Chapter 16 Ced
CED
Soft voices wake me, and I feel something poking my trunk.
“So is it really, really true this tree can come to life like a monster?” I hear a child’s voice say.
“Yep, but they’re not a monster. They’re just Ced,” Chloe replies.
“So he doesn’t growl?”
“Nope.” Chloe’s laughter fills the air. “And they don’t bite either.”
That makes me laugh, and I hear startled shrieks before I open my eyes. One look at Chloe has the magic flowing, and I step out of the ground.
Two little faces are looking up at me in awe. “Hello there, I am Ced.”
“Wooooooooow… You’re a moving tree!”
I smile. “I am, and you are a tiny human.”
“I’m not tiny! I’m already 8 years old and 58,5 inches.”
“Yeah, and I am six and 53 inches!” the other states.
I crouch as well as I can. “My apologies, you are very not tiny humans.”
They laugh before they wave and run away.
Chloe gives me a warm smile. “Those are my nephews, David and Leo. Since we are apparently a very open-minded family and a Dryad is just any old Tuesday for us, their parents decided to just let them in on the secret. That way, you can move freely around the house.”
I pull her in and kiss her deeply. “That is very kind of your family.” A blush decorates her cheeks, so I kiss her again.
A heap of snow lands on us before we go too far, though, and someone yells, “GET A ROOM!” Chloe throws a snowball at them, launching a proper snowball fight. What a way to wake up.
We play in the snow until we are all breathless. Only her Grandma and her uncle stay inside, but her parents are just as vicious as her nephews. It’s the most fun I have had in decades.
Sadness rises up, and Chloe looks at me. “What’s wrong, Ced?”
“Today is my last day,” I croak.
“No,” she shakes her head. “We have at least three more days. MOM! What day is it?”
“New Year’s Eve, honey!”
Tears form in her eyes. “No…” I cannot stand her tears and pull her in. “I thought we had more time,” she whispers, and I kiss the top of her head, holding her close.
“Me too…”
The evening passes quickly. They eat together, and everybody plays games. We try Twister, but they say I cannot use my vines because that is cheating, and as revenge, I cage everybody in. It’s all good fun, but I want to spend more time alone with Chloe before the magic fades.
“THE NORTHERN LIGHTS ARE HERE!” One of the boys shouts, and everybody rushes to grab their jackets and stand outside.
Chloe’s mom comes from around the corner of the shed and beckons us. “Over here, I made a quiet place just for you, you can see the Northern Lights and spend some time alone.”
Tears shimmer in Chloe’s eyes—again as she hugs her mom. “Thank you!”