(orp) A little pond by the creek near the forest

[Serene]

Serene was out skipping around town when she spotted the most wonderful little pond. It was fed by a little creek that flowed past in a slow lazy manner. The water was in no hurry to get any where.
Serene surveyed the layout. The pond was small enough unfortunately that any fish would be much too small to eat.
There definitely were some tadpoles in the water. They were fun to watch.
Serene found a nice sandy beach on the east side of the pond. It allowed easy access to the pond with a very gentle slope.
There were some stumps around that could easily be used as tables or chairs.

A large fallen tree across the center of the pond in a north south direction made a nice log bridge. One of the branches of the fallen tree was half in and half out of the water. It was a branch that a family of turtles had decided to use to sun themselves. The turtles could quickly dive in the water if they felt threatened. The water was clear, clean, and cool.

Frog croaks could be heard and water Lilly pads were abundant. A blue heron was walking through shallow water looking for critters to eat. Song birds nested in nearby trees.
Cattails grew along the western side of the pond.

In short it was a perfect place to play on a fall day.

[Grazilda]

Grazilda was looking for wood for her new vardo. She was walkng through the forest and on her way back home, she noticed a familiar figure. She looked closely and smiled. She crouched lower and made sure that she wasn't seen. She crawled slowly and silently behind Serene and covered her sister's eyes with her hands. "Guess who?!!!" She asked.

[Anatalie]

Ana is chasing butterflies when she comes across the pond. Quite suddenly in fact. She'd spotted a beautiful orange butterfly near the market and had taken to chasing it, zig-zagging through carts and shops and throngs of people. She is still zigging and zagging when she comes to the pond without noticing, distracted by the intensity of her quest to catch that butterfly. One more zig and SPLASH! Into the pond she goes, shrieking.

Spluttering and gasping for air, she comes to the surface, her dress billowing around her. Pulling the wet hair from her eyes, she looks up to see Serene and another girl on the bank and waves, which unbalances her and dunks her again.

[Serene]

While Serene was standing there trying to decide what to play first. Her eyes were suddenly covered and she got at "Guess who?" Serene jumped startled and then laughed in delight. Her older sisters voice had just said "Guess who?" That had to be her sister Grazilda! She had been looking for her everywhere. And now her sister had found her instead of her finding Grazilda. Serene smiled and turn around and gave her a big hug. "Hi Grazilda! You found me! Isn't this a perfect play place?"

As Serene was hugging Grazilda with her back to the pond, she heard a splash. Serene turned back towards the pool and saw Anatalie waving and a blue heron taking flight. Frogs jumped off lily pads and turtles plopped in the pool. A big butterfly flew in crazy circles over the pond. The abundant wildlife around the pond hid quickly at the noisy splash in the pond.

Serene wasn't quite sure that Anatalie knew how to swim. Serene has only had a couple swim lessons from Calysta herself. Serene knew that Anatalie was several years younger than herself. "Grazilda! That is my friend Anatalie! And she is already in the pond! She is faster than I am!"
Serene hurried over to the edge of the pond. This was Serene's first time at this pond so she was not familiar with it. "Hi! are you ok?" Serene asks Anatalie. She watches Anatalie go under again with her dress billowing out in the water.

[Grazilda]

Grazilda laughed at Serene and hugged her. "This seems like a perfect place to play. We can play hide and seek if not play tag if you want. And we can also---" She was wide-eyed and caught an image of a girl getting in and out of the water. "Serene, that's you're friend? She might be drowning." She held Serene's hand as they went to check on her new friend. She waited for the girl to come out of the water. She counted...And counted...

She hoped the girl would be all right but she reached out her arm to the water just in case.

[Anatalie]

Spluttering, Ana comes to the surface and crawls onto the beach. "Look what I found!" She holds up a frog in one hand, but it is slippery and she looses it. She chases it for a moment before it hops back in the pond. Sighing, she trudges back from the water and plops down on the folds of her soggy dress. "I guess he's happier in the pond."

[Grazilda]

Grazilda was momentarily confused with the creature. Seeing that the girl was fine, she withdrew her outstretched arm and glanced at Serene. "I guess she's all right." She shrugs and got up.

She studied the strange girl. The little girl did not look human, or at least the eyes were not human at all.

[Serene]

Serene was concerned when Grazilda said she could be drowning. However the concern switched to laughter and delight as Anatalie came up with a squirming frog. "You are good at catching frogs!" Serene pronounces remembering how long it took her to catch a frog at the other pond she found with the rapid white water nearby. As the frog found it's way back into the pond Serene groaned.

Serene thinks on the games Grazilda suggested. Hide and seek is always a fun game. Grazilda is amazingly good at the game and she has lots of friends in high places that help her she found out. She considers tag for a moment also.

[Serene]

"Anatalie does tag or hide and seek sound fun to play?" Serene wonders how cold the water is on this autumn day. She wanders over to the sandy beach and leans over and puts her hand in. "Hmmm this water is warmer than I thought! Maybe because it doesn't move fast? Or maybe there is a hot spring nearby?" Serene looks to Grazilda then Ana. "Ana are you cold?" Serene is hoping she isn't so they can play in the water.

[Grazilda]

Grazilda looked at the water. "A hot spring, perhaps." She looks at Serene's friend and she wondered if the girl is fine. She asks Serene. "Why don't we play hide and seek? Perhaps your friend can join us as you count and I hide." She winks.