As Charlotte stood there in the garden, she began to smile. The beauty of the garden had again made her realize that the land surrounding Mapleshire Manor was so pretty, even more spectacular a place than shed ever remembered

She stood there, completely surrounded by a multitude of things, all growing and living. All of the spring flowers had long since bloomed and faded, but the autumn flowers were now beautifully unfolding before her, and Charlotte liked them most of all. The Chrysanthemums, abloom in the softest shades of yellow, white, and bronze, filled the air around her with a spicy scent, and seemed to blend perfectly against a backdrop of scarlet and crimson colored maples.

"What perfection. Simply lovely." Thought Charlotte...

Just then, at that very moment in Charlotte's day, in a whimsical whoosh, a beautiful cardinal, as red as a red-as-can-be Christmas ribbon, flew out in front of her and startled her. Charlotte quickly turned to her left, as if someone had called her name, and there, behind a low growing tree and some hanging-down ivy, she could see, but just barely, cobblestones of gray and brown.

As she inched her way closer, she began to push away the ivy that had grown so thickly in front of her. Scrunching down just ever so, she crawled through the thickness of the leaves about her and found before her a path. .A path shed never seen nor walked in all of her eleven years!

My goodness gracious! Yelled Charlotte.

This newly discovered path should indeed be an adventure! Perhaps Griffy was right! Perhaps this newly discovered path before her would lead to a beautiful castle, where she would make a friend of the princess living there, who was as young and as bored and as lonely as she!

Oh, delightful! Oh delicious! Oh happy day! Cheered Charlotte. Adventure at last! Her face was beaming with a happy smile.

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte began to slowly walk down the path that lay before her,

As Charlotte walked, something before her had become very bright. She began to slow a little, and as she did, she found it very difficult to make out the object that seemed to call out to her from a distance.

What on earth could it be?

Even slower still, Charlotte crept toward it. Then, she stopped. Charlotte had come to the end of the cobblestone path. Before her, she saw a vast, secret clearing, with mossy green ferns, lovely white chrysanthemums, and wild chocolate colored mushrooms for as far as she could see. A secret place all of her own!

Oh my! Oh how wonderful!...

For, in the middle of this secret clearing stood the most strikingly beautiful maple tree that she had ever seen. None among the gazillions of maple trees at Mapleshire Manor were as lovely. Not one. Not one!

The tree before her appeared to be on fire. Charlotte felt a wonderful warmth coming off of the tree, which had leaves brighter than any shed ever seen! Red ones. Redder ones. And leaves even redder still! As she cautiously made her way through the ferns, flowers, and mushrooms in the secret clearing toward the dazzling maple tree before her, the wind had stopped, and all was silent.

Charlotte found herself admiring the stunning leaves of the tree, and she decided right then and there that she must have a leaf from the beautiful tree to keep for her very own. Proof of her very special secret place, she thought.

I must have a leaf! She shrieked.

Charlotte reached up to grab a leaf but, try as she might, she couldnt reach high enough to pluck one from even the lowest branch. She jumped up and tried to grab one. She tried again, and yet again. Nothing. Just then, just when Charlotte had almost given up, the wind began to pitch and swirl, breaking the silence with its whistle, and a single, magnificent leaf broke free from the dazzling tree before her and began to float across the secret clearing. Charlotte began to give chase, because she wanted the leaf so terribly!

And as she ran, she tripped over a huge-heavy mushroom and went tumbling through the air, only to safely land on a blanket of dark green, velvety ferns.

The leaf! Where is the leaf? Screamed she, looking frantically about the clearing. And just then, at that very moment, the leaf, prettier than the prettiest pretty-thing and as red as red could possibly be, floated softly, like a feather, gracefully down in front of herand she caught it.

The leaf! Ive got the leaf! Yelled Charlotte, her voice happy and her face beaming with a joyous light.

But as she did, something very strange and wonderful and magical and, oh, whatever else is good to you, started to happen! And Charlotte stopped. She jumped back, startled.

Before her very eyes, a wee little light, tiny, like a spark, sprung free from the clutches of the sun, began to grow and grow very quickly before her! Right in front of her! And it grew. It grew quickly now, and Charlotte froze.

Right before her, she saw a fiery hoop, a sparkling circle of light! The secret clearing remained just as it was when Charlotte had first discovered it, but through the giant circle of shimmering light, Charlotte saw a new and different world, dimly lit and still!

It was a circle of magic that floated before her, and Charlotte realized that it led to a strange and seemingly wonderful place, that she had never before seen nor heard of! Charlotte turned to look at the maple tree in the middle of the secret clearing.

Charlotte.

Charlottes eyes grew wide. As she turned her head slowly back toward the magical ring that shined, she again heard her name being called out softly and sweetly.

Charlotte, I am Glaina.