Summer opened her eyes and she realized she was on water. The girl began to feel queasy. Her mouth tasted like those sweet honeysuckle candies that would sit in the jar in the living room of her father's home. She sat up and noticed a figure paddling the wooden canoe with blue overalls and a straw hat on.

 

"Excuse me, sir, where am I?"

 

The older man looked back at Summer. 

 

"You're home."

 

"You look familiar."

 

"You don't know me but I know you."

 

Summer looked at the older man strangely, "Where are you taking me?"

 

"Where you need to go."

 

Oh brother he's one of those old folks that only talks in riddles, Summer thought to herself. 

 

The ardent orange sky was lit with a full moon. Pastel pink water with soft currents filled the eight shaped river. Trees were on both sides of the river, Oak trees, Maple trees, some old and some new. In the middle there were small circles of land parallel to each other, where Morning Glories grew. The boat ride felt like eons to Summer. 

 

"Are we almost there, sir?"

 

"You can call me Papa Love, Summer."

 

"How do you know my name?"

 

"I told you, I know you."

 

"Okay, um Papa Love are we almost there?"

 

"We'll be there when you need to be."

 

Whatever that means, Summer thought.

 

Summer heard a faint chant as the ride continued north of the river. The water was now fuchsia pink. The chant grew louder. The figures stomped and clapped their feet. Summer listened diligently to the chant. They were singing about a joyous river that they needed to go down. Summer had heard the song before.

 

"Is that a choir?" 

 

"Something like that." 

 

"Do you ever give straightforward answers, Papa Love?"

 

"When there is a need for straightforward answers, Summer."

 

Summer sighed. A cobblestone house began to come into view and the choir did too.

 

"We made it." 

 

Papa Love brought the canoe to a complete stop. The choir continued to sing across the river from the cobblestone house. Summer stepped out of the boat onto the pebble pathway of the yellow cobblestone house. A figure appeared in the entrance of the home. The feminine figure wore a long cool blue gown and had long black hair with bangs that almost covered her eyes. Summer squinted her eyes at the figure.

 

"Autumn?" Summer said in awe. 

 

The girl ran down the pebble entryway. She stopped in front of the figure.

 

"Is it really you?" 

 

"Yes."

 

The girls shared a hug. Summer pulled back from Autumn and slowly reached towards Autumn's face. She removed her bangs, revealing a scar in the middle of her forehead. Summer rubbed the scar gently with her left thumb.

 

"I guess some things never change."

 

Autumn turned her head towards Summer's right forearm and Summer's sleeve began to rise. Chills ran down Summer's spine. Her arm now exposed, Autumn ran her faded fingers across Summer's cut marks and her new yin yang symbol. 

 

"And I guess some things do."

 

Summer pulled her sleeve down. "Where am I?"

 

"You went down the 8th Wonder river, Summer. It was time."

 

"This is where you've been?"

 

"Yes, Summer. It's home."

 

"What about our other home?"

 

Autumn looked down and looked back at Summer with a slight smirk, "You got so tall, Summer."

 

"And you got shorter,"  Summer let out a light chuckle.

 

Summer looked out the entryway, she saw Papa Love begin to unravel the rope tied to the boat.

 

 "I want to stay." 

 

"You can't, Summer."

 

"When will I see you again?"

 

"Whenever you need me, remember we are always with you."

 

A lone salty tear fell from Summer's eyes. Papa Love motioned for Summer to come out of the cobblestone house. Summer looked at Autumn with sadden eyes. They shared a last embrace. 

 

"Listen Summer it'll be okay." Autumn whispered in the crying girl's ear.

 

Summer blinked her eyes open and sat up slowly. The girl realized she was back in her bedroom. She swiftly picked up the violet hand mirror on the floor and inspected her face. She placed the mirror down and went to her desk. She picked up the purple pencil with her left hand. The blank ivory page in the middle of her desk was perfectly aligned with the center on the mahogany wood. Summer turned the paper clockwise and began to write.

 

***

 

Summer rode her bike and stopped by the tree on Caroline street. Autumn was last seen walking past the Maple tree in the middle of the street. Summer placed the letter in the dirt of the tree and grabbed the brick that was laying on the concrete. She placed the brick on top of the dirt. Summer took a few steps back and embraced the grand tree. Salt water started to form in the girl's eyes.

 

"Hopefully I'll see you again sometime soon, Autumn."

 

Summer cried and sauntered closely to the tree. She touched the heart with ‘As' in the middle of the trunk. After a few moments, Summer felt it was time to go back home. The girl picked up her bike and rode under the face of the blue full moon. Unbeknownst to Summer, a purple dragonfly followed her home.