Hi everybody! Sorry it's been literally forever. Just wanted to let you know, I was formerly known as themaidwiththebraid, but that username is dead, along with the story I was writing with it. I'm starting fresh, and here's hoping for a more consistent update schedule! Enjoy!

I make sure to ride "it's a small world" every week on Friday. I smile and wave at all the kids, and they wink back at me— we share our little secret.

They're real kids, you see— or they act like them, really. They all play together after the park closes, all mixed-up, different ones in the wrong countries, all singing, talking, and making up games. I've seen them, and I know I can count on them to help me, and the parks of course, whenever we need them.

It was a while back. I was in the Magic Kingdom on a hot summer day in late June, and something that changed my entire life happened…

"Yeah, mom, I'll be right there, I just want to go on small world first." I huffed to my mom through my cell phone over the pouring rain. My family had dinner reservations at "Be Our Guest"...soon, I wasn't exactly sure when. Anyway, I was right outside "it's a small world", and they were waiting for me outside Belle and the Beast's castle. With the rain, by the time we met up and got in, it would be late.

"I'll get there in time! Relax, will you? Okay, love you too, bye."

But before I headed to eat, I wanted to take a quick ride on the happiest cruise that ever sailed the seven seas.

I stepped into the attraction's beautifully decorated queue, and joined the line. I shifted my gaze up to the clock face that tipped from side to side, and smiled at it.

I tapped my fingers on the metal rail beside me, and sang the iconic theme song under my breath in English and Spanish, since I had been taking it since the seventh grade.

As I boarded the teal boat and set sail, I waved to the ride operator, an act not done uncommonly by guests. But I winked at the blond college boy knowingly. His sister was a friend from school; I had Science, History, and study hall with her.

I sat back as the boat rounded the bend in the track and put my arms up and behind my head. I looked up at the signs being held up by downlookers from Pinocchio Village Haus. I wondered for a moment to sing Let It Go or do the Funky Chicken, before deciding on the second so I wouldn't ruin the experience waiting inside for others. I was unfazed by the other guests in my boat who were— unsettled by my behavior.

I relaxed myself once more as I entered the children's world of fun and laughter. I hummed along to the catchy tune usually mislabeled as "repetitive" and "annoying." It was so sweet, and symbolized heaven on Earth, what was annoying about that? And another thing, "repetitive?" The arrangement and language changed from region to region, how was that repetitive?

I was humming along and smiling at my favorite dolls, totally in my element. The ride was looking good, all of the sets were in great shape, the music was working fantastically, the boats hadn't even backed up yet—

But then something happened that wasn't supposed to. I saw something the average guest wasn't supposed to see. Little did I know, soon I'd be discovering I was far from the average guest.

A dancing doll from the Asia room stopped her melodic kicks to brush a piece of dark hair out of her face.

I'd gone on that ride tons of times before and seen YouTube videos of it even more, and that wasn't supposed to happen.

But it didn't look like a malfunction, either. Her face changed and small mouth breathed heavily. Then she regained her composure and quickly went back to dancing, almost every inch a human being.

I looked around me frantically. No one else seemed to have seen the thing, but I was sure it was no figment of my imagination—Hah! Figment! I thought for the smallest moment.

I took a deep breath, reality checking in and telling me I was just seeing things. Or maybe it was just a malfunction! Yeah, it must have been, I thought. Of course, a malfunction.

The word malfunction was starting to taste like stale bread in my mouth. Malfunction, malfunction, malfunction.

Still, I couldn't shake the feeling something was horribly wrong as I stepped out of the cheery boat and back outside to the now bright Florida sunshine I knew so well.

I stared at the queue for a minute, bewildered. The crowds of people didn't deter me, as I wondered what could have happened.

"Excuse me, Princess, but do you need some help? Where are your parents?" I was jolted out of my thoughts by a cast member named…Karen.

"Um, no thanks," I mumbled blankly. Wait, my parents!

I ran into the crowd, waving over my shoulder to Karen with a "Bye! Have a magical day!" I made a beeline for the Beast's Castle, praying I would be on time. Midway there it started to pour again. Great.

I finally got there soaking wet and angry after pleading with the Cast Members outside to let me in without making a scene. I knew my mom wouldn't like that, and the last thing I needed to do was ruin my relationship with her at Disney World right at the start of summer vacation.

I scanned the ballroom, hoping my parents would be there and I wouldn't have to keep looking in the other rooms…

There they were, a cast member talking to them. I rushed over through the people.

"Yes, ma'am, but we're going to have to see everyone in your party to let you sit,"

"I'm here! I mean, I'm here— Mom, Dad...Ken," I caught my breath and plastered on a wide smile.

We sat down and I hid behind a menu, staring at a picture of the Grey Stuff.

"Lucy, why were you so late?" Mom asked, a little loudly for my comfort.

Dad looked at me and shook his head.

"Come on, Melinda, she's here, isn't she? How was your ride on small world, honey,"

I gulped. "Great Dad, thanks. Mom, I'm sorry, I won't do that again,"

"Alright, honey, let's just eat, okay?" But her blue eyes smiled.

All through the meal my mind drifted back to small world and the doll. I couldn't tell them, and just the thought of that made me realize how silly it was. I just needed to relax and enjoy my happy place.

After we left Be our Guest we saw it was surprisingly late. The sky was quickly getting tinted with darkness, and the lights adorning the park for night were coming on. I breathed a calming breath. It was okay. I was in Disney.

"Well, Lucy, do you wanna watch Happily Ever After or try to get on another ride before closing?" Dad asked, pushing his black glasses up his sharp but attractive nose.

"Both, Dad," I narrowed my eyes in determination. "Let's make it to Pirates first,"

Mom smiled. "Whatever you say, sweetheart, it's not like we paid to go on this vacation, anyway and might not want to run around subject to our daughter's every whim,"

"Yeah, yeah, but you know one day you're gonna get so wrapped up in this it's gonna end up coming out of my college money,"

"Not a chance!"

"You never know," Dad winked.

We walked up to the queue, the toe-tapping tune of "Yo Ho," flowing into our ears. I whisper-sang to myself, my family joining in. Before long, we'd broken out into full song.

"We're rascals and scoundrels, we're villains and knaves, drink up, me 'hearties, yo ho! We're devils and black sheep, we're really bad eggs, drink up me 'hearties, yo ho!" I started to dance, Mom and Dad going along a little bit after. A few other guests joined in, while some stared. But we didn't mind, if you couldn't tell.

We boarded the boat and set sail for the high seas, me still humming the song. We floated past the scenes, my face growing into a bigger smile with every one. I sang and sat back in the boat.

As we sailed past the Auction scene, I heard the pirate Redd say, "Send them hens to Davy Jones! It's the rum they want!"

I scoffed in disgust. "Send them Imagineers to Davy Jones, it's the old redhead I want," I muttered.

"I know, Lucy," Dad rubbed my shoulder affectionately. "You say something like this every time we go on,"

We rode through, me grimacing at the Auctioneer's new voice.

Then we got off and spilled out into the gift shop, ogling the merch. From outside the smell of someone with a Mickey bar filled my nose. I knew exactly what my parents were thinking.

"Do you wanna stay in here, Lucy, while we get the food?" Mom asked.

I shrugged, looking at a set of pins. "Sure,"

I continued to look around the room and finding cool things to see. But suddenly, I collided with someone….well, more like something—a camera.

A girl was behind it, though. As it tumbled to the ground she screeched and dove for it faster than the Test Track cars.

"Sorry," she said, with the slightest of a Mediterranean accent. She looked about my age, and was pretty, with long, honey-blond hair and bright turquoise eyes that examined her prize possession with a caring look in them.

"Thank the Mouse— not a scratch," she whispered, then looked back up at me.

"It happens more than you'd think, actually," she sighed good-naturedly. "My strap's really worn out, I have to get a new one," she played with the pastel pink strap holding her camera around her neck.

She stared at a plush of Minnie dressed as Redd with disgust.

"Ugh, they never should've changed it. It was fine just the way it was for fifty years,"

I gasped. Someone like me!

"I know! The writings awful, the Auctioneer's new voice stinks, and

the animatronic's just ugly! They ruined the legacy of the redhead and no one was saying anything about the scene until they said they were getting rid of it!"

"Yes! My name's Kyra,"

"Mine's Lucy,"

Just then, a little kid ran and bumped into Kyra, knocking her camera off its strap. It fell again, this time scratching its way to a door labeled "Cast Members only". The camera opened the lock and clattered through to the other side. How, I had no idea then. Now though, I guess it was magic. What else?

We looked at each other in shock.

Then she slipped through— it looked like she had barely had a second thought.

The room was an average backstage area, with different pieces of merch and a few prototypes I really wanted to get a better look at, but Kyra needed to find her camera.

"Oh, where is it— I don't wanna get banned!" She moaned to the tune of my racing heart. I might've actually died if I had been banned from the park.

"Where is it!" She threw things around feverishly, and I bent down to help her. A part of me was thinking that if she did find her camera at this point, she wouldn't really want it.

"What in the Disney World is this?" She held up a glowing blue necklace shaped like Mickey on a silver chain. The light was so bright it was kind of blinding.

"I don't know— wait, why're you putting it on?"

"I'm not sure...it just feels right,"

All of a sudden my phone started to buzz in the pocket of my denim shorts. It must've been Mom and Dad.

I picked up.

"Hi, Mom, hi Dad, I'm just hanging out with the girl I just met. We're in Fantasyland. We're watching people clear out. I'll meet you back at Beach Club later, okay?" I held my breath.

It was Mom. "Okay, honey, just try to tell us before you leave next time, okay?"

I smiled at Kyra. She was holding her camera and examining it. It looked fine to me, I didn't really know how, though. She was just really lucky, I guessed.

"Okay, bye,"

"Hey, there's another one here," She pulled out of the pile of stuff another necklace. As soon as she did, I couldn't take my eyes off it. Even though it was the same one she had on, it made me feel different. Like I was under the best kind of spell. And I sort of was.

I held it gingerly and put it on as fast as I could. Something magical had come over me. I felt complete.

Just then, we heard awful footsteps coming our way. A Cast Member!

"Oh," I whispered. "If we were in Disneyland, this never would've happened!"

Apparently Kyra was thinking the same thing. Not really something necessarily true depending on the specific circumstance, but that wasn't the point.

The point was that at that moment, I felt myself pop from the room, and the next thing I knew I was face-to-face with Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Also, credit must go to my amazing sister, who helped in the creation of Kyra!