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Jillian

_______________________________________________________________________________Did I hear that correctly? Did Glory just say there will be wild unicorns on our trail?

Just the idea of meeting one up close brought chills to my bones!

And the idea that the beasts upstairs ate those ... ugh! ... lovely creatures. That's really hard to digest! No wonder the pixies had to breed them with the Mustangs - to keep their legacy alive!

But I wonder why they still needed them. Fairies can fly, so they don't need them for transportation. But I guess it's none of my business to ask. After all, it's what the faeries wanted.

Hmm! I remember though, that there was a well in the other realm; perhaps that has something to do with it!

Yes, I remember the water! The beasts needed it to stay alive, and wonder if the faeries took that away in retaliation. The monsters had dirty water that could fool anyone if they drank it. Oh, then maybe it was fate that Jack and I spilled the fluid that was in our bucket earlier. Perhaps those beasts wanted us to be the next victims in their foiled up plan! Gee Whiz!

Horses/unicorns also need water to stay alive. What if there were so many wild unicorns roaming around this place, that there had to be a large supply of clean water stored for them? So, what was left for the other realm was filthy liquid.

Thus, if my assumption were true, that certainly would be the most unearthly punishment I have ever heard of!

And, this was not exactly the place I envisioned. Although, this was better than being tossed around in a ball by scoundrels! The 'Underground' is just as mystical as the mention of the magnificent wild unicorns.

The Well, the Human Hamster Ball, the Gateway to the 'Underground', the Labyrinth ... and now back to the enchanted forest again? I wouldn't be surprised if another obstacle would reach us once we met Glory's sister. This is just too much!

All this - just to get back home!

Sigh!

I wanted to pull Jack aside, grab his coat, and stomp on it until I recuperate. Yes, I'm having a temper tantrum right now and blaming brother was the only thing I could do.

But instead, I calmed down and told myself that I could still get thru this. There's no backing out now. I knew that I was a strong girl; however, not yet a woman ... but in a few years, I'll be a teenager! Will that count? I think so.

A mouse? That's not me. Mice are thought to be weak and eventually give up, but that shouldn't be me.

No, I may still be young, but I'm going to be the best ten-year-old that I can be!

I stood on my own two feet and blurted out to Glory, "Yes, please guide us! We'll be on our way!"

She saw the brave the little girl that I am as she focused her eyes on me. They were now blue, as similar as the coral sea.

Glory did look a lot like Mom as Jack suggested since she really acted like it. But there was something about her that didn't seem right. I just couldn't figure it out yet, but then again I might just be wrong. It's as if certain pieces of the puzzle couldn't fit together.

Glory nodded to my reply and told us to follow her, which I reluctantly did. But where else would I've gone without my brother? I've come this far to retrieve him, and not backing out.

I really thought this place would be Heaven ... without the faeries, and wild unicorns. Now it's just another place that leaves a big 'question mark on my forehead'!

~~

The underground portion of the enchanted forest didn't look so bad. But I still have a feeling that the hidden wonders that I will find here will soon arrive.

The nut-brown appearance made it more inviting than what we encountered upstairs.The light filtered through the top branches, and the wooden flooring was actually brown instead of the green meadows seen on the 'UPPER ABYSS'; another difference was that it was quite messy too. It's as if no one had even bothered to clear the smell of the composting leaves.

I have a feeling the fairies and other mysticalbeings that live here are immune to it by now, while strangers like Jack and I arenot. Looks like greed took part in this situation, and it seems that no one is to blame for the unfortunate circumstances

And as I was following Jack toward our path, the fallen branches from the old trees were crunching under my feet. I paid more attention to where I was going, but the crisp leaves on the ground kept making a sound every time I stepped over them.

~~

As we went deeper into the woods, Glory and Jack were in a deep conversation, when I heard a soft crunching movement among the leaves. I swear I didn't make it, as the area that Jack and I passed didn't have any leaves to stomp on.

My heart started racing and stopped in my tracks as I yanked my brother's arm.

Glory probably knew what I did and it's subliminal meaning, for she gave us a pep talk about the beautiful creature heading our way.

"I should also tell you, children, that the hoof or footprints of a unicorn are very hard to find because they hover just above the ground, as they will leave few traces of their presence. They are mysterious in that nature."

The fairy said this in a calm manner as if there was nothing to be afraid of. It's like she knows who's coming, and isn't worried for our sake.

After all, she has wings to fly to get out of harm's way, but what about us humans? I'm thinking this wild unicorn will attack us like a raging bull!

But, Glory somehow waved her magic wand in a circular manner to keep me from being frightened.

Wonder what that was for? That unicorn will still find us!

"As I was saying my dears, we faeries see the Unicorn as a symbolic animal of uniqueness and purity; plus there was no way we could leave them to the ogres and other beasts above us.

Those monsters are evil beasts at night and we needed to keep these precious animals from harm. So, please don't be afraid when he comes face to face with us. Remember he is also afraid of you, as you are of him."

~~

That is when I saw it.

The wild unicorn the pixie mentioned. I always thought they were a myth but I'm seeing the animal right before my eyes.

It was a breath-taking animal that probably was taller than the average horse. The unicorn's coat was jet black, the color of the midnight sky. His eyes were sky blue with a hint of a purple haze. But what intrigued me the most was its horn. It was protruding from its forehead and appeared to have a spiral shape engraved upon it.

When Dad was still alive, he would take me horse - back riding every summer in the nearby horse ranch. I enjoyed being there. But since his death, Mom couldn't afford to take us and Jack soon lost interest in it; trading that activity with playing video games with his buddies instead.

That's why sometimes Jack can sometimes be a bore, but possibly this adventure was needed to keep our sister and brother bonding alive.

I wanted to touch the unicorn 's magnificent mane but knew that maybe it could be scared of Jack and me since we are not actually as small as Glory. In fact, maybe this is probably the first time it ever met a live human being face to face.

But could the unicorn use it as a shield like a rhino? That would be scary. It was looking at me strangely as if I were his enemy. Ready to charge at his own will!

I'm willing to run if we must!