Chapter One
“Why would you sell Beaver, anyway?” asked Amy.
“Because my dad wants to get a golden retriever” replied Riley.
Amy stood silently as she finished zipping up her suitcase. “Well, I really hope we can convince him not to get a new dog,” she said finally.
Riley nervously shifted her weight; then said, “I hope our trip to the Philippines makes him for- what’s that sound?”
Amy walked over and lifted her pink window curtain. “It’s another dust storm.”
“We’d better get out of your room before your mom comes to find out what’s taking us so long.” said Riley.
“Yeah, it’s a four hour taxi ride to the airport.” replied Amy. “I’d better go get my toothbrush, then let’s go.”
* * * * *
Once they were on the airplane, Amy and Riley whispered about the time Riley’s mom had forgotten to comb her hair before going to work. Suddenly, the old man next to Riley started snoring loudly.
“Ugh, why wouldn’t Dad sit there?” whispered Riley.
Amy remembered a picture of a horse at her grandma’s farm. She was truly happy to be going to the Philippines, but she almost wished she was visiting Grandma again that summer. She suddenly missed wandering around Grandma’s property, and seeing the stalls where Grandma’s horses had been when she was about Amy’s age. Riley elbowed her in the side.
“Amy!” Riley said loudly.
“What?"
“I was trying to show you this cute puppy in the magazine, but you were just staring into space!”
“Oh.” said Amy. “It’s really cute.”
* * * * *
When they finally arrived at the airport in the Philippines, it was a two hour scramble until they all got in the bus. Riley sat quietly while twisting her long blonde hair. Amy took great interest in waving out the clear bus windows at all of the tourists near the airport. Suddenly the bus turned abruptly left into a big tree…
* * * * *
… Riley woke up at the hospital in … Where was she? There was a flying seahorse taking her temperature. Amy lay in the bed next to her petting a winged pig. She tried to speak but her lip was bandaged and there was a wrap around her head.
“ Uuuuumm … I – ouch.”
“Shush, honey, it won’t do you any good to chat now. You need to rest. I’m glad to see you’re awake. After the surgery, we thought you might not be able to move your jaw. We’ve never operated on a human before,” said a strange, pink and blue striped cow with glasses on her face.
Riley couldn’t believe it. She closed her eyes and tried to wake up, but she was already awake.
Amy fared much better. She had only a slight bruise on her right arm. She had been awake for a few hours; yet she still didn’t know exactly where she was. She called over the cow.
“Ms. uh…”
“I’m Ms. Cowadella. You can call me Bella.”
“Ms. Bella, where are we?” Amy inquired.
“Why, we’re in good old Wondercalla”, replied Bella.
“What planet?” asked Amy
“Tanalla.”
“Um, ok. Thanks … Riley!”
“Amy!” cried Riley, even though it was painful.
The orange winged seahorse spoke up. “I’ll call the healer, then you may go. Clara!”
Clara came into the room in a floating bubble. It popped then she placed her hands on Riley’s head and whispered something. Riley felt a flash of pain, then she was completely healed. Clara did the same for Amy. Then, before they knew it, they were standing outside of the hospital.
* * * * *
Riley was astonished. “That was m, m, …”
“Magic!” cried Amy.
Riley’s freckled cheeks puffed up with air. “Yes!” she yelled.
A nurse stepped out and told them to please be quiet and get going!
The girls turned around, finally seeing the world they were in. It was a forest, covered in snow. A small dirt road led up to the hospital. There was a miraculous frozen fountain right in front of them. Amy walked up to it and took a closer look. Riley took a step back and looked at the sky. There was snow falling and two suns were beginning to set.
“Um, Amy, look west,” said Riley.
“Whoa boy!” called Amy. Riley turned to her, she was riding on a running unicorn! The unicorn halted.
“Good boy!” said Amy excitedly. “Riley, this is Winter. He’s a unicorn!”
“Wow,” Riley said softly as she ran her hand down his silky, white neck. “Can I ride him?”
Winter’s eyes seemed to shoot her a stern look that said, “No,” but he looked beyond her and his eyes seemed to say, “But you can ride her.”
Riley turned around. She saw a beautiful, white–blue unicorn trotting quietly and peacefully toward the little road. She stopped and tossed her head at Riley, motioning her to get on. Riley slowly walked toward her, looking her over as she went. The unicorn’s moonlike color shown in the starlight, for the suns had set. Riley mounted her just as if she were getting out of the pool. Amy started giggling, and Winter nickered. Riley and Amy both smiled and kicked their mounts forward. They trotted off into the forest.
* * * * *
Once they were out of sight of the hospital, Amy looked up at the stars; Winter stopped to gaze with her. The snow had ceased falling, and there was a slight breeze. Riley wondered out loud, “What is her name?”
The unicorn Riley was riding made a magical swirl of light around her and Riley instantly knew: Moonlight.
The girls knew they couldn’t get back to Earth – any part of it – until morning. Amy was thrilled by this new world but Riley was a bit nervous and afraid. She did love the unicorns and the fact that it was snowing and not cold.
Amy asked Winter if there were bugs or snakes on this planet. He shook his head vigorously, then made a magic bubble around them. Amy walked over and tried to get out but the swirling bubble wouldn’t let her. “Nice!” she yelped with excitement.
The unicorns had laid down in the snow and Moonlight was already asleep. Amy laid down in the snow, expecting it to be cold, but was relieved to find that it wasn’t. Riley did the same.
* * * * *
In the morning, the girls woke up to find themselves surrounded by three unicorns. Winter, Moonlight and – they somehow already knew – Sunshine! Sunshine was a light yellow color, and she was slightly bigger than Winter and Moonlight.
Suddenly, an ugly gray unicorn came into the circle, Sunshine reared and started to charge. Amy and Riley got up and ran to Winter and Moonlight. The gray unicorn and Sunshine began to fight. Riley turned away and looked at Moonlight who had her eyes shut tight. Amy got on Winter they galloped away. Riley did the same with Moonlight and ran after Winter. She caught up and together they galloped and jumped over logs and holes as one. Riley and Amy magically managed to stay on their unicorns.
But once the unicorns stopped, Amy and Riley were gone. They unicorns drank from a stream and looked everywhere for the girls. They were nowhere to be found, so the unicorns forgot all about it and proceeded to play a game of tag.
* * * * *
Riley woke up in the hospital again! This time there were no strange animals or Bella. However, Amy was in the bed to her left. A nurse tended to the only wound on her body – a huge cut on her right leg. She began to speak. “Where am I? Tanalla? Earth?”
“You’re awake!” cried her mom who had been standing behind the nurse.
“Mom! I love you!” she exclaimed
Just then she noticed a necklace around her neck. “What?” she whispered. She grabbed it and closed her eyes. She was magically transferred to Wondercalla; to Moonlight. Moonlight was delighted to see her. She then grabbed the necklace and whispered, “Home” and was back at the hospital.
Amy was leaning over the other side of her bed, wearing a matching necklace. She bent down and whispered into Riley’s ear, “I can magically travel to Tanalla when I close my eyes and hold this necklace.”
“Me too,” whispered Riley.
The nurse gave Riley some crutches and told her she could have them if she needed them, but otherwise her leg was good to walk on and would be healed by the end of the month.
“Thanks,” said Riley, taking the crutches and getting up. She didn’t need them to walk so she returned them to the nurse. The two girls and their families walked out of the hospital, ready for a fun trip in the Philippines.
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