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sky and cold rain began to fall. Presley saw the white tree and she began to scream.
    “Gracie! Help me! Please help me!” The weeping willow folded out her branches and rapidly began to weave them together to form a matrix. Another branch, acting like an arm, pulled Presley up and placed her on the woven bed. The branches then formed a cocoon and wrapped Presley until she was completely covered with the branches.
    Presley lay there whispering to herself, “What is going on? This has to be a dream.” She pinched herself hoping she’d wake up, only to realize that she was very much awake. “Where am I? Could Paulette, the girl in my dreams, be the Paulette my grandmother knew? But, she was fifteen when she went missing in 1954. This girl looks to be fifteen. So, there is no way she could be the same Paulette. It just can’t be possible. But, then again, how possible is it to be woven up by a tree?”
    Presley stayed awake all night. She was anxious to see Paulette again. She had so many questions to ask her. She wondered how she was going to get home, and if her mom had even noticed that she was missing. Would she panic and call the police, or maybe even call Tyler? She liked that thought. Maybe Tyler would worry about her and realize how much he loved her. Presley was entertaining these thoughts throughout the night and well into the early morning, when she heard a voice from the night before.
    “Gracie, thank you for your help. Please release the girl now," the voice said. Gently the tree unraveled its branches and slowly lowered Presley to the ground. Presley looked intently at the tree. It was the most beautiful tree she had ever seen. She reached out and touched the soft flesh-like bark and limber branches that hung so gracefully. Thick velvet-like leaves draped downward from the branches.
    “Hi," Paulette said.
    “Who are you?” Presley asked.
    “I told you. My name’s Paulette. Let me explain all of this to you later. We have to get back to town before they come back," Paulette said suspiciously.
    “Before I go anywhere I need to know two things. I need to know who you are and who they are," Presley demanded.
    “My name is Paulette Shepard and they are the spirits who want to destroy us. Please come with me back to town. I will try and explain on the way.”
    “Town? What town?” questioned Presley.
    “The town where I live, where we all live," Paulette said. She looked onto the peaceful rolling hills. She touched Gracie’s trunk and said, “Thank you for your help, my friend, I will see you back at town.” As the girls start down the path, Presley noticed that the landscape looked the same as it did the day before. It was a magnificent sight. There were beautiful bright blue birds flying in light blue sky. The contrast was breathtaking.
    “Please tell me what’s going on. I know of a Paulette Shepard who went missing years ago and I also know that she was fifteen years old back in 1954. Now, how can that be when you don’t look any older than fifteen yourself? Never mind. That’s crazy. You can’t be the same Paulette Shepard."
    “How do you know I was missing? Where are you from?” she said apprehensively, her eyes squinted. Suddenly, chills ran up and down Presley’s spine. She swallowed hard.
    “My grandmother told me the story about Paulette many years ago. My grandmother was friends with Paulette’s mother," Presley said in a calm slow tone. Paulette’s eyes began to fill up with tears.
    “Where are my mother and father? Do you know? And my brothers— what did they think happened to me? Tell me are my parents alive?” Paulette put her head in her hands and began to sob.
    Hesitantly, Presley decided to continue with the story but was beginning to think the girl could be mentally unstable.
    “The last that I knew your mother and father were both still alive, but that was many years ago. I don’t know your family personally. My grandma did, but she has since passed away. I do know