Scarlett giggled as she zoomed down the giant sand dune! Whee! She landed with a soft thud at the bottom, right next to Sophia. "More, more!" Scarlett clapped her hands. Sophia, even though she was 54 years old in cat years, still had plenty of energy for rolling down sand dunes.
"Meow!" Sophia agreed. She nudged Scarlett with her head, sending her tumbling down another small hill of sand. Being in the Magic Desert was the best! It was way more fun than the library, Scarlett's usual secret hideout back in Washington.
Scarlett's mom had told her all about the desert. "It's a place where you can feel the sun on your skin and the sand between your toes," she'd said. "It's a place to listen to the silence and feel the peace of nature."
Scarlett thought the desert was super cool. Especially because of the fairies!
She squinted her eyes, looking for the telltale shimmer of fairy wings. "Do you see any fairies today, Sophia?" she asked, her voice just a whisper. Sophia tilted her head, her ears perked up.
Suddenly, a bright pink streak zipped past Scarlett's nose! She gasped and giggled. "I saw one, Sophia, I saw one!"
A tiny voice, as high-pitched as a tinkling bell, spoke. "You did, did you?"
Scarlett and Sophia both looked down. At the bottom of the sand dune, perched on a tiny cactus, was a fairy! She had sparkly green wings and a dress made of flower petals.
"Hello!" Scarlett said politely. She was a very polite two-year-old.
"Well, hello to you too!" The fairy giggled. "I'm Flora. What brings you to the Magic Desert?"
Scarlett thought for a moment. "I like to look at the sand," she said finally. "And I like to feel the sun."
Flora nodded. "The desert is a magical place," she agreed. "Full of surprises." She winked, then flew over and tickled Sophia under the chin with a blade of grass. Sophia purred.
"Can you grant wishes?" Scarlett asked, her eyes wide. She knew all about fairies from her storybooks.
Flora giggled again. "Of course I can grant wishes! That's what fairies do!"
Scarlett thought hard. What did she wish for? She already had Sophia, the best cat in the whole world. She loved to dance ballet, and her mommy always played music for her.
Then, she knew! "I wish for… more sand dunes!"
Flora blinked. "More sand dunes?"
Scarlett nodded excitedly. "Yes! So I can slide down them with Sophia!"
Flora smiled. "That's a wonderful wish!" She lifted her tiny wand, and with a flick of her wrist, a hundred new sand dunes appeared! Some were small, some were big, and some were even twisty!
Scarlett squealed with delight. This was the best day ever! She hugged Sophia, then took a running leap and jumped onto the closest sand dune. "Whee!"
Flora watched them play, a smile on her face. The Magic Desert was a special place, and it was always more fun with friends.
As the sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange, Scarlett knew it was time to go home. "Thank you for the sand dunes, Flora!" she called, waving.
"You're very welcome!" Flora called back. "Come back and visit anytime!"
Scarlett held onto Sophia as they magically zoomed back to their house in Washington. She was tired but happy, her heart full of sunshine and sand. Being in nature was the best, especially when it involved magical deserts, friendly fairies, and lots and lots of sand dunes!
