Addie wrapped her tiny arms around herself as she struggled through the rain. The falling water pounded mercilessly on the little girl, soaking her to the bone, but Addie would not give in. The dirt turned to mud under her feet, and the frigid wind whipped around her, making her struggle to just walk straight. Unexpectedly, her foot collided with a tree root, and she tumbled to her knees. Reaching for her foot, she was relieved to find no open cuts or scratches. She struggled and managed to pull herself off the ground, fueled with defiance and determination. She wanted to prove that she could help the family as much as Mark and her parents.

Suddenly, the Healers appeared in view, seemingly emanating a warm, welcoming light. They stood majestically in their crimson robes and beckoned the small girl toward them. Addie felt a brief moment of doubt. Was she actually doing the right thing? Her brown eyes looked at the Healers with uncertainty. They opened their arms to her like a loving embrace. Addie took a deep breath and headed toward them, pushing all thoughts of doubt and uncertainty from her mind and locking them away.

"Are you ready to make the trade?" the bearded Healer asked. He was dry, seemingly untouched by the pouring rain, as if some magical dome shielded him and his companions.

Addie nodded. "Yes, I'm ready," she said fiercely and reached out her hand. The Healers' amber eyes glowed with anticipation.

"Addie!" Mark yelled. He peered through the darkness, trying desperately to find his sister. The rain washed any signs of footprints away, so he ran blindly through the downpour. He wasn't thinking straight; all he needed was to find Addie before the Healers got to her first.

When he saw the crimson robed figures and the shining light, he turned and sprinted full speed toward them. The wind rushed around him, and the rain poured on the boy, but he kept on fighting. The Healers' hands were glowing and Addie was reaching for them. He had to stop her before it was too late.

"Addie, stop!" he yelled. She turned to look at him in surprise. Before could take a step toward him, the Healers grabbed her. She opened her mouth to scream, but her cries were drowned out by the wind. In a blink of an eye and a swish of a cloak, they were gone. Mark's eyes scanned the area where the healers and his sister once were. All that was left was mud and rain. His ran his hands through his wet hair in frustration. His heart was pounding loudly and his head spun. He was too late.

"Addie!" he screamed into the night. "No!"

Addie felt hands wrap around her and before she could even say a word, the world around her flashed and Mark was gone. She pulled away from the Healers and whirled around to take in her surroundings. She was standing amongst rows of buildings. Ladies dressed in fancy dresses of every color and men is fine dark suits walked down cobblestone streets. Horses' hooves clacked against the stone, pulling back carriages behind them. When they caught sight of the muddy and bedraggled girl, they all turned up their noses in disgust. Addie looked fearfully around her. Her brown eyes darted around, trying to take in her new surroundings. She turned to the Healers who were watching her curiously.

"Where am I?" she demanded. She tried to keep her voice steady, but it came out shaky. The wind and rain were gone, yet she still shivered.

The Healers looked among themselves, and spoke a language that Addie didn't understand. Addie watched them silently. A seed of doubt began to sprout and grow in her mind, but she stayed where she was. Where would she run to anyway? She would just get hopelessly lost. The Healers then turned back and looked down on the frightened girl with their shining amber eyes.

"We've taken you to the place where you can live after you've made the trade with us," the bearded Healer explained. "Take a good look around you. See the fine shops and streets? Look at the marvelous dresses the ladies are wearing. And the houses! Don't they look grand? Doesn't this life seem enticing?"

His empty words barely registered in Addie's mind. "I want to go home." she said defiantly. She crossed her small arms across her chest and looked up at the men. "Take me back home."

The short Healer sighed loudly. "I'm afraid we can't do that."

Addie frowned. "But you took me here, why can't you take me back home?" she questioned. How far away from home was she anyway? These houses did not look at all like the huts back home, and there wasn't a patch of grass in sight.

"We have to keep you here for a little bit. There is some people who would like to meet you. They've heard a lot about the happy little girl from the poor village and would like to know more about her. Come along, we'll take you to them," the tall Healer explained quickly.

"Don't worry," the bearded Healer added. "We'll make the trade soon enough. We would just like to show you to them first."

He extended his hand to the little girl. With no other choice, she took his hand as they led her off to some unknown household.

The short Healer with the cane whispered to the tall Healer in their native language. "You're taking quite the risk by not just getting her joy now. What if being away from home lessens the quality of her happiness?"

The tall Healer gave him a crooked smile. "Don't worry. If she could still be happy in such miserable conditions back in her village, I bet what we have to offer her here will be enough to keep that joy pure. Who knows? Maybe she'll be happier here, and we'll be getting more than we had expected. We'll be rich!"

The short Healer's face remained grim. "You'd better be right."