Prologue: I Dreamed a Dream
Chelsea P.O.V.
"Chelsea!" my cousin, Molly, called, trotting over to where I sat underneath the shade of the big peach tree in the center of Mom and Uncle Jack's field. "Auntie Claire and Uncle Cliff are here!"
I merely looked up from my book. "Okay."
Molly shrugged and skipped over to meet Aunt Claire, Uncle Cliff, and our cousins Mark and Rachel. They lived in Mineral Town, and even though it was so close to Forget-Me-Not Valley, they didn't get to visit very much. I loved them to death, don't get me wrong, but it was one of the few days that I wasn't in bed with a fever and I wanted to enjoy it.
A sudden rustling in the trees at the edge of the field made me start, and I couldn't control my five-year-old urges driving me to investigate. Silently I slipped to where the noise came from, and came face-to-face with a boy about my age. He grinned broadly at me and placed a finger to his lips. "I just slipped away from my parents," he confided as if talking to a cohort-in-arms. "I just wanted to explore a little before we go home. I'm Caleb."
"Chelsea," I returned. "It's nice to meet you, Caleb."
"You, too!" Suddenly he began to fish in his pockets determinedly until his face lit up with pride. He pulled a small, beautiful blue stone from his pocket and held it out to me. "I have to leave soon, but this rock is magic. If you keep it with you always, we'll meet again. Promise?"
I took the stone, admiring its beauty, and held out my pinky. "Pinky promise," I agreed.
We linked fingers, and then he was gone.
Okay, guys. This is a part of my Harvest Moon series. The timeline coincides with that of Symphony of the Bells, so I'll update this whenever I update the other one. I hope you guys enjoy this, too.