The girl who would wear green

Chapter Seventeen

Essie closed her eyes, held her rock again, and tried to concentrate, but as the words and intentions of several thoughts came to her, she found herself drifting. It was becoming light again, soon it would be another day, her 12th birthday. She definitely did not want her birthday spoiled!
All of a sudden, she found she was thinking about Santa Claus.
What?? There he was, Santa Claus in his red suit, laughing and saying "Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas". He had a huge bag of what could only be toys over his shoulder.
Essie wasn't sure what was going on but Santa was there, and she could not stop thinking about him once she started. And then she saw that Santa was having a party. Stranger still, the party seemed to be right on their riverbank.
Essie couldn't help herself, she laughed. Everyone looked at her in surprise.
But Essie couldn't explain it, because Santa's party was full of good food and drink and lots of people, all laughing and talking to each other, and everyone was having a really good time. There were presents being handed around and she could see Elves, and Mrs Claus, and the reindeer as well.
How very weird, she thought, but this is fun! Who said she was too old? You are never too old for Santa Claus, she decided.
Once again she thought of Santa Claus and he seemed to be looking right back at her and saying "yes Essie, good thinking!"
She had one small interruption to her thoughts of Christmas which was coming soon, when she found herself thinking about St Valentine, and Valentine's Day as well. Such nice days, Christmas and Valentine 's Day, when people only do nice things for each other, and good things. There should be more days like these, she thought happily.
She became quite engrossed in enjoying the party Santa and Saint Valentine were having, and the fun and laughter that seemed to echo inside her head. It was quite a party and everyone was having such fun. In fact the river suddenly looked very inviting as if it was asking them all to jump in and swim, and that is what everyone at the party was going to do she knew, because Santa Claus was taking off his very hot red jacket and pants and was wading into the water in his underwear.
He still had his Santa hat on, oh my, he did look so funny.
All the Elves were following him, and a lot of the others were throwing all their clothes off and just jumping in as well. It was so surprising and Essie didn't know quite what to make of it, except that it all seemed to be so much fun that she really would not mind heading down to the river for a swim herself.
Randolph came back inside and spoke quietly to Esmeralda. She looked at Essie, watching her stand there with a dreamy expression on her face, and she smiled. "Well done, Essie" she said softly, and closed her eyes again to focus on everything around her.
Essie gradually came to realise that everyone was watching her, and slowly her thoughts of Christmas, Santa Claus, parties, St Valentine, and swimming, faded but did not go away entirely. It was completely daylight now, and Essie was suddenly feeling very tired.

Esmeralda gave Essie a hug and said to everyone "Randolph has just told me that the group attempting to cross the river have stopped trying to get across and are throwing their clothes off and swimming, laughing and joking. Most of them don't have a stitch of clothing on!
Everyone raced to the lookout and there they could see several people, laughing and splashing in the river and without any clothing on at all. What a funny sight it was!
Essie looked surprised. "What happened?" she asked.
Everyone was looking at her, and it was her dad who said "Essie, whatever you were concentrating on there has had the same effect on those people outside I think. What was it you were thinking of?"
Looking somewhat embarrassed Essie replied "I got sort of fed up with all the bad stuff I was hearing and the all of a sudden Santa Claus came into my head, and he was having a party, and everyone was there, including all the elves, the reindeer and Mrs Claus and even Saint Valentine."
"It was a bit funny but all I could think about was how nice Santa Claus and Saint Valentine always are, and how much fun both Christmas and Saint Valentine's days are. It was such fun I didn't want to stop thinking about it, everyone was getting presents, they were singing and dancing and having a really good time, and they were going to have a swim because the water looked so good."
Sebastian laughed and said, "Well done Essie, I think you have managed to change the way they all think, enough to turn them back around to the happy men they may once have been rather than nasty and ambitious men. I think it will be quite safe for us all to move from here now. Essie, I believe you have the power in you to hold these people with those happy thoughts. You have made them remember their youth."
"Yes", replied Esmeralda, "I feel no anger or animosity coming from any of them now. All I can feel is happiness and good will, and Essie, you have made this happen."
Essie felt quite pleased that all she'd had to do was stop listening to the waves of bad thoughts coming her way, and instead concentrate on what was happy. She was very tired now, even if it was her birthday.
They woke Amelia and made their way back towards the house, through the secret door, and back inside. Randolph unlocked the trapdoor, and ushered Jake outside. He headed towards the river, looking somewhat confused, and still quite damp, but he made no protest.
Randolph and Sebastian returned to the river bank, and once they had taken the boat across the river they came back to report that all the group had left, laughing and talking, some of them only half dressed and everyone soaking wet but seeming to be quite happy.
Essie didn't hear a thing, she was fast asleep.