Mom and Dad sang the birthday song for me, and we ate almost every bite of mom’s cooking away. They taught me a new song, and then dad played it in the guitar while my mom and I sing and dance while she was also playing the accordion. The time passed on ever so pleasantly and we all dropped down on the grass laughing and rolling about our stomachs.

I couldn’t have stopped if Dad hadn’t stopped from playing his guitar. I was so curious that I managed to restrain more laughs and sit up straight to see what has happened. Dad was standing up, taking a small brown parcel from inside the bag.

“It’s for you,” he says smiling down at me.

“For me?” I can feel that my eyes were beaming at him with delight. There’s no doubt it was changing color again.

I opened up the parcel with all eagerness and curiosity and soon found out that it was a book! Oh how delighted I am! I am ever fond of books! I’ve probably read a hundred books in my lifetime and I’m reading it so quickly that I’m almost through all of them and would be asking for more books soon.

It had a red leather cover with a golden writing I don’t understand. It looks handwritten, and from the very first sight of it, looks very interesting as well. The first page had a dragon drawn on it and a ring in which the dragon was standing inside, and it was drawn so that the dragon should give an air of importance, of indignance and of mystery.

There is no need to say that I’ve been thoroughly engrossed in the book almost afternoon as mom and dad knows usually happens whenever I get a new book that interests me so. It was all about dragons, and there were many types too and many shapes and sizes and many different abilities that there were just too many scopes for imagination. Mother told me that since I was so occupied, she’ll just have to pick the berries alone, but I didn’t care much- I usually don’t when I have a good book. I can always pick strawberries another time.

It took me a mighty long time to go over it, but I guess I’ll have to color in the pictures as they were decribed in the book. I have lots of paint thankfully. But oh! I didn’t realize it was already dark. But where’s mom and dad? They should have been back by now.

“HOOT. HOOT.”

A big brown owl scoot down and perched on a tree near me. It’s staring at me intently so I decided to stare back as well. It finally took off. Ha! I knew I could take the better of it. But then I felt many black furry thigs flying over my head.

“Bats! Bats! Oh why are there bats in here? It isn’t that dark yet.” But the clouds above me had decided to make it so. I looked for the watch to look at the time. It was only about four o’clock but the sky was as dark it could have been six already.

Then a chill came over me. Everywhere I look there is fog and mist. I can’t see anything.

“Mom? Dad? Where are you?” There’s no use for it now. I have to run. And I did. I didn’t know where I was going, I was only trying to feel my way through, but they-they surrounded me.

There were dark hooded figures floating in midair. They were everywhere, in every direction that I try to run.
“Mama! Papa!” I can feel tears running down my cheeks now. It’s no use. They’ve been circling about me, oh! They are going to get me! I put my arms around myself and submit myself to the inevitable. I can feel them coming closer!

I thought for a moment that they had grabbed me and it was going to be my end, but I felt a different hand touch me. It was warm and gentle and caressing. The wind no longer howled, all was calm and warm, the light beamed into my eyes.