You Raise Me Up

Val’s POV

 

Someone once told me that to succeed in life you must be extraordinary. No one can achieve what I did last Friday night. Here’s my extraordinary story now listen close because here it goes. I was walking along the path of fire and ice as you do on a Friday night looking for a fight dressed in an inferno gown fit for a princess. I was no princess though I stole this dress from a princess I like to think that someday I’ll repent but for now life goes on. I’m like a gypsy princess in this world though. I’m born of the fire people, the phoenixes and our opponents were the people of the ice, the frost demons. We were the people of the light while they were the people of the dark so we owned the day and they owned the night.

 

I couldn’t sleep tonight so I was out on the bridge making the water boil for the fun of it. “Watching won’t help the waiting”, a white haired girl said walking up on the water.

 

“What am I waiting for?” I asked looking over at her.

 

“Death would you like to see it?” she said walking over to me.

 

“How about you zip the lip and move on?” I said eyes narrowed.

 

“Try”, she said whipped me with her water whip. I grabbed it and let the heat flow through the whip and into her. She came over and we started fighting. I hit and kicked keeping my distance she won’t be freezing me. I saw her knife coming and I ducked. She came at me then I grabbed her necklace I had to finish this. Her knife came up and I broke the necklace. She looked into my eyes and then…

 

“Alright boys that’s enough for now”, I said and they all complained.

 

“Come on Valerie please more”, Nicky whined.

 

“You’re such a baby”, I said taking off my glasses.

 

“I am not I’m six”, he said proudly.

 

“Aren’t you Mr. Grownup”, his mother said picking her up, “thank you Val he loves story time at this place”.

 

“How does the story end where is the book?” Nicky demanded.

 

“It’s a made up story from my crazy mind”, I smiled.

 

“How does it end?” Andre asked hopefully.

 

“You guys will find out next week it’s another two part story”, I shrugged.

 

“You’re cruel”, my little brother, Teddy said eyes narrowed.

 

“You seemed awfully wrapped into the story Teddy bear”, I teased.

 

“Your sister is awesome”, Randy said and I high fived him.

 

“She has her moments”, Teddy said reluctantly.

 

“Love you two Ted”, I said kissing the top of his head.

 

“Don’t mess with the hair”, he said fixing his hair.

 

“You’re such a girl”, I said messing up his hair on purpose.

 

“I am manlier than you I’m the man of the house at home”, he said proudly.

 

“Doesn’t take very much”, I teased.

 

“Bye Valerie”, Max said waving at me.

 

“See you next week little man”, I said hugging him then the boys all left and the girls came skipping in.

 

“Valley girl”, Emmy said running over and hugging my leg.

 

“Hi girls”, I said as they all came in for a group hug.

 

“Today is imagination day right”, Jessie said excitedly.

 

“No way”, I said brushing it off.

 

“Yes it is yesterday was classics day and tomorrow is poetry day”, she said upset.

 

“I’m messing with you shorty”, I said going over to the chair again, “alright girls pick a theme any theme will do”.

 

“Princesses”, a voice said.

 

“Princesses”, the other girls all yelled.

 

“Alright sit down, relax and let me tell you the tale of Princess Elena it starts something like this…” I said looking around at all of them.

 

Princess Elena was the youngest of five sister and all she wanted in life was to make a difference. She was a special girl she could find the heart in anyone no matter how far she had to look. No one could deny that she was beautiful but she was so young and everyone thought she would never amount to much until the day the horse fell in the ditch. She was headed to their summer home and she afraid of shell fish so she wasn’t exactly happy about going to the beach. Now she was headed down the road and then the horse fell. Her heart raced as the carriage tipped over. Her family was screaming and crying but the young princess was concerned for the poor horse.

 

She climbed out of the carriage and went over to the horse lying on its side crying a little itself. She touched its bad leg and sat down beside it brushing her fingers through its fur. “Sweet kindred spirit please let this be the end of the journey”, Elena said sweetly. The horse sighed and laid its head down it looked so tired. “Please do not give up this day will not sacrifice any more sorrow than this wretched rain has already caused”, Elena said pushing her finger along the wound.

 

It started to close its eyes but Elena would not let it go. “Get up I beg the heaven, the gods and the stars let our journey of life continue”, she said feeling a tear roll down her cheek.

 

“Elena move on this horse must pay the sacrifice not everything survives”, her father said joining them.

 

“Please lovely don’t die today”, she said tears streaming down her cheeks.

 

“Go”, her father said pulling out his knife.

 

“NO”, she said looking down at this poor horse, “awaken and let you live for years to come please”. Now everyone has a little magic inside of them but a fair few show it. That day though as she watched the knife coming up and she pulled that magic out of herself and released it into the horse. “Wake up”, she cried and the horse stood up and the wound was healed.

 

“Elena”, her father said helping her stand up, “my own daughter is a horse whisperer”.

 

“Father is he going to be alright?” I asked concerned.

 

“You will both live a happy life my daughter all your stars are in a line and you’re born to lead and heal the sick and no father could be prouder of you”, he said and Elena smiled up at the horse.

 

“Thank you for life”, she said then turned to her father, “let this journey continue”.

 

“The End”, I said cheerfully and the girls all applauded tears streaming down their faces.

 

“That was wonderful”, Chrissy said hugging me.

 

“You guys are so emotional”, I laughed.

 

“You were almost crying”, Teddy said and we all laughed seeing him crying.

 

“You are such a baby boy you were crying too”, I said putting him in a headlock.

 

“Thanks for story time it’s the only time I get off”, Hilly, Jessie’s mother said shaking my hand later.

 

“No problem it’s fun for me too I hope I didn’t give them nightmares about dying horses”, I said biting my lip.

 

“It was a wonderful tale Jessie texted me the entire thing and I cried”, she smiled.

 

“Well I’m glad you both enjoyed it”, I said cheerfully, “I hope you both come next week”.

 

“Count on it”, she said then left.

 

“Time to go home”, Teddy said heading out the door.

 

“Coming shorty”, I said going up to the counter where the girl gave me a hundred dollars including tips. “Thanks”, I smiled.

 

“Tell your parents I said hi”, she replied.

 

“See you at school tomorrow”, I said politely.

 

“Yeah I hope you do good on the test”, she replied.

 

“We can only hope”, I said then I heard Teddy tapping his foot and I sighed, “bye”. I joined Teddy and took him out to the car and buckled him into his car seat. “So where do you want to eat tonight little man?” I asked climbing into the driver’s seat.

 

“Pepperoni”, he said cheerfully.

 

“Pizza it is I know just the place”, I said taking him to Pizza Hut and he had three slices of pepperoni and I had cheese pizza while I wrote on my laptop.

 

“What is happening in your latest story?” Teddy asked.

 

“The girl is calling out for help from the bottom of the well”, I said sipping my lemonade.

 

“Is Mika going to save her or is she going to get herself out of that thing?” he asked curiously.

 

“Mika is trapped by the People of the Light because he’s their next sacrifice so we’ll see”, I said then looked over at Teddy, “are you full?”

 

“Yep”, he said pushing his plate forward.

 

“You’re growing up so fast”, I said messing up his hair.

 

“Not the hair anything but the hair”, he complained.

 

“Ready to go home”, I asked him closing my laptop.

 

“Yes I am”, he said then burped, “excuse me”.

 

“Aren’t you a gentleman today”, I said putting the laptop back in my bag.

 

“You should think about getting published”, Teddy said as we climbed into the car.

 

“I don’t writing is a nice hobby but people might not be ready for my stories”, I said putting him in his car seat.

 

“I think they are your adventure stories are great”, he said cheerfully.

 

“You’re going to be a great astronaut someday”, I smiled.

 

“I’m going to the moon”, he said clapping his hands together.

 

“Let’s go home”, I said pulling out of the parking spot.

 

“Even better”, he said.

 

“Mom and dad are getting home today”, I told him.

 

“Yay”, he said and I smiled to myself.