Chapter Two ( Present World )

It was a sunny autumn day in the beautiful land of Oregon. This was the kind of day that comes but only a few times a year. It was the perfect day for Julian Thimblewood to spend wandering the majestic wood just beyond her yard. As she was walking along the tree line she noticed a peculiar looking tree frog on a tall white oak. Normally she would have kept going but the frog was singing her name in an odd rhythmic chant. She was shocked beyond speech and for it seemed like a good five minutes she just stood there staring at the frog as it stared back, continuing to chant her name.

Finally, taking slow steps towards the frog, Julian touched its odd warm blue skin. The instant she laid her small copper colored hand on the frog, it ceased its chanting. The odd thing about this frog, besides its dark blue black spotted warm skin and the fact that it could talk, was that it had beautiful light green eyes that looked at her, as if it knew her.

She didn’t know what to think of this frog. The child in her, instinctively wanted to take the odd creature home to show her mother. But Julian knew her mother would merely glance at it, and tell her to throw it back in the woods where she found it. So she plopped down in front of the tree and started talking to the frog. I mean it obviously knew her or had heard her name to be able to speak it, maybe it just wanted a friend.

“How do you know my name?” asked Julian. The frog continued to stare at her. It’s not like she expected it to say anything but just maybe…

“Why!” replied the frog. Julian jumped back as her jaw dropped. Could it really understand her!

Julian spurted out, “I don’t know why!? What are you asking me why for I asked you first! And how can you talk?” Julian was really excited now. She sat back down and waited for the frog’s reply.

“Forest,” replied the frog.

“What are you saying, the forest told you my name?” Asked Julian.

“Val,” said the frog.

“A what? What in the heck is a Val!” Replied Julian.

The frog all of a sudden jump off the tree and hopped into a hole at the bottom of the white oak.

Julian stood up as she stared into the wind. She made her way back to her house.