“Hello. I said Hello.” There was no answer. The white haired boy and the girl in the red dress had been to the tree each day this week and their friend was nowhere to be seen. They had searched the Magic Forest, climbed the Friendship Tree and searched in every place where she may hide, but she was not there. The branch that they all sat on was still decorated with the Baubles, Lady Bugs and the remnants of Butterflies, and the puppies were there, but even they looked sad. The sunlight still gently bounced off their shiny surfaces as they spun in the breeze, but they were not as full of life as they used to be.He had come here today by himself whilst the girl in the red dress hunted for some more Lady Bugs, and he had been so hopeful that his friend would have been back by now. He was perplexed, after all she was usually the one that was chasing them, so this was totally out of the ordinary.
He sat in the tree a little sad, and as he looked out through its branches he saw a flash of sunlight glistening in the distance. It caught his eye, then again. He had not seen this before and he did not know where it had come from. Just then, the girl in the red dress came running. “Did you see that,” she shouted, half out of breath as she approached him. “I was on the top of the sand dune and this light just hit me in the eyes. He looked at her, and she at him in a quizzical manner, and then they thought for a moment. “I think I know where our friend has gone. Seems to me that we need to go on an adventure,” he suggested without hesitation. So they set off in the direction of the source of the light. Away from the Magic Forest and the security of the Tree, to lands they had not travelled on before. The journey took them over a barren desert, with its sands carved in fingerprint like patterns. In this place life did not exist, well not that they could see. It was hot and exhausting as they trudged over the many sand dunes, with just the tell tail sign of the footprints behind being blown by the wind as they went. As they got closer, they could see the tall Ivory Tower before them. It was much like the lighthouse on the Island of Lost Children, but it was taller and had no light on it, its pure white form reflecting the sun’s light. It stretched like a long arm into the sky, disappearing into cloud that surrounded its top.
When they reached it, they walked around its base looking for a way in, but there was no sign of a door of any sort. They didn’t even know for certain if their friend was in here. They sat at the bottom, heads in their hands, thinking about their friend. Faint sounds could be heard, but they were so faint, it could have been mistaken for the whispering of the wind. Then, as if from nowhere a small paper butterfly drifted by, flapping gently in the breeze ever so slightly as if dying, then falling to the ground lifeless. The girl in the red dress picked it up and unfolded it. Upon it were some words.
I am a child,
Will always be,
Though adults wish,
To capture me.
I know in time,
I’ll be set free,
And all the world,
The child will see.
These were her words, they just knew it. She was here, but she must be somewhere high above the clouds. They stepped back and standing silently, they could hear a faint sobbing coming from the within the cloud form. The white haired boy called out. “Hello, are you up there?” Then again, but there was no reply. Maybe it was just too far away for her to hear. The white haired boy reached into his blue jacket and he took out a handful of magic blue fairy dust and sprinkled himself with it. “Now you stay here and keep an eye out for adults. I shall be back before long.” He ordered the girl in the red dress. He floated up the side of the tower, like a large blue bird, through the clouds to where a window awaited. It was very high, but then he was not afraid of heights. When he reached the window, he looked inside and all he could see was an old wooden desk, piled high with paperwork. The walls were bare, and painted a dull cream colour. It was lifeless and boring, nothing like the world within the Tree.
He floated through the window and stood before the desk. He could hear sobbing coming from underneath. He peered below and curled up in a ball he found the girl in the pink overalls. Hanging above her, were some very shabby looking paper butterflies, pinned to the underside of the desk. Hung as if to remind her of the place she longed to be once more. “Psst,” he whispered. She sat up and a smile as wide as the ocean fell upon her face. She hurriedly crawled out from where she was and hugged him. “I never thought you would come for me. I have been locked up here for five days now and thought my child would be forever lost.” A tear of happiness ran down her pink cheek, falling on a butterfly she had just made, bringing it to life. She did not cry often, but when she did, there was a magic contained within each one, much like his fairy dust.
He smiled and took her to the window. “Are you ready to escape from this place?” She nodded without hesitation. “Now let’s get you out of here,” he said. They looked out the window and her fear took hold. “But I am afraid of heights, I can’t climb down, what will we do?” “With his usual confidence, he reached into his jacket, producing a handful of pink magic dust. He sprinkled her with it, and her fear was gone. “You always do that. You always give me the courage when I need it.” He took her hand, then sprinkled some more of the blue dust on them both. They floated out the window and descended silently. Once they passed through the clouds, she could see below the girl in the red dress, in her best ninja pose, waiting to fend off any adults that may chance to come by. They landed behind her, still standing guard, unaware of their presence. “Uh Hum,” he said. She turned ready to strike, and the look upon her face was priceless, like she had seen a ghost but was trying to be extra brave. Fearless agony I suppose would describe the look. The two friends giggled at her, then she giggled, and then ran to where they stood and hugged them both. “Come on, let’s get out of here before the adults come back and lock us all away,” suggested the white hair boy. They very quickly left this place and its desolate landscape, heading back to the tree.
When they reached the tree, the girl in the pink overalls let out a sigh of relief. She was back once more at the place that she had always longed to be. Climbing the tree was once again fun, because the three of them did it so well. The girl in pink overalls told them all about her ordeal and how the adults just don’t understand, they don’t believe in fun. They all agreed that they would never grow up, and that this place was definitely out of bounds for adults. The white haired boy also suggested he had a way to protect the tree and all those within from adults forever, but how that was to be could wait for another day. The mobiles in the Tree had come to life once more and the puppies tails wagged uncontrollably. The white haired boy went and got the book of dreams and in it he wrote –
Friends will always stand beside,
Will always be around.
Protect the child that lives within,
Where adults can’t be found.
Never leaving chance to be,
With you till the end.
The friends you have will always be,
The one you can depend.
All for one, one for all,
The children will be strong.
By your side forever more,
Where children do belong.
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