A herd of black clouds engulfed the midnight sky. Distant sounds of thunder heralded an upcoming storm. The flames in the lampposts were blown out by a raging wind. It didn't take long before water flooded streets and alleys.

In the midst of chaos, a single house still had its light on. Beatrice was drowsy, but she couldn't fall asleep. Instead, she was sitting at her desk, next to candlelight, reading a book. Her eyelids were about to close on their own, when a deafening roar caused the girl to jump in her chair.

"I wonder If everyone is alright." - Beatrice uttered to herself, she couldn't recall a worse cloudburst in her life.

The girl leaped off the chair and clumsily scrambled onto a bed. It was time to sleep, whether she liked it or not. She couldn't stay awake forever.

Beatrice gathered all of her pillows and buried her head beneath them, hoping it would provide her a little silence. It didn't last long. She was about to fell asleep, when a loud thud happened. A surge of strong wind forced windows of her house open, letting plenty of water inside.

Beatrice immediately jumped off the bed and rushed to close the windows, but it turned out that the hinges were broken and the whole construction was hanging loose. Beatrice's entire pajamas quickly became wet, before she realized that nothing could be repaired without replacement parts.

"Worst luck of all!" - Beatrice muttered under breath and moved to the hall. She equipped her wellingtons and raincoat, then opened the door leading outside. The weather was more than unforgiving. The wind was so strong, that Beatrice could barely keep her hood on, even with help of her hands. She reconsidered whether she should go outside, but she shook her head and trusted her guts.

She wasn't wrong to do so. Her home was on the edge of the village, in a valley, near a riverbank. The water raised to dangerous levels, lower streets were buried under layers of rapidly shifting mud.

Beatrice stared in concerned disbelief for a moment, then decided to climb higher using nearby stone stairs. She reached for a handrail and took careful steps.

"Beatrice!?" - A shout in the dark startled Beatrice, her fingers slipped and she was about to fall, but a hand of a stranger caught her by a sleeve. Beatrice lost her balance and almost dropped on her knees, but the mysterious person reacted quickly, pulled themself closer, and caught the girl.

Beatrice was now embraced by the tall silhouette. She lifted her head and recognized the elven person instantly. - "Jennifer?"

Jennifer looked at Beatrice with an angry, disappointed expression. - "What are you doing outside? You know it's dangerous!"

Abashed, Beatrice turned her eyes away. - "My windows broke and I... I... was scared of water."

Jennifer's demeanor became gentler. - "Bee, you should already know, that the adults would come for you."

Beatrice got sadder than before.

It didn't go unnoticed by Jennifer. - "Beatrice, is everything alright?"

"Not my parents." - The little girl uttered silently. - "Not even Amelia." - She added, barely audibly, and clutched her pendant.

A sign of concern appeared on Jennifer's face. - "Bee..."

A flash of lightning and its thunderous roar interrupted the elf and scared Beatrice. It struck a nearby tree, which fell and blocked the road downstairs.

"Bee, we need to go." - Jennifer said as she pulled the girl's hand.

[ . . . ]

The large wooden gate to the town hall closed. Jennifer and Beatrice were safe. Inside, a group of youngest children was attentively watching a puppet theatre. The kids of Beatrice's age were scattered around, sitting with their custodians or playing together.

"Bee, join your colleagues." - Jennifer requested as she took off her hood.

Bee looked around, wondering If anyone noticed her. It was at this moment, that a lizard girl in twintails turned in her direction and exclaimed to everyone, pointing a finger at Beatrice. - "Hey, everyone! Bee is here!!!"

The little heads at puppet theatre turned towards Bee, while the other kids gathered around her.

A boy, the companion of the lizard, stepped out of the group asking in astonishment. - "Bee! Did you come here all on your own!?"

"No... Jennifer helped me." - Bee replied, then sneezed.

"You're all wet." - The reptile girl noticed. - "I'll bring you towels and some dry clothes."

"Do you want a warm chocolate, Bee?" - One of the younger girls said shyly, yet politely.

Beatrice nodded. - "Gladly, Poppy, thank you."

Poppy brightly smiled after knowing that she could be useful to Beatrice and left to ask adults for assistance. In the meantime, the lizard girl returned with towels. While Beatrice dried her hair, she looked around, visibly troubled about the situation outside. - "Is... everyone safe?"

"Yes! Jennifer gathered the entire village here!" - A girl in red hair answered.

"I'm glad." - Bee sighed with relief.

"You were actually the last person here." - The previous boy answered. - "We were all worried."

"Yes, you live too way far away!" - Another girl in a blue dress added. - "What If something happens to you? You should move in with one of us!"

Other kids nodded at each other and audibly agreed.

"Thanks for the offer and worrying about me, but..." - Beatrice explained diplomatically. - "...I can't leave the home unattended."

Poppy returned with hot chocolate and passed it to Beatrice, who thanked with a warm smile and by patting the girl.

"...and If I left Julie, it would make her very lonely." - Beatrice added shortly after.

Poppy looked at Beatrice with a questioning look. - "Who is Julie?"

Beatrice stopped taking a sip and examined Poppy, something was not right. - "What happened, Poppy? I said Julie! Don't you remember her?"

The boy from before had a concerned look. - "Are you alright, Bee?"

Beatrice lifted her head, she was stupefied. She looked around, almost everyone had a similar expression, like they were lost.

"Yes, Daniel. I feel alright." - Bee replied.

"Are you sure? You were talking about someone called Julie." - Daniel responded.

Bee dropped her cup in shock, she stared at everyone with scared eyes, then exclaimed full of anger, almost through tears. - "Don't joke like that! Where is Julie!?"

Daniel was startled aback, he did not respond. The lizard girl appeared concerned as never, she looked at Bee, asking. - "Bee, calm down. Do you have a fever? I will call Jennifer."

"I don't have a fever, I'm just mad!" - Bee shouted. - "Stop this stupid joke! Tell Julie to come!"

The lizard girl had the same, unchanged, dumbfounded look. - "I will call Jennifer." - She said quietly to the boy, who nodded in acknowledgment, and left.

"Bee, could you tell us who are you talking about?" - Daniel approached, trying to calm down Beatrice.

It didn't help. - "Julie? You know her... you do know her!"

"Bee, you might be a bit confused. Could you tell us how she looks and where she lives, so we can call her?" - Daniel asked in a reassuring tone.

"Julie... our rabbit girl! She's a bit... melancholic. She lives next to me, on the opposite of the river!" - Bee replied.

Daniel looked at everyone, they were very worried. - "Beatrice... Sanders live there, they do have rabbit ears... but the woman is named Theressa. Should I call her?"

Beatrice broke into tears. - "Julie? She is their daughter. Please... don't joke."

The little kids looked very scared, so Daniel took care of the situation - "Hey, go watch puppet theatre. Don't worry about Beatrice, she will soon feel better. She only needs a short rest, okay?" - Other, elder children co-operated and helped to escort kids.

Daniel made sure that nobody but kids his age are there, he looked Beatrice straight in the eyes, saying. - "Beatrice, Sanders have no daughter."

Beatrice collapsed on her knees, she was all pale.

Daniel wasted no time. He called the lizard girl, who was busy explaining the situation to Jennifer. - "Zirya, we need Jennifer here! Right now!"

[ . . . ]

With a concerned look on her face, Jennifer knelt next to Beatrice.

"Little Bee, you are pale!" - The elf chieftess touched the girl's forehead. - "No fever." - She uttered to herself.

Beatrice lifted her head and looked at Jennifer with begging eyes. - "At least you, tell me that you remember Julie?" - Tears were rolling down her face.

Jennifer looked around her, everyone was concerned and felt nervous. - "Of course! Of course, I do."

"You do?" - Daniel said to Jennifer.

Beatrice stopped crying, her eyes were full of hope.

"Your imaginary friend, Julie." - Jennifer responded. - "Of course, I didn't forget."

"Imaginary?" - Beatrice mumbled out.

"Yes..." - Jennifer called off everyone. - "Beatrice will be alright, but it will be better If you leave, she's too stressed. Don't worry about it."

"Okay..." - Daniel muttered, he still didn't understand. - "Get well soon, Bee."

All the kids left and Beatrice was left alone with Jennifer.

"Imaginary?" - Beatrice asked again. - "What... what do you mean?"

"Well... you dreamed her." - Jennifer explained.

"...but ...but Julie is real!"

"To you, but you know, other kids can't see her." - Jennifer calmly explained.

"No, we were all going to school together." - Beatrice protested. - "They know her!"

"Bee, please, think about it. Did Julie have many friends?"

Bee seemed disturbed. - "No... but..."

"Did you see anyone playing with her?"

"No... but..."

"Did you see anyone talking to her?"

"Yes! You scolded her yesterday!!!"

Jennifer quavered slightly, but quickly calmed down. - "No... you must've imagined that."

"You took her magical bag!"

"...magical? Bee, nobody has anything magical in the village!"

"No! Amelia gave it to her! It's a magical bag that makes seeds!" - Bee had an idea. - "You just have to ask Amelia, she surely remembers!"

Jennifer seemed troubled, although she was hiding it well. - "Of course, of course, but it has to wait until next year. You know that."

"It can't wait!" - Beatrice was distressed. - "The storm... what If, what If Julie is hurt? We have to find her!"

Jennifer was calm, but she seemed unusually stiff. There was something unnatural in her smile. - "You know? I will go outside and look for your friend, but my little Bee, I have one request - I'll bring you some medicine to make you feel better, be sure to drink it all."

"Really? You will look for her?"

"Yes."

"But... but you said she is not real."

"Maybe, but you're a very convincing girl. Perhaps, something unusual happened and everyone forgot Julie."

Beatrice's eyes regained their gleam. She rushed to Jennifer and hugged her. - "Thanks, thanks for believing me!"

Jennifer silently stroked Bee's hair, then uttered quietly. - "Everything will be alright, just drink the medicine as you promised me."

Bee nodded. - "I will!"

Jennifer returned with a cup of herbal tea and passed it to Beatrice. She observed the girl cautiously, making sure that she drinks everything, and smiled in the end. - "How do you feel, Beatrice?"

Beatrice's vision got blurry. - "Sleepy."

"Oh, it must've been a very exhausting day for you. Starting from tomorrow, everything will be better."

Beatrice wiped her eyes. - "I don't want to go to sleep... until you find Julie."

"You're such a strong girl, but don't fight it. You need to rest."

"Julie..."

Jennifer knelt and embraced Bee. - "That's right, girl. Shhhh... tomorrow, you'll forget about all your troubles."