The Hidden Path Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

" Rose! Rose! Rose!” She cried. Though it was futile, she thought to herself, as she watched the crystal, by that time, drop clear out of sight.

When she turned around, there, was none other than Rose herself, sitting cheerily upon Lacey's head; gold dust swirling all around...Lighting up the very space around her.

"Rose!!" exclaimed Isabella so very happily, upon seeing her sitting there...

-"B-but how?" she started to ask...Reflecting on what had just happened...

Lacey, - listening; smiled knowingly. Rose, softly chuckled…

"You silly, lovely girl you!” she said…Hugging her close.

“Did you really think the crystal 'alone' is what brought me to you?” She asked; with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Well yes, of course I did", Isabella began to answer...blushing a bit, for the first time. - Much to Harris's extreme delight! He had been sitting there watching the whole scene.

"Ah, phooey!!" said Rose.

"Of course it was NOT the crystal, my dear girl!

But rather, your BELIEF that brings us together", she told her.

Rose sat quietly for a beat, observing the information being processed in the girl’s big blue eyes...

 Isabella let out the widest grin yet, that any of them EVER had seen. Harris, without realizing, copied her expression.

They all looked, one to the other, and giggled almost uncontrollably.

When there was gold dust enough to start a mine, produced from Rose's joy, she went on...

"Now what is it that I can do for you my girl?" she asked Isabella, in a happy, giggly tone.

"Well", answered Isabella, “nothing too big…

I just thought perhaps we could use a bit more light for our ride,

 to help make it easier for Lacey" , she said quickly -

What with it being night time and all, so she can better see her way“…

Isabella noticed that Lacey was smiling at the request...Her big white canines flashing in the moonlight.

"Consider it done!!" Rose said, and she waved her hand around. From out of nowhere came thousands of fireflies, lighting up the very night around them, with a soft green glow!

"Whoa!” So very beautiful!!" thought Isabella, out loud.

"What a beautiful shade of Jade", she said.

- At the mention of her name, Jade appeared!

"You called? Dear one?" she asked in a playful tone… suddenly showing up on Isabella’s shoulder; giggling as she did so. Giving the girl a slight start… Jade chuckled at her reaction…

"I-I was just", Isabella began to say… but Jade stopped her… "I am aware of what happened, my dear girl"... Amethyst, is aware as well... - "Aren't you my sister?”

"Indeed!!" replied Amethyst, from upon Isabella's other shoulder. - Once again, giving the girl a start; her head whipping around in response to her voice.

Again, they all giggled; streaking the sky with gold dust as they flew, rather quickly around and around, on Lacey‘s strong winged back…

They were having such a grand time! When Isabella gasped!

"Look!!  she said, almost falling off Lacey's back...

Harris, reaching out, caught her just in time; placing her hand again upon Lacey's magic collar…

”Keep it there this time”!! He ordered!  “So you don’t fall!!” he said... Spit flying from his mouth… although the look in his eyes was that of genuine concern…

Only half hearing him though, she went on…

 "There below! Is my house!!" she exclaimed!

Said with such a joy in her voice,... all of their hearts, then and there, melted for her at once...

"There, sitting on the porch is my family!

My mom and my dad"!! She said… with such hope, they all felt it with her...

"But… “They look rather sad", she stated... Looking suddenly misty eyed, and frowning…

Not wanting at all to see her parents’ feeling that way…

"Well! We can't have that now?!!! Can we?" Rose exclaimed!

No sooner did she say the words, and she was gathering up her army of fireflies…They all, in one big swarm, did a huge nose dive in the sky.

When done, it caught the attention of Isabella's parents', who  looked up ...Isabella could swear she saw a smile cross her mother’s face…

"You saw correctly!”  Rose said, smiling too…in answer to Isabella’s thoughts. "I can hear things at a great distance", Rose explained…

"Your mother, she, just prior to what we had done, was praying for a sign that you were alright...So I gave her one!" she exclaimed! - Proudly sticking her chest out, and beaming; her sisters smiling on either side of Isabella…

"Oh thank you! “. "Thank you, so MUCH! Rose"! Isabella said, almost crying, cupping Rose’s tiny face in her hands; kissing her gently so as not to ruffle her tiny wings.

The love that Isabella felt for the three sisters at that moment was so strong, that the fireflies were drawn instinctively around the warmth of that love; as they would be to any light in nature.

With the light they then created in return; Isabella could see her mother’s gaze drawn upon them. Though her mother could not literally see 'Isabella‘... But she could surely see the green glow!!…

With that knowledge, and with what Rose just explained; Isabella was again at peace…..

"Well now!” said Lacey, "I think we have seen just about enough for tonight, don't you?" she asked them.  They all agreed.

She began to turn back … Heading straight for the rainbow; which separated the magical forest, from the land of the Leprechauns…

 On their way down, Isabella could make out all sorts of things which she couldn't see before, when she had spent the night in the forest…

Such as two bullfrogs: one, a boy, sitting upon a rock; the other a girl sitting upon a Lily. The boy frog was playing a tiny banjo that he'd made out of bamboo; he was singing to his love; she let out little sighs at almost every word he sang to her.

...Further down a ways was a butterfly family. The mother, fluttering around a cocoon; a soft powder spilling from her wings as she did so; Isabella could hear her calling to her young. 

“C’mon my babies, C’mon” she said. “You can do it”, she cooed…The father sang out to them as well; as they made their way out of the cocoon, free at last, into their brand new world...They too, had become beautiful butterflies themselves...Singing in the tiniest, yet sweetest voices Isabella had ever heard!!

"It was all just so beautiful to behold!" she thought to herself… looking all around.

...As they neared the ground, Rose, Amethyst, and Jade, began to fly off; but not first before giving Isabella a kiss on the cheek and bidding them all a good night.

Once they had gone, Lacey touched down on their side; onto the jeweled road. She bowed her head lowly to the earth, and Isabella and Harris, in that order; each slid down her neck, stepping off of her shoulders back onto the ground beneath them...

"That was wonderful Lacey, my pretty girl!"  Isabella said. Hugging her tightly; kissing her on the ear…

She could swear she saw Lacey’s eyes misting over. (she was correct too in her guess, as unbeknown it to Isabella , that very term of endearment, that she had just called her, was called to her too by her owner’s from her previous life. )…

Lacey felt, at that moment, a love so powerful for Isabella, that she knew… If anyone tried to touch so much as a hair on that girl’s head, she would fatally strike them!!  Her fur shimmered and shined as proof to it!

 Gathering her composure; she softy said…

 "Well, shall we say goodnight here, then?”…

 She waited, while Isabella and Harris, walked up to the front door of the Hinkle‘s house, and knocked.

When the door opened, before Glady could even shrink Isabella and Harris down to size enough, so they could enter into their home; Lacey was off and flying…

When they were safely inside, and tucked away soundly into bed for the night, Isabella gazed out of the window…  There she saw, just as Lacey was landing onto the treetops.

…The tree itself was alive!  Much to Isabella’s surprise! -Though she should have been used to such things by now…

She observed the tree opening its' top, and like big green arms, guiding Lacey down into it, enveloping her there, as though it were hugging her…Lacey lay then, with her head down, upon the large green leaves and fell fast asleep.

The tree, stood across the front of the yard, just opposite, and overlooking the house…

 Isabella thought, as she lay there in bed, looking at Lacey like that, that the leaves resembled quite a lot, a big green pillow…

 That was her last thought, before sleep caught up with her.