Nature

Once, along time ago, there was a little girl who loved the outdoors. She climbed trees, tended plants and animals, hiked up mountains, ran down valleys and swam in the little silver creek behind her house nearly every single day. Jeanine needed nature as much as nature needed her, and was entirely grateful for it.

One day, her parents took Jeanine on a journey. They pulled her up into they old wagon and set off along the dusty road.

"Mama, papa, where are we going?" Jeanine asked.

"It's a secret, dear." Her parents responded. Jeanine fell silent; she didn't like surprises.

At last they drew up by a wooded thicket. Jeanine's parents took her by the hand and led her into the forest. They walked and walked along the path until they came to an opening. Jeanine gasped. The place was beautiful! Flowers of every colour glimmered and shimmered in the gentle breeze, grass wafted gently and a small stream trickled through the middle.

"This place is yours, Jeanine." Her parents explained. "You can come here every day." Her parents turned to leave, letting their daughter take in the beauty alone. Suddenly, there was an old woman in the clearing. Jeanine stepped back anxiously as the old woman hobbled forward. Gently, the woman placed a chain of buttercups round Jeanine's neck. A sudden outburst from her parents made her turn her head.

"Jeanine. Come one! It's time to go. We promise you can come here again tomorrow!" Her parents hollered. When Jeanine turned back, the old woman was gone, but the buttercup chain remained.

Every day, Jeanine came to the clearing. She planted all sorts of flowers and shrubs and spent a lot of time there drawing or relaxing. Soon, Jeanine had found love in her life, but everyday, she still found time to go to her clearing. Even when she had children, she brought them along too, and they helped her tend to her clearing.

Time had moved on quickly, the world more industrial than ever before. Now Jeanine was an old woman, and she had seen many things. She had children and grand children and one great grand child. Her skin was wrinkled and weathered like old leather and her soft hair was white as snow.

Jeanine wasn't able to go to her clearing anymore. She missed it's look, it's smell and it's feel. Jeanine died missing her clearing. Her family took her body and cremated it, choosing to sprinkle her ashes on the place she loved the most. Her clearing.

Jeanine was floating in the dark. She floated past each big marker in her life, and as she did so, a buttercup formed. By the time she reached her clearing at the end, Jeanine had a long, big, buttercup chain. Jeanine stepped out of the darkness into her clearing. And there stood a little girl.

Jeanine hobbled forward towards the girl and hung the chain of buttercups round her neck. Now Jeanine was free to go...