Starlit

Chapter 4

Derekshook his head, "She won't be able to get over the fence."

"Thengo to where the Osiani family lives and go into the forest fromthere," Caroline said.

Dereksmiled, "Alright, an' you can come with me!"

Carolinenodded. Derek quickly grabbed the rope that the horse was tiedto. He and Caroline then told their parents they were going toshow off Derek's new horse, and they were off. 

Thesiblings walked through town with the horse. They passed theschool, and then they could see the dock. They kept going andcame to an inn and a general store, as well as a tailor, a postoffice, and the restaurant that Candace's father owned. Therewere few people to see Derek's new horse here. There wasCandace, her little blonde haired and brown-eyed sister, Melody, andTomi- a shy teenager with dark red hair and deep blue eyes who workedat her grandmother's tailor shop. 

Afterthat, Derek and Caroline went to the county. In the countythere were some houses, a pond, and at the center was an area for theresidents to keep horses for getting around. Here they sawHeath and Finny, as well as a boy that most people called "Mustard". Mustard's real name was Mathieu, and he was a green-eyed,dirty-blonde who was about five years old. He was thecarpenter's youngest son. It wasn't long before Carolineand her brother made it to where the carpenter lived. 

Thecarpenter was a big man with black hair and hazel eyes named Stefan. He and his wife, a green-eyed blonde named Kirsten, were intheir house. Their children were outside. Mustard was inthe county, but he had two older siblings who never strayed far fromhome. The oldest was a teenager named Lucas. Luc lookedjust like his father, but wasn't as big and didn't have amustache. The middle child was a twelve-year-old named Amber. She had dark red hair and hazel eyes. She was very wild,and was always dressed like a pirate with a red bandana on her head. Amber had suggested to name the horse Seadog, and Derek decidedto do so. 

Oncein the forest, Derek took the lead rope and made it into reins. Hethen climbed onto his horse and helped Caroline get up onto the mare. Almost as soon as Caroline was on, Seadog began charging away.

 Caroline was terrified, and she held on tight to her brother. 

Thehorse finally slowed and came to a stop. Derek and Caroline gotoff the horse and sat on the ground for several minutes. Derekfinally got up and helped his sister up.

"Doyou know where we are?" Derek asked with awe in his voice.

Carolineshook her head, "No."

Derektold her, "We're at the Moon Pool."

Carolineremembered hearing Geo and Luna tell them about the Moon Pool. Itwas a place where if you threw something that you valued extremelymuch into the pool, and made a wish, the next time the full moon wouldshine on the pool, your wish would come true. As far as Carolineknew, no one had been to the Moon Pool, but if the wizard reallyexisted, why shouldn't the Moon Pool?

Derekwent up to the pool. He then looked back at Caroline. 

"What?"Caroline asked as she came up to her brother.

"Youtreasure that necklace?" Derek asked.

Carolinenodded, "Yes."

"D'Youtreasure it," Derek questioned, "a whole lot?"

Carolinenodded.

"Takeit off," Derek commanded.

"Why?"Caroline asked.

"'CauseI said so!" Derek replied, "Now take it off!"

"Makeme!" Caroline cried out.

Derekthen wrestled his sister to the ground, and fought with her until hehad the necklace. When it was in his hands, Derek threw it intothe pool and yelled, "I wish things happened differently, so thatthe farm was mine, and I made the rules, and I was an adult!"

Carolinewatched her necklace fall into the pool and cause ripples to go tothe edge of the pond. 

"Derek!"Caroline screeched, "Why did you do that?"

"'CauseI had a chance to change things and I took it!" Derek said, "Nowlet's go."

Carolineangrily followed her brother as he grabbed Seadog's lead rope, andled his horse and sister away. While they weren't too faraway, the siblings and horse heard a splash behind them. Theystopped and ran back to the pool.

~~~

Heand Toad had been walking up here when the children came riding overto the pool. Toad was in the pool, and he was in the forest,where he watched the children. As soon as they left he hadjumped into the pool to find the necklace.

Heheard the children coming back, so he grabbed onto Toad, who was atthe bottom of the pool, and held his breath. He felt the urgeto breathe, like his lungs needed air. In an effort not to trybreathing, he pressed his mouth to Toad's shell. It felt likeforever before he could hear a new voice, a voice he recognized,telling the children to leave. 

"Alright,Quasar, you can come out now." The voice said after severalminutes.

Helet go of Toad and thrashed to the surface, where he then made hisway to the shore. As soon as he reached dry land, he fell tohis hands and knees and began coughing up water. 

"Wasit really that bad?" Geo asked, "After all, you can't die. Notfrom drowning anyway."

Helooked up at Geo for a moment and said, "That doesn't make itpleasant," then he began coughing again.

Geofolded his arms and shook his head, "Are you really thatdesperate?"

Therewas no answer but coughing. Geo looked down at him beforeturning and leaving. Toad slowly made his way to his owner.