I slowly take a sip from my tea, enjoying the fruity taste even though it's a bit too hot.
Leslie watches me carefully. "It's great," I reassure her, thankful for her kindness of making me something to drink.
"Are we done for today?" She nods and lays herself down on the bare wooden floor, in the middle of the room.
I check the room for a brief moment and decide that we're indeed finished.
With a content sigh, I sit next to her, resting my back against the table.
Pride fills me as I look at the fresh painted wall.
The white fireplace looks even more majestic than it already did in the fresh painted, almost empty room.
There are some unfinished spots left, but we both know her father will take care of that.
At the moment, I'm too tired to think about the cleaning the man has to do when he comes home.
I will leave long before he comes. Leslie told me how she and Jess started painting yesterday, together with her parents.
By the smile on her face when she told me about the fun the four of them had, I think her father won't mind that bit of work.
The sun is sinking beneath the horizon, making the fresh paint light up in different shades of gold.
"I told you it would be nice." Leslie grins, putting a strand of her dirty blond hair behind her ear and wiping the little drops of sweat from her forehead.
She is covered in paint and dust. I'm a bit cleaner, but there isn't much difference.
"You were right," I admit without shame. "However, I doubt it would be a good idea to paint the fire place like this too."
"Of course not. We're done. That's it, that's all." Her baldness makes me smile.
She doesn't seem to care that I'm some years older. Her view on the world is different. So wide in her fantasy, so great in her love and kindness.
It's her innocence as a child, yet her knowledge gathered through her imaginative adventures that made me want to meet her in the first place.
Thinking back to the moment I made that decision, a few months ago, I'm really glad I did it.
It was my friend Hayley who told me about her. Her clear voice, lightning up the rainy night, telling me about this Leslie Burke.
She spoke with so much pleasure that I clinging to every word she said. Hayley has been an amazing storyteller for as long as I can remember
But even for her standards, that night she amazing.
With wide gestures, she told me about JesseAarons, his love for running and drawing, about his family with sisters that are so different from him, about Janice and the school.
Most of all, she told me about Leslie and her wonderful land called Terabithia. I listened without interfering Hayley, amazed by the imagination of the children.
That night, between the flashes of lightning, I decided that I would go and meet Leslie.
"I guess same colored pillows would be too much, won't they?" "I'm afraid so." She huffs.
I wonder a bit about the decorations we should put up. Or rather, she would, since I'm planning on leaving soon.
The peaceful silence between us gets interrupted by loud barking.
It's suddenness rips me from my thoughts. I almost spill my tea as the cute littledog jumps up to me before leaping to Leslie.
He licks her face, taking advantage of her position on the floor, before backing away with a shocked howl.
"I guess he doesn't like the taste of paint." She laughs, jumping to her feet.
I pet Prince Terrien back for a second before he runs off to play with Leslie again.
She fetches a ball and throws it for him. "Go boy, go get the ball. " She cheers at him as she runs after him through the front door.
She runs fast, like she always does, with her short hair bouncing up and down with each step.
I watch her go, and smile at her untroubled enthusiasm.
She plays keeps playing with P.T., throwing the ball and petting him when he gets it, as she runs up the muddy hill towards her best friend's house.
"Leslie!" I call after her, making her spin around on her sneakers. She keeps walking backwards towards the house though.
I'm not used differently. She's always in motion, it would've driven every parent insane, except her own.
A cow mows in the distance at which P.T. starts barking happily.
Leslie raises an eyebrow as in asking what's wrong. Why I'm still in at the front door instead of following her.
"Thank you for these wonderful days." She stops walking and motions P.T. to be silent.
"Are you not coming with us? Jesse wouldn't mind." I know he wouldn't.
The three of us had a wonderful time, spending days painting the house and chatting. I even helped him with his own drawings.
But the forest always remained theirs.
I didn't dare to interrupt their fantasy, unsure of how it would influence the story.
Their story and the bigger plot. "No, I can't. Thank you though. Now go with him and have fun."
She swiftly looks at the woods where she will go with Jesse.
I know they will play until they're called back home for dinner and spend the rest of the day waiting for the next time.
Making up her mind, she starts to grin. Apparently she decided to shake off my lack of enhusiasm to join them with their fantasy kingdom, like she usually does.
"I will for sure have a pleasant time with my King." "Send him my greetings." I reply, imitating her royal way of speaking.
It's a sign of her coming into her role as the ruler of Terabithia. A sign for me to leave, even though she doesn't want me too.
"Goodbye, your highness. Watch out for the trolls and mind the river when it has rained." I warn her before clamping a hand before my mouth.
I surprised myself by saying the last part, since I've been so careful the whole time by not giving her an idea of the future.
Seeing her still smiling face makes me realize she isn't warned a bit.
So I cover up my movement by blending it into a cough. I wrap my shawl tighter around me.
"Terabithia can do a day without your protection." I can't stop myself from warning her again.
The idea of something bad happening to this lovely girl makes my heart break.
Leslie laughs my warning away and runs the last steps to Jesse's house.
The wind picks up, making my hair whip around my face.
A single tear rolls down my cheek as I think of her future. One day, not far from now, Jess will go to the museum with miss Edmunds.
Leslie would do what she always does, fearlessly swing to Terabithia. Even though the water was so high, even Jess was scared.
Another tear rolls down my cheek as I think about their last days together.
I turn around sharply, stopping myself from interfering.
I know I can't help her from the drowning that will be. It's like a fixed point in time, I can't change it.
I shudder at the thought of what a chaos disturbing the main plot could cause.
So I go inside again, closing the door fiercely behind me. Don't look back, don't cause any disturbance.
I keep repeating those lines to myself as I lay down on the floor, inches from where Leslie lay just moments ago.
The smell of fresh paint stings my nose, making it harder to fall asleep.
After a few minutes of just laying there, I can hear the distant voices of Leslie and Jesse chatting happily. P.T.'s playful barks reach my ears as well.
I can imagine them at the river, fetching the old rope and swinging to the other side. One of them with P.T. tucked under the free arm.
As they land, their game begins. The world of their imagination lies in that shimmering forest, with them as rulers.
They need their world as much as they need it, even though they don't know it themselves.
With that thought, I drift off to sleep. "Enjoy your days at Terabitha, Leslie Burke, for it will not last forever." I whisper softly before the darkness washes over me.
The last thought that runs through my mind, is that May Belle never got her question answered. "But Leslie, what happens when you die?"