Prologue
Many years ago, way back when I was 5, someone came and changed my life forever. The day the flowers came back to life, the day I came back to life.

Its scary how one person can make such a huge difference, but they can.

Chapter 1

I had gotten dressed in one of my best outfits. My mom had always told me that first impressions where important, and my mom wanted this babysitter to stick around. Not that I am a bad kid, it’s just that our last babysitter went to college and can’t watch me anymore.

Her name was Cynthia, my mom told me. She was coming around 6, so my parent’s could go out to eat. They don’t get to do that often, since for the past 3 months we have had no babysitter. My daddy helps run a business; I don’t know what they do though. But the business must be doing well because we seem to be eating out a lot.

The doorbell rang and I went to greet her. She was a little funny looking. Her shirt was in a swirly multi colored pattern. It made me dizzy. Her pants where all ripped up. Her hair was red and curly. Her face had so many freckles. I tried to count them but I couldn’t. Her eyes were not a color I recognized, like two colors smashed into one.

I introduced myself and showed her into the living room. I went to the kitchen where my mom was and told her that Cynthia was here.

“Thank you so much Cynthia!” mom said, “We haven’t been able to go out for quite some time now!”

“It’s no problem” Cynthia said, “I love little kids.” Something about that sentence was different. I had heard it been said by many babysitters, but this one actually sounded like she meant it.

“Louise and I are going to have a blast!” She said enthusiastically. I almost believed her.





Chapter 2: The Strangest Question

Mommy and daddy left and Cynthia gave me a big smile.

“What games do you like to play, Louise?”

I thought for a minute what I liked to do. I enjoyed books (I read more than most 7 year olds) and puzzles. “Books and puzzles.” I told her. She looked a bit confused.

“Okay,” she said, “Want to build a puzzle?”

“Sure,” I said back, not taking my eyes off her shirt.

I showed her the play room that had all the puzzles in it. We had about 50 of them. They were all around 100 pieces; and all wonderful paintings when they were finished. I picked up my favorite one, the one with a group of kittens warming next to a fire place. I held it to her proudly.

“This one,” Cynthia asked?

I nodded my head. She opened up the box and we began the puzzle. It took us about half an hour to build and when we were done I looked at the kittens and smiled.

“Cute kittens, huh?” she asked me.

I nodded my head again. She smiled. She then quickly looked at me and asked me the strangest question.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“I-it’s purple, why do you ask?”

“What would you do if you saw a purple kitten?” she asked me, her eyes full of excitement, waiting for my answer.

“Uh, um, I don’t know; besides there’s no such thing.” What was she thinking; a purple cat? We might as well say that my hair is white, which is the complete opposite of my hair color.

“My favorite color is blue,” she said, “and I think it would be so cool to see a blue cat!” She was beginning to scare me.


Chapter 3: Something to Remember

After the puzzle she asked me if I wanted to color. I told her yes hoping she wouldn’t talk to me when we where coloring.

I got out the supplies needed, and began a picture of a flower. She grabbed a piece of paper, after that I completely lost sight of her hand. It moved with such grace and ease, up and down, up and down, up and down on the paper. Now it was going left, and right, left and right, left and right, on the paper. I stopped coloring and just watched her with amazement. When she was done, I noticed it was a flower, a single flower on an island. The ocean was as blue as blue could be, and it sparkled. The flower looked lonely I thought. But then I took a look in the sky of the picture, and I noticed in very faint colors, where tiny little people with wings.

I looked up at her, “Fairies,” she told me.

“I looked back at the paper and I realized that the sky was not just blue, but purple. And the grass was just not green, but yellow and brown. The sky was black, blue, purple, and red. It all reminded me of her shirt. I looked back at that one little flower.

“Sometimes, standing out is a good thing. You can notice more.” She told me this with a look in her eyes that told me she really wanted me to listen and remember.

“Are you done coloring?” She asked

I nodded my head.

“I know you understand me Louise,” She said. “You aren’t like other 7 year olds, you are capable of understanding more, but there is still a lot you are unaware of.”

No person had ever talked to me like that. Did she mean I was like that flower, and different, would I soon see something the others could not?

Some how, Cynthia read my thoughts, “Your class mates can see the fairies,” she said, “but you can’t.”

I was scared I knew there weren’t fairies, and I think she knew that too, but something in her voice…

“We can pretend like this conversation never happened, but,” she said, “you have to always remember it, this is something to remember.”

Chapter 4: I Become a Princess

“Let’s go outside,” She said breaking the silence.

I didn’t do, or say anything.

I showed her to the back porch, and I sat on our swing and rocked back and forth. She sat down and joined me.

“Look,” she said pointing at my tree house, “That looks like a castle for a princess! We should go up there and play princess, you can look out the window and wave to all you people!” she said as she waved her hand.

It sounded like fun but, “There are no people,” I told her sadly.

She shook her head, “Not the way I look at it.” And with that she jumped of the swing and ran to the tree and scrambled up the ladder. She looked back at me and signaled me to follow her. I did as she wished, I was a little curious.

When we got to the top of the ladder, and into the tree house, Cynthia looked out the window and said “Hello good people of back-yard-land.” She gave me a wink, “I, your princess Cynthia would like to introduce you to the newest princess of the land.” She said this with such importance. “I present, Princess Louise!”

I walked towards the window, unsure of what to do. When I reached Cynthia, she asked me to make my speech. I didn’t have a speech!

“Make one up,” She whispered.

I cleared my throat, “Um, Good day. I am much honored to be able to be your princess.” Cynthia didn’t clap so I continued. “I would like to thank Princess Cynthia for making me princess, I hope I can be a good princess for you people.” I walked away awkwardly.

“A celebration is needed! We shall have a feast for you princess Louise!” And with that she darted out of the tree house. She was picking grass and throwing it into a pile, “salad!” she called. She put sticks into a pile, “Bacon!” She said. And soon I found my self picking up pine cones claiming they where corn-cobs.




Chapter 5: I Swim in my Back-Yard Ocean

After we finished are pretending to eat our feast, Cynthia looked at our pool and asked if I wanted to go swimming. I loved to swim and I nodded my head.

“What will you wear?” I asked her.

She lifted up her shirt and smiled. “Swimming practice was right before 6. No time to change.”

When I was done changing we got into the pool and started swimming around. I had always been a good swimmer, my daddy made sure of that. In the water I moved more fluidly and peacefully. I put my goggles around my eyes and started to swim. I looked underneath the water and I twirled around.

I came up for air and looked over at Cynthia “Your quite the little fishy.” She said. When her hair was wet, Cynthia’s tight red curls became looser, making her look more elegant.

“I have a challenge for you, little fish,” she told me “Try to swim like a mermaid, with your legs stuck together.” I did so and found it difficult. But I was determined to show her I could and soon I was swimming just as well with my legs together than I could with two legs; although the whole mermaid thing was weird. Soon she was swimming like that too.

She asked me if I have ever seen the little mermaid.

I nodded my head.

She asked me if I ever wanted to be a mermaid.

I shook my head.

“Well,” she said, “today you’re going to become one!” And then we became mermaids, swimming happily through the ocean.


Chapter 6: Goodbye
The day had been absolutely crazy. I had been everything from a princess to a mermaid and everything in between. By the time my parents came we were all dried off and sitting on the couch laughing at each other’s funny accents. She put her coat on and asked if I would walk her to the back porch to get her shoes.

She took me by the hand, and when we were outside; she got down on her knees and looked at me hard and long.

“Can you see them yet?” she asked

I looked up, and I thought I almost saw a flying little pink being up in the air.

I looked back at her and smiled. She smiled back.

“I am glad we had this time together.” She said

“Are you coming back?” I asked, I didn’t want her to go.

“Maybe,” She said.

I pleaded with my eyes. “I have to go.” She said.

I walked her to the front door and said goodbye. I looked out the window, and saw mermaids in the pool; princess’ in the tree house, and the garden was filled with food. Purple kittens played in the grass, and fairies flew in the sky, waving at me. I smiled, and waved back.