The Incredible, Fabulous, Unknown Journey: The Secrets of the Garden: Alantras, Nimes, and the New World

By I.M. Lourraaine

Eric, one of the playful Dewdrop children in the garden, is a curious, mystical creature. He wonders: Where does Nimes end? Where do Dewdrops go when they leave the Alantras garden? Why can I never reach the end of Nimes?

The Incredible, Fabulous, Unknown Journey¸ a book for children, tells the story of Eric and his Dewdrop friends Lily, Emma, Hedda, and Marius and their amazing life in the garden. Filled with an array of creatures and nature, the garden is a safe and carefree place for the Dewdrop children to exist. The children not only discover the many secrets of Alantras, they eventually embark on quest to find their parents, enter into the world, and save the garden.

Infused with many important life lessons for children, The Incredible, Fabulous, Unknown Journey offers a fanciful, action-based, and adventurous explanation of where children live before they are born.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Sep 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9781483434568

Book preview

The Incredible, Fabulous, Unknown Journey

The Secrets of the Garden: Alantras, Nimes, and the New World

I.M. Lourraaine

Copyright © 2015 Elin Merethe Oftedal, Maria Isabel Grøtteland, (Simon Paul Marks).

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-3457-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-3456-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015910930

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 10/06/2015

Contents

The garden Nimes: The Place Where You and I Once Lived.

The Seasons and the Power of the Garden

Searching for the Special Ability

Speed and Courage

A Cat Called Jeremy

Controlling the Ability

Emma, the laughing dewdrop

The Secrets of the Dark Forest

Eric and Hedda Leave

The Dream

The Frogs explain All

Emma and the Bird

The Gate

The garden Nimes: The Place Where You and I Once Lived.

S o this is the garden.

Eric was higher than he’d ever been before, way higher. The sight before his eyes was mesmerizing. He felt as if he was floating high, high above the clouds. His wings had actually stopped beating. "I’m floating. How can that be?" He gazed down.

Although he was confused, he also felt enlightened. Things made more sense up here. He was finding the answers to questions he’d always had: Where does Nimes end? Where do Dewdrops go when they leave the garden? Why can I never reach the end of Nimes? He finally understood. The garden, Nimes, had no end—at least not that he could see.

Directly below him was the forest. From his viewpoint, it seemed to be the center of everything. It looked so big, bigger than he could have ever imagined. And the sun’s beams were mirrored in the wet streams he crossed so often—the garden’s power, its life force. They all came from the heart of the forest, like shimmering blue legs, hundreds of them, so alive they reminded him of the creatures that lived there. The streams glistened and shimmered in the light. The rolling hills looked like waves, and the ponds like deep, shimmering stones. A sudden gust of wind whispered in Eric’s conical ear. You’ll be next, it whispered.

Eric had the strongest feeling that he knew the voice. Aurora! Has she finally returned? Is it my turn to leave the garden? He wondered. Is that what she means?

Eric was so deep in thought that he hadn’t noticed he was falling. He tried to beat his emerald green wings, but it was impossible. He wasn’t afraid. He felt as if he was being carried back to his flower where he slept. He felt peaceful and happy. For a moment, he even thought he could hear the song of the Silver Bells. He could almost see the bright yellow face of the singing bell smiling at him, as Silver Bells always did. It was his Silver Bell, the very one that had brought him into the garden so long ago. But it’s not my song, he thought. I’ve never heard this song.

The Silver Bell spoke to him. You’ll be next.

The same words. He thought. The same words.

Eric saw his flower getting closer and closer. Its bright red and orange petals opened to catch him, and he fell into it with such a force that it made the flower shake. And the shaking didn’t stop; in fact, it seemed to get worse.

Outside, Hedda had taken a hold of the flower stem, and she shook it frantically.

Did you hear that, Eric? Wake up.

Eric woke up abruptly and sat up, unfolding his glistening, green wings. Hedda’s excited face was beaming brightly. Her straw-colored hair rippled over her shoulders, and her golden and turquoise blue wings were fully extended - as Dewdrops wings always are when there’s excitement in the air.

Slowly, the song filled Eric’s ears. He recognized it. It really is the Silver Bell. It wasn’t a dream, he said aloud.

Hedda’s expression suddenly became confused. What do you mean?

I dreamed it, Hedda. The Silver Bell was calling.

The Silver Bells had been silent for too long a time, but once again, their song filled the Dewdrop Garden.

Eric’s ears strained to hear the mesmerizing tune as it filled the air. The last time he’d heard a song like it was when his little brother, Marius, had been born.

Incredibly, Marius was still asleep in the grass under the big willow. Hedda shook him and whispered into his ear, The Silver Bells have a new song.

Marius awoke, and his bright green eyes widened as the sound of the song filled his ears.

Oh, wow, he shouted as he fluttered his wings and flew around in excitement. That’s a Silver Bell, isn’t it? he asked, bouncing up and down like a little bee.

Hedda and Eric nodded. Quickly, said Hedda, go wake up all the others.

Beautiful flowers grew all around the garden, and in each one slept a Dewdrop. Marius quickly fluttered off. Wake up, wake up! It’s the Silver Bells’ song. He cried with glee as he zigzagged among the flowerbeds.

But there was no need. The others were already awake. The air was full of excitement, and they were already searching for the hypnotic music.

The Silver Bells were special flowers and rare in the garden. Every once in a while, a Silver Bell would sing, and when one did, it was like Christmas for Dewdrops. Of course, Dewdrops knew nothing of Christmas, but that’s what it felt like nevertheless. Everyone loved it, even the animals and flowers. The song meant that a gift was about to be given—and this was something all Dewdrops wanted to be a part of.

The sun’s first rays of light were yet to touch the garden. Eric closed his eyes and concentrated as hard as he could. Eric was one of the oldest and most experienced of everyone, and his skills and perception far outmatched those of most of the others. That’s it! He yelled. He suddenly leaped from the giant willow tree and flew away.

Everyone, follow Eric! commanded Hedda.

Hedda was aware that Eric’s abilities had become strong, but she too had developed rapidly and, on occasion, felt a little jealous when Eric beat her at something. Most of the time, though, she and Eric operated as a team and helped each other. It excited her to see the other kids follow her orders, but the younger ones never felt as if she was being bossy. More like an older sister.

One by one, the excited dewdrops spread their wings and jumped from their trees to follow Eric, who suddenly stopped and landed on the ground. Putting one hand on the dirt, he closed his eyes once again. The song rang in the earth beneath him and in the trees above.

The sound seemed to be coming from the Dark Forest, which scared the heebie-jeebies out of everyone in the garden, even the animals. Eric had explored the Dark Forest farther than Anyone else. He had some kind of connection to it and knew some of the creatures that lived there. There was more to the Dark Forest,