Lush Desert

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Anna Jane’s nose twitched. She wiped the water from her face. The little girl slowly drew open her eyes. So much green overhead. Anna Jane quickly sat up.

“Huh?” she asked. Birds sang overhead. The little girl felt so peaceful. She smiled and leaned back.

“Hey!” someone yelled. Anna Jane turned her head. She narrowed her eyes.

“Logan?” the girl asked. The cowboy stood up from the moss. Anna Jane’s heart flipped in her chest.

“Over here!” she shouted, jumping to her feet. Logan marched through the spongey moss.

“How did you get here?” Anna Jane asked. Logan chuckled.

“It’s a long story,” he said.

“Logan? Anna Jane?” another voice asked. The kids looked up. Vivian and George walked through the thick grass.

“Vivi!” Anna Jane said. “George!”

“Meep!” the creature yelped. Anna Jane ran over and hugged George.

“Meep! Meep!” he shouted. He gave her a big hug. Logan ran over to them.

“Hello, Logan,” Vivian said.

“Hi,” the geisha said. Everyone looked up when they heard footsteps behind them. Teddy and White Bear walked through the moss. Each step made a squishing noise. Vivian looked confused.

“Since when can Teddy walk?” she asked. “And who is that?” Anna Jane smiled.

“Since the Toy Kingdom,” she said.

“The Toy Kingdom?” Vivian asked.

“Uh-huh,” the younger girl said. “And that’s his friend, White Bear.” The little white bear bowed her head. The geisha’s face went flat.

“Uh-huh!” she said. Anna Jane clapped her hands together.

“We’re all back together! Yay!” she cheered. But then she frowned.

“Where’s the baby?” the little girl asked. The children looked confused.

“Baby?” Logan asked.

“Yeah,” Anna Jane said. “Teddy and I found a baby. We carried her with us to the Toy Kingdom.” Teddy tapped her arm.

“What?” she asked. He pointed behind him. Anna Jane followed. He pointed behind him. Anna Jane frowned.

“Teddy! How could you?” she asked. He looked up at her. She was about to speak when they heard a crackling noise. Vivian jumped with a yelp.

“What was that?” she asked. Everyone turned to George.

“Meep?” he asked. The creature looked down at his stomach. He reached inside and pulled out Anna Jane’s radio. The girl gasped.

“My radio!” she said.

“How is it even on?” Vivian asked.

“Shhh,” Anna Jane whispered. Static filled the air. Something came through gaps.

“What?” Anna Jane asked. Logan turned up the radio. The words started to come through.

“Is there anybody out there? Hello? Hello?”

“Yes, we’re here!” Anna Jane shouted. Vivian gave her a strange look.

“What are you doing?” she mouthed. The other girl shrugged. The radio crackled through the static again.

“Can you hear me? Hello? Hello?”