The Green Guardian

Chapter 47: "Tale As Old As Time"

Song: "Believix" - Elisa Rosselli

        Evie had a hard time believing all the terrible things that had happened to her and her family in the past week. The Acceptance Ceremony's display helped calm her nerves. She felt like she was living a fairytale. The orange and yellow embers of the enormous bonfire next to a wooden stage mesmerized her, even more so than the umbrella-like mushrooms that hovered over them.

Evie, her friends, and her family met up with King Benjamin on the stage. They rested their arms over the smooth, dark-colored wood and smiled at him.

Like John, Ben looked as if he felt a little guilty about his actions. The cut on his cheekbone had started to heal, but a scar was forming. "I can't believe I fell for Fororli's trap," he muttered.

"Hey, even kings aren't perfect," Evie said with a small shrug. "You didn't know what you were doing, Ben." Her eyes rolled over to Embrose, who dangled his legs over the stage's edge. "Even Embrose didn't. Right, Embrose?"

Embrose gave her a blank stare. He wanted to talk, but he still could not find his words.

"Oh, I know what we need to do to get our minds off it," Evie continued. She clapped her hands together. "Let's play a game of Charades!"

Charades? What on Earth is Charades? Embrose asked himself.

Even Sam did not know what the game entailed.

Evie's friends smiled. They were all over her idea.

"Ooh, yes, yes!" said Ashlynn. "I love Charades!"

Keegan and Charlotte chuckled. It was nice to see the children being children.

"Well, you kids have fun," Charlotte said. "Mr. Madison and I will grab you some lunch."

"Thanks, Mom," Evie chuckled. She watched her parents walk away with their hands hooked. The second they were gone, she hopped onto the stage with Ben. Her friends joined her.

"So, how do we play?" Sam wanted to know.

"Charades is awesome!" Ashlynn said. She gestured for everybody to sit in a circle, and they obeyed. Ashlynn clutched her knees. "Charades is a guessing game, Sam and Embrose. One person acts out an action, and the players have to guess what it is. Allow me to demonstrate." The little girl cleared her throat and rose to her feet. She shuffled into the circle's heart so she could have the spotlight. Breathing heavily, she ran in place, and then she acted out riding a bicycle and swimming a lap in a pool. She was quite the little actress.

"Ooh! Ooh! I know!" Tate said. "You're an athlete in a triathlon."

"Exactly!" Ashlynn replied, laughing. "You're a pro at this, Tate. All right, now it's your turn."

"Oh yeah!" Tate leaped to his own feet. He took Ashlynn's place in the center of the circle. Tate thought for a minute, and then he got something. He fell to his knees and pretended to start building something. With each passing second, he moved his hands higher and higher, until he finally pretended to rub a blanket of sweat from his forehead.

Sam, starting to understand the gist of the game, tossed himself into the fray. "Wait, are you building a sandcastle on a beach?" he asked.

Tate nodded vigorously. "Yes! Nice guess, Sam. You got it on your first try."

"Does this mean it's my turn?" Sam inquired.

"Uh huh," Tate replied.

Ben may have been a full-grown adult, but he, too, enjoyed himself. It was nice to be a kid again. Besides, Evie was right. The game allowed him to get his mind off what he did under Anecka's spell.