Trails of magic

Chapter 15: The Secret Place

I looked at the little girl with a sense of wonder. "A secret place?" I repeated. "What do you mean?"

The little girl's eyes sparkled with excitement. "It's a place in the forest where the flowers bloom in every color of the rainbow," she said. "And the trees whisper secrets to each other in the wind."

I felt a shiver run down my spine. This sounded like a place of magic, a place where the ancient power still lingered.

"Can you take me there?" I asked the little girl.

She nodded, her curls bouncing with excitement. "Follow me!" she said, and she took off running, her bare feet pattering on the earth.

I followed her, my heart pounding with excitement. We ran through the village, past the thatched roofs and the laughing children. We ran into the forest, the trees growing taller and closer together as we went.

The little girl stopped suddenly, her hand raised in a gesture of silence. "We're here," she whispered.

I looked around, my eyes adjusting to the dappled light. We were standing in a clearing, surrounded by trees that seemed to be made of crystal. The air was filled with the scent of flowers, and the sound of whispering leaves.

And then, I saw it. A flower blooming in every color of the rainbow, its petals shimmering with an otherworldly light.

I felt a sense of wonder, a sense of awe. This was a place of magic, a place where the ancient power still lingered.

The little girl looked up at me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "This is the secret place," she said. "A place of magic and wonder."

I smiled, my heart filled with gratitude. "Thank you for showing me this place," I said.

The little girl smiled back, her curls bouncing with excitement. "I'm glad you like it," she said. "I come here whenever I need to feel the magic."

I nodded, my eyes still fixed on the flower. I knew that I would return to this place, again and again. For in this place, I felt the magic of the ancient power, a magic that would stay with me forever.