The third world 2/10

"It's not like Jennifer Jane to be late," said her mother, "she promised she'd be home in time for dinner today."

"I expect she's flown away on a broomstick" laughed Dave, “talking of which here comes her friend Abigail, now don't you say anything about imagining her flying out of the garden."

"Would you both sit down please," said Abigail as soon as she was indoors "and I'll come straight to the point."

"Something's happened to Jennifer Jane hasn't it?" interrupted Mary, "I knew it would one day, it's to do with the woods and all you people who live there."

"Well yes in a way it is," replied Abigail. "Now please don't worry, we know she's alright but at the moment we don't know where she is or how long it will take for us to find her and get her back."

Dave jumped up, "I'll go and ring the police."

"Please sit down again," said Abigail with a smile and a flick of her fingers.

He did so with rather a surprised look on his face.

"It's a long story," continued Abigail "and please don't interrupt." She wiggled her fingers again.

Both of Jennifer Jane's parents had started to open their mouths but found they had to shut them again.

"You really did see me fly off on a broomstick the other day, it was a bit careless of me really but I was in a hurry. All the people you met at your party are what they seemed to be, witches, fairies, goblins, even the dragons." She smiled at Dave, "now your daughter has been helping us for years with some of our day to day problems and very good at it she is."

Abigail explained about the other world and Jennifer Jane's protective spell.

"The spell hasn't been activated so we know she's perfectly safe and normally we can trace where she is in either world, but I'm afraid she's disappeared. I'm sure we can sort this out but it may take a few days."

Mary started to cry quietly into a hanky.

Dave pointed to his mouth, so Abigail wiggled her fingers.

"If she can't be found in either world, then is it possible that she's found her way into a third?" he asked looking very solemn. He walked over to his wife and gave her a cuddle. "Sorry old girl it seems you weren't imagining things after all."

Abigail sat and thought for a while. She was just about to say something when Mary pointed out of the sitting room window.

"Is he real too?" she asked in a shaky voice.

Dave and Abigail looked round. The garden had become foggy while they'd been talking and walking through the mist towards the house was a snowman.

Abigail smiled. "That's Frosty, Jennifer Jane's very own snowman, she made him some years ago and he's brought his flying cloud so that he can act as a messenger between the fairy folk and us while we organise the search for her."