Free Crow - The Awakening by Michael J. Vanecek Page B

in very faint patterns in the fur that resembled bark. Steven began to think that he had completely lost the common Elf motif, but what he was drawing seemed right so he kept on sketching his vision out. Steven looked at what he was drawing to see what else needed to be illustrated. The ears weren't exactly pointed but had tufts of fur that made it look that way. He grunted, irritated that a daydream was dictating itself to him, but he kept drawing anyway.
    "There," he said, satisfied. He looked at the sketch and brushed away eraser dust. Looking up, he saw her in his improved meadow. She was standing in front of him staring with a shocked look on her face. "Yeah, that's about right," he said to himself as he looked back at his drawing. "Now, what should I call you?"
    The girl squinted her eyes at him, cocking her head to the right. She walked around him and looked over his shoulder at the drawing, then said something in a strange but alluringly beautiful language.
    "What did you say?" Steven looked over his shoulder at her.
    She looked surprised, then asked again in his language, with a quirky, almost Celtic accent. "Is that me?" She looked curiously at the drawing again, playing with the leaves in her hair.
    "Well, duh." My imaginary friend asking stupid questions, that figures, Steven thought to himself. He reclined, looking at her. "I think I'll call you Fran."
    "Asherah Tor’eng Kinitene Solory Fahele Syagria," she countered. She bent over and peered deep into his eyes, as if looking for more than was there.
    Steven couldn't help but notice the fur now. It was so lifelike. Steven looked at her for a moment, thinking. Asherah did fit better than Fran. "Okay, I'll call you Asherah."
    "What should I call you?" She knelt down in front of him, staring hard at his face.
    "Hmmm, Steven? Or, perhaps, Your Majesty? After all, I am the king of all in my imagination." Steven grinned, waving his pencil at the meadow around him.
    The girl giggled. "I think Steven will do." She looked mischievous. "Or perhaps Fran would fit better?"
    Steven rolled his eyes, amused at the thought. He laid back and savored his little meadow. No monsters, rich life in place of waning grass, a lush tree in place of an old snag, and someone to talk to. He used to imagine animal friends when he was younger, until real animals showed up and took their place. Now he had another friend and a little oasis, a far better imagination to him. She sat down beside him and he rested on his elbow to look at her closer then turned the page in his sketchbook and started drawing her again. She smiled, delighted she was being drawn again. She made a funny face and crossed her eyes.
    "I'm not going to draw that!" Steven giggled. He doodled her face in a corner of the page nonetheless and she laughed at it covering her mouth as she admired his doodle. The last remnants of his anxiety melted away at her infectious laugh and he laughed too. The giggles continued as he continued drawing and she made more funny faces for him. The nightmare was just that, a dream. Steven decided that this would be his new favorite place. He looked over at the edge of the forest and up at his tree house. It was easy for him to pick it out of the cluster of trees, but still very well hidden from those not knowing what they are looking for.
    "Here, let me try." Asherah reached for the sketchbook. Steven let her take it and she peered hard at him again and started sketching, singing a song to herself in a language he had never heard before. It was a lovely song but he couldn't fathom what she was saying. He tried to sit still, while at the same time trying to crane his neck to see what she was drawing.
    "Not yet, silly. I'm not done," she chided him as she drew quickly. Steven rolled his eyes but remained as still as he could be. She giggled a little as she drew, and Steven fidgeted.
    "Sit still," she said, glancing at him as she worked.
    "You're not done yet?" Steven asked, impatient. She seemed to