The Protector

Nia's fin helped her push softly through the water.

She felt strong for the first time in her life.

Everyone always saw her as a little girl, and in this world she was a strong mermaid.

Nia wished she could live in this world forever, but she knew she had to go home.

She just was not sure how to go back.

Nia only had the notebook for a day, and she was not for sure how it worked.

Nia wasn't even for sure how she got the notebook.

She still felt like it was all a dream.

Pushing her arms forward, she dove towards the ocean floor.

A giant clam rested on the bottom, and she wondered if her notebook was inside.

"Woah, sugar. I do not like you swimming that fast at me." The clam voiced.

Nia smiled, she had never heard a clam talk before.

"I am sorry for frightening you, Miss Clam. Have you seen a notebook, around?" Nia asked.

The clam paused, "I may have, but I need you to solve a riddle before I tell you."

Nia shook her head yes.

"What is a knight's favorite fish?" The clam asked.

Nia thought for a moment.

She knew the answer to the riddle, and could not help but laughing.

"A sword fish!" Nia giggled.

The clam burst out with laughter, "That is my girl! You can have your notebook."

The clam opened her shell, laying on its tongue was Nia's notebook.

Nia swam forward, and grabbed the notebook from the clam's tongue.

She would have normally, been grossed out by the spit covering the book.

Nia did not want the clam to change her mind about giving back her notebook.

After Nia, swam away, the clam closed her mouth again.

"Will I see you around the tide pool?" The clam asked.

Nia thought for a second, "Maybe." She smiled, and waved goodbye to her new friend.

When she swam a little farther down in the ocean, she decided it was time to go home.

Reaching down, she turned the moon that rested on the front of her notebook.

With a poof of smoke, Nia was back at home sitting in her bedroom.

She knew she would never get over being able to go in the ocean, and coming home dry as a bone.

Nia rested the notebook on her night stand, and went to bed.

Little did she know how interesting the next day would truly be.

Waking up with a giant yawn, Nia turned her head to look at her notebook.

She was shocked to find it resting open.

Nia threw her covers off, and jumped out of bed.

She glanced down at her notebook, to see a neatly written note on the inside.

Nia,

If you want to keep the notebook, you must protect it. They will come for the notebook, and you must keep it safe. The notebook will tell you, when it is in danger. One day you will know all of the answers.



T-



Nia could not help but wonder who T was.

She smiled when she realized that should not be her first thought.

Nia was shocked when she had found the package resting on her bed the day before.

Mail had never came in Nia's name before, and she had never received a package.

It was only luck that her mother's housekeeper had brought the package to her room.

If she hadn't, Nia knew her mother would have opened the package.

Then she would have never received the notebook.

Especially, since there was no return address on the package.

When she had read the note explaining how to work the notebook, at first she thought it was a joke.

Nia had to try the notebook, if she did not try the curiosity would have gotten to her.

The first thing she thought of was to be a mermaid.

A mermaid was the coolest thing ever, and she had the best time in the ocean.

Nia was thinking of her mermaid fun when the notebook began to burn her hand.

She could not help but wonder if this was what the mysterious T was talking about.

The notebook was only seeming to get hotter and hotter, so she did the only thing she could think of.

Nia scribbled in the notebook, "It would be fun to be in a snow globe."

She grabbed her teddy bear off of her bed, and slammed the notebook closed.

"I am sorry teddy." Nia said as she used the teddy's arm to turn the sun.

Nia heard a burst of air, and opened her eyes to see herself in a snow globe.

She wondered if she would catch a cold in her pajamas, when she realized she had winter clothes on.

Nia squealed with joy.

She was in a snow globe that looked as it was straight out of her Christmas picture book.

Normally, she would have tracked down the smell of gingerbread, but she had to find the notebook.

The person named T, would not like it if she lost the notebook.

Looking around the snow village, Nia spotted the notebook resting in the hands of the snowman.

She ran forward and grabbed the notebook from the snowman.

As she closed the book, she could not help but think the snow globe would have to be visited again.

Quickly, she turned the moon on the front of the book.

When Nia arrived back in her bedroom, she knew she had to hurry.

Nia could not be late to school.

Sitting in her class, Nia could not help but think of the possibilities with the notebook.

Nia could travel to Hawaii.

Nia could travel to Fashion Shows.

Nia could travel to in movies.

Nia could travel in books.

"Nia, would you care to answer the question?"

"Swordfish!" Nia called out.

The class burst in to laughter, and Nia's cheeks turned bright red.

"Nia, pay attention."

Nia frowned, "I am sorry. I am not feeling well. May I go to the restroom?"

The teacher nodded, and Nia walked out of the class.

Walking in to the girls bathroom, she could not help but check the notebook.

Nia was glad that she did.

The notebook was shaking in her purse.

First, she could not think of what to do, so she stepped on her black notebook to try and hold it still.

When Nia heard the notebook begin to crunch, she stepped off of it.

Nia did not want to crush the silver moon and sun on the front of the notebook.

"I would like to go to outside space." Nia wrote.

Nia's breath was taken away, when she realized she was floating in the stars.

Her space suit seemed heavy, but she was calmed by the fact she had it.

Nia flipped and turned in her space suit.

Astronauts had the coolest job in the world, Nia thought.

She sighed when she realized that she had to go back.

Looking around, she wondered where the notebook was.

She was glad the cover of the notebook was black, because she would have never seen it resting on the moon.

Nia dove forward with her suit, and landed on the moon.

She took a glance at the stars surrounding her, and turned the moon on the cover of the book.

When she was popped back in to her class, she wondered how no one noticed her missing.

She did not care, but she was glad she still had her secret.

Nia looked down at her desk, to find the notebook resting open.

T had left her another note.

Nia,

You have passed my test. I knew you were right for the job of the protector, but be warned one day people will come for the notebook. I promise, next time it will not be a test. Again, be ready.

T-



Nia, sighed.

She could not believe that T had put her through so much.

Nia knew she had an adventure ahead of her, but she was ready.

Nia was ready to be the protector.