Her attention was stolen by a flash overhead. Tiny dropped the ball and ran across the Village Green, eyes scanning the sky for the glow she’d just seen. “What do you think that was, Penny-dog?” Tiny said to her best friend. “Lightning, a plane, or a UFO?”
“Maybe it was Mother-the-Sun’s smile?” thought Penny-dog.
“Perhaps,” said Tiny as her shoulders slumped. The last few days had been duller than a puddle, and she was desperate for a spark of excitement. An unidentified flying object would have made the perfect story for Sunday’s storytelling club. She grabbed the ball and threw it for Penny-dog who happily chased after it.
As she turned, another a streak of light blazed overhead. She looked up sharply and caught it in the corner of her eye—a kite as bright and shiny as gold. It bobbed on the breeze and played peekaboo with the clouds. Tiny gazed open-mouthed as the kite made a dip and a dive, a reach and a rise, swimming through the sky like a mythical sea creature. In that moment, Tiny longed to feel the freedom of the little gold kite. Suddenly, the kite plunged towards her, dragging its tail on the ground. Without a second thought, Tiny grabbed the shiny ribbons and flew up into the heavens—away from the Green, the game of fetch, and a wide-eyed Penny-dog.
“I’ll be back soon,” she called out. “Don’t worry, I’m just having a mini adventure.”
As she drifted across the cornflower sky, Tiny imagined her eyes were teeny cameras and she captured every scene before her—the shower of pale cherry blossoms, the bluebells that carpeted the Wild Briar Wood, and the forget-me-nots dotting the hedgerows—Tiny drank it all in, desperate to preserve every memory. Soon the wind stopped its playful dance and the kite glided down to the ground, releasing Tiny before disappearing back into the clouds.
Penny-dog bounded up to meet her. “What happened Tiny, are you ok?”
“Oh Penny-dog,” she panted, eyes sparking with the memory. “I can’t wait for Sunday. Have I got a story to tell you!”