Wish Flowers and Dragonflies

Juni watched the creatures from a distance her mother would strongly disapprove of. She stood mere strides from where they were entering, holding her breath as her small body hummed with barely contained excitement at the thrill of witnessing such an event.

The portal was a stone archway that was entangled with lush, green vines. It activated as the Eudorians started filing out: one by one, peculiar, magical creatures stepped out into the mortal sun, each one looking stranger than the last.

Eudorians were creatures who lived in the mystical land of Eudora. They resembled humans in certain ways. They had a mortal build: a head, a body, and the standard four limbs. But it was their unique features that set them noticeably apart from humans. They came to Earth at times to forage but it was extremely occasional. Hardly anyone had ever been present when they appeared, let alone been this close to them as Juni was now.

She watched as a giant, orange ogre with a sharp smile stretched his massive arms. She gazed at a tall, lanky figure whose color and build reminded her of the beanstalk from her favorite fairytale. She gasped softly as a creature who resembled a centipede crawled out of the archway, their multiple legs clicking on the stone floor.

Then, a girl her age with sapphire hair emerged. Sparkling, blue skin added to the girl’s uncommon look, with gray eyes studying everything they saw. An iridescent dress with pearl accents along the waistline was her outfit of choice, contrasted by the dirty combat boots she wore on her feet.

Juni decided that this girl was the one. She would ask this Eudorian to grant her her wish of utmost importance.

The blue girl took off into the forest, her stride purposeful and strong. Juni instinctively followed, making sure to stay hidden in the shadows the woods provided. The girls raced into the forest, dodging stray branches and rocks alike; sunlight filtering through the trees, assisting them in avoiding the scattered obstacles. Trills of birdsong rode on the wind's back, delivering the notes to Juni’s ears. The calming sound soothed her as she skillfully navigated through the familiar woods. The branches of the birch trees above shuddered from the breeze, sending leaves and whispers down to her.

It was so peaceful that Juni almost didn’t see the little turtle crossing in front of her. In an attempt to avoid the tiny animal, she leaped. And while she successfully missed the turtle, she didn’t position her feet correctly for the landing. She toppled over with a painful oof, face-planting into a patch of daisies. Juni groaned softly as she lifted her head up from the crushed plants. Her eyes rose to meet displeased gray ones.

“Why are you following me?” the girl demanded, her stormy eyes scanning Juni’s undoubtedly dirty face as she crouched down to her level.

Juni stammered out a response. “I’m n-not.”

The girl’s scowl deepened at Juni’s denial. “Yes, you are,” she insisted. “I heard your loud footsteps from a mile away. You’ve been following me since the second I got here.”

“I just wanted to know where you were going,” Juni confessed shyly, telling a half-truth. Yes, she did want to know where the girl was going; however, she was doing so in order to ask her a favor.

The blue girl rolled her eyes as she straightened to her full height. Which was not that much. “I was trying to get a head start,” she said, dusting off her hands as if she had been the one to fall. “I have a bet going on with a faun that I don’t plan on losing.”

It was clear the strange girl had no thought of helping her up, so Juni heaved herself off the ground. She brushed herself off as best as she could, trying to look dignified as she picked a leaf out of her hair.

“What’s your name?” Juni inquired.

A beat of hesitant silence passed. “It’s Ruelle,” she said slowly. “But everyone just calls me Rue. I suppose you can, too.” She toyed with a braid of dark blue hair, fiddling with the seashells embedded in it.

Silence followed Rue’s comment. Seconds of quiet ticked by until Juni couldn’t stand it anymore. “Aren’t you going to ask what my name is?” she questioned.

Rue seemed confused by Juni’s inquiry. “Why would I do that?”

“Um, because it’s polite?”

“But I have no intention of being polite to you.”

“Why not?”

Rue frowned like it was obvious. “I’m not going to be nice to someone who’s been stalking me for the better part of an hour.”

Juni gasped in outrage. “I haven’t been following you for an hour!”

“What’s that saying you humans have? Time flies when you’re having fun?”

She sighed loudly. “I’m Juni.”

“Well, Juni, what is it that you want? I have berries to pick and you obviously weren’t following me because you were just curious,” Rue accused, obviously not convinced by her excuse.

Juni blushed at being found out. “Well, I.. I was hoping to ask if you.. if you could possibly..”

“Possibly what?”

Juni inhaled slowly, willing herself to be brave and just say it. “If you could possibly take me back with you to Eudora?”

The Eudorian was stunned. “That’s what you wanted to ask me?”

Juni nodded.

“Oh,” she said, noticeably confused. “I thought you wanted a lock of my hair or something.”

Now, Juni was perplexed. “Why would I want that?”

Rue gave a graceful little shrug. “I’ve heard that mortals fancy pieces of Eudorians for good luck. They believe that having a souvenir of us will magically make their lives better, which is obviously not true. At least, that’s what I was taught growing up.” She narrowed her eyes at Juni. “Is that really all you want? This isn’t a trick?”

“I promise it’s not,” Juni assured, sticking out her pinky. Rue backed away at the unusual gesture. Juni rolled her eyes playfully. “It’s a pinky promise. Here, like this,” she said, bringing Rue’s blue finger and hooking it around hers.

“What is a.. pinky promise?”

“It’s the most serious and solemn promise you can make,” Juni informed.

“I see,” Rue murmured, examining her little finger with newfound admiration. “Well, if that’s the case, then I will take you back to my world. But under one condition.”

Juni tilted her head in question.

“You have to help me win my bet.”

“Okay.. how many berries did you say you could pick?” she asked hesitantly, scared to find out the answer.

“Twenty-seven thousand.”

Juni groaned.

…

“Okay, everyone’s gone. Now’s our chance, come on,” ordered Rue, ushering Juni, who was trying not to drop five full baskets of raspberries, to the archway.

Juni held her breath as she stood in front of the glowing portal. It was finally her chance to do what she’d been dreaming about her whole life. With a final exhale, Juni stepped through the portal.

It was like waltzing into a daydream. The scent of ripe strawberries enveloped her first like a sweet hug. Then the sight of rich, purple hills made Juni gasp in delight. Eudorians of all colors and sizes were scattered along the hills, some of them making castles with rose bushes, multiple of them climbing up and down gigantic trees that seemed to reach the sun itself, while a few were simply enjoying nature as they rolled down the steep, grassy hills.

“Let’s go before someone sees you,” whispered a voice behind Juni, pulling her away from the enchanting scene in front of her.

Juni followed Rue into a small, humble hut not far from the portal. Once inside, Juni gratefully dumped the heavy baskets onto the floor, studying the contents filling up the cozy space once she was done. Rows of tinted glass bottles filled with mysterious substances lined the wooden shelves. A soft, plush reading chair sat in the corner. An unlit but well-loved fireplace was placed on the far side of the room.

“What should we do first?” Juni exclaimed, excitement bubbling in her voice.

She heard a mischievous tone seep into Rue’s. “I had an idea.”

…

Juni had to admit that she had a wild imagination, especially when it came to Eudora. She’d imagined the land had golden apples that made one invisible, she’d imagined talking hummingbirds who wore top hats, and much, much more. But even she hadn’t predicted this.

Rue shouted in delight as the giant dragonfly she rode did a loop in the sky. She rode with the kind of skill and confidence that only someone who’d ridden dragonflies their whole life could have.

Juni, in quite stark contrast, was holding on by a thread. She screamed, too but in fear for her life and not because she was enjoying herself. The dragonfly’s saddle was made of smooth leather which was frighteningly slippery. Juni kept having to adjust herself back onto the seat. Otherwise she would find herself plummeting to her death.

“At least I’ll die in Eudora,” Juni thought, comforting herself. “I’ll have died pursuing my dreams.”

As if she could read her thoughts, Rue called out, “You’re not going to die, Juni.”

“You can’t know for sure!” she hollered, her knuckles white from holding onto the reins with a fearful grip.

Rue gave her a look. “Don’t worry. Dragonflies are incredibly trustworthy insects. They’ll never let their riders fall,” she explained.

“Never?” questioned a very skeptical Juni.

“Never,” Rue confirmed.

With that bit of information tucked into her mind, Juni slowly leaned over and looked past the dragonfly’s wings, gasping when she saw the sight below her. She had been so caught up with trying to stay alive that she had missed the view.

In the distance, mountains made of diamonds glimmered in the dying sun. Soft snow was sprinkled atop the peaks of the rocks, adding to the heavenly appearance the mountains created. Impossibly huge falcons stood in front of their nests, guarding their young. Juni heard their deafening cry from miles above. At the base of the mountains, a majestic waterfall supplied endless amounts of freshwater into the blossoming rivers below. Surrounding the coursing streams, trees of all kinds housed both animals and Eudorians alike. Juni spotted an Eudorian resembling a squirrel coming home to their oak tree, their fluffy tail swaying with happiness.

She watched in awe as a group of birdlike Eudorians flew up into the orange sky, their stunning wings carrying them with ease. Their rhythmic movements brought her attention to the sky. The sky seemed to reflect the beauty of the land below it. Streaks of warm colors painted the skies, with splatters of golden light shining from the fading sun. The unusually pink clouds complimented the sky’s palette, adding an effervescent effect to the canvas as a whole.

Lost in her admiration, Juni jumped in her seat as a sudden gust of wind veered her dragonfly sharply to the side, sending an unprepared Juni tumbling into the sky. Her hands desperately grasped the air, seeking invisible purchase as she plunged downwards at unimaginable speeds. Strands of her light hair whipped against face, some of them slipping into her screaming mouth.

“Juni!” she heard Rue call out. “Stay still!”

She almost laughed at the insane suggestion. Stay still? How could she when every cell of her being told her to thrash around like a madman? She wasn’t even sure she was capable of asking such a thing from her limbs. They flailed uncontrollably, the wind working against her as she fell. But a part of her brain that was still sensible and somehow still looking out for her survival, even as she was tumbling in the air, told her that Rue knew best and that she should trust her now. Hesitantly, she obeyed and forced her limbs to lock against her body. Little by little, she turned into a stiff corpse. Juni closed her eyes, bracing herself against her inevitable doom. Her face was numb from the harsh cold when she felt the impact.

…

Juni awoke to the sensation of being caught in the heart of an earthquake. Or at least that’s what Rue attempting to shake her awake felt like.

“Juni? Come on, wake up!”

Slowly, she opened her eyes. This had been the second time today that she saw a frowning blue face inches away from hers. She was starting to get the idea that maybe Eudorians weren’t trained in the art of personal space.

“Oh, you’re awake! I know I told you to be still but you were so motionless that I thought you were dead,” Rue exclaimed, her voice enveloped with sincere concern.

By torturous degrees Juni sat up, her sore, exhausted body groaning in protest. It wasn’t until she was fully up that she realized exactly where she was sitting.

At the present moment, Juni was sitting on a cloud.

“Before you panic,” Rue began, seeing that Juni was on the verge of fainting once more, “you won’t fall through these clouds. They’re very dense.”

“I think you should stop making promises about the impossibility of me falling, Rue. I seem to be proving you wrong.”

Rue chuckled at that, the noise making Juni laugh as well. The sound was so enchanting and joyful. It reminded her of birds singing their melodies in the morning and warm, summer afternoons.

Juni swiped her hand along the surface of the cloud, marveling at the feather-soft feel when she felt something sticking out. She looked down and saw a little white blossom sprouting out of the soft surface. She had been too dazed to see them at first, but she soon realized that these flowers were everywhere.

Gently, she plucked one up, rolling the tiny stem between her thumb and index finger. The little flower danced in her hands, twirling in pirouettes like a miniature ballerina. The five petals felt like silk between her fingers, and their color was the purest white she’d ever seen. Small, intricate golden swirls started at the center and branched out to the tips of each petal. The flower seemed to glow happily in Juni’s hands.

“Those are wish flowers,” Rue offered, reading Juni’s curiosity well.

“How do you make a wish?”

“Like this,” she demonstrated, plucking a flower for herself. “You pluck the petals one by one. After every one you pluck, you make a silent wish and let it float away. I’ve heard rare stories of people getting their wishes granted by these but I’ve never had it happen to me.”

Juni considered the flower, now knowing its true worth. Slowly, she began picking the petals off, sending a wish on each of their backs. Her first four wishes were desires that consisted of wishing to grow taller, wishing to finally have the pet dog she’d been wanting for years, to get more story books for her eleventh birthday, and to have the ability to be healthy whilst never eating any kind of vegetables.

She stopped when she realized that she didn’t know what she wanted her final wish to be. She paused, her hand hovering over the last petal on the plant. A shift of movement led her eyes upward to where Rue was sitting, contemplating her own wish flower.

Looking at her then, Juni realized what her final wish would be.

“I wish Rue and I will always be friends.”

She plucked the last white petal, watching as the small drop of pureness drifted away in the soft, gentle breeze. A hopeful piece of her heart floated away with it.

…

Juni heard the distant noise of someone calling her name. At first, she thought that maybe she had fallen through the clouds and that Rue was shaking her awake again. But the voice calling her sounded deeper and more stern than Rue’s usual intonation.

“Juni Emilia Olsson! Wake up this instant!”

Juni awoke with a start. Somehow, she was in her bedroom: there in the corner was her worn, stuffed giraffe that she’d slept with since she was a baby, the lamp plugged next to her painted bed frame, and the closet that she used to be scared of at night. If that wasn’t proof enough that she was back home, her mother towering over her bed confirmed her suspicions.

“My, I don’t have the slightest idea of why you didn’t even so much as stir the first ten times I’ve called you! But now that you’re finally awake, you should know that your chores await you downstairs. Now, hurry up and get dressed.” With that, her mother spun on the heels of her feet and promptly walked out of the room, no doubt attending to the million other tasks in the house.

Juni sat there unmoving as she processed this. She had dreamed it all up. There had been no purple hills, or crystal mountains, or wish flowers. There had been no blue girl named Rue. She stared at her hands, the very ones she thought she had held the reins of a dragonfly with. She couldn’t believe it. She had conjured Eudora up in her head.

Suddenly, a whir of a small insect appeared in Juni’s blurring vision. Wiping her eyes with a shaky hand, she watched as the insect flew around the room, performing loops and twirls just for her. After the bug had finished its routine, she realized that the insect was a dragonfly. She watched as it flew over to her window, perching on the wooden sill.

A small wish flower was arranged next to the insect. Alongside it, an ivory colored piece of paper was folded neatly, reading a carefully written message. A slow smile spread across her face. On the note it read in artful cursive, “Now, it’s your turn to show me your world. Meet you at the portal in five?”

It seemed that one of her wishes had come true after all.