I can hear someone calling me. I don't want to turn around, I just want to go to the managerie where I can visit all my favorite mystical creatures.

' Isabelle.....Isabelle............HEY ISABELLE!!! '

I guess I'll have to go another time. So might as well find out who is calling me.

I turn around to find out that my friend Vi is running up to me.

' Hey Vi, waz up....are you ok? It looks like your party got crashed by a dragon '

' Isabelle, your mother is really sick....I think you should call the town docter. I'm going to see if my parents can come over and help. '

And with that she leaves me. My mother, sick? She never gets sick. How can she? I run as fast as I can back to my manor. The maid is standing there holding the door open for me as I aproach. I don't even stop to say anything....I'm too worried about my mother. I run up the stair as fast as I can and lunge towards my mother's door. I open the door to see my mother lying in her bed. She looked so fragile, sort of like her best China...except she looked horrible.

' Mother!!! Are you ok? What's wrong? '

' Hello my darling *cough cough*. I'm fine....there is nothing to worry about. Did you call the docter? '

' Yes mother I did.....daddy isn't here. '

' I know dear...he is off on one of his trades. '

I hate my father. He has never been there for me. For as long as I remember, he has been away on trade bussiness. I haven't seen much of him this year.

' Darling,' My mother, the one person besides the cook who has always been there for me. I love her so much and hate to see her this way.

' Darling? '

' Yes mother? '

' I want to give you your birthday present. '

' But mother my birthday isn't till another week. '

' I know honey but I want to see you open it. '

I took the box from her hands. It was a little, long, black box with a golden bow. I knew what it was even before I opened, but of course I wouldn't let my mother know this. I opened it to find a gold necklace with a locket. Inside the locket was a picture of my mother when she was young. There was also an inscription. ' Love reigns over everything '. This was not what I thought she would give me. I imagined a charm bracelet or something like that.

' Oh mother, it's beautiful.'

' I'm glad you like it. Every time you get in a tough situation and don't know what to do, look at that picture and remember my love for you. You will then know what is truly in your heart and your troubles will be solved. Now give me a kiss and run along....the docter should be here any minute. '

I kissed my mother and started to the door. I turned around to say that I loved her but she had fallen asleep. Her eyes were just and her face looked quite peaceful. She now looked like the women she once was.