In a place not too far away and some time not too long ago, there was a small girl named Zoe. The best way to describe Zoe would be, as she would put it, "A pretty girl with brown, wavy hair and a really fantastic smile." On most days, Zoe would wear some kind of flower print outfit and a bright green head band. But today, she wore a plastic crown that said "Happy Birthday" around the band.
It was the evening of her birthday. Her dad took the crown off of her head, kissed her cheek, and tucked her under her covers. He left the light on at her request as he closed her door saying, "Goodnight, sweetheart." From the bed, she gazed at her most prized birthday gift: a bucket of a thousand beads. She couldn't help it any longer and jumped out of her bed to get that clear, shiny bucket. She poured the beads on a quilt spread on the floor. One by one, Zoe looked at the beads. She did this every night for about a month trying to decide which one was the most beautiful. She never decided.
Just about everywhere she went, her bucket of beads went with her. She would show them to her friends and her teachers at school and even people in the grocery store when she went with her mom. People were very puzzled about her fascination. They would ask if she was ever going to create something with them. Zoe would always reply with assurance, "Oh, I'm gonna make a really pretty necklace and... I might put some in my hair at the end of a braid... and make lots and lots of bracelets.... and maybe string them into a picture of a flower..." She had lots of ideas.
One morning, after her mother nudged her shoulder to get up, she rushed to the bathroom and stood on the little stool in front of the sink so she could make her face appear in the mirror. "PICTURE DAAAAAAAY!" she sung with her eyes closed tightly. She took her toothbrush and applied an extra large portion of toothpaste. Fifteen minutes later, Zoe was finally satisfied. Her dress was the next most important thing. This was her all time favorite dress. It was white and had small flowers along the hem and the ends of the sleeves with a large bow that tied below the back. "I'm the prettiest girl in the whoooooole world. I'm sure of it!"
She left her front porch carrying her lunch box and, of course, her bucket of beads. She sang a little made-up song to herself, "Walkin' to school. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All by myself. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Picture daaaaay. YEAH!" Her song was interrupted by a voice that made Zoe feel gross under her skin, but only for a moment. It was her classmate, Lucy. Zoe stopped in her tracts as Lucy walked slowly passed her to stand with Zoe face to face. "You're looking very... nice today," Lucy said to her with a smirk not meant to produce warm feelings. Zoe only looked at her and said nothing. "What have you got there? Beads? I'd like to have a look... if you don't mind," Lucy said with her eyes blazing blue.
Zoe lifted the lid of the bucket slowly. When she saw the beads, Lucy smiled a smile that seemed almost diabolical. As quick as a flash, she jerked her hand and grabbed one bead. "I especially like THIS ONE." There was dead silence as Zoe stared at her precious bead. Moments later, Lucy jolted away which stirred Zoe's heart with panic and passion as she ran after her. Zoe had left her bucket and lunch box on the sidewalk. They ran far off into a large field with patches of woods. Desperate thoughts raced through her mind as she ran past the bend in the path through the trees and found Lucy standing next to a wide mud pit made from the night's rain.
"Alright, we've ran far enough," Lucy said with her back to Zoe who had stopped for breath. She walked up to Lucy and was about to tell her to give back her bead so she could be on her way to school, but before the words left her mouth, she saw the bead tossed into the pit of muddy water and muck. She stopped herself on the edge of the pit. She could hardly believe what just happened. "Well, looks like it's 'Bye-bye, Beadie.'" Lucy snapped.
Zoe tried hard to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes and took a deep breath.
"NO!" she screamed right before she jumped in. She was down on her hands and knees hoping to feel a small, round object. The dress was drenched and her face became muddier as the minutes went by. At last, all of her panic stopped when she felt the bead between her fingers. She leaped out of the mud and yelled with all her energy, "I GOT YOU! I GOT YOU! You're MINE! You're MINE!"
Zoe lifted the lid of the bucket slowly. When she saw the beads, Lucy smiled a smile that seemed almost diabolical. As quick as a flash, she jerked her hand and grabbed one bead. "I especially like THIS ONE." There was dead silence as Zoe stared at her precious bead. Moments later, Lucy jolted away which stirred Zoe's heart with panic and passion as she ran after her. Zoe had left her bucket and lunch box on the sidewalk. They ran far off into a large field with patches of woods. Desperate thoughts raced through her mind as she ran past the bend in the path through the trees and found Lucy standing next to a wide mud pit made from the night's rain.
"Alright, we've ran far enough," Lucy said with her back to Zoe who had stopped for breath. She walked up to Lucy and was about to tell her to give back her bead so she could be on her way to school, but before the words left her mouth, she saw the bead tossed into the pit of muddy water and muck. She stopped herself on the edge of the pit. She could hardly believe what just happened. "Well, looks like it's 'Bye-bye, Beadie.'" Lucy snapped.
Zoe tried hard to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes and took a deep breath.
"NO!" she screamed right before she jumped in. She was down on her hands and knees hoping to feel a small, round object. The dress was drenched and her face became muddier as the minutes went by. At last, all of her panic stopped when she felt the bead between her fingers. She leaped out of the mud and yelled with all her energy, "I GOT YOU! I GOT YOU! You're MINE! You're MINE!"
"What is man that thou art mindful of him?
Psalm 8:4
That's goooood. I love you!
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