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Excerpt from Unknown Enemy

Five year old Andi Gallagher, hugged her knees, curling her small body into the crevice of the great oak tree roots. The wind rustled the leaves and the tree creaked. She sucked in her lower lip. Maybe she should have told mama where she was going on her great explore. But according to the world-famous Pooh Bear, an explore just wasn’t the same if someone knew. She wanted to return with a wonderful tale that her mother would eagerly add to the special book she was writing.

The wind gave a sudden swish and the tree groaned. Andi pressed her hands over her ears to muffle the sound then glanced up. Sunlight pierced the canopy and tiny twinkle lights floated downward. She pressed her small palms against her chest and craned her neck to watch the display of dancing color. Her eyes widened in awe. Someday she would be big enough to climb to the top of the tree and catch the floating light. Maybe if she wished really hard she could get wings like TinkerBell.

On hands and knees she crawled through the thickets. Her ponytail caught and she cried out. Using one dirt covered hand, she reached behind and freed her hair then crept forward. A sweet song beckoned. Perhaps the peculiar song came from a beautiful bird. She grinned.

As she approached the edge of the thicket the terrain changed. Magically, the woods opened into a meadow complete with a small village. Not the village where she lived with her mother. She clapped her hands together and laughed with glee. All by herself she had discovered a new land. She straightened and scrubbed at her dirt-encrusted pants.

The music of the beautiful bird sounded behind her. She twirled. A young boy with colorful clothing stood several feet away holding a wooden flute. As she studied him, he leaned against a tree his expression one of superiority. She pouted her lip defying him to interrupt her grand scheme. He lifted the flute and played several more notes.

Filled with joy from the sounds, she raised her arms to imitate a flying bird.

“I like your music. I thought it might be a new bird.” She stopped mid-turn and cocked her head. “I like exploring and discovering new things.”

He chuckled.

She eyed him with interest. “Who are you?”

“I’m Brean GG.”

Andi slapped her palm over her mouth to stifle a giggle. “You look more like Peter Pan.”

The boy scowled. “Who is Peter Pan?”

“He’s magical. I have a book about the fairyland where he lives. Hey, are you one of the lost boys?”

“No. I’m definitely not lost. But you might be one of the lost girls.”

She giggled again. “I’m not lost, silly. Lost is when you don’t know where you are. When I was four I got lost all the time, but now that I’m five, I know exactly where I am.”

“And where exactly is that?”

“Why right here. I’m right here.”

Brean GG. circled her and shook his head. “I can see my work is cut out for me. You need help surviving in the human world.”

She pouted and puzzled over his presence. He must be playing an exploring game too. Since he was here, she’d just have to include him.

“You want to come with me Brean GG.?”

“Where?”

She turned to point at the village across the meadow and then turned again. Where had the beautiful meadow gone? Confusion assailed her. She bent down to peer beneath the thickets. The trees had closed in around her. Her lips quivered. She was not going to cry like a baby in front of this big boy.

He knelt in front of her. “What’s wrong?”

“I guess five isn’t big enough.” A large wet tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. “There was a village here right before you said hello.” She swallowed and hiccuped back a sob. “Now there are only trees and more trees. I’m right here but I think my village is lost.”

The sun sank lower on the horizon and the shadows lengthened. She rubbed at her wet cheeks.

Brean GG. patted her head. “Well this is your lucky day, TinkerBell. I’ve got seven more years to your five and I happen to know where to find your village.”

But, he had said he didn’t know about Peter Pan and he just called her TinkerBell. She lifted her chin and studied his face. It was the roundest face she’d ever seen. He had funny colored eyes that tilted up as though he laughed a lot, and a rosy red mouth. His black hair curled in wild tangles like the thickets she had crawled under. He just had to be Peter Pan.

She sniffed and smiled shyly. “Do you think you could find my village real soon? My mama doesn’t know the village is lost and she might start to worry real bad.”

“I can find the village, but you must promise you won’t tell anyone that I helped you find it. See I don’t have a family here yet, so I’ll have to use a bit of magic.”

Andi widened her eyes. “You can be my family. We adopted a kitten and you can even adopt people. You can be my brother.”

Brean GG. sucked in a deep breath expanding his chest. “Adopting people is different. I think you’d have to do that human ritual where you mingle blood from cut hands. Are you brave enough to do that?”

She gulped. Why not? A little cut might sting, but she’d have an honest to goodness brother. She pursed her lips, gave a stern nod and stuck out her open palm. He withdrew a small golden knife from his boot and took her hand. Before he brought the blade up, he gazed into her eyes.

“Are you sure you want me for a brother Andromeda Gallagher?”

Wide-eyed, she vigorously nodded. “Wow, you are magical. Nobody knows my real name. Mama said it’s a secret. She just calls me Andi.”

While she focused on his eyes, he made a tiny prick on his palm then made a matching cut on her. Blood welled up. He reached out and clasped her hand pressing the cuts together. A tingle crept up her arm. When he released her hand the cut had faded.

“What do you think? Did it work?” he asked.

She nodded enthusiastically. With out a doubt, an honest to goodness brother stood before her. Moments later, the sun slipped behind the hill and the woods became dark. She flung her arms around his neck. He slipped her onto his back and hiked her up.

“Close your eyes, TinkerBell.”

A rush of warm air fanned her face.

Andi blinked her eyes open and watched her mother step down from the porch.

“There you are Andi. You’re just in time for dinner. It looks like you found a new friend.”

“Not a friend mama, a brother. Brean GG. is going to be my new brother.”

Andi rested her chin on Brean GG.’s shoulder.

“This is my mama, Peonie Gallagher.”

Her mama suddenly stopped and stared at them. Mama lifted her hand and pressed her palm against her mouth. Tears filled her eyes.

“Oh dear, child. Whatever have you done?”