Land of Ice

Chapter 4

I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, thinking over this strange and vivid dream. It felt so real, but that doesn’t make sense.

I grab my notebook and colored pencils to begin my sketch of Azaria before the details flee from my mind. This Phoenix was gorgeous, unlike anything I have ever seen before.

As I’m finishing my drawing, I feel Becky stir next to me. She stretches with a great yawn before peering at me with sleepy eyes.

“What are you doing, Ava?” She asks.

I look over at her and say, “I was just finishing a sketch from my latest dream. Here, look at it.”

She glances over the page, her eyes looking over every detail before handing it back to me.

“Your dream wasn’t the same as it has been this time? And what is that?”

“She’s a Phoenix that appeared in my dream. She was able to speak to me through my mind and told me her name was Azaria. She mentioned that she was destined to be by my side, but couldn’t follow me here to Earth because it didn’t have the same amount of magic as her land. Terra de Glace.” I say as I remember details.

“What in the world is Terra de Glassy?” She asks, a look of pure confusion on her face.

“No, Terra de Glace. It was the name of her world or something. I didn’t get too much of an explanation.” I say.

“I don’t know, Ave. That’s a strange dream, but kind of cool if you think about it.”

Becky has always dreamt of a world where there is more than the “normal” that we know here. She’s the only person I trust sharing my dreams with. I know she would never judge me or look at me any differently.

We decide to get up and head downstairs for breakfast before leaving for our trip. We settle on cereal for our first meal of the day. Becky chose Fruity Pebbles and I reached for my favorite, Honey Nut Cheerios.

We sat at the kitchen table and began eating. A few minutes later, April strolls in with her favorite stuffed unicorn.

“Good morning, Sissy and Becky! What are you guys doing?” She says in her typical chipper and adorable voice.

“Hi April, we’re just eating our breakfast before we leave for our weekend camping trip. Are you hungry?” I say with a smile.

“Yes, starving! Can I have the cereal with the marshmallows this time, please?” She says, dragging out the please.

“Of course!”

I make her bowl of cereal with the unicorn marshmallows and set it on the table for her. She hops up next to me and puts her Unicorn in the chair next to her.

We eat our cereal, chatting in between bites. April tells us all about her plans for the weekend.

“I’m going to go get my nails painted with mommy and then tonight we’re going to eat dinner at my favorite place. Do you remember the one with the best chicken nuggets ever? It’s going to be so much fun, but I wish you were going with us. Oh, and mommy says we can go ride horses at grandma and grandpa’s house too! Plus, my birthday is so close and I’m going to be six!” She goes on, barely taking a breath between each sentence.

I smile at her and say, “I’m going to miss you so much too! I’ll only be gone for a couple days though. I’ll be back before you know it, Sis.”

“It’s going to feel like forever though! Can we go to the inside pool when you get back, pretty please?” She asks.

“Of course, we’ll do tons of fun things when I get back home!”

That seems to be enough to keep her happy as she turns her attention to Becky and continues on talking away. April discusses her birthday plans with Becky, excitement clear in her voice and written all over her face.

A few minutes later, my phone dings to tell me I have a new text. I look down and see it’s the group chat with our friends.

Stacy: Are you guys ready to go yet?

Me: yes, just finishing breakfast then we will head your way :)

Multiple texts pop in at the same time, everyone agreeing that they’re ready now.

Becky and I stand up and take our bowls to the sink, rinsing both out before going upstairs to get our bags. I grab my portable charger on the way out of my room and make sure to put it in my bag before forgetting.

Mom and Dad are downstairs when we make our way back to the kitchen. They were sitting at the table with April, each with a hot cup of coffee in front of them.

Dad notices us first and says, “Leaving for your trip now?”

“Yes, all set to go.” I say with a grin.

Mom still looks worried and begins asking if we remembered to pack all that we would need, from our phones to warm clothing in case the forecast is wrong.

“Yes, Mom. We have everything. Please don’t worry; I’ll be back on Sunday!”

She smiles softly and says, “Okay, Ava. Have fun and please be careful. You can call us anytime if you need anything at all.”

I give my parents and April both a hug before we make our way out to the car. Becky and I throw our bags in the backseat of her car before getting into the front seat.

She turns to me with a cheesy grin on her face and says, “I’m so glad your parents agreed to this. Are you ready to go? This is going to be an epic weekend.”

I buckle my seatbelt and nod with a smile at her enthusiasm. As we drive away from my house, I look out the window, not knowing just how epic the weekend would truly be.