The Birthday Party

River was at Jackson’s birthday party. River’s mother made him go, or he would have stayed home. It wasn’t because he didn’t like Jackson, but because River was the type of child other kids tended to ignore. River didn’t hold this against other kids; he just accepted it as truth and avoided large groups of kids where he could.

Jackson’s parents had all the kids playing hide and seek while they waited for the burgers and hot dogs to get cooked. They made River join in with the other children, thinking he was being shy. So that’s why River decided to tour Mrs. Salle’s beautiful flower garden.

Near the back of the garden, River came across a mysterious-looking gateway arch made of branches. From the front side of the gate, it appeared to lead to a magical wonderland, but when he walked around to the other side, the gate completely disappeared.

This mystery piqued River’s curiosity, and with no thought for his safety, he stepped through the arch into a glorious fairylike garden with butterflies and dragonflies flying everywhere. The roses and other flowers were more vibrant than he had ever seen.

Looking down, River noticed he now sparkled. He heard a strange buzzing sound when he flexed his shoulders, and that’s when River saw he had wings. In shock, he jumped into the air, and by some instinct, he did not know he had, he took off flying around the garden.

He was having such a blast he almost forgot to go back to Mrs. Salle’s garden to rejoin the birthday party. He made it back in time for cake and ice cream, and no one seemed to miss him.

River never forgot the thrill of flying in the mysterious garden.