed in Bernovem, but because she had found his cage wide open the morning she had returned home, she was leaning to accepting the saner option—that he had escaped from his cage and had run away for good. Oh, how I miss Raymond. At times she wondered if getting another rat to replace him would make her feel better. She never did, though, because she knew in her heart that no other pet could ever take Raymond’s place.
The Warble Page 24
