In the center of a beautiful valley, filled with flowers and lovely trees, rested a gorgeous house. It was three stories tall, and appeared to have grown out of the forest itself. Vines and flowers climbed the walls, and bushes bordered the sides of the humble home. It was so lovely and beautiful; few could resist such a gorgeous house.

Olivia and her parents moved in the house, and the little girl couldn’t believe her amazing fortune. The valley relaxed her, so she quickly dubbed it “Calming Valley” and the house “Valley House”. Her parents were not at all oblivious to their daughter’s joy, so they gave her a bedroom where she had a direct view of the forest. Olivia was delighted, and ran up the steps to her new bedroom on the third floor.

The wallpaper had white doves all over it, with vines running between them. Believing they could be real, the little girl put her hand out to touch them, and pressed her tiny hand against the flat wallpaper. An ocean of bliss flooded through her, and along with that bliss was the sense of calmness and belonging. She belonged there. She laughed, and leaped onto the bed, examining the intricate designs woven into the quilt bedspread. Soon she fell asleep studying the vines on the bedspread and the baby blue curtains.

Olivia woke slowly, her long, trademark braids undisturbed by the sudden nap. Everything in Valley House was magical, and it soothed young Olivia as a fairy tale would when read just before bed. This was a magical land.

The sunlight streamed into the room through the window. Olivia pushed it open, and felt the fresh air. It made her feel wonderful. Just then, her mother called her to go downstairs. It was time for grocery shopping. The whole family left, and that’s when it all started.

Doves on the wallpaper flew off, headed towards the window. The vines snaked their way outside, and the entire house, piece by piece, returned itself to the wilderness. Everything came to life, and the house disintegrated into Calming Valley.

Olivia returned just an hour later to find the entire house completely gone. Her special room had disappeared, and her Valley House was gone.

The little girl ran to Calming Valley, distressed and confused. When she begged for her lovely house to come back, a bird from her room flew to her and rested on Olivia’s shoulder. It was the same bird that she had first laid eyes on in her room. She knew from the sad look in his eyes that Valley House would never be there again. No more Valley House, but Calming Valley was still there.