Evie's Adventure

Little Evie yanked firmly on the straps which secured her to the chair. Her voice was preceded by a crackle of static as she looked eagerly to the co-pilot seated beside her. Hank, the platypus, nervously glanced at her from beneath the cover of his helmet.

"Prepare for lift-off in 3 - 2 - 1!" Evie shouted with excitement as she pointed toward their destination in the stars.

"Wait, Evie! I don't know if this is a good ideaaaahhhh!" Hank braced himself as a fiery frenzy erupted beneath the shuttle, lifting it up off the launch pad. The sudden force of its climb threw Evie and Hank firmly against their seats as they were helpless against its power.

The spaceship which had been aptly named The unicorn by their young captain was thrust high into the atmosphere, leaving the safety of land far behind them.

Clouds dissipated as the shuttle pierced through their layers and everything shuddered violently within the ship, forcing Hank to shut his eyes and cower in fear. But young Evie hollered with delight as her cheeks flapped loosely against the forces that pressed against her.

Her space suit was new for the girl of only six. And this would mark their first adventure into the great unknown, but there wasn't a thrill that existed quite like the exploration to new and uncharted lands.

As the unicorn finally escaped past the crest of the Earth's atmosphere, Hank's terror-filled screams slowed to a nervous gasp and the old platypus promptly removed his helmet to catch a better breath. Evie, however, giggled as she pulled her helmet off and unbuckled her harness.

Her weightless body was then eased into the air, and she made her way toward a large window that peered into the endless expanse of stars.

"Wow, Hank, you gotta come see this!" She called as she waved him over to join her. The old platypus steadied himself for a minute as he reassured himself, then pushed off against the chair and floated toward the young girl.

As he approached her side. He glanced out into space and smiled with approval, taking in the wonder of its allure.

"Isn't it amazing?" Evie asked.

"It sure is," Hank replied. "Now aren't you glad I convinced you to come along?"

The little girl chuckled and shook her head.

"Haaank..."

"Alright, alright," he relented. "I guess you did contribute to the idea a little."

The two friends then took to their tour of

the ship which carried them further into space. And soon, time was lost within the shuttle as it pushed itself further into the stars. But even as it pressed further into space, Evie continued to find herself drifting back toward the window with a certain longing in her hazel eyes.

She stopped for a moment and searched the vast expanse hoping to capture a glimpse of what it was she couldn't quite put her finger on. She brushed a lock of her honey-colored hair aside and sighed aloud as Hank slowly approached her side.

"It just isn't the same, is it?" he asked as he seemingly answered the question which lingered in the young girl's thoughts.

"I don't know." She replied as her shoulder sank. "It just feels like something is missing. That's all."

"Don't worry, Evie. It'll just be a little longer. I promise."

She then smiled at him as he gently laid his paw over her shoulder.

"Yeah..." She answered, and the two friends pressed onward. But it wasn't long until the young girl found herself glancing back at the window once more. Though, as she remained distracted a sudden alarm began to sound from the other end of the corridor. And from a distance, she could see a red light begin to flash.

"What is that?!" Hank asked with a look of apprehension.

"We've got company!" Evie shouted as she pushed her way down toward the cockpit.

"Company?! Do you mean like Aliens or somethin?"

"All hands to stations!" Evie shouted as a renewed look of confidence emerged upon her face. Her passive disposition suddenly shifted to that of excitement at the anticipation of the strange vessel that

slowly approached their ship, as it meant that only the promise of more adventures awaited them.

"You never mentioned anything about aliens, Evie! What if they have a sudden taste for Platypus!"

But he remained ignored as the young girl glided through The Unicorn until she arrived at the small window overlooking the starboard side.

The strange vessel drew itself further toward them like a mysterious shroud. No windows could be seen, and its smooth black finish screamed technology that was far beyond their understanding. And soon, closed in on them and their ship shuttered as they could hear the metal locks echo behind the main hatch.

Pressurized air suddenly burst from the hatch's seams and hissed violently as the door twisted clockwise to unlock itself.

"Stand behind me, Evie!" Hank demanded, as his voice trembled, and his body shook just as fervently. Though the young girl was unmoved by her friend's courageous gesture and peered under his outstretched arm to catch a better glimpse.

Suddenly, the door peeled itself back and a bright light emerged from behind it, revealing a dark silhouette in its wake.

Evie narrowed her eyes to focus her sight and her smile stretched from ear to ear.

"Mommy!!" The young girl shouted as she could suddenly see her mother emerge from behind the door.

The woman carried a look of exhaustion on her face from a long day's work, but as Evie ran to her, the woman smiled and eagerly embraced the young astronaut as they knelt by the entrance.

"I missed you so much, Mommy!"

Her mother offered a gentle smile and

brushed her hair from her eyes as Evie pointed toward the makeshift shuttle, she had crafted in the middle of the living room. The cardboard box had been decorated with markings of a large unicorn on its side with windows drawn on the side. Hank, the stuffed platypus rested comfortably inside the box and along with several objects meant to serve a role in their expedition.

After a moment longer, the woman rose to her feet and lifted the young girl into her arms as they made their way to a seat on the couch. The woman sunk deeply into the cushions and sighed aloud with relief then finally looked longingly into Evie's eyes.

"So, tell me," her mother asked, "what adventure did you go on today?"