“Francis!” Ryne shouted out into the empty garden. Tears and raindrops entangled as they strolled down her face. “Francis…” Ryne frantically searched around her.
Ryne was cold, damp, and alone. Her body shivered, the gown hung heavy with rain. She took a breath and slowly exhaled. She decided she must’ve tried to travel incorrectly. She’d try again.
She closed her eyes and slowly twirled. 1…2…3. She opened her eyes.
But no luck. She was stuck in Paris.
She slowly walked to a nearby bench and sat down.
She missed her mom. She missed her dad. She missed her room. How was she to get home?
Her eyes quickly welled up, her nose sniffled.
She thought upon what could have possibly went wrong when it hit her, her guidebook, it must’ve closed.
How would she ever get back? Francis was nowhere to be found. Maybe Francis didn’t know where to find her. Maybe Ryne would have to get used to Paris, this is where she’d live now. She’d need to find a place to live. She’d have to learn French.
Maybe she could take a plane back home. But then she’d need money. Maybe she could try to get a job and then save up enough money to get home. She wondered if her parents knew she was gone. She had traveled ahead to next year – does that mean she’d be missing for that long?
She thought on the last conversation she had with her parents. She acted like a brat, she told them she didn’t want to be cooped up with them. Her eyes overflowed as she began to sob.
She wanted to go home. She pulled the side of her dress to wipe her nose.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw that something was stuck to her foot. A sticky rectangular piece of paper. She plucked it off her heel and try to throw it off, but it wouldn’t leave and stuck to her fingers. She peeled it off to only get it stuck on her other hand.
“Ugh! Stop it!” She yelled.
She pulled at its edges and suddenly the paper looked familiar. She turned it over and it wasn’t just any piece of paper…
Hello, my name is:
FRANCIS
“The name-tag!” Ryne shot up off the bench. Ryne stared at the name-tag as if it would be the answer to all her problems. As she stared, the letters began to pulse in brightness. Then all of a sudden, they became so bright, causing Ryne to close her eyes.
The brightness dulled and a whoosh of wind blew past her.
“Well, there ya are, deary.”
Ryne opened her eyes and standing before her in a bright yellow cloak was –
“Francis!” Ryne threw her arms around her neck and held on tightly, and as she did she began to sob.
“It’s alright, deary.” Francis said as she patted her back. “There, there.”
“I thought I was going to be stuck here forever!”
“Oh, hush now. Everythin’ will be alright.” Francis opened and lifted an umbrella above their heads. “I see you found my na’tag.”
Ryne smiled, “actually I think it found me.”
“Yes, quite righ’. It has a way of doin’ tha’” Francis took the name-tag from Ryne’s hands and patted it onto her cloak. “Now, how ‘bout we get dry, yes?”
Ryne nodded her head and before she knew it she felt like she was in a wind tunnel.
WHOOSH
She opened her eyes and a smile spread across her face, “I’m home! I’m home!”
She looked around, her room was just as she left it. Her charm bracelet twinkled in the sunlight on her bed. She immediately reached for it and put it on.
Francis was flipping through the guidebook, she held it out and handed it to Ryne, “seems to me it must’ve closed while yer were travelin.” She pursed her lips, “not a great first travelin experience I reckon?”
Ryne slowly nodded her head in agreement. She looked over the worn cover and her fingertips fell upon the soft leather and raised lettering.
“Francis,” she said.
“Yes, deary.”
Ryne brought the book back over to her, “I think maybe, err… I don’t need to travel anymore.”
Francis’ eyebrows lifted.
“I want to stay right here. At home.” Ryne sat on her bed.
Francis nodded and her cloak slowly faded into a light green, “Very well then.” She reached out and squeezed Ryne’s hand. “It t’was a pleasure, my deary, gettin’ to know yer n all.”
“Thank you for everything, Francis. Really.”
Ryne saw Francis’ eyes shimmer.
“I ought to be leavin’ then. Maybe I’ll be seein’ yer again one day.” She winked.
Ryne smiled, “Maybe.”
With a quick nod, Francis closed her eyes and twirled. 1…2…3.
POP!
Suddenly, a knock came upon Ryne’s door.
“Honey? Are you alright? We heard a loud noise and wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
Ryne leapt up and swung open the door. She flung her arms around her mom’s neck, “Mom!”
“Omph! Honey, hi. Good to see you too.” Her mom laughed which quickly stopped, “Rynie, why are you soaking wet?” She peeled away and her brows furrowed, “and where did you get such a fancy dress?”
Ryne looked down, and let out a laugh when she saw she was still in the evening gown, “It’s a long story.” She smiled.
Her mom blinked and shook her head, “Okay… well, anyhow, go and get changed. It’s time to open more presents.”
“I’ll be right there,” Ryne responded and her mom left.
Ryne closed her door and changed into dry clothes. Before she left she placed the dress on a hanger and carefully onto the rod in her closet. Maybe it’d make a good prom dress one day she thought.
As she turned to leave her room, something on her bed caught her eye. She walked over and picked up what was a small crinkly foil package – a chocolate bar. Ryne turned over the bar, a smile came across Ryne’s face as she saw what was stuck to the other side.
Francis’ name-tag.