Dolores Cannon - A Very Special Friend

A V e ry S peci al

F riend

By Dolores Cannon

Big Sandy Press

P.O. Box 754, Huntsville, AR 72740 USA

www.ozarkmt.com

Illustrations

Sandy (on Title Page) by Dolores Cannon

All other illustrations by Daria Kilochko

Table of Contents

1981 by Dolores Cannon 1st Printing 2021

All rights reserved. No part of this book, in part or in whole, may be reproduced, transmitted or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic, photographic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from Ozark Mountain Publishing, Inc. except for brief quotations embodied in literary articles and reviews.

For permission, serialization, condensation, adaptions, or for our catalog of other publications, write to Ozark Mountain Publishing, Inc., P.O. box 754, Huntsville, AR 72740, ATTN: Permissions Department.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Cannon, Dolores, 1931 - 2014

A Very Special Friend, by Dolores Cannon

This is a story of a young girl who was moved from where she grew up, to a new place in the country where she knew no one. Here she encounters a very special friend to help her adapt.

Imaginary Friend Source Metaphysical 5. Coping

I. Cannon, Dolores, 1931 - 2014 II. Imaginary Friend III. Metaphysical IV. Title

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2021942475

ISBN: 9781950639014

Cover Design: Victoria Cooper Art

Book set in: Times New Roman

Book Design: Summer Garr

Published under the imprint:

PO Box 754

Huntsville, AR 72740 WWW.OZARKMT.COM

Printd in the United States of America

Nancy sat solemnly at the window, watching the raindrops roll steadily down the panes.

The weather was just right, because to her the raindrops were all the teardrops she had been unable to let out since moving here to the country. She had been so sad since moving here, but she couldnt let her mother and father know. They would feel too bad. They thought they were doing the best thing for all the family when they decided to move away from the big city. They thought there wouldnt be so many problems living near a small town, and they would be able to grow most of their food. Nancy thought they were probably right, but on a day like this all she could think about was her best friend, Jeanne.

Why didnt parents understand about how it was between her and Jeanne. They had promised to be friends forever, but how was that possible now with about a thousand miles between them. They had told each other all the deep important secrets that you keep hidden way down in your heart. The ones that no one else can ever know and parents can never understand. But now, here she was in a strange house in a strange part of the country, with no one. She had never felt so lonely in all of her ten years of growing up.

The place they had picked was on top a big sandy mountain. The people called it that because the soil was like the sand of a seashore. In fact, millions of years ago it was a seashore. There were limestone deposits in the valley below where a huge ocean used to be, but that was long before any people lived here in Arkansas. In fact, no one had lived on the land they had bought for fifty years. So her parents were kept busy with all the work it takes to try to turn a house into a home. Of course, she was busy too, helping with the work, but that didnt matter on a day like today, when all she could think about was the way things used to be.

It wasnt bothering her brother, Tommy, but then he was bigger, almost teenage. He was allowed to drive the old car around the dirt roads, something he would never have been allowed to do yet in the city; so he felt quite important. He had already begun to make friends and find things to do, but who wants a little kid sister tagging along. Her mother kept telling her not to worry, that school would be starting in a few months and she would make lots of friends then. But here it was, only the middle of summer and school seemed a long time away. Why didnt parents understand how frightening it was to start a new school where you didnt know anyone at all. At the old school she knew everybody. Maybe here she would never fit in. Maybe she would always be the new girl. Maybe no one would ever like her. If only she could have just one friend to talk to, things wouldnt seem so bad.

With a deep sigh, Nancy pressed her head against the glass, and from the corner of her eye she saw a quick movement of something outside. A fleeting glimpse of something .. red. Red? Must have been a cardinal, she thought, and went back to her daydreaming.

The rain had ended by bedtime, and a brilliant full moon slid out from behind the clouds. The golden light filled Nancys room and made it almost as light as day. As the light fell across her bed, she awakened with a start. She lay there trying to figure out what had awakened her. Was it the light? No, there was something else different out-of-place. She looked around the room. The soft light lit up all her familiar toys and objects as they sat in their usual places. The only difference she could see was the dream-like appearance they had taken on. No, nothing in the room had changed. What was it then?

Wait! There it was again! It was a sound, a sound that had awakened her. That was what was out-of-place. But what was it? Where was it coming from? It wasnt the drone of the crickets and the hum of the night-bugs that usually lull you to sleep in the country. That sound had softened and could barely be heard. No, it sounded more like singing! Nancy was used to the beautiful call of the whippoorwill at night. Sometimes they came near the house and could get quite loud at times. No, this was different. It was singing, but not like anything she had ever heard before. It had a beautiful clear sound of a tinkling bell, yet very faint.

She got out of bed and went to the window to look for the source. The remains of the rain sparkled in small puddles on the lawn as the moon slipped in and out of the clouds, casting strange shadows everywhere. A dozen golden fireflies blinked and danced against the dark background, looking like little stars fallen from the sky. Suddenly, she caught a movement. There was something out there! As the moon went in and out, she could make out the shape of something running and jumping over the puddles. All the while, the faint sound of singing; clear, sparkling, more like a tiny bell than anything she had ever hear. But what was it out there?

Nancy rubbed her eyes as the moon suddenly lit up a small figure dancing on the lawn. Why! she gasped, it looks like a little person! It definitely wasnt a bird or animal. She could make out a head and arms and legs. She soon realized it was nothing to fear as she caught a glimpse of the whimsical expression on its face. She lay her head down on the windowsill to watch its antics as it ran and jumped and danced. How strange! What was it and where did it come from? She thought, Ill wonder about it tomorrow, and closed her eyes to listen to the beautiful little song as it went on and on.