A young girl laces up her shoes and races for the woodland behind her house. She wanders through the damp forest as droplets of water unfurl leaves and awaken slumbering creatures. It’s always a good day to go exploring, she thinks to herself. 

Ellie pauses to watch a little chipmunk scamper through the brush and then continues on her way. She skips through the trees, entirely immersed in her own world. Ellie eventually strays from her worn path and stumbles upon a hollow log overgrown with moss. The hollow creates an opening the size of a small girl. Ellie’s curiosity drives her to crouch down in the dirt and peer into the fallen log. A fort-like space entices her to crawl forward, and she moves through the wide opening. Soft dirt squishes in between her fingertips as she crawls towards a stream of light at the end of the tunnel. 

Ellie emerges from the hollow in a vast meadow strewn with wildflowers. She quickly spins around in search of the vanished log. A sense of excitement rushes through her as she takes in the surroundings that replaced her familiar backyard. An assortment of wildflowers grow in place of the fallen log, and a silver object shimmers from the grass. Ellie reaches down to grasp the object. She lifts the seashell shaped necklace off the ground and clasps it around her neck for safekeeping. A worn path beckons Ellie to traverse through the meadow, and she follows along the trail until an expansive oak tree comes into view. The twisted tree branches glitter and extend to form a canopy over the meadow. As Ellie nears the oak tree, she notices that the specks of glitter have begun to shape into little fairies that flutter around the tree.

“Hello?” Ellie calls out politely.

A fairy flies towards her in response.

“A human girl!” she chirps. “This is so exciting!”

“What is this place?” Ellie replies. “I’m not really sure how I got here. I was just exploring in the woods behind my house, and then I climbed through a fallen log.”

“Well, welcome to The Hollow! My name’s Daffodil.”

“Thank you, I've never met a real fairy before,” Ellie breathes. 

At this point, the other fairies begin to float down from their tree to inspect the commotion, and they hover around Ellie. The fairies look nervously at her necklace. 

“Where did you get that shell necklace?” an unfamiliar fairy speaks up.

“Oh, I found this in the meadow. Is that okay?” Ellie asks. 

Daffodil’s eyes widen in disbelief. “That necklace belongs to the mermaids.”

“What mermaids, Daffodil?”

“Many other creatures, such as mermaids, reside in The Hollow. Their lagoon is not far from our very own tree. A troublesome witch stole their treasured necklace, and it went missing for quite some time. Ellie, would you be willing to return the shell?” 

“Of course! I want to help, but how will I get to the lagoon?”

“I have an idea!” another fairy chimes in. “Let’s all contribute some of our fairy dust so that Ellie can fly herself to the lagoon. It’s a quick trip through the sky.”

At once, the fairies surround Ellie in a cloud of twinkling lights. Her feet begin to lift up off the ground, and she waves farewell to her newfound friends. 

Ellie effortlessly glides through the clear blue sky. She brushes her fingertips against soft clouds as she uses her arms to maneuver through the air. The weight of the seashell around her neck remains a pressing reminder to locate the lagoon promptly. Out of nowhere, a forceful gust of wind causes Ellie to nearly lose her balance in the clouds. As she turns her head to evaluate the situation, a dark figure lunges for the object around her neck. Ellie cries out and jumps back in fear. The witch is now clearly visible in broad daylight, and she rides atop a withered broomstick.

“Come here, little girl! I know you have something that belongs to me,” the witch cackles as she soars through the air and lunges for the necklace once again.

“It does not belong to you!” Ellie screeches as she dives to the side.

The witch hesitates in response, providing Ellie with an opportunity to turn against her. Ellie uses the force of her legs to quickly push the broomstick out from underneath the witch. In a quick moment, the witch topples from the sky. Ellie does not wait around for her return. She tucks the necklace away and flies straight to the lagoon.

The sound of water splashing against rocks echoes throughout the cove as Ellie floats down and walks to the lagoon. Sunlight scatters across a luminous pool where golden fish swim and shimmering tails waver below the surface. 

“Hello! I have your shell necklace,” Ellie calls out across the lagoon. 

“Hi there!” a mermaid pops her head above the water. “Wow! You really found it. I truly can’t thank you enough, Ellie. This necklace means so much to us mermaids. We will always treasure your act of kindness. Please, come down and meet the others!”

Suddenly, a distant voice interrupts Ellie’s conversation with the mermaid.

“Ellie! It’s time for lunch,” a soft voice echoes throughout the cove.

As Ellie turns around to trace the sound, a house comes into view and the lagoon fades away. She looks past the surrounding trees to see her mom standing in the doorway. I always did have a wild imagination, Ellie thinks to herself.