Finding Fiona by Viola Grace Page A

while her mother and father were fishing off the dock of a nearby lake. She had been playing at the base of the dock, but had disappeared while her parents were landing a trout. By the time they thought to look for her, she was long gone.
    An alert went out immediately and the local news ran the story. Mandy had been missing for three hours by the time the local sheriff had gotten the volunteers organized.
    Fiona settled her safety vest and ignored the lewd comments about the fit. Her breasts did tend to be on the large side, but that was no reason for strangers to comment. It was her bright red hair that usually drew their eye in the first place. She blamed her mother for them both. Mom took the responsibility with good humour.
    She hoped for Mandy’s sake they found her and she could have that kind of relationship with her own mother. Mrs. Sanders’s face indicated that it was her fondest wish.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 2
     
     
    The search was underway. The searchers fanned out from the dock where Mandy had last been seen. Every other searcher called Mandy’s name, but Fiona didn’t know how effective that would be for an age where children were taught to avoid strangers.
    She was too close to the others to use her talent, so she had to wait until they had worked their way deeper into the woods. Finally, she cast her mind into the woods to find the missing Mandy. A sea of green assaulted her senses, she saw a cave, trees and Mandy in a sunny yellow short set. The girl looked healthy and didn’t seem to be under any duress. Thank goodness.
    Slipping away from the other searchers while wearing a neon yellow and orange vest with flaming red hair was a feat of skill. Fortunately, it was not the first time she had engaged in this activity.
    The path in her mind was clear, but the one in the material world was covered in mud and bugs. Ick. She crawled over fallen logs, moved through thick brambles and finally, hours later, came out of the path to face the cave where little Mandy was standing, in her vision.
    A girlish giggle and a shriek of laughter drew Fiona into the cave. It was clear and open as she wandered down into the darkness. After smacking herself on the head for forgetting the flashlight she had been issued, her trip into the tunnel was quite a bit easier, if no less creepy.
    Another giggle drew her deeper into the darkness and a light began to gleam from the end of the tunnel. She spared herself the jokes about the end of the tunnel. Only barely.
    The shriek broke the silence and Fiona rushed forward. The sudden flare of light all around her blinded her for a moment, but as her vision cleared, she saw Mandy riding a unicorn in an open section of cavern.
    Wait. A unicorn?
    Closer inspection confirmed that it was indeed, a unicorn. The horn was solid and didn’t move as he pranced around in a circle. Perhaps Fiona had suffered a blow to the head while she was travelling? Sniffed a little too much paint thinner at work, perhaps?
    The majestic creature continued to prance in circles to the delight of his passenger.
    Fiona had no idea how to separate the two.
    “Fiona Matthews. I am so happy to finally meet you.” A figure emerged from the shadows across the open cavern. He seemed to have no trouble picking her out of the darkness that was hiding her. Perhaps her flashlight wasn’t helping, or perhaps it was the blinding light streaming out of the cavern.
    She flicked the flashlight off and stepped forward. “I am afraid you have me at a disadvantage. Hiya, Mandy. Are you having fun?”
    Mandy grinned at her. “I have a pony.”
    “You certainly do. How did you get down here, Sweetie?” Fiona was carefully approaching the animal and the child.
    “The pretty man gave me some candy and promised that I could ride the pony as much as I wanted until you got here.”
    The pretty man was now in full view and he was indeed, pretty. Golden brown hair to his waist and pansy blue eyes with the body of a