The Window

           There once was a window at the back of a house that nobody could explain. It appeared to be a standard window, even boring in appearance. It was painted a pale yellow, as though the color had faded from the sun even though it was at the back of the house and never got much sun. The new owners place a pink curtain on it to match the room but didn’t bother with any other changes because this window was different in a small way: it didn’t open. They couldn’t explain why and couldn’t fix it either so they just hung their curtain and left it alone. Jenny, the lady of the house, was even a little relieved because a window that didn’t open made her daughter Mya’s playroom a little safer in her mind. What Jenny and her family didn’t know however, was this window was a magic window. Every so often the curtains would rustle, which was impossible since no wind could get through the closed pane. As time went on, and the little girl grew, her playroom evolved with her. It went from blocks and Little Tykes toys to Barbies, stuffed animals, and tea sets. One bright day, the little girl was having a tea party with all her favorite “friends”. Her small table was surrounded by her best bears, unicorns, and even her favorite doll. Just as she was serving her favorite stuffed Dolphin Harry, the curtains began to blow in a breeze that wasn’t there. Being a curious child, she jumped up to explore. She ducked under the curtains and instead of her backyard she saw a beautiful beach. Mya had been to the beach a few times with her family and remembered it to be lots of fun. On this day, she felt a cool sea breeze on her face as the sun warmed her cheeks. And she listened to the sound of the ocean. Not wasting any time, little Mya clamored up and through the window. As she landed in the soft white sand, she saw the most amazing thing she had ever seen. Just there, lying in the sun was a real, live, mermaid. She had long blonde hair and a tail made of different hues of greens, blues, and teals. As she lay there sunning, she flipped her tail up and down causing he scales to shimmer in the light. Mya let out a gasp and the pretty mermaid’s eyes popped open. When she saw little Mya, her sparkling amethyst eyes crinkled as she smiled. After the initial greetings, they became like old friends. They shared hugs, laughs, and secrets. Asherah and Mya then spent the day frolicking in the sea. The water must have been magic because Mya could spend all day in the water with ease. So the new friends hunted for seashells, sunned themselves on huge rocks, and even swam with dolphins. As the sun began to set, it was time for Mya to climb back through the window towards home. She was sad to go because it was the best day ever, but she knew her mom was probably worried. Mya had spent the whole day on this beautiful beach and her mother probably thought she had run away. So she climbed up through the window and landed in her playroom with a small thud just as her mom came in to check on the progress of her tea party. Mya started to open her mouth to apologize for being gone so long but realized her mom wasn’t mad or frantic or anything. Jenny just had a puzzled look on her face as she noticed the white sand on the floor. Mya realized that time on the beach must be magic too because almost no time had passed since she left her playroom. But Mya was an honest little adventurer and proceeded to regale her mother with the events of her day. When Mya finished, her mom just ruffled her hair and chuckled at her daughter’s imagination. But as she turned to leave the room, the curtain fluttered and she could swear she almost heard waves.